If you're looking for more power for tasks like video editing or gaming, the Acer Swift X with its dedicated graphics card offers stronger performance, but it may have a shorter battery life compared to the ThinkPad T14. The ThinkPad is known for its durability and keyboard comfort, plus better battery life, which is ideal for business users who prioritize longevity and typing experience. The Swift X may save you money and provide a boost for multimedia tasks, whereas the ThinkPad is more about reliability and endurance for typical workday tasks. Consider what's more important for your daily use: raw performance or build and battery life. 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 overall display quality
Very good battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
Very good for general use
Very good for software development
Very good overall build quality
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9/10
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2023) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers a balance of efficient CPU, ample RAM, and high-quality screen which suits everyday tasks, while its portability and long battery life make it easy to use on the go. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, with its top-notch keyboard and robust build, also provides reliable performance through a great CPU and RAM setup essential for consistent general use, albeit with a slightly heavier build that might affect its portability.
Screen Quality
8.0/10
6.9/10
14.5in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
321.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 has a better screen for content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift X boasts a display with higher resolution and brightness, rendering it superb for daily activities and detail-oriented tasks such as engineering and design due to its vivid colors and sharp imagery. However, its screen doesn't support high refresh rates crucial for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications, making it less suited for those purposes. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while also offering a quality display for day-to-day use and sufficient color accuracy for professional design work, shares the same limitation in refresh rate, detracting from its performance in action-oriented gaming and 3D rendering.
Cost
$1,100
$1,241
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2023) has a price of $1,100 and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 costs $1,241.
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkPad T14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X is equipped with a dedicated GPU, which enhances gaming and 3D performance, and also has a higher screen refresh rate, providing smoother visuals crucial for these tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14, while still suitable for moderate gaming and 3D applications due to its adequate CPU and screen quality, may not deliver the same level of graphic detail or fluidity due to its focus on business-oriented features over gaming specifications.
Engineering and Design
8.0/10
8.0/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.0/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Acer Swift X (2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X offers a robust CPU, ample RAM, and a dedicated GPU, catering to intensive tasks like 3D modeling and video editing, complemented by a high-quality screen for precise visual work, while its portability allows for on-the-go use, albeit with potential trade-offs in keyboard and speaker quality. Conversely, the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 boasts a strong CPU and sufficient RAM for demanding engineering software, alongside a renowned keyboard for comfortable typing during long sessions, though its GPU might not be as powerful for heavy graphical tasks, and it typically has lower operating noise, benefitting focused work environments.
Content Creation
8.0/10
8.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Acer Swift X (2023) 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
8.3/10
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.5in
SIZE
14.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 and Acer Swift X (2023) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkPad T14 to have very good 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 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."
"We like a lot about this laptop. It has many ports, with the inclusion of RJ45-Ethernet as a defining feature. WWAN is upgradable for maximum flexibility and the ThinkPad has many security functions. Working with the ThinkPad input devices is a lot of fun, and Lenovo puts in a serviceable Low Power panel. The AMD Ryzen 7 Pro 7840U delivers a great performance and does not drain the battery fast. Fan noise and temperatures are nothing special, but also far away from bad. With the user replaceable keyboard, the ThinkPad T14 Gen 4 has a special feature rarely present on most modern laptops."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Lenovo ThinkPad T14
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
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
131,595
Recommendations made
28,513
Consumer hours saved
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.