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Updated January 12, 2024·
The Acer Swift X is more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size, ideal for on-the-go use. However, if you're looking for better performance for gaming, 3D applications, or intensive engineering software, the Lenovo Legion 5 offers a stronger processor and more powerful graphics card, but at the cost of a heavier build and possibly shorter battery life due to higher performance components. The Legion also provides a higher resolution and faster refresh rate display, which is better for gaming and high-definition content, but may affect battery life compared to the Swift X’s lower resolution display. Choose the Swift X for general use and mobility, or the Legion 5 for high-performance tasks and better gaming experience. 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 5 15"
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.9
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
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 5 15" is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X has an Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and a screen refresh rate of 60 Hz, which provides decent performance for gaming and 3D applications, but the Lenovo Legion 5 has a more powerful Nvidia RTX 4060 GPU and a higher screen refresh rate of 165 Hz, offering smoother and more responsive gameplay, hence its better suitability for gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" is more suitable for engineering and design than the Acer Swift X (2021) because it has a more powerful CPU and GPU, which is crucial for demanding tasks and higher RAM for handling large projects. Additionally, the Lenovo has a higher resolution screen which provides greater detail that can be vital for design work, while the Acer prioritizes portability and lower operating noise, which may be less critical for stationary work environments.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.0
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X, with its satisfactory resolution and brightness, offers a crisp and clear display for everyday tasks, but the more limited color gamut and standard refresh rate might not fully meet the demands of professional design work or deliver the smooth visuals required for high-end gaming. On the other hand, the Lenovo Legion 5 has a higher quality display that shows vibrant colors and good brightness for daily activities and is suitable for engineering and design professionals who need accurate color representation, but for gaming and 3D work, its standard refresh rate doesn't offer the fluid motion that those applications typically benefit from. Both laptops have their strengths for different users; for general productivity and design work, Lenovo stands out, but serious gamers would need to look elsewhere for optimal refresh rates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
4.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Lenovo Legion 5 15" has 4 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
15.6in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.3 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Lenovo Legion 5 15" has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$999
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" costs $999.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
350.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
4.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.8/10
The Lenovo Legion 5 15" and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is well-suited for general use because it offers a balance between portability and performance, with a very good battery life that complements its moderate weight and size; this makes it easy to carry around and use for everyday tasks.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
8.0/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
8.0/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1440
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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
7.6
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Lenovo Legion 5 15" 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Lenovo Legion 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Lenovo Legion 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $999 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | April 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.3'' x 0.95'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 5.3 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.33" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 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 | 4 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 | 2560 x 1440 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 165Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 350 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 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 | 3 | |
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 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Andreas Osthoff | September 2021
"The Lenovo Legion 5 15 is an affordable gaming laptop with a lot of power. The new AMD processor Ryzen 7 5800H offers plenty of performance and it is also very efficient. The combination with the fast 130W version of the GeForce RTX 3060 ensures high gaming performance. We also like the fast 165 Hz display with the 1080p resolution. The automatic graphics switching causes some problems with stutters, which are very annoying. If you do not need long battery runtimes, you should definitely deactivate the hybrid graphics mode in Lenovo's Vantage app. The Legion 5 15 is never silent."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Lenovo Legion 5 15"
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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