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 12, 2024·
If you're deciding between the Acer Swift X 16 and the ASUS Zenbook 14, consider how you'll use the laptop. The Acer might offer better performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. However, it's more expensive and might be bulkier and heavier, which impacts portability compared to the lighter ASUS. The ASUS is likely more affordable, offering decent performance for general use and some engineering tasks, and you'll benefit from its portability. But if battery life is a priority, the ASUS typically outlasts the Acer. Choose the Acer if performance is crucial and cost isn't a major concern; opt for the ASUS for portability, battery life, and value. 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 engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
- Very good portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
7.2
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 shines in general use primarily due to its robust CPU and ample RAM, which enable smooth multitasking and efficient handling of everyday tasks; its larger, high-quality screen combined with strong battery life also adds to a comfortable user experience, while maintaining decent portability. Meanwhile, the ASUS Zenbook 14, with a fair performance in general use, offers a higher-quality OLED screen and is lighter, enhancing its portability, but it compromises on CPU performance and halves the RAM, which might slow down intensive tasks and affect multitasking capabilities.
Gaming and AI
7.0
6.1
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card and a high screen refresh rate of 165, making it better suited for gaming and 3D applications than the ASUS Zenbook 14, which uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and has a lower screen refresh rate of 90.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 stands out for engineering and design due to its higher performance AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, more RAM, and capable Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which are crucial for demanding software, while it also offers a larger screen with high brightness and reasonable color coverage. The ASUS Zenbook 14, while lighter and more portable with a higher resolution OLED display that has excellent color coverage, is less powerful due to an Intel i5 CPU and integrated graphics, and has less RAM, making it more suited for less resource-intensive design tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
7.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
8.0
7.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.3
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
90Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
339.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook 14 for gaming and AI, software development, and content creation, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS Zenbook 14 offer clear, high-resolution displays with ample brightness, making text and images look sharp and vivid for everyday tasks. Their wide color gamuts ensure that professionals in engineering and design can see accurate colors and fine details critical for their work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rates of these laptops may not provide the smooth visuals that these tasks typically require, which can diminish the overall experience.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 has very good portability, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,250
$300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the ASUS Zenbook 14 costs $300.
Let Us Help Find Your Perfect Laptop
Find your new laptop
Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Acer Swift X 16 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Give feedback
We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X 16 and the ASUS Zenbook 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | ASUS Zenbook 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 12.4'' x 8.7'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.35" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 8.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i5-1240P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 75 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2880 x 1800 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 90Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 339 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
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 | 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 Zenbook 14
See more
Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | August 2022
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the ASUS Zenbook 14
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
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
132,195
Recommendations made
28,643
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
