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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2021) is less expensive and more portable than the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro, with respectable general performance and a decent screen—but it has weaker capabilities for engineering and 3D tasks than the Legion. The Legion 5 Pro, on the other hand, offers top-tier performance for intensive engineering, 3D rendering, and machine learning, as well as superior gaming capabilities thanks to a more powerful graphics card and processor, higher resolution and refresh rate display, but it is heavier and has a shorter battery life, making it less ideal for frequent travel. If you primarily need a laptop for everyday tasks and occasional travel, the Swift X could be the better option. But if your work involves heavy software or you're an avid gamer and don't mind shorter battery life and less portability, the Legion 5 Pro is the superior choice. 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 Legion Pro 5
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
8.4
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X has a fair performance in gaming and 3D due to its mid-range Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, which limits its ability to render fast-paced visuals smoothly. Conversely, the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 excels in gaming and 3D tasks because it boasts a high-end Nvidia RTX 4070 GPU and a much higher 165Hz screen refresh rate, enabling more fluid motion and better response during intense gaming.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 outshines the Acer Swift X for engineering and design due to its more powerful CPU, double the RAM, and a significantly better GPU, making it very suitable for compute-intensive tasks and sophisticated visual work. While both laptops have quality screens, the Legion Pro 5's larger, higher resolution display with a faster refresh rate makes it ideal for intricate designs, though it is less portable and could be noisier when under heavy load.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.0
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift X offers adequate resolution and brightness for everyday tasks such as browsing and document editing, making its screen suitable for general use, plus it has a panel type that provides clear images. For engineering and design, its color gamut coverage ensures accurate color representation, which is essential for precision work. However, for gaming and 3D applications, its lower refresh rate could lead to less fluid motion, compromising the experience in fast-paced scenarios.
Battery
10.0 Hours
3.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has 3.5 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$1,320
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 costs $1,320.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
340.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
3.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.6/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is praised for its portability and battery life, making it convenient for on-the-go use, and it offers a solid CPU and RAM for general tasks, though it has a more modest screen size and resolution. In contrast, the Lenovo Legion 5 Pro provides superior performance with its more powerful CPU and larger RAM, along with a higher quality and larger screen, but its heavier build and shorter battery life make it less portable.
Content Creation
7.5
7.8
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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
7.6
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.3/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Lenovo Legion Pro 5 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.
Build Quality
7.6
7.4
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Legion Pro 5 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Lenovo Legion Pro 5 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Lenovo Legion Pro 5 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,320 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.3'' x 10.3'' x 0.97'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 5.6 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.31" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.25" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 7 7745HX | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 1024 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 3.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 80 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 | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 340 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 6.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 4 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
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 Legion Pro 5
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Dig into reviews and images
PCMag
Mark Knapp | July 2023
"It doesn't quite match its Legion Pro 7i sibling as an Editors' Choice winner, but Lenovo's AMD-powered Legion Pro 5 Gen 8 is a stylish, well-built gaming laptop with solid performance at both 1080p and its sharper native resolution. It's cheaper than some comparably equipped machines and better than some similarly priced ones. That's a recipe for success, even without its frequent availability of discounts or sales. A brighter screen and longer battery life would be nice, but even as is the Legion Pro 5 earns a solid recommendation."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Lenovo Legion Pro 5
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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