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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X offers solid general performance and is suitable for gaming with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which makes it a good fit for engineering tasks and 3D work as well, but it's slightly heavier than the LG Ultra and has less battery life. If you prioritize longer battery life and lighter weight, the LG Ultra 16 might be more appealing, plus it has a larger screen and higher resolution, which benefits productivity and content consumption, though its integrated graphics are less powerful than the Acer's, making it less optimal for intensive gaming or demanding graphics work. 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 overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good speakers
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the LG Ultra 16
- Excellent battery life
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
6.2
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
The Acer Swift X has a better screen than the LG Ultra 16 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design, while the LG Ultra 16 has a better screen for content creation.
The Acer Swift X features a display with higher resolution and brightness, making it more appealing for general use and detailed engineering work. Its color accuracy covers a wider color gamut, which is essential for design professionals who need precise color representation. However, for gaming and 3D applications, it falls short due to a lower refresh rate, which can affect the smoothness of motion graphics and gameplay.
Battery
10.0 Hours
17.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The LG Ultra 16 has 17 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
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
3.6 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the LG Ultra 16 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 LG Ultra 16 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$580
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the LG Ultra 16 costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
270.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
17.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The LG Ultra 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is well-suited for general use with a capable AMD Ryzen 5 processor, 8 GB RAM, and a solid-state drive for storage, providing a balance between performance and affordability. The LG Ultra 16 ups the ante with a more powerful AMD Ryzen 7 processor, double the RAM for multitasking, and a larger, high-quality screen, albeit at a higher cost and with more weight, making it less portable but better for intensive workloads.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.2
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
10.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and LG Ultra 16 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift X offers mid-range gaming capabilities with a dedicated Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, which outperforms the integrated Vega 8 graphics on the LG Ultra 16, making the Acer better suited for gaming and 3D applications. However, both have standard screen refresh rates, which limits their potential for high-end gaming that would benefit from faster screen updates.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.0
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The LG Ultra 16 and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X is well-suited for engineering and design due to its potent Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and vibrant screen, but it has less RAM which may limit performance in complex tasks compared to the LG Ultra 16, which offers double the memory and a larger, higher resolution screen for detailed work, but its integrated Vega 8 GPU is less powerful for demanding graphical tasks. While both laptops have quality screens and sufficient CPU power, the LG Ultra 16 excels in portability with a longer battery life and a quieter operation, but the Acer Swift X's higher-end GPU makes it better for tasks requiring more graphical horsepower.
Content Creation
7.5
7.7
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The LG Ultra 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.
Software Development
7.3
7.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.7/10
The LG Ultra 16 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.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the LG Ultra 16 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | LG Ultra 16 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | March 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14'' x 9.8'' x 0.64'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 3.63 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.02" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 9.78" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | AMD Ryzen 7 7730U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 10 Hours | 17 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 72 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 16" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1200 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 270 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 10/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 6.8/10 | |
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 | 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 | 1 | |
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."
LG Ultra 16
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | October 2022
"Unlike the gram, the Ultra PC isn't designed to be as lightweight as possible. The 16-inch laptop is a whole 400 g (0.88 lb) heavier than its 16-inch gram counterpart partly because its chassis is not made of magnesium. Other than that, the Ultra PC seems like a copy of the gram – but with longer battery life, lower noise levels, and a clean, delicate look."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the LG Ultra 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.
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