A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
Last updated -- hours ago | Report incorrect information
Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If budget is a primary concern and general use is your goal, the Acer Swift X 16 may serve you well and save you some money. However, if performance in 3D tasks, machine learning, or gaming is important to you, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13, while more expensive, offers the higher-end specs needed for those intensive tasks. The Acer is likely to be lighter and have longer battery life, making it more suitable for portability and everyday carry. In contrast, the ASUS, tailored for gaming and performance, might be heavier and have a shorter battery life but will excel in demanding applications. 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
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Flow Z13
- Very good overall build quality
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
8.4
16.0in
SIZE
13.4in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offer vivid displays with high resolutions and brightness, making them great for browsing, streaming, and productivity. For engineering and design, they provide wide color gamuts, ensuring color accuracy vital for detailed design work. However, their poor screen quality for gaming and 3D applications is due to lower refresh rates, which means they cannot render fast-paced scenes as smoothly as screens with higher refresh rates.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has 6.5 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
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
13.4in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has excellent portability, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 has very good 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
$1,600
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 costs $1,600.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
511.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.2/10
The Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ROG Flow Z13 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16 is well-suited for general use due to its powerful AMD Ryzen processor, sufficient RAM, and high-quality 16-inch IPS display, complemented by stable battery life and a robust build, offering a good balance between performance and portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0
7.5
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and Acer Swift X 16 are both good for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and 3D applications due to its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a screen refresh rate ideal for smooth visuals. The ASUS ROG Flow Z13, featuring a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU and a similarly high refresh rate, also provides excellent performance for gaming and 3D but with the added versatility of a touchscreen.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
6.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X 16 is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, and high-quality IPS screen, making it suitable for engineering and design tasks that require strong processing and graphics power, as well as good color reproduction. Meanwhile, the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 offers a more powerful Intel i9 CPU and Nvidia RTX 4050 GPU, and its screen boasts higher brightness and color coverage, alongside the versatility of a detachable keyboard and touchscreen, ideal for hands-on design work.
Content Creation
8.3
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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
8.0
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Flow Z13 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.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X 16 and the ASUS ROG Flow Z13 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | ASUS ROG Flow Z13 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,600 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 11.9'' x 8.1'' x 0.54'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 11.89" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 8.11" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.4" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 511 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 9.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 4K | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
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."
ASUS ROG Flow Z13
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | March 2022
"The Asus ROG Flow Z13 is a gaming tablet with powerful Alder Lake i9 CPU. The ROG Flow Z13 impresses with its good cooling. After our review, the impression is predominantly positive. Besides a very fast Alder Lake CPU and stable gaming performance, especially the cooling system is surprisingly effective and quiet. You can use the integrated speakers without any issues while gaming. The 1200p display in the 16:10 format also impresses with good color reproduction and high brightness. Since the battery runtimes aren't particularly long as it is, we wouldn't recommend the optional 4K panel."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the ASUS ROG Flow Z13
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
Give feedback
We're constantly perfecting our model
Laptop guides you might be interested in
More comparisons for you
Compare Acer Swift X 16 vs. Dell Alienware m17 R5
VS
Compare Acer Swift X 16 vs. Gigabyte Aero 5
VS
Compare Acer Swift X 16 vs. Acer Nitro 17 (2024)
VS
Compare ASUS ROG Flow Z13 vs. Acer Predator Triton 300
VS
Compare ASUS ROG Flow Z13 vs. ASUS ROG Flow X13
VS
Compare ASUS ROG Flow Z13 vs. ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14
VS
FAQs
FAQs about laptops
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
103,995
Recommendations made
22,533
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.
Featured in
