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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2023) generally costs more, but it offers better performance for 3D tasks and engineering work, thanks to its Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card. It may not be as portable as the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, which is lighter and has a slightly higher portability score. The ThinkBook 13s also features a touchscreen and a smaller screen size, which could make a difference if you're looking for a more compact device. Both have similar battery life for typical usage, but for intensive tasks, the Swift X's superior GPU may drain its battery faster. If you need better performance for graphics-intensive activities, go for the Acer Swift X. On the other hand, if portability, touchscreen functionality, and cost are your main concerns, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s would be a better choice. 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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.9
6.4
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2023) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2023) provides a superior gaming and 3D experience compared to the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s due to its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, which outperforms the integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics in the ThinkBook. Additionally, the Swift X has a higher screen refresh rate of 120Hz, offering smoother visuals, whereas the ThinkBook 13s has a 60Hz screen which is less fluid for fast-moving images.
Screen Quality
8.0
7.2
14.5in
SIZE
13.3in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
390.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X has a vibrant display with high resolution and brightness, making it excellent for everyday tasks and viewing fine details needed for engineering and design work, but its refresh rate is low, affecting gaming and 3D performance where smoother motion is crucial. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s also offers a crisp, bright display suitable for general and professional tasks, including color-sensitive engineering and design applications due to its respectable color coverage. However, like the Acer, it falls short for gaming and 3D modeling due to a less than ideal refresh rate that can't deliver the fluid visuals required for high-speed gaming or seamless 3D rendering.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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
13.3in
3.3 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
$1,000
$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 ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.9
7.8
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
390.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.2/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is well-suited for general use with its high-performance CPU, ample RAM, and dedicated graphics unit, offering a vibrant and high-resolution screen and a robust battery life for extended use, while also maintaining portability. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s also excels in general use, featuring a strong CPU and sufficient RAM, a high-resolution touchscreen display, boasting a lightweight and slim design, although its integrated graphics and lesser battery capacity make it better suited for less graphically intensive tasks.
Engineering and Design
8.0
7.5
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
5.1/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2023) to be very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is good.
The Acer Swift X (2023) is considered good for engineering and design primarily due to its capable Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which supports hardware ray tracing and DLSS, combined with a powerful Intel i5-13500H CPU and high-quality IPS screen, making it suitable for demanding graphics and engineering tasks. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s, while also suitable for engineering and design due to its high-resolution IPS display and capable Intel Iris Xe graphics, trades off some graphical performance for better portability, with a slightly lighter build and longer battery life, but lacks the dedicated GPU found in the Acer model.
Content Creation
8.0
7.8
8.5/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
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 ThinkBook 13s 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
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2023) and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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 Lenovo ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2023) | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s |
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'' | 11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.31 lbs | 2.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-13500H | Intel i7-1260P | |
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 | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14.5" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 390 nits | 336 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.3/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
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."
Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2023) or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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.
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