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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2021) is typically less expensive and lighter, making it more portable than the ASUS ROG Strix G16, with a longer battery life that can be beneficial for general use or work on the go. However, the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offers superior performance with a higher-end CPU and GPU, more RAM, and a larger screen with a higher refresh rate, which is better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or engineering tasks. The tradeoff here is that the ASUS is heavier and has a shorter battery life, sacrificing some portability and convenience for higher performance capabilities. 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 (2021)
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.9
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is equipped with a modest Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a 60Hz screen refresh rate, which are suitable for casual gaming and some 3D tasks, whereas the ASUS ROG Strix G16 comes with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher 165Hz screen refresh rate, significantly enhancing gameplay and 3D rendering experiences.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.3
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) 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.
Screen Quality
6.9
7.5
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
291.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 offer screens with sufficient resolution and brightness that allow for clear and vibrant display, with panel types that provide wide viewing angles. In engineering and design, where precise color reproduction is crucial, both laptops might not cover the wider color gamuts like DCI-P3 or Adobe RGB as well as professional-grade monitors, impacting color-sensitive work. The gaming and 3D performance of these screens is limited due to lower refresh rates, which means motion may not appear as smooth, affecting fast-paced and immersive experiences.
Portability
Very Good
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.5 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G16 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$1,269
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 costs $1,269.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
291.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.4/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X, with its lighter weight and longer battery life, offers greater portability and convenience for general use, supported by a capable CPU and sufficient RAM for typical tasks, along with a high-quality screen. On the other hand, the ASUS ROG Strix G16, though heavier and with shorter battery life, provides a more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a superior GPU, making it better suited for performance-intensive tasks while still maintaining a quality display.
Content Creation
7.5
7.9
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both 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
7.3
7.7
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G16 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
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix G16 and Acer Swift X (2021) both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the ASUS ROG Strix G16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | ASUS ROG Strix G16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,269 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | February 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 13.9'' x 10.4'' x 1.05'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 5.51 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 13.94" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.39" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i7-13650HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 291 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2021)
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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."
ASUS ROG Strix G16
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NotebookCheck
Marc Herter | March 2023
"With the mobile Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, the Asus ROG Stix G16 hits the sweet spot between performance and cooling. The G16 also does not have to shy away from direct comparison with its supposedly stronger family member, the ROG Strix Scar 18 with its RTX 4090, as most benchmarks of the two laptops are very close to each other. Moreover, the G16 should be significantly cheaper. Depending on the supplier, the price difference here could be almost US$ 2,000. In the 2023 model series, Asus has significantly leveled out the differences between the two high-end lines."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the ASUS ROG Strix G16
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 ASUS
ASUS, a Taiwanese electronics brand, is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. The majority of their laptops are targeted towards personal use or gaming. Their most popular product lines include the budget-friendly VivoBook, more premium ZenBook, and their TUF and ROG gaming laptops, the latter of which has a reputation for excellent gaming performance.
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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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