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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
If portability and battery life are paramount, the Acer Swift X 16 would be the better choice due to its lighter weight and longer battery life. However, if you prioritize higher performance for tasks like gaming or engineering, the Dell G15 5520 may better suit your needs, despite its shorter battery life and heavier build. The Swift X boasts a higher resolution and brighter display, which could enhance your viewing experience for general use and creative tasks, while the G15's stronger GPU provides an advantage in 3D tasks and gaming. Keep in mind, the Swift X is slightly more expensive compared to the G15. 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
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Good portability
Advantages of the Dell G15 5520
- The Dell G15 5520 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X 16.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0
7.7
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Dell G15 5520 and Acer Swift X 16 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Dell G15 5520 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers solid gaming and 3D performance with its Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card and has a high 165 Hz screen refresh rate, which is beneficial for smooth visuals in fast-paced games. The Dell G15 5520, on the other hand, includes a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3060 graphics card, which can handle more intensive gaming and 3D tasks better, and also has the same 165 Hz screen refresh rate for fluid gameplay.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.1
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Dell G15 5520 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X 16 boasts a sharp, bright display with vibrant colors that cater well to general tasks and engineering work where detail and color accuracy are key, but it lacks a high refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced 3D gaming. The Dell G15 5520 also offers a pleasing visual experience for everyday activities and professional design with decent color representation, yet it falls short for gaming enthusiasts due to its lower refresh rate not being optimized for dynamic gaming sequences. Both laptops might disappoint avid gamers, but they excel in providing a visually satisfying experience for general use and precision-demanding engineering and design tasks.
Battery
8.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Dell G15 5520 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.
Portability
Good
Fair
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X 16 has good portability, while the Dell G15 5520 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$1,250
$1,000
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Dell G15 5520 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
251.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.3/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for general use, while the Dell G15 5520 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 stands out for general use due to its longer battery life and higher portability score, along with a higher keyboard quality, which contributes to a comfortable and longer use away from power sources. Comparatively, the Dell G15 5520, while having good ratings for general use, falls behind mainly due to its shorter battery life and lower portability score, making it more suitable for stationary use where frequent charging is accessible.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell G15 5520 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
8.3
7.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for content creation, while the Dell G15 5520 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
7.5
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for software development, while the Dell G15 5520 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.4
The Acer Swift X 16 and Dell G15 5520 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the Dell G15 5520 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Dell G15 5520 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.7'' x 1.06'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.55 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.06" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 10.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 251 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 6.4/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X 16
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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."
Dell G15 5520
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Rtings
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | April 2023
"The Dell G15 (2022) is a 15.6-inch budget gaming laptop, and is great for gaming. You can configure the laptop with powerful Intel 12th Gen. CPUs and various NVIDIA dedicated GPUs, all of which deliver a smooth gaming experience at 1080p. There's also a QHD 240Hz display option if you want better visuals, though you'll have to pair it with the top-end NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti to get good frame rates. It doesn't get overly hot or loud under load, and there's no noticeable throttling on the CPU or GPU. Unfortunately, the 120Hz panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and it doesn't support variable refresh rate."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Dell G15 5520
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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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