A comparison of specs, key information, reviews, and best pricing from top retailers
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Company ProductName Specs
Company ProductName Specs
Advantages of the Acer Swift X (2021)
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for content creation
- Excellent overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
- Best in class speakers
Key differences
General Use
7.4
7.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.3/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use, though the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is suited for general use as it offers solid performance with decent screen quality and battery life in a lightweight frame, making it highly portable and versatile for everyday tasks. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, while heavier and with shorter battery life, boasts superior performance, a premium screen, and ample storage, catering to more demanding applications and providing an overall higher quality user experience at the expense of portability.
Gaming and AI
6.3
8.5
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
6.2/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X offers moderate gaming and 3D capabilities due to its less powerful GPU and lower screen refresh rate, making it more suitable for casual gaming and basic 3D tasks. In contrast, the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 excels in these areas with a high-end GPU and faster screen refresh rate, delivering a smoother and more immersive experience for demanding games and complex 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.8
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.
Content Creation
7.5
8.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.
Screen Quality
6.9
9.0
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
627.0 nits
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift X offers clear visuals and brightness suitable for everyday activities and productivity tasks, while it falls short for gaming due to a lower refresh rate, which can't handle fast-paced action as smoothly. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16, with its higher resolution and better brightness, provides a more crisp and vibrant display that benefits engineers and designers with a wider color coverage, making details pop in visual projects, but it also lacks a high refresh rate, reducing its appeal for 3D gaming and content creation. Both laptops would benefit from improvements in refresh rate to match the needs of gamers and professionals who work with fast-moving graphics.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has 4.5 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X (2021) has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$580
$1,842
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 costs $1,842.
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Key similarities
Software Development
7.3
7.7
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 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.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,842 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.7'' x 0.83'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 13.98" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.69" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i9-13900H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 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 | 4.5 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 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 627 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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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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 Zephyrus M16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Christian Hintze | March 2023
"The ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16 is not yet as optimised as its predecessor. Compared to the previous gen, performance and efficiency have improved significantly. What's more, the wonderful, Mini-LED Nebula display is a contender for the main highlight and almost manages to put the CPU and GPU in the shade. We already found its predecessor to be a well-rounded and well-optimised gaming machine. Generally, but not unequivocally, that also applies to the new Asus M16. Similar to most of the current, new laptops, we are dealing with a double generational leap in terms of the CPU and GPU. However, this change doesn't always run smoothly."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the ASUS ROG Zephyrus M16
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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