If your primary need is portability and sleek design, the Acer Swift X 16 offers a lightweight and slim option; however, if performance, particularly for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, is a priority, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo with its dual screens and more powerful hardware is the better choice. The ZenBook Pro has a unique secondary display which is beneficial for multitasking and creative workflows but this also results in a heavier and bulkier design with potentially shorter battery life compared to the Swift X. Assess your needs carefully; a balance of performance and practicality is key. 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
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo
Best in class speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2/10
8.6/10
16.0in
SIZE
14.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
357.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo offer clear and vivid displays with ample brightness and high resolution, making text sharp and colors pop which is ideal for everyday tasks and media consumption. When it comes to engineering and design, both laptops have displays that cover a wide array of colors, ensuring that professionals who rely on color accuracy for their work will not be disappointed. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short as their displays do not support high refresh rates, resulting in less smooth visuals which are crucial for fast-paced games and high-end 3D rendering.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook Pro 14 Duo has 6 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.
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16 has a potent AMD CPU and a dedicated Nvidia graphics card, along with substantial RAM and a high-quality IPS screen, making it adept for a wide range of tasks, but it's slightly heavier which affects portability. Conversely, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo, while lighter and equally capable with an Intel CPU and integrated graphics, excels with a superior OLED touchscreen, twice the RAM for more demanding tasks and a slightly longer battery life, though this comes at the expense of a higher price and less gaming-oriented hardware.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
6.7/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
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 ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo is only fair.
The Acer Swift X 16 is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3050 and a high 165Hz screen refresh rate, which are crucial for smooth gaming and 3D performance, while the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo, although it has a lower 120Hz refresh rate, offers an OLED screen with superior color quality and contrast, paired with Intel Iris Xe graphics which may not match the Nvidia in gaming performance.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X 16 is geared towards engineering and design with its AMD Ryzen CPU, dedicated Nvidia GPU, and large IPS screen which provides good color accuracy and screen real estate. In contrast, the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo offers powerful performance with its Intel CPU, high RAM capacity, exceptional screen quality with OLED technology for superior color fidelity, and dual-screen functionality which can enhance productivity for complex design tasks. Both are potent choices but the ASUS trades off some portability due to its additional screen.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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
8.0/10
8.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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.
Portability
Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
14.5in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo and Acer Swift X 16 both have good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.6/10
The Acer Swift X 16 and ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$1,299
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
$1,800
$2,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo costs $1,299.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo 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 Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED is a well-tuned instrument for content creators, excelling at a range of general office tasks as well as tasks that require a little more grunt like encoding and 3D rendering. The big attraction is the laptop’s dual displays. They’re the best ones we’ve used in an Asus Zenbook Duo laptop to date with a spate of year-on-year improvements that make the visuals more striking and the cross-screen integration easier than ever before."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the ASUS ZenBook Pro 14 Duo
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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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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