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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X 16 is a midrange laptop with better performance, suited for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering due to its more powerful AMD processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics, and comes with a high-resolution, larger screen that refreshes quickly. However, it is heavier and less portable than the Gateway 11.6", which is a budget laptop that offers basic performance suitable for general tasks with its Intel Celeron processor and is highly portable due to its smaller size and lighter weight. If you value performance for complex tasks and a superior screen over portability and cost, the Acer Swift X 16 is the better choice, but if portability and budget are primary concerns, the Gateway 11.6" might serve you well. 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 overall display quality
- Good overall build quality
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Gateway 11.6"
- Excellent portability
Key differences
General Use
8.2
5.6
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.1/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Swift X 16, with a stronger CPU, ample RAM, a superior screen, and a more powerful GPU, excels in general use by delivering better performance and visual experience, while the Gateway 11.6" falls short due to its weaker CPU, less RAM, and lower-quality screen, making it less suitable for demanding tasks and multimedia content.
Gaming and AI
7.0
5.4
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Swift X 16 is equipped with a high-end Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 165Hz, which makes it well-suited for gaming and 3D applications. In contrast, the Gateway 11.6" uses a much less capable Intel UHD Graphics 600 GPU and offers a standard refresh rate of 60Hz, which limits its performance in these areas.
Engineering and Design
8.2
5.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
The Acer Swift X 16 is well-suited for engineering and design due to its powerful AMD Ryzen CPU, abundant RAM, capable Nvidia RTX GPU, and a high-resolution IPS screen that offers better color accuracy and contrast, which are essential for such tasks.
Content Creation
8.3
5.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for content creation, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
5.3/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for software development, while the Gateway 11.6" is poor.
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
5.7
16.0in
SIZE
11.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Gateway 11.6" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers superior screen quality for general use with a higher resolution and brightness compared to the Gateway 11.6", providing clear and vivid images. For engineering and design, the Swift X 16's screen supports wider color gamuts ensuring more accurate color representation, which is crucial for professional work but is limited on the Gateway 11.6". However, for gaming and 3D applications, the Acer Swift X 16's lower refresh rate makes it less appealing compared to laptops with higher refresh rates designed for smooth motion and gameplay, despite the Gateway's overall poor screen performance.
Portability
Good
Excellent
16.0in
SIZE
11.6in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Gateway 11.6" 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
5.1
The Acer Swift X 16 has good build quality, while the Gateway 11.6" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$89
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Gateway 11.6" costs $89.
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Key similarities
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gateway 11.6" 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.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X 16 and the Gateway 11.6" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Gateway 11.6" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $89 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 11'' x 7.5'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 2.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 11" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 7.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel Celeron N4020 | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 4 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 64 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 11.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 1366 x 768 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 200 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 5.1/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 9.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 5.3/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 0 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X 16
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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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Gateway 11.6"
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 Gateway
Gateway is a laptop and tablet brand owned by Acer which sells budget-friendly laptops exclusively through Walmart. It was previously an American computer company until its acquisition by Acer in 2007, who then revived the brand in 2020. Gateway laptops are manufactured by Chinese company Shenzhen Bmorn Technology, which also makes EVOO-branded models.
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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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