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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you prioritize a higher refresh rate and better GPU performance for tasks like gaming or 3D work, the Acer Swift X with its Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card may be your preference. However, the LG Ultra 16 offers longer battery life and is quieter due to its fanless operation, making it suitable for everyday use and on-the-go productivity. The Acer is also usually more expensive, so if budget is a concern, the LG could provide good value. Neither is exceptionally lightweight or compact, but they each offer decent portability considering their screen sizes and capabilities. Finally, for color-sensitive work, the Acer's display covers a wider color gamut. 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
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
- Excellent battery life
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.2
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
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
10.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.0
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 is good.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is equipped with an Intel CPU, dedicated Nvidia GPU, and a high-resolution screen that's bright and color-accurate, making it well-suited for engineering and design where graphics and detailed work are crucial. The LG Ultra 16, despite having a fanless operation making it quieter, features an AMD CPU with integrated graphics which, while ample for many tasks, may not handle graphically intensive applications as smoothly, but offers a larger screen and superior battery life, a plus for extended work sessions without access to power.
Screen Quality
8.0
6.2
14.5in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
For general use, the Acer Swift X offers a vibrant, high-resolution display with sufficient brightness, which makes text and images crisp and easy to view, while the LG Ultra 16's screen, though clear and fairly bright, might not provide the same level of detail or visual pop. Engineers and designers will appreciate the Acer's wider color gamuts, ensuring more accurate color representation for professional work, whereas the LG might not offer as rich color reproduction, which can be crucial for design precision. However, neither the Acer Swift X nor the LG Ultra 16 are ideal for gaming or 3D rendering due to lower refresh rates, which result in less fluid motion and slower screen responses compared to specialized gaming laptops with high-refresh panels.
Battery
10.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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
6.5
The Acer Swift X (2023) has good build quality, while the LG Ultra 16 has only fair 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 LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and LG Ultra 16 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is equipped with a strong CPU and dedicated graphics, which make it great for general use and even for more demanding tasks, plus it has a high-resolution screen which is good for sharp imagery; however, it's slightly heavier which might affect portability. In contrast, the LG Ultra 16, while having a good CPU, lacks a dedicated GPU, which reduces its capability for intensive tasks, but it compensates with better portability due to its lighter weight and a longer battery life, making it very suitable for everyday tasks on the go.
Content Creation
8.0
7.7
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
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 LG Ultra 16 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
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and LG Ultra 16 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.5in
SIZE
16.0in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to have very good portability, while the LG Ultra 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift X (2023) and the LG Ultra 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | LG Ultra 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 3.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 9.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
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 | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 16" | |
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 | 270 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
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."
LG Ultra 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the LG Ultra 16
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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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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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