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Updated January 12, 2024·
When deciding between the Acer Swift X (2023) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13", consider that the Acer typically offers higher performance due to its dedicated graphics card, making it suitable for tasks like video editing or gaming. However, the Surface Laptop 5 boasts a premium build with a sleek design and is more portable for everyday carry. Its screen usually has a higher resolution and touch capability, ideal for certain creative works or a more interactive experience. In terms of battery life, the Surface Laptop may last longer on a charge, which is an advantage if you're frequently mobile. Ultimately, if you need more graphical power and are fine with a bulkier device, go for the Acer Swift X. If you desire a more portable and premium-designed laptop with touch features and longer battery life, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 would better meet your needs, provided you're willing to spend a little more. 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
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.1
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3050 and a high screen refresh rate of 120Hz, both of which contribute to a smoother and more visually responsive gaming and 3D experience, whereas the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" uses Intel Iris Xe graphics and has a lower screen refresh rate of 60Hz, making it less optimal for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.1
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" is good.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is better suited for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel i5-13500H CPU and dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which render complex graphics and computations faster, while its high-resolution IPS screen ensures sharp and accurate color representation, essential for design work. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers a lighter and thinner form factor with a high-quality touchscreen and silent operation, suitable for engineers and designers looking for portability and a versatile display, albeit with less graphical performance due to its integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics.
Content Creation
8.0
7.4
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2023) is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 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.
Software Development
7.9
7.2
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 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
7.2
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X offers a sharp, bright display with a mix of resolution and panel technology that suits everyday tasks and engineering applications well, but it lacks the high refresh rate needed for smooth visuals in 3D gaming. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 features a display with qualities similar to the Acer, with adequate resolution and color accuracy making it a solid choice for both general use and professional design work, although it too falls short for gaming because of its standard refresh rate. Both laptops prioritize color range and clarity over the faster refresh rates that gamers would need for a fluid visual experience.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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
Excellent
14.5in
SIZE
13.5in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 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
$1,200
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) offers strong performance for general use thanks to a capable CPU and dedicated graphics, balanced with a high-quality screen and solid battery life; however, its portability is slightly hampered by its weight. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" shines in portability with its lighter weight and compact design, coupled with a high-quality screen and a touch option, though with somewhat lesser battery life and fewer high-performance features than the Acer.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Swift X (2023) 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,100 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 9'' x 0.7'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | Intel i7-1255U | |
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 | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
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 | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
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 | 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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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