The Acer Swift X (2023) and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for general use, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
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
6.9/10
6.2/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a higher-end Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, making it better suited for more demanding gaming and 3D tasks compared to the ASUS Zenbook 13, which includes an integrated AMD Vega 8 GPU and a lower 60Hz screen refresh rate. Despite the ASUS featuring an OLED screen, which offers superior visual quality, its lower-spec CPU and GPU make it less ideal for intensive uses like gaming or 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
7.1/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 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.
Software Development
7.9/10
7.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and ASUS Zenbook 13 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
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
8.0/10
7.8/10
14.5in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
378.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 13 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
When considering a laptop for general use, the Acer Swift X and ASUS Zenbook 13 both offer screens with clear images, sharp resolution, and good brightness levels, providing comfortable viewing for everyday tasks like browsing and productivity. For engineering and design, both laptops boast accurate color representation, covering a wider range of colors, which is crucial for professional photo editing and graphic design work. However, their screens are less suited for gaming and 3D applications due to the lower refresh rates, which can lead to less smooth visuals when playing fast-paced games or working with 3D rendering that benefits from quicker screen updates.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.5in
SIZE
13.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS Zenbook 13 has excellent portability, while the Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$890
$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 ASUS Zenbook 13 costs $890.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 13 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 13 has 9 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.4/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and ASUS Zenbook 13 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 X (2023) and the ASUS Zenbook 13 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Asus ZenBook 13 is a compact 13-inch laptop with a fast Ryzen 7 5800U and OLED display. The subnotebook is also light and the modern design is convincing. The selection of high-quality materials make the device not only light, but also very stable. In addition, the visuals and haptics of the device offers a high-quality impression. The AMD Ryzen 7 5800U is a very good fit for the ZenBook 13, ensuring a high performance in the test. However, in terms of the 3D performance, we also notice that the Vega architecture is beginning to hit its limits."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the ASUS Zenbook 13
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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
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
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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.