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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers better performance for intensive engineering tasks and 3D/machine learning applications due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, compared to the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's integrated AMD Radeon 680M. The Acer also has a higher refresh rate display, which is advantageous for smooth visuals, especially in gaming or fast-paced videos. However, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 stands out for its portability with a lighter frame and its touchscreen feature, making it a better option for those who prioritize mobility and touch capability. Both laptops are suitable for general use but, if you prefer a laptop that is less expensive, lighter, and includes touchscreen capabilities, the ThinkPad Z13 would be your choice, whereas if you value higher graphics performance and a faster screen for gaming or visual tasks, the Swift X might serve you better. Both offer similar battery life for typical usage, so your decision will largely hinge on your specific needs around performance, portability, and display features. 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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.3
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.1/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2023) excels in gaming due to its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 120, providing smoother visuals and better performance, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 with an AMD Radeon 680M GPU and a standard refresh rate of 60 offers less graphic capability and smoothness in visuals, making it fair for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.3
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 is good.
The Acer Swift X (2023) excels in engineering and design use due to its robust Intel CPU, dedicated Nvidia GPU, and high-quality, high-resolution screen, which are crucial for intensive tasks and detailed visual work. In contrast, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, with its AMD Ryzen CPU and integrated Radeon GPU, offers a more lightweight and compact form factor with a quality screen too, making it a strong choice for professionals who value portability without sacrificing performance.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.0
14.5in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X's screen excels in clarity and color reproduction which benefits general use and engineering tasks, but its lower refresh rate hinders the smoothness required for gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13's display also offers good resolution and vibrant colors, making it suitable for productivity and creative work, but similarly falls short for gaming due to its refresh rate not being high enough. Neither laptop's screen meets the high refresh rate demand for optimal gaming and 3D modeling experiences, which is crucial for fluid motion and fast-paced visuals.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.5in
SIZE
13.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 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.
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
379.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers an Intel CPU and Nvidia RTX graphics suitable for general use with a larger, higher-resolution screen, but at the cost of being heavier and less portable than the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13, which features a more compact design, a lighter frame, and a touch screen, though its AMD graphics may be less powerful for certain tasks. Both have similar battery life, RAM, and storage, ensuring capable performance for everyday activities, while the ThinkPad Z13's superior portability and touch screen may appeal to users frequently on the move or those who prefer a convertible laptop experience.
Content Creation
8.0
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
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 Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 has 10 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.
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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 |
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'' | 11.6'' x 7.9'' x 0.55'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 2.78 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 11.59" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 7.86" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | AMD Ryzen 7 6850U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 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 | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 51.5 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 379 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Brian Westover | September 2022
"In the premium ultraportable space, the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13 competes with the best of the best, and still manages to shine. The design is an impressive departure from the bland bare-metal laptop that's become so popular in recent years, and the AMD-powered system has performance that's just as impressive. It's a stark alternative to the Intel-based majority, and it stands up well enough to the impressive Apple M2 processor."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Lenovo ThinkPad Z13
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.
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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.
By the numbers
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Laptops evaluated
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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.
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.
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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.
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