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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2023) is the better option if you need a laptop that is more portable due to its lighter weight and longer battery life. It also has a higher resolution and max refresh rate with its display, which may be beneficial for tasks requiring detailed visuals. The Dell G15 5520, on the other hand, offers a larger screen and superior 3D, machine learning, and engineering performance, thanks to its more powerful CPU and GPU. It is also better suited for gaming and intensive graphic tasks but has less battery life and is heavier, making it less portable. Both laptops have similar RAM, storage, and are in the same price range, so your choice ultimately comes down to whether you prioritize portability and screen quality or performance for more intensive tasks and gaming. 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 content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Dell G15 5520
- Good for gaming and AI
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
7.7
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell G15 5520 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2023) suits gaming and 3D applications with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a high-quality IPS screen that offers a 120Hz refresh rate; its CPU, though capable, is less powerful than that of the Dell G15 5520. The Dell G15 5520, on the other hand, provides a superior Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU for demanding graphics tasks and gaming, a 165Hz refresh rate for smoother visuals, and a more robust CPU, paired with an IPS panel for good screen quality.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.1
14.5in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X, with its vibrant display, high resolution, and ample brightness, offers great detail and color for everyday tasks and professional design work, owing to its wide color gamut coverage, which ensures accurate colors for engineering tasks. The Dell G15, while also featuring a good resolution and adequate brightness, offers a decent quality display for day-to-day activities and sufficient color reproduction for technical and creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, both the Acer Swift X and Dell G15 fall short due to their lower refresh rates, hence they may not provide the most fluid visual experience in fast-paced scenarios or detailed 3D rendering.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Dell G15 5520 has 6 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
Fair
14.5in
SIZE
15.6in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X (2023) has very good portability, while the Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,100
$1,000
$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 Dell G15 5520 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell G15 5520 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers a balance for general use with its solid CPU, ample RAM, high-resolution 16:10 screen enhancing productivity and media experience, while ensuring better portability and longer battery life for on-the-go users. On the other hand, the Dell G15 5520 provides a robust CPU and more RAM for demanding tasks, a larger screen with a faster refresh rate which might appeal to gamers, but it is less portable and has shorter battery life, making it more suitable for stationary use.
Engineering and Design
8.0
8.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers a very good balance of power and portability with a capable CPU and GPU combined with a high screen pixel density for sharp images, suited for on-the-go engineering tasks. In contrast, the Dell G15 5520, while heavier and less portable, provides a more powerful CPU and higher-tier GPU for demanding engineering and design work, but has weaker screen color fidelity and shorter battery life.
Content Creation
8.0
7.9
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 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 Dell G15 5520 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
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell G15 5520 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
7.6
7.4
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Dell G15 5520 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 Dell G15 5520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Dell G15 5520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 5.55 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.06" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 10.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 251 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
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."
Dell G15 5520
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Dell G15 5520
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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Why trust us
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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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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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.
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