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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X 16 offers more storage and a larger screen with high refresh rate, which is beneficial for multitasking and some gaming. However, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 has a superior display quality with higher brightness and color accuracy, making it excellent for creative work that requires precise color reproduction. The MacBook also provides a significant advantage in battery life for longer use on the go. While the Acer has a more powerful discrete graphics card, the MacBook's integrated graphics should still handle most tasks efficiently. Bear in mind, the MacBook tends to be slightly pricier, but its build quality and speakers rate higher, enhancing the overall user experience. Choose the Acer if you prioritize gaming and storage on a Windows platform or the MacBook for its exceptional display, longer battery life, and if you prefer MacOS. 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 (Late 2023)
- 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
489.0 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.
If you prioritize a vibrant and sharp display for tasks like browsing, watching videos, or document editing, the MacBook Pro's high-resolution and bright display with wide color gamut support makes it superior. For engineering and design work that requires color accuracy, both laptops offer wide color gamut coverage, but the MacBook Pro's display is typically more uniform and true-to-life. However, neither is ideal for 3D work or gaming as they lack high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and fast-paced visuals.
Battery
8.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Apple MacBook Pro 14 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.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.2in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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 (Late 2023) 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
$1,499
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) costs $1,499.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
489.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16, with its powerful AMD processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics, is well-suited for general use, offering a balance of performance for everyday tasks and casual creative work, paired with ample storage and memory; however, its heavier weight and shorter battery life can limit portability. On the other hand, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 balances a high-resolution Mini LED screen and efficient M3 processor for excellent screen quality and battery life, making it highly portable, but its higher cost and lower storage capacity at the base level can be a downside for some users.
Gaming and AI
7.0
6.7
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
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 (Late 2023) is only fair.
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
8.2
8.1
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X 16 and Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X 16 stands out for engineering and design use with its high power AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, which are very beneficial for demanding tasks, although it's less portable and has less premium build qualities than the Apple MacBook Pro 14. Conversely, the MacBook Pro offers superior screen quality with its Mini LED display and better portability due to its lighter weight and longer battery life, but it comes with Apple's M3 integrated GPU, which may not match the Acer's discrete GPU performance for certain engineering applications.
Content Creation
8.3
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
Mini LED
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3024 x 1964
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.5/10
The Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) 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 (Late 2023) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Late 2023) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,499 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | November 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 12.3'' x 8.7'' x 0.61'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.4 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 8.71" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Apple M3 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 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 | 17 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 | 489 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 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 3 | |
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 (Late 2023)
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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 (Late 2023)
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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