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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated February 26, 2024·
If you're budget-conscious and need a laptop for everyday tasks with occasional photo editing or light gaming, the Acer Swift X provides value with decent performance and easier portability due to its lighter weight. However, if you frequently engage in 3D rendering, machine learning, or high-end gaming, the ASUS ROG Strix has more powerful hardware to handle those demands efficiently, yet it's heavier and typically has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for carrying around. Pay attention to the premium you'll pay for the ASUS, ensuring the extra cost aligns with your need for its high performance. 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
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.6/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers balanced features like a solid CPU, sufficient RAM, and good screen quality in a highly portable design with decent battery life, suitable for everyday tasks and mobility. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 boasts a more powerful CPU and more RAM, better screen quality, and enhanced heat management for more demanding applications, but it's less portable and has shorter battery life, making it ideal for users with intensive usage needs who don't prioritize moving around often.
Gaming and AI
6.3
8.7
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X offers moderate gaming performance with a balance between everyday use and occasional creative tasks, but its GPU and screen refresh rate aren't as advanced for demanding 3D applications or fast-paced games. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 is built for high-end gaming and 3D rendering with a top-tier GPU and a high refresh rate display, surpassing the Swift X in graphical power and smooth visuals, though at a greater cost and with potential tradeoffs in portability and battery life.
Engineering and Design
7.0
9.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers a balance of CPU power and RAM suitable for engineering tasks with a decent GPU and screen quality, making it good for design work while maintaining some portability. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Strix G18 boasts a more powerful CPU, higher RAM capacity, and a superior GPU for demanding tasks, plus a high-quality screen, but it's less portable and could have a louder operating noise during intense use.
Content Creation
7.5
8.8
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for content creation, while the Acer Swift X (2021) 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.
Software Development
7.3
8.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) is very good for software development, while the Acer Swift X (2021) 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.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.7
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
422.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 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, the Acer Swift X offers a satisfying display with its resolution and brightness, making everyday tasks and media viewing pleasant, but the ASUS ROG Strix G18 outshines it with an even better panel that enhances visibility and clarity. In engineering and design work, accurate color representation is crucial, where both laptops provide good coverage of professional color gamuts to ensure that designs are precise and true-to-life. However, when it comes to gaming and 3D applications, where motion clarity is key, neither laptop excels due to lower refresh rates, which means fast-paced visuals may not be as smooth as desired.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Strix G18 has 8 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
Very Good
Poor
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.0in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$2,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
$3,500
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) costs $2,300.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) 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 G18 (2024) compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024) |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $2,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | January 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 11.6'' x 1.06'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 6.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 11.57" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i9-14900HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 422 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 5.7/10 | |
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 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
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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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."
ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | March 2023
"With the ROG Strix G18, Asus has made an almost consistently good debut in the still quite new 18-inch laptop segment. The base unit case shows a few signs of weakness in the area of stability and is something which has an effect on the perceived quality of the input devices (the chassis tends to rattle a bit). Nevertheless, thanks to generous port features (incl. Thunderbolt 4), a striking design, and extensive lighting (keyboard, LED strip on the front), gamers get a fitting gaming platform."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the ASUS ROG Strix G18 (2024)
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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