The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is good.
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.
Screen Quality
8.8/10
8.5/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
393.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 for general use, and gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift Edge 16's superior resolution and brightness make it excellent for sharp and vivid displays, crucial for both general computing and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for the smooth visuals required in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while also offering a very good display for everyday tasks and precise color representation for professional design tasks, falls short for gaming due to its refresh rate, which is less than optimal for the fast-paced action in gaming and 3D content. Both laptops, however, provide expansive color gamuts, ensuring accurate colors for design and engineering applications where color fidelity is essential.
Portability
Very Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.2 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.2/10
8.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$820
$1,120
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 costs $1,120.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift Edge 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is equipped with a higher refresh rate screen making it more suitable for gaming that demands quick screen updates, while its GPU, the AMD Radeon 780M, provides competent performance for gaming and 3D applications. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, while having a stronger GPU in the AMD RX 6500M which is beneficial for demanding 3D tasks and gaming, offers a lower screen refresh rate which might not be as optimal for the fastest-paced games as the Acer, although its CPU and screen quality are very good for a range of applications.
Engineering and Design
8.1/10
8.4/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift Edge 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16, with a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a higher-tier GPU compared to the Acer Swift Edge 16, is better suited for demanding engineering and design tasks, delivering enhanced performance for complex computations and graphics processing. Additionally, the ThinkPad Z16 offers a higher resolution display with touchscreen capabilities, increasing precision and interactivity for design work, though it is heavier and slightly less portable than the lighter Acer Swift Edge 16 with its OLED display of slightly lower resolution and no touchscreen option.
Content Creation
8.1/10
8.5/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 and Acer Swift Edge 16 are both very good for content creation.
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.
Software Development
7.9/10
8.2/10
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift Edge 16 is good.
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.
Battery
7.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 has 7 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.
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How the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Lenovo’s ThinkPad Z16 tries has some success in its effort to tweak the ThinkPad formula. The laptop is attractive, yet still tame, and material quality is on par with the best Windows competition. I also like the smooth, responsive haptic touchpad and the wide range of modern connectivity. Yet the Z16 doesn’t fix ThinkPad’s typical weakness: value. Starting around $1,550, and more typically near $1,700, the Z16 finds itself facing alternatives that have better performance or an improved display for the same price, or less."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Edge 16 or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
By the numbers
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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.