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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) involves weighing different factors. The Acer Swift X is less expensive and offers a high refresh rate display, making it ideal for fast-paced tasks and some gaming. With a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, it is suitable for moderate 3D and engineering work, while being lightweight and thus more portable. On the other hand, the MacBook Pro boasts a more powerful Apple silicon processor, a Mini LED display with higher resolution and brightness, and more RAM, which is beneficial for intensive engineering tasks, 3D rendering, and machine learning applications. It also has a longer battery life but is heavier and more expensive than the Swift X. You should pick the Acer for a budget-friendly, portable option with decent performance, or the MacBook if you require a top-tier display and superior processing capabilities for professional or creative work. 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 portability
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
- Excellent for general use
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Best in class battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
9.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is excellent for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is good.
The Acer Swift X, with a mid-range CPU and less RAM than the MacBook Pro, caters well to general use, balancing processing power and battery life in a lightweight form; however, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 excels with a higher-end CPU and more RAM, plus a superior screen and longer battery life, making it very good for general use despite being less portable.
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X is outfitted with an Intel i5 processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, along with 16GB of RAM, which provides solid performance for engineering tasks; however, the MacBook Pro 16 leaps ahead with a more powerful M1 Pro chip and double the RAM, enabling very smooth workflows for complex design work.
Content Creation
8.0
8.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for content creation, though the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is somewhat better.
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
8.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) is 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.
Screen Quality
8.0
9.4
14.5in
SIZE
16.2in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
497.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift X offers a high-resolution, bright display suitable for general activities and color-sensitive engineering work, but its lower refresh rate doesn't match the needs for smooth rendering in 3D applications where higher refresh rates are crucial. The MacBook Pro excels in screen quality across general use and engineering disciplines, providing a vibrant, high-resolution display with a wide color spectrum, ensuring accurate color reproduction for professional design tasks. However, like the Swift X, the MacBook's focus on high resolution and color accuracy over refresh rate makes it less ideal for 3D environments that benefit from a faster screen refresh for smoother motion.
Battery
10.0 Hours
17.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 16 has 17.5 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
14.5in
SIZE
16.2in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
4.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) 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
$1,949
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) costs $1,949.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.0
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
5.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3456 x 2234
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) to be good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X, with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a 120Hz screen refresh rate, delivers solid performance for gaming and 3D applications on a Windows platform, which supports many popular games that aren't compatible with macOS. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 offers strong 3D capabilities with its M1 Pro integrated graphics and a similar 120Hz refresh rate, but its macOS may limit the availability of popular games, and its screen, while high quality, does not prioritize gaming specifics like the GPU does on the Acer.
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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,949 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 4.7 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 9.77" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | Apple M1 Pro (10C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 17.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 99.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 16.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3456 x 2234 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 497 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 Pro 16 (2021)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | February 2023
"The Apple MacBook Pro 16 2023: M2 Max challenges GeForce RTX 3080 Ti. The new MacBook Pro 16 2023 with the M2 Max SoC is the most powerful laptop Apple has on sale right now. While we do not get the expected performance and efficiency improvements from completely new 3 nm chips, which we expected ahead of the launch, the 2023 model is still a solid update. The CPU of the M2 Max can be up to 20 % faster than the old model and we also see an advantage of 25-30 % for the GPU with 38 cores. However, both components also consume more power, so the efficiency did not change that much under maximum load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
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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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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