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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2021) offers better portability, longer battery life, and slightly more vivid screen colors, making it a good choice for general use and carrying around. However, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, with its stronger main processor and higher screen refresh rate, is better suited for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, and machine learning but is heavier and has shorter battery life. If gaming and high-performance tasks are a priority and you're okay with less portability and battery life, choose the Lenovo; if you prefer something lighter with longer battery life for everyday tasks, go for the Acer Swift X. 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 battery life
- Very good speakers
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Good overall display quality
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X boasts a high-resolution display with bright, vivid colors that cater well to everyday tasks and professional design work, where color accuracy and clear visuals are paramount. However, the lack of a fast refresh rate limits its appeal to gamers and those using 3D applications who seek fluid motion and quick image refreshes.
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3's screen provides a crisp, bright image with a resolution and panel type that are satisfactory for both regular and design-related tasks, where color range and clarity are crucial. Despite being a gaming laptop, its screen's refresh rate isn't high enough to provide the optimal, smooth visual experience that gamers and 3D designers expect.
Battery
10.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has 8 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
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is suitable for general use due to its balance of powerful CPU, sufficient RAM, high screen quality with great brightness and color coverage, along with its strong portability backed by solid battery life and a lightweight design. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 offers similar advantages in CPU and RAM for general tasks, with the added benefit of a larger screen and higher refresh rate, but it is less portable and has a slightly lower battery life, making it bulkier for frequent movement.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.5
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X features an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, which are fair for gaming and 3D apps, but the refresh rate may not be ideal for fast-paced games. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 with its Nvidia RTX 2050 GPU and a higher 120Hz screen refresh rate offers a smoother visual experience, which can be more advantageous for gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X (2021) with an AMD Ryzen 5 CPU and Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, is suited for engineering and design due to its capable processing and graphics performance, along with a quality IPS screen, making it a solid choice for tasks that require color accuracy and compute power.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
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 Gaming 3 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
7.3
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.2
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$580
$549
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
$900
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
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 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 Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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