If you prioritize battery life and portability, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has a longer battery life and is lighter, suitable for everyday tasks and general use. However, for better performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering applications, the Acer Swift X 16 with its more powerful processor and dedicated Nvidia graphics card is the better choice, although it is heavier and has a shorter battery life. The Acer also comes with a larger and higher resolution screen which is better for detailed work, but costs more than the Lenovo which has a smaller screen with a standard resolution suitable for typical use. 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 Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
8.2/10
7.0/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is good.
The Acer Swift X 16 stands out for general use due to its high-quality screen, powerful CPU, and sizable RAM, making it responsive and visually pleasing, though it's heavier and has less battery life, affecting portability. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, while more portable thanks to its lower weight and longer battery life, offers a more basic CPU, less RAM, and a lower-resolution screen, which may make for a less robust user experience.
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
5.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Acer Swift X 16 is better designed for gaming and 3D tasks because it houses a dedicated Nvidia graphics card and boasts a higher screen refresh rate, providing a smoother visual experience; the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with integrated graphics and a standard refresh rate, offers a fair performance that may suffice for less demanding gaming and 3D work. Screen quality and CPU are also important, and while both laptops have good IPS displays and capable processors, the Swift X 16's better GPU and refresh rate significantly enhance its gaming and 3D capabilities.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
6.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X 16 stands out for engineering and design owing to its high-performing AMD Ryzen 7 CPU, superior Nvidia RTX GPU, ample RAM, and a high-quality screen with better resolution and color accuracy, which are crucial for detailed engineering work and design visualization. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, while more portable due to its lighter weight, has a less powerful AMD Ryzen 3 CPU, integrated GPU, less RAM, and a lower resolution display that might not be as well-suited for intensive design tasks or software that engineers typically use.
Content Creation
8.3/10
7.2/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
8.0/10
7.1/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 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
8.2/10
6.4/10
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X 16 offers a high-resolution display with strong color accuracy and ample brightness, which makes it excellent for general use and detailed engineering work, but its lower refresh rate makes it less ideal for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from smoother visuals. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, while providing adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks and less demanding engineering software, lacks the color range professionals might need and also falls short for gaming and 3D due to a basic refresh rate. Overall, the Swift X 16 shines in scenarios demanding visual detail and color fidelity, whereas the IdeaPad Slim 3 is a more budget-friendly, albeit less specialized, option.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
7.6/10
6.5/10
The Acer Swift X 16 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$390
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $390.
"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."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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.