The Dell Precision 5470, being a premium business laptop with a more powerful main processor and double the RAM of the Acer Swift X, is better suited for engineering tasks and professional use, although it may come with a higher price tag. With its dedicated professional graphics, the 5470 excels in 3D rendering and machine learning tasks. Conversely, the Acer Swift X offers a lower midrange price and is a robust option for general use with decent performance and gaming capabilities thanks to its dedicated consumer graphics card, but it comes with less RAM. Both laptops have similar screen sizes and resolutions, neither has a touchscreen, and both offer good battery life. The Dell has a higher portability score but is slightly heavier, while the Acer is generally lighter and happens to be less expensive, which might appeal to users on a tighter budget. 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 battery life
Advantages of the Dell Precision 5470
Good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Best in class speakers
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
7.8/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Dell Precision 5470 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design, though the Dell Precision 5470 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2021) with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, Nvidia RTX GPU, and ample screen brightness is well-suited for design tasks, but the Dell Precision 5470’s higher RAM, advanced Intel CPU, and Nvidia professional GPU, coupled with superior screen resolution and color coverage, offer enhanced performance for more demanding engineering applications.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
500.0 nits
The Dell Precision 5470 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 and Dell Precision 5470 have panels that provide clear and vibrant images with sufficient resolution and brightness, making them suitable for everyday tasks such as browsing, office applications, and video streaming. In the context of engineering and design, both laptops offer good color accuracy and wide color gamuts, ensuring that the professionals working with graphics and visuals can rely on faithful color reproduction for their projects. However, for gaming and 3D applications, the screens on these models fall short due to their lower refresh rates, which can lead to less fluid motion and responsiveness crucial in fast-paced gaming scenarios or interactive 3D simulations.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 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
$1,669
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Dell Precision 5470 costs $1,669.
The Dell Precision 5470 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
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
6.3/10
6.7/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Dell Precision 5470 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Dell Precision 5470 has a more powerful Nvidia RTX A1000 GPU compared to the Acer Swift X's Nvidia RTX 3050 which results in better performance for gaming and 3D tasks. Additionally, while both laptops have the same screen refresh rates which are vital for smooth visuals, the Precision 5470's screen has a higher brightness and better color coverage which enhances the overall screen quality for these activities.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.8/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Dell Precision 5470 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for content creation.
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
7.3/10
7.7/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.1/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Dell Precision 5470 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.
Battery
10.0 Hours
9.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Dell Precision 5470 has 9 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
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Dell Precision 5470 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Dell Precision 5470 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The Dell Precision 5470 is a mobile workstation that's far more portable than most alternatives. Between its slim 14-inch design and top-quality MIL-STD 810H build, it's one of the best options around for taking professional-grade performance on the road or to the job site. There are tradeoffs for its portability, and users of the most demanding, graphics-intensive applications will need to carry something heavier. But the Dell's exceptional battery life underscores its desirability as the most portable workstation we've seen."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Dell Precision 5470
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 Dell
Dell is a highly recognizable American technology company, and is one of the largest personal computer vendor by market share. Their laptops are very popular for both personal and professional use, and they also own the Alienware brand which makes mid to high end gaming laptops. Their premium XPS range of laptops offer great build quality and portability, while Latitude and Precision laptops are known for reliability, repairability and performance for business users.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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