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Updated August 21, 2024·
The Acer Swift X offers a balance of performance and portability at a lower midrange price, making it suitable for general use and light gaming or machine learning tasks with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU. It has a decent battery life of around 10 hours, a good quality IPS screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080, and a compact design that's easy to carry. However, it may not handle intensive engineering tasks as well as the Asus and lacks advanced features like a high refresh rate screen or hardware ray tracing. On the other hand, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is a high-end laptop designed for power users and gamers, featuring top-tier components such as the AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D processor and Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU, which deliver exceptional performance for demanding tasks, including engineering applications, 3D rendering, and gaming. Its larger 17.3-inch screen with a higher resolution of 2560 x 1440 and a 240Hz refresh rate is ideal for fast-motion content and engineering work that benefits from higher color accuracy and brightness. However, its portability is compromised due to its size, weight, and shorter battery life of about 3 hours. It also commands a much higher price point. In summary, if you prioritize portability, battery life, and value for money for general use and some light gaming, the Acer Swift X is a solid choice. But if you need a powerhouse for intensive tasks, gaming, and engineering work, and you're willing to pay a premium, carry more weight, and charge more frequently, the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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 (2021)
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Excellent for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.1
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
5.6/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2021) 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
6.3
9.2
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) 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
7.0
9.1
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D is excellent 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.
Content Creation
7.5
8.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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
7.9
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for software development, though the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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
6.9
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
PerfectRec’s screen quality scores take into account various important factors that are relevant for different use cases.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has 3 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
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
1.1in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D has poor portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$3,500
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D costs $3,500.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.6
7.4
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $3,500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | June 6, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.6'' x 11.1'' x 1.11'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 6.61 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 11.1" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 9 7945HX3D | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 2048 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 3 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 90 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
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 | 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 | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Asus ROG Strix Scar 17 X3D
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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