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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing the Acer Swift X (2021) will give you better performance for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering, due to its more powerful CPU and dedicated graphics card. It's notably more portable and has a longer battery life, also offering a high-quality display with better color coverage. On the other hand, the ASUS Vivobook 15 is more budget-friendly, with a lower price reflecting its more modest performance, suited for general usage and less intensive tasks. While it's larger and heavier, and has a shorter battery life, it's also equipped for general use and can handle everyday tasks without much issue. If performance and portability are top priorities, the Acer Swift X is a better choice, but for lighter use and budget-friendliness, the ASUS Vivobook 15 will 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 (2021)
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Vivobook 15
- The ASUS Vivobook 15 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2021).
Key differences
General Use
7.4
6.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for general use, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X boasts a stronger CPU and dedicated GPU, more storage, and a brighter, more color-accurate screen which contributes to its higher performance in general use; it also has a longer battery life and is more portable compared to the ASUS Vivobook 15, which has a more modest CPU and integrated graphics, less storage, and a dimmer screen with lower color coverage. However, the Vivobook 15 might be appealing to those who prioritize a larger screen and cost-effectiveness despite its shorter battery life and slightly heavier build.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.1
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2021) outperforms the ASUS Vivobook 15 in engineering and design tasks due to its stronger AMD Ryzen 5 5600U processor and dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card, enabling more demanding computations and visual work compared to the ASUS's Intel i3-1215U CPU and integrated graphics.
Content Creation
7.5
6.4
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for content creation, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for software development, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is only fair.
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
6.3
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
250.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the ASUS Vivobook 15 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift X boasts a high-resolution display and brightness that enhances the viewing experience for everyday tasks, and with a wider color gamut, it renders more precise colors necessary for engineering and design work. The ASUS Vivobook 15 offers a decent screen for day-to-day activities and satisfactory color reproduction for design tasks but doesn't stand out. However, both laptops fall short for gaming and 3D applications due to their lack of high refresh rates, which are crucial for smooth motion and rapid on-screen action.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The ASUS Vivobook 15 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.0
The Acer Swift X (2021) and ASUS Vivobook 15 both have good build quality, though the Acer Swift X (2021) has somewhat better build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$580
$339
$0
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 costs $339.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
5.9
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2021) to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the ASUS Vivobook 15 is poor.
The Acer Swift X (2021) and ASUS Vivobook 15 provide fair performance for gaming and 3D because both have GPUs that are capable but not high-end, with the Acer Swift X featuring an Nvidia RTX 3050 and the ASUS Vivobook 15 using integrated Intel UHD Graphics; both laptops are limited by a 60 Hz screen refresh rate, which is adequate for casual gaming but not optimal for fast-paced games where higher refresh rates are preferred.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the ASUS Vivobook 15 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | ASUS Vivobook 15 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $339 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 9.2'' x 0.7'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 3.75 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.15" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i3-1215U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 128 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 42 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 250 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
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 Vivobook 15
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck, | April 2022
"The Asus VivoBook 15 is a quiet office notebook with a strong screen. However, the VivoBook 15 still has room for improvement. Office and internet applications as well as simple games do not pose any major challenges for the VivoBook - this is ensured by the built-in combination of Ryzen 7 5700U APU and 16 GB of RAM. Heat and noise emissions are acceptable. But, the laptop has weaknesses that should not be present at this level: lack of keyboard lighting, a slow memory card reader, no fast USB-C port (USB 3.2 Gen 2 or Thunderbolt 4) with Power Delivery and DisplayPort. Battery runtimes can only be described as average."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the ASUS Vivobook 15
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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