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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a balance of performance and portability with its lightweight design and powerful AMD processor, making it suitable for general use and some engineering applications. The Gigabyte Aero 5, heavier and less portable, features a high-resolution OLED display and stronger graphics, better suited for tasks that demand graphic intensity such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming. If battery life and carrying comfort are priorities, consider the Acer, while if high-fidelity visuals and gaming or professional creative work are more important, the Gigabyte Aero 5 is the stronger choice. 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 portability
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Gigabyte Aero 5
- The Gigabyte Aero 5 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X 16.
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0
7.9
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Acer Swift X 16 are both good for gaming and AI, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers solid gaming and 3D performance with a capable Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a high screen refresh rate, making it well-suited for fast-paced games. On the other hand, the Gigabyte Aero 5 boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU for more demanding gaming and 3D tasks, but has a lower screen refresh rate, which may not be as smooth for certain games; however, it compensates with superior screen quality thanks to its OLED technology.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Gigabyte Aero 5 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for engineering and design, though the Gigabyte Aero 5 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
8.2
8.6
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Gigabyte Aero 5 for gaming and AI, and software development, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has a better screen for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, the Acer Swift X 16 delivers clarity and vibrancy due to its resolution and brightness, making it pleasant for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 offers a similar experience but with enhanced brightness and sharpness due to its superior display. When it comes to engineering and design work, both laptops offer wide color gamuts ensuring accuracy in color-critical tasks, but the Gigabyte Aero 5 may provide a slight edge with its higher adherence to professional color standards. However, for 3D and gaming, both laptops fall short as their screens lack the high refresh rates needed for smooth motion rendering, despite having adequate resolution and panel types for decent image quality.
Battery
8.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Gigabyte Aero 5 has 7 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
5.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X 16 has good portability, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.9
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
446.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for general use, while the Gigabyte Aero 5 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16, despite its less potent graphics card, earns high marks for being lighter and thinner, enhancing portability and offering a longer battery life than the Gigabyte Aero 5, which though features a superior graphics card and a higher resolution OLED screen for dazzling visuals, is heavier and not as travel-friendly. Both laptops match in CPU power and memory, but the Aero 5's edge in screen quality and performance for demanding graphics tasks is counterbalanced by the Swift X 16's advantages in daily mobility and usage duration per charge.
Content Creation
8.3
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The Acer Swift X 16 and Gigabyte Aero 5 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
7.9
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
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 Gigabyte Aero 5 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
7.8
The Gigabyte Aero 5 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.
Cost
$1,250
$1,250
$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 Gigabyte Aero 5 costs $1,250.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the Gigabyte Aero 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Gigabyte Aero 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,250 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 10'' x 1.08'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 5.07 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 10" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i7-12700H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 7 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 99 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | OLED | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 446 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 6.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
Gigabyte Aero 5
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Dig into reviews and images
The Tech Revolutionist
Zhi Cheng | May 2022
"It is unfortunate that the Gigabyte AERO notebook series have seem to lost its charm, as it’s not exactly any much different from the AORUS series now. Regardless, content creators and designers will certainly still appreciate the features on the AERO 5 XE4, which are fundamental to their work. This largely revolved around the notebook’s display, which is colour calibrated and validated, high resolution (4K) and with great AMOLED colour representation. Now that the AERO 5 XE4 has improved its performance with the latest CPU and GPU, the professionals can also appreciate the improved productivity from the notebook."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Gigabyte Aero 5
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 Gigabyte
Gigabyte is a Taiwanese computer hardware manufacturer. While Gigabyte mainly focuses its business on desktop hardware, Gigabyte is known for its value-oriented G series laptops, thin and light Aero series, and performance-oriented Aorus series. Gigabyte laptops offer a strong value proposition to compete with mainstream alternatives.
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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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