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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choosing between the Acer Swift X and the Lenovo Flex 5 requires considering several aspects. The Acer Swift X has a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card which offers better performance for gaming or creative software compared to the Lenovo's integrated graphics. However, the Flex 5 can double as a tablet due to its 2-in-1 convertible design, adding versatility. Though the Swift X is often a tad pricier, it is lighter and thus more portable than the Flex 5, which may matter if you carry your laptop frequently. Meanwhile, the Lenovo offers a higher resolution screen and double the RAM of the Acer, which can be beneficial for multitasking and clarity of display. The Lenovo Flex 5 is usually somewhat cheaper but the Swift X could provide better performance, especially if you plan to do graphic-intensive tasks. Consider how these trade-offs align with your needs, such as portability, performance, versatility, and price sensitivity. 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
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo Flex 5 16
- Good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
7.3
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, and content creation.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 offer resolutions and brightness levels that are satisfactory for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. For engineering and design, they provide decent color coverage important for accurate visual representation, but they may not cover the full spectrum of professional color spaces. When it comes to gaming and 3D applications, their lower refresh rates can result in less smooth visuals, which is less ideal for fast-paced games or fluid 3D simulations.
Battery
10.0 Hours
11.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Flex 5 16 has 11.5 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
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Flex 5 16 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.0
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
$779
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Lenovo Flex 5 16 costs $779.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.6
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.4/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
6.2
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Flex 5 16 are both considered fair for gaming and 3D due to modest GPU capabilities and standard screen refresh rates, which are acceptable but not ideal for demanding gaming and complex 3D tasks. While the Swift X (2021) has a dedicated Nvidia GPU, providing a performance boost for gaming and 3D applications, the Flex 5 16 relies on integrated Intel graphics, which is less powerful but still capable for less intensive tasks; both have the same screen refresh rate, which limits visual smoothness during gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is equipped with a dedicated NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU and Ryzen 5 CPU which are suitable for engineering and intensive design tasks, despite having less RAM than the Lenovo Flex 5 16, which includes an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a more powerful Intel i7 CPU, making it also capable for such tasks but with a higher resolution screen that could be more beneficial for design work. While both laptops have high-quality IPS screens, the Acer offers a higher contrast ratio for deeper blacks, but the Lenovo offers a larger screen and more workspace with its higher resolution, making it slightly better for design accuracy and detail.
Content Creation
7.5
7.6
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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
7.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo Flex 5 16 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 Lenovo Flex 5 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Lenovo Flex 5 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $779 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10'' x 0.74'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 4.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.09" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.99" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i7-1255U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 11.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 52.5 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 | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
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 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
Lenovo Flex 5 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | April 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 is a solidly equipped, 2-in-1 in the lower price segment. Performance is definitely sufficient for everyday tasks and in tests the battery proved itself to be very economical. That aside, there is a lot of standard fare on show and a search for real highlights ends in vain. The low color coverage and reflective display can be avoided by going for an optional 2.5K display but this also presumably results in poorer battery life. The cooling uses only one fan and leads to a raised temperature on one side of the device under load. Additionally, there is very loud fan noise, also under load or when gaming. On top of that, we also occasionally noticed electronic noises."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Lenovo Flex 5 16
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 Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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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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