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Updated January 12, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Apple MacBook Air (2022), consider that the Acer Swift X, while a bit pricier, generally offers higher performance suited for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, due to more powerful hardware. However, the MacBook Air is known for its extremely portable design and long battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go use and general computing tasks. The MacBook Air's macOS might also offer a more streamlined and integrated experience with other Apple devices, while the Swift X will run Windows and may be preferred for compatibility with certain software in engineering fields. Remember, though, the MacBook Air is not designed for heavy-duty tasks and might struggle with intensive applications that the Swift X can handle comfortably. 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 X (2023)
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
- Very good for software development
- Best in class overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.4
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X's dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU paired with a higher screen refresh rate makes it more suitable for gaming and 3D applications, while the MacBook Air's integrated Apple M2 GPU and lower refresh rate limits its performance in these areas; moreover, the Windows operating system of the Acer Swift X supports a wider range of popular games compared to the MacOS of the MacBook Air.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.6
14.5in
SIZE
13.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Apple MacBook Air for gaming and AI, and content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air has a better screen for content creation.
The Acer Swift X shines in general use and engineering due to its high-resolution, bright display which renders sharp images and offers vivid colors covering a wide range of color gamuts, essential for precision in design work. The MacBook Air also provides a high-quality display with excellent resolution and brightness, along with impressive color accuracy that meets the demands of engineering and design professionals. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D tasks as they lack high refresh rates which are crucial for smooth motion rendering and an immersive visual experience in fast-paced scenes.
Battery
10.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Air has 15 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
Excellent
14.5in
SIZE
13.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.4in
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has excellent portability, while the Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
10.0
The Apple MacBook Air (2022) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift X (2023) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,100
$839
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) costs $839.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
15.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.4/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Apple MacBook Air (2022) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers robust performance with a high-end Intel CPU and dedicated Nvidia graphics, which makes it well-suited for general use that may include some more graphics-intensive tasks and multitasking with its higher RAM, although it's slightly heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Air.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) is good.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.0
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the Apple MacBook Air (2022) 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.
Software Development
7.9
8.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1664
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
10.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Air (2022) to be very good for software development, while the Acer Swift X (2023) 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.
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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Apple MacBook Air (2022) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Apple MacBook Air (2022) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $839 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 12'' x 8.5'' x 0.44'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 2.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 11.97" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 8.46" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | Apple M2 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 15 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 52.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 13.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1664 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 9.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 3 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2023)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | July 2022
"The Apple MacBook Air M2 Entry is a very good, but too expensive daily MacBook. The new MacBook Air M2 is undoubtedly once again a very good mobile companion, but we are still a little bit disappointed on a very high level, which is definitely connected with the increased price point. The new chassis is extremely slim and the front edge is no problem during typing, but the bezels are pretty wide for a modern device and in addition with the vertical space required for the notch, the new Air has larger footprint than some Windows rivals."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Apple MacBook Air (2022)
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 Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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.
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About the laptop team
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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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.
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