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Updated January 10, 2024·
Considering the Acer Swift X 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16, understand the Swift X is generally less expensive, very portable with solid performance, making it suitable for general use and moderate engineering tasks. Its display is crisp, though not as high resolution as the P16, and it has ample storage and a good battery life. Alternatively, the ThinkPad P16 holds a higher price with a more professional build, excellent keyboard, and display that excels in engineering and color-sensitive tasks. It's not as portable and has a shorter battery life but offers powerful performance for engineering and 3D tasks despite less storage. Both have dedicated graphics, but if advanced engineering applications are a priority, the ThinkPad P16 stands out; for everyday productivity with occasional heavy-duty tasks and better mobility, the Swift X 16 is very competent. 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
- Good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
- Very good overall build quality
- Very good battery life
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
8.2
8.2
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has a better screen for general use, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X 16 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 deliver clear and vivid displays due to their high resolution and bright screens, ensuring that texts and images are sharp and easy to read. In engineering and design, these laptops offer excellent color accuracy and a wide range of colors with their adherence to professional color gamuts, which is crucial for tasks that demand precise color representation. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates may result in less fluid motion, making them less suitable for these scenarios where fast screen updates are key for an immersive experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
Portability
Good
Poor
16.0in
SIZE
16.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.2in
The Acer Swift X 16 has good portability, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,250
$1,449
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 costs $1,449.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
8.0
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
569.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.8/10
The Acer Swift X 16 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16, with its lighter weight and smaller physical dimensions, is deemed very good for general use due to its balance of portability, capable CPU, and quality screen. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is recognized as good for general use, offering a more powerful CPU and higher-resolution display, but it comes at the expense of greater weight and larger size, affecting its portability.
Gaming and AI
7.0
6.9
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X 16, with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and higher screen refresh rate, is well-suited for gaming that demands quick visuals and responsiveness. Meanwhile, the Lenovo ThinkPad P16's Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU and superior screen quality offer a professional experience for 3D rendering and high-fidelity graphics, though with a lower refresh rate, which is less optimal for fast-paced gaming.
Engineering and Design
8.2
8.3
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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
8.2
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 and Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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
8.4
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2400
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkPad P16 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.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Lenovo ThinkPad P16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,449 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | July 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 14.3'' x 10.5'' x 1.2'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 6.5 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 14.3" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 10.5" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel i7-12800HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 4 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 94 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 3840 x 2400 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 569 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 5.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
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."
Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Eric Grevstad | February 2023
"It's only a few months since we gave the MSI CreatorPro X17 one of our rare 4.5-star ratings and our top mobile workstation honor, but the Lenovo ThinkPad P16 Gen 1 matches that achievement in a more premium overall build. Ultimately, its build quality, screen, and keyboard give our latest Editors' Choice nod to the Lenovo—it's enough of a monster on almost all fronts that it simply cannot be ignored."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Lenovo ThinkPad P16
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.
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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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