The Acer Swift X 16, being more affordable and lighter, offers good general performance and is more portable, making it a solid choice for everyday use and lighter creative work. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, though slightly more expensive and heavier, is a powerhouse with superior performance capabilities suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering tasks, due to its higher-tier graphics card and processor. It has a higher screen refresh rate and better build quality but trails in battery life and portability. Choose the Acer for casual use and portability, or the ASUS for demanding applications and visual quality. 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 for general use
Very good for software development
Good battery life
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
Very good for gaming and AI
Excellent overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.2/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X 16 is good.
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks due to its stronger Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card and a higher screen refresh rate, which allows for smoother visuals and more detailed gaming experiences compared to the Acer Swift X 16 that comes with a Nvidia RTX 3050 and a lower refresh rate. However, the Acer Swift X 16 will provide decent performance for less demanding games and 3D work, and it might be a more cost-effective option if extreme gaming performance is not a necessity.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.8/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X 16 is adept for engineering and design due to its capable AMD Ryzen 7 processor combined with a decent Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, making it suitable for moderately demanding tasks, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is superior, equipped with a more powerful Intel i9 processor and a high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU, enhancing its performance for highly demanding engineering and design software. On the flip side, the Acer offers better battery life and portability, but the ASUS stands out with a more vibrant screen and keeps noise levels lower during operation, striking a balance between high performance and user comfort features.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
9.0/10
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
When considering general use, the Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 likely have high-resolution screens with good brightness and panel types that offer wide viewing angles and sharp images, which makes them pleasant for a variety of tasks including web browsing, video streaming, and document work. For engineering and design work where color accuracy is crucial, both laptops offer displays with wide color gamuts, ensuring that colors are represented faithfully and consistently, which is essential for professional photo editing, graphic design, and similar tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications which benefit from smooth motion, their lower refresh rates compared to dedicated gaming laptops could lead to less fluid visuals, diminishing the gaming experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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
$1,842
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs $1,842.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for general use, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a balance suitable for general use with a good mix of CPU, RAM, high-quality screen, and 8-hour battery life, contributing to its portability with a lighter build, making it an attractive option for users needing mobility and longevity. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, although slightly less portable due to its slightly higher weight and shorter battery life of 4.5 hours, provides top-tier performance with a high-end CPU and GPU, superior screen brightness and color coverage for vibrant visuals, and robust build quality, better aligning with users who prioritize power and display fidelity over battery life and portability.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.2/10
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 Zephyrus M16 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
8.0/10
7.7/10
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
6.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for software development, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is good.
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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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.
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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