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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2022) offers significantly better performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and other engineering uses due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, but it comes at a higher price. It also has better color coverage which may be beneficial for tasks involving graphic design or video editing. On the other hand, the MSI Modern 14 is more budget-friendly but has less powerful integrated AMD graphics which are suitable for general use and basic productivity tasks. Both have similar portability, with nearly identical weight and screen size, but the Acer Swift X offers longer battery life. If your priority is high-performance for demanding applications and you're okay with a higher price, the Acer Swift X is the better choice; if you need a laptop for everyday tasks and want to save money, the MSI Modern 14 would suffice. 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 (2022)
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall display quality
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the MSI Modern 14
- The MSI Modern 14 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2022).
Key differences
General Use
7.8
7.2
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
330.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.6/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both good for general use, though the Acer Swift X (2022) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2022), with its powerful Intel processor and Nvidia graphics, has a high-resolution screen and a longer battery life, making it efficient for both work and leisure activities. The MSI Modern 14, while also having adequate performance with its AMD processor and integrated graphics, offers a lightweight option with decent screen quality and portability, though its battery life and screen resolution are less impressive.
Gaming and AI
6.6
6.0
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI, though the Acer Swift X (2022) is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2022) will offer better gaming performance compared to the MSI Modern 14 due to its more powerful Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which can handle graphics-intensive tasks more effectively. Both have similar screen refresh rates that are adequate for casual gaming, but the Acer's higher screen resolution provides a sharper visual experience, though this does not necessarily mean a higher refresh rate beneficial for fast-paced gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.5
6.6
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
4.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2022) is good for engineering and design, while the MSI Modern 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2022) is equipped with a more powerful Intel i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics, which offer robust performance for engineering software and design workloads, paired with a high-resolution screen that portrays clearer and more accurate colors.
Content Creation
7.8
7.2
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both good for content creation, though the Acer Swift X (2022) is somewhat better.
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
7.7
7.1
7.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Modern 14 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift X (2022) is somewhat better.
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
7.0
6.4
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2240 x 1400
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
330.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
311.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the MSI Modern 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X offers a higher resolution and brighter display which makes it more suitable for tasks like browsing and watching videos, enhancing the overall experience for general use. For engineering and design, it covers a wider range of colors, providing greater accuracy which is crucial when working with detailed visual projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the lower refresh rate of both laptops hinders their ability to render fast-moving images smoothly, which can detract from the immersive experience these applications strive to provide.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Modern 14 has 6 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
7.0
The Acer Swift X (2022) and MSI Modern 14 both have good build quality, though the Acer Swift X (2022) has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$1,313
$525
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2022) has a price of $1,313 and the MSI Modern 14 costs $525.
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Key similarities
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The MSI Modern 14 and Acer Swift X (2022) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2022) and the MSI Modern 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2022) | MSI Modern 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$1,313 | $525 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | April 1, 2022 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.3'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.7'' x 8.7'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.09 lbs | 3.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.3" | 12.68" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.74" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i7-1260P | AMD Ryzen 5 7530U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 58.7 Wh | 39 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 2240 x 1400 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 330 nits | 311 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 8.7/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2022)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | March 2022
"The Swift X is an Acer for entry-level gaming. With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load. The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless."
MSI Modern 14
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Dig into reviews and images
Rtings
Alexander Tozzi, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | October 2023
"The MSI Modern 14 is okay for school use. It's very compact, so it's easy to carry around. It has a sharp display, a spacious keyboard, and a reasonably large touchpad. Its Intel 13th Gen CPU and integrated graphics can handle general productivity tasks like text processing and web browsing; however, don't expect to do anything intensive like 3D modeling or physics simulations. Unfortunately, the battery lasts less than five hours of light use, and the display doesn't get bright enough to combat glare."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2022) or the MSI Modern 14
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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