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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a higher resolution and more vibrant display for tasks such as photo editing, the Acer Swift Edge 16 with its OLED screen would be a better option. On the other hand, the HP Envy 17 has a larger screen but a lower resolution, which might be preferable if you like bigger displays for productivity but don't need the highest screen quality. The Envy also offers a touchscreen for more intuitive interaction. The Swift is significantly more portable due to its lower weight, making it suitable if you're often on the move, while the Envy's greater weight might be a downside for travel. Both are adequate for general use, engineering tasks, and 3D applications but are not optimized for intensive gaming. The Swift has a slightly longer battery life, a consideration if you're frequently away from power outlets. Both laptops are equipped with modern ports including USB-C, but only the Envy offers an HDMI port, which can be crucial if you plan to connect to external displays without adapters. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift Edge 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
Advantages of the HP Envy 17
- Good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.4
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the HP Envy 17 is good.
The Acer Swift Edge 16, with a high-resolution OLED screen and an AMD Ryzen CPU combined with Radeon GPU, excels in screen quality and graphical performance, making it ideal for detailed engineering and design work. Meanwhile, the HP Envy 17 also supports engineering tasks with a capable Intel i7 CPU and integrated graphics, but offers a larger screen with touchscreen capabilities, though with lower screen resolution than the Acer, and is less portable due to its larger size and weight.
Content Creation
8.1
7.5
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for content creation, while the HP Envy 17 is good.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Screen Quality
8.8
6.8
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the HP Envy 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 boasts a high-resolution display and exceptional brightness, making it ideal for vivid and clear image quality required in general use and detailed, color-accurate work in engineering and design, but its lower refresh rate holds it back for the fast-paced visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The HP Envy 17 offers good resolution and brightness, adequate for daily tasks and ensuring decent clarity and color accuracy for engineering purposes, yet like the Acer, it may not satisfy gamers or 3D creators due to a less optimal refresh rate. Both laptops miss the mark for gaming and 3D because fluid motion and fast screen updates are crucial in these areas, and a high refresh rate is key to delivering that experience.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The HP Envy 17 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
17.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.4 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the HP Envy 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$820
$1,000
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the HP Envy 17 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.5
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and HP Envy 17 are both good for general use.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.4
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and HP Envy 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is equipped with a AMD Radeon 780M graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 120, making it better suited for gaming and 3D applications compared to the HP Envy 17, which has an integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics and a lower screen refresh rate of 60. Additionally, the Swift Edge's OLED display with higher resolution offers superior screen quality, which enhances visual experiences during gaming and 3D tasks.
Software Development
7.9
7.5
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and HP Envy 17 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Build Quality
7.2
7.2
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and HP Envy 17 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the HP Envy 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 | HP Envy 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$820 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | 15.7'' x 10.2'' x 0.77'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.73 lbs | 5.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 15.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 10.2" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | Intel i7-13700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 55 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 383 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Edge 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
HP Envy 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | April 2023
"In our test, the HP Envy 17-cr0079ng presents itself as a balanced multimedia laptop. Thanks to its solid CPU performance and dedicated entry-level GeForce, it can also be used for playing video games, as long as the demands aren't too high. Those looking for more can find it in the Dell XPS 17 for example."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Edge 16 or the HP Envy 17
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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