When deciding between the Acer Swift X and the HP Omen Transcend, consider that the Swift X offers good performance at a lower price, making it a solid choice for everyday tasks and moderate workloads. However, if you need higher performance for gaming, 3D rendering, or intensive engineering tasks, the HP Omen Transcend is engineered for those demands, albeit at a higher cost. The Swift X is lighter and more portable, with longer battery life, suiting on-the-go use, while the Omen's gaming-grade hardware makes it heavier and less battery-efficient, better suited for a desktop replacement. Choose based on your primary use and 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 portability
Very good speakers
Advantages of the HP Omen Transcend 14
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Good for gaming and AI
Very good for software development
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers a balance between performance and portability, with sufficient processing power and memory for everyday tasks, a high-quality screen, and a decent battery life, though it might not match up to heavier usage demands. In comparison, the HP Omen Transcend 14 provides a more robust CPU and RAM setup for better general performance, a superior screen, and longer battery life, making it a more favorable choice for users who need a laptop that can handle more than just the basics, but it may come at a higher cost and less portability.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
7.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X offers decent gaming and 3D capabilities due to its capable GPU, which allows for reasonable graphics performance, but the HP Omen Transcend 14 provides a more fluid and responsive gaming experience with its higher screen refresh rate and superior GPU. While both laptops have processors that handle gaming well, the HP's better screen quality enhances the overall visual experience, making it more suited for gamers and those using 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
8.5/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers a balance of performance and portability, with a capable CPU, GPU, and sufficient RAM for engineering tasks, paired with a screen that delivers good clarity, but the HP Omen Transcend 14 steps ahead in power with a superior CPU and GPU, along with higher RAM for more demanding design applications, while also featuring a high-quality screen; however, it sacrifices some portability due to its gaming-oriented build which may also affect the operating noise.
Content Creation
7.5/10
8.3/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
The HP Omen Transcend 14 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
7.3/10
8.1/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The HP Omen Transcend 14 is very good for software development, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
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
6.9/10
8.6/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2880 x 1800
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
OLED
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The HP Omen Transcend 14 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 offers a bright, high-resolution display making text and images look sharp and detailed, but the HP Omen Transcend 14 goes a step further with even better brightness and clarity, enhancing everyday activities like browsing or document work. In the context of engineering and design, both laptops provide a wide range of colors, but the HP Omen Transcend 14 displays colors more accurately, crucial for tasks requiring color precision like photo editing or CAD. However, for gaming and 3D applications, which benefit from smoother motion and more immersive experiences, both laptops fall short as they lack high refresh rates needed for these activities.
Battery
10.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The HP Omen Transcend 14 has 11 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
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the HP Omen Transcend 14 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$1,699
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the HP Omen Transcend 14 costs $1,699.
"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 HP Omen Transcend 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 HP
HP, also known as Hewlett-Packard, is an American technology company that develops personal computers and computer peripherals. In the laptop industry, HP is known for its entry level Essential series laptops, its mid-range Pavilion, Envy, and Victus series, and high-end Omen and Spectre series, in addition to its business-oriented EliteBook, ProBook, and Dragonfly series laptops. HP laptops generally undercut other mainstream competitors in terms of price, placing itself as the value-oriented mainstream brand.
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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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
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