The Acer Swift X offers stronger performance for 3D tasks and engineering software due to its dedicated Nvidia graphics, making it a good fit if your work involves graphic design, video editing, or gaming. However, it is slightly heavier and has less battery life compared to the LG Gram 16. On the other hand, the LG Gram is remarkably lightweight and boasts a longer battery life, making it ideal for everyday tasks and on-the-go use. It has a larger, higher-resolution screen as well, which enhances the experience when watching videos or working with text. The LG Gram's processor is well suited for general use and multitasking, benefited by twice the amount of RAM compared to the Acer, though for intensive graphical tasks, it's less capable than the Acer. Both laptops fall within a similar price range with the LG Gram usually being slightly more expensive. Depending on your primary use—high-performance applications or general use and portability—you should choose the Acer Swift X or the LG Gram 16, respectively. 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 speakers
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Gram 16
Good overall display quality
Excellent battery life
Key differences
Engineering and Design
7.0/10
7.5/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Gram 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design, though the LG Gram 16 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is suitable for engineering and design due to its dedicated Nvidia GPU and decent CPU, making it capable of handling graphics-intensive tasks, but with less RAM than the LG Gram 16, which offers a higher resolution screen and longer battery life, paired with a substantial amount of RAM for multitasking, though it has an integrated GPU which is less powerful for heavy graphics applications.
Software Development
7.3/10
7.9/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The LG Gram 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for software development, though the LG Gram 16 is somewhat better.
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.
Screen Quality
6.9/10
7.3/10
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
347.0 nits
The LG Gram 16 has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X and the LG Gram 16 have panels with adequate resolution and brightness, ensuring a clear and vibrant display for everyday activities like web browsing and document editing. Their screens also cover a wide range of colors, crucial for engineering and design work, allowing for more accurate color representation and detailed visual work. However, the refresh rates on these laptops may not be high enough for the smooth visuals required in gaming and 3D applications, where fast-moving images benefit from quicker screen updates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
15.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The LG Gram 16 has 15 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.
Build Quality
7.6/10
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and LG Gram 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
$1,450
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the LG Gram 16 costs $1,450.
The LG Gram 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X is praised for its powerful combination of AMD Ryzen CPU and Nvidia RTX GPU, making it suitable for general use and even casual gaming, but its heavier weight makes it less portable. The LG Gram 16, on the other hand, provides a balance of high screen quality with its superior resolution, ample RAM, and a longer battery life, all packed in an exceptionally light frame, which enhances its portability despite a lower storage capacity.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
6.4/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
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
10.0/10
The LG Gram 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is equipped with an Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card and a standard 60Hz refresh rate, slightly better suited for gaming and 3D applications than the LG Gram 16, which uses integrated Intel Iris Xe graphics, yet it also features a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate. However, the LG Gram 16 may offer sharper visuals and potentially more vibrant colors due to its higher screen resolution and wider color coverage.
Content Creation
7.5/10
7.8/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Gram 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.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift X (2021) and LG Gram 16 both have very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the LG Gram 16 compare to other laptops
"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."
"The LG Gram 16 is a lightweight device with stability issues. The LG Gram 16Z90Q with a Core i7-1260P is made with portability in mind and places less of a focus on users with high demands on performance. The compact and light chassis is particularly practical when you are on the go. The device is not only comfortably small and lightweight, it also boasts a great battery life. When connected to mains, on the other hand, the 16-inch device is rather disappointing. The standard cooling mode causes extreme volatility in terms of CPU, SSD and iGPU performance. The meager stability of the chassis may also put off some potential buyers."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the LG Gram 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 LG
LG is a South Korean conglomerate company. While LG is mainly known for various products outside of technology, LG also develops laptops. Within the laptop industry, they are known for their thin-and-light Gram series, as well as their value-oriented Ultra series. LG laptops offer very thin and light laptops with phenomenal battery life, and are often on sale.
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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About the laptop team
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
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Laptops Expert
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