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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated June 22, 2024·
For a balance of performance and portability with a larger screen, the Acer Swift X 16 is a strong choice, offering a high-resolution display and dedicated Nvidia graphics, making it suitable for engineering tasks and some gaming. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life compared to the Surface Laptop 6 13.5". The Surface Laptop 6, on the other hand, is more compact, has a touchscreen, and longer battery life, prioritizing mobility and productivity for general use. It also has a premium build quality and a more comfortable keyboard, but it falls short in gaming and intensive tasks due to its less powerful Intel Arc graphics. If you value a lighter, longer-lasting device for everyday tasks and business use, go with the Surface Laptop 6; if you need more graphical power and a larger screen for creative work or light gaming, the Acer Swift X 16 is the way to go. 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
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
- Very good portability
Key differences
Content Creation
8.3
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X 16 is very good for content creation, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Screen Quality
8.2
7.8
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
402.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Acer Swift X 16 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" for general use, gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Portability
Good
Very Good
16.0in
SIZE
13.5in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has very good portability, while the Acer Swift X 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
8.2
7.7
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
402.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.6/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for general use, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Gaming and AI
7.0
6.6
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
165Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
Unknown
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be good for gaming and AI, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is only fair.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
8.2
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
4.9/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for engineering and design, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" is good.
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.
Software Development
8.0
7.7
9.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2560 x 1600
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X 16 to be very good for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X 16 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" has 9 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
7.4
The Acer Swift X 16 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" 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
$1,200
$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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" costs $1,200.
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How the Acer Swift X 16 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X 16 | Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,250 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | June 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.7'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.66'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 3.04 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.02" | 12.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.81" | 8.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840HS | Intel Core Ultra 7 135H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 8 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 76 Wh | 47 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 165Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 402 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.6/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | Yes | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X 16 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 6 13.5"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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