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Updated January 10, 2024·
For better performance in tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, the Acer Swift X with its dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card stands out. However, keep in mind that its higher price is justified by this increased performance capability. If portability is a concern, the Acer Swift X is also a more suitable choice, being lighter and having a slightly smaller screen. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3's larger screen may be more suitable for those needing a wider display for general use or less intensive engineering tasks but it also means the laptop is heavier. The Lenovo tends to be less expensive, yet it lacks the dedicated graphics of the Acer, implying that it will not handle graphically intensive tasks as well while maintaining a better battery life. Both have similar storage and memory, which are suitable for general use, and both come with Windows 11 Home. 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 engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift X (2021).
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
6.7
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" for general use.
For general use, a laptop with a high-resolution screen and bright display like the Acer Swift X or Lenovo IdeaPad 3 ensures clear text and vivid images, suitable for everyday tasks like browsing and video streaming. Engineering and design work benefit from laptops with wide color gamuts as they reproduce colors more accurately; however, the aforementioned models may not cover professional color spaces comprehensively, making them good but not specialized choices. For gaming and 3D applications, both laptops may fall short due to lower refresh rates, which means less smooth visuals during fast-paced scenes, despite adequate resolution and panel quality.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.4 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
6.5
The Acer Swift X (2021) has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$580
$784
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" costs $784.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.3
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
307.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
9.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.1/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is highly regarded for general use as it provides a balance between performance, with a solid CPU and GPU combination, and portability, due to its lighter weight and compact size, alongside a respectable battery life and screen quality.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.1
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
9.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is better suited for gaming and 3D tasks than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" because it includes a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which generally outperforms the integrated AMD Radeon Vega 7 graphics found in the Lenovo. Both have similar refresh rates and screen quality, but the superior GPU in the Acer will deliver a more robust gaming experience; however, the Lenovo may offer a larger screen size which could be preferable for those valuing screen real estate over graphical performance.
Engineering and Design
7.0
6.6
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
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift X (2021) to be good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is better suited for engineering and design tasks due to its powerful dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and high-quality IPS screen, which are crucial for graphics-intensive programs and accurate color representation, respectively. In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" has an integrated AMD Vega 7 GPU which is less capable for demanding engineering applications, and while it offers a larger screen, it does not match the color accuracy and contrast ratio provided by the Acer Swift X.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
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) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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
7.2
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
6.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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 Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" 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.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $784 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | April 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.7'' x 10.8'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 4.49 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.71" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.79" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 5 5625U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 9 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
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 | 307 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | No | |
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 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."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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Dig into reviews and images
LaptopMedia
Alex Iliev | December 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17" defies expectations. Indeed, it is just a minor upgrade over last year. However, this doesn’t make the laptop any less terrific. It’s got a great performance, courtesy of the Ryzen 5x25U processors. In addition, you get a pretty good battery life. Perhaps, the 2-hour decrease in video playback, compared to last year is not great, but still, 10 hours of Web browsing and 7 hours of video playback is okay for 17-inch notebooks."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 17"
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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