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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a larger screen, higher refresh rate, and better gaming capabilities due to its dedicated Nvidia GPU, which would be preferable for 3D rendering, machine learning, and some engineering applications. It provides more storage but has shorter battery life compared to the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021). The MacBook Pro, on the other hand, has a higher priced tag but delivers superior portability, longer battery life, and outstanding build quality, making it an excellent choice for general use, especially if you prefer MacOS over Windows. It has a Mini LED display that offers better colors and contrast, but its internal graphics may not be as potent for certain intensive tasks. 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 16
- Good for gaming and AI
Advantages of the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
- Excellent overall display quality
- Best in class overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Excellent battery life
- Best in class speakers
- Best in class keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
9.2
16.0in
SIZE
14.2in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X 16 for general use, AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X 16 has a vibrant display making it suitable for everyday tasks and detailed enough for engineering work, but it lacks the high refresh rate needed for smooth 3D graphics. The MacBook Pro 14 shines with excellent color accuracy and wide color gamuts that professionals require for engineering and design, paired with a high-resolution and bright display that enhances everyday use. However, like the Swift X, it doesn't prioritize the high refresh rates gaming and advanced 3D applications benefit from.
Battery
8.0 Hours
13.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 has 13.5 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
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.2in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has very good portability, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
10.0
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) has best in class build quality, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$1,905
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) costs $1,905.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.4
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
479.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
13.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a powerful AMD CPU and Nvidia GPU combo, ample RAM, and a high-resolution IPS screen, making it a well-rounded choice for general use, although it's a bit heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the MacBook Pro 14. The Apple MacBook Pro 14, with its efficient M1 Pro chip, is lighter, offers a longer battery life, and has a superior Mini LED display, which, alongside its unmatched build and speaker quality, makes it exceptional for a variety of tasks, but it comes with a higher price tag and less storage out of the box.
Gaming and AI
7.0
6.8
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X 16 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a high screen refresh rate of 165, making it suitable for gaming and 3D tasks, but keep in mind that many popular games may not run on the MacBook Pro 14 with its Apple M1 Pro GPU, even though it also has capabilities for 3D work, with a lower refresh rate of 120.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X 16 is tailored for engineering and design thanks to its capable AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, suitable for computation and graphics-intensive tasks, plus a high-resolution IPS screen with a 16:10 aspect ratio for extra vertical space. In contrast, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 offers a high-performance M1 Pro chip with an integrated GPU that excels in optimized tasks, a superior Mini LED display with a wider color gamut, and benefits from Apple's software ecosystem, but at the expense of reduced portability and higher operating noise.
Content Creation
8.3
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift X 16 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
8.0
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) and Acer Swift X 16 are both very 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.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,905 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Apple M1 Pro (8C) | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 13.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 69.6 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14.2" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | Mini LED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3024 x 1964 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 479 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 10/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 8.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X 16
See more
Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | September 2023
"Acer’s Swift X 16 is an excellent choice for shoppers who want a 16-inch laptop and care more for performance than attractive design or long battery life. The Swift X 16’s gorgeous OLED display, spacious keyboard, and big touchpad make it pleasant to use in basic day-to-day tasks. It also has an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, which combine to deliver good performance in a wide variety of productivity applications and games. A few minor mistakes, like poorly-placed USB-C ports that lack DisplayPort, will turn off some shoppers, but those who can accept its shortcomings will find the Swift X 16 a versatile daily driver."
Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | January 2023
"In the Apple MacBook Pro 14 2023, the M2 Pro is slowed down. From the improved 5nm process, the new M2 Pro is a very solid upgrade. Graphics performance has increased by about 25% in tandem with a clear improvement in efficiency. The processor has also seen a performance leap of up to 20%, but this is accompanied by an increase in consumption of up to 25%. Fundamentally, Apple its maintaining its advantage over AMD and Intel, particularly in optimized applications where the results are very good in view of the comparatively low power consumption."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (2021)
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 Apple
Apple, an American technology company, is one of the world’s largest company in terms of market capitalization. Their MacBook laptops feature a slim, minimalistic design, class-leading battery life, and premium display and speaker quality. In 2020 Apple switched from using Intel processors to their own silicon chips which have excellent performance and efficiency. The macOS operating system is the second most widely used OS, after Windows.
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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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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.
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