For better performance in 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive engineering tasks, go for the Razer Blade 18; however, keep in mind it's pricier, heavier, and has shorter battery life which affects portability. The Acer Swift X 16, on the other hand, offers good general use and some gaming efficiency at a more affordable price, with a lighter build and longer battery life, making it easier to carry around. If budget and portability are crucial, Acer could be your pick, while if performance is a priority and budget is less of a concern, Razer is better suited. 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 portability
Good battery life
Advantages of the Razer Blade 18
Excellent for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Gaming and AI
7.0/10
8.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 18 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X 16 is good.
The Razer Blade 18 offers a higher refresh rate and a more powerful GPU with the Nvidia RTX 4070 compared to the Acer Swift X 16's Nvidia RTX 3050, which makes it excellent for gaming and 3D tasks. Additionally, the Razer's screen quality and CPU are superior, further enhancing its suitability for high-end gaming and demanding 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
8.2/10
9.3/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 18 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X 16 is very good.
The Razer Blade 18 stands out for engineering and design use with its higher-end GPU and double the RAM of the Acer Swift X 16, along with a more color-accurate and brighter display, which is critical for design work. Despite the Acer Swift X 16 being more portable and quieter, the Razer's superior CPU performance and larger screen make it the better choice for demanding engineering applications and design versatility.
Screen Quality
8.2/10
8.9/10
16.0in
SIZE
18.0in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
524.0 nits
The Razer Blade 18 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X 16 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X 16 and the Razer Blade 18 offer displays with sharp resolution and high brightness, making for vivid and clear visuals when browsing the web or watching videos, which is sufficient for everyday tasks. In the context of engineering and design, these laptops have displays with wide color gamuts, enabling accurate color representation critical for professional photo editing and design work. However, with lower refresh rates, they fall short for gaming and 3D applications where smoother motion and quick screen updates are crucial for an immersive experience.
Battery
8.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 18 has 4 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
18.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift X 16 has good portability, while the Razer Blade 18 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 18 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
$3,200
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
$4,000
The Acer Swift X 16 has a price of $1,250 and the Razer Blade 18 costs $3,200.
The Razer Blade 18 and Acer Swift X 16 are both very good for general use.
The Acer Swift X 16, with its AMD Ryzen CPU and the Nvidia RTX 3050, offers solid performance for general users, along with a decent 16-inch display and lightweight design, which contributes to better portability and reasonable battery life. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 18 provides top-tier performance appropriate for demanding tasks thanks to its Intel i9 processor and more powerful Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card, paired with a larger 18-inch high-quality display and superior RAM, although it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less portable.
Content Creation
8.3/10
8.6/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 18 and Acer Swift X 16 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
8.0/10
8.5/10
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 18 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 Razer Blade 18 compare to other laptops
"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."
"Razer made a powerful laptop in the Blade 18, showing off a beautiful and fast display and the same high-quality build we’ve come to expect from this product line. It’s also quite expensive, which is hardly a surprise, but bears repeating even in this price range. It’s pricier than the Scar 18 despite an inferior GPU and half the storage, so you really have to want the Blade 18’s design to justify the cost."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Razer Blade 18
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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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