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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X offers significantly more storage space and a more powerful graphics card, making it suitable for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and some gaming. However, it's heavier and has a shorter battery life, which might affect portability. On the other hand, the ASUS Zenbook 14 is lighter and usually less expensive, but with half the storage and a less capable graphics card, it might struggle with demanding tasks. Both have good build quality and similar screen attributes, but if you frequently engage in performance-intensive activities, the Acer Swift X would be a better fit, despite being less portable and more costly. 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 battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the ASUS Zenbook 14
- The ASUS Zenbook 14 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2021).
Key differences
General Use
7.4
6.4
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
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.8/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for general use, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X offers better graphics performance with a superior GPU, more storage space, and longer battery life, making it a strong choice for general usage, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 has slightly lower performance graphics, less storage, and a shorter battery life, which might limit its utility in more demanding tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.3
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for engineering and design, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 is only fair.
The Acer Swift X boasts a more powerful graphics card, the Nvidia RTX 3050, which is superior to the ASUS Zenbook 14's Nvidia MX450, making it more suitable for engineering and design applications that demand higher graphical processing power.
Content Creation
7.5
6.8
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
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 Zenbook 14 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
6.4
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) is good for software development, while the ASUS Zenbook 14 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
6.7
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
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 Zenbook 14 for general use, gaming and AI, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a sharp and bright display for everyday tasks like browsing the web or working with documents, the Acer Swift X has a better screen suited for that purpose. For engineering and design work, where accurate colors are crucial, both laptops are competent, but take into consideration that not all models cover professional color gamuts extensively. Gamers and those into 3D applications who need smooth motion should be aware that neither of these laptops have high refresh rates typically desired for these activities.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The ASUS Zenbook 14 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.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.0
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
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
6.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and ASUS Zenbook 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X features a dedicated GPU that handles gaming and 3D applications reasonably well, but its screen refresh rate isn't the highest, which may affect fast-paced visuals. The ASUS Zenbook 14, while it also comes with a dedicated GPU that supports decent gaming, has the same limitation regarding refresh rate and similar screen quality, making both machines good, but not the best, for high-end gaming or professional 3D tasks.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The ASUS Zenbook 14 and Acer Swift X (2021) both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.4
The Acer Swift X (2021) and ASUS Zenbook 14 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$580
$570
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the ASUS Zenbook 14 costs $570.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the ASUS Zenbook 14 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | ASUS Zenbook 14 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $570 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | June 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.65'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 2.91 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 12.56" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.27" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | Unknown | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
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 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 Zenbook 14
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | August 2022
"Users who travel frequently and are looking for a portable laptop are in the right place with the Asus ZenBook 14. The sleek case is extremely light (1.2 kg) and surprisingly thin (1.5 cm). Outdoor use is also enjoyable thanks to the bright Full HD display, which is something that can rarely be said about laptops with TN or IPS panels. The excellent battery life complements this as well. Longer trips are no problem with the ZenBook 14. Another plus point is the high-performance Ryzen 7 5700U, which often leaves the Intel competition in the dust thanks to its large number of cores."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the ASUS Zenbook 14
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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