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Updated January 12, 2024·
It's important to consider your needs when choosing between the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13". If you're looking for a laptop that offers higher performance for tasks like video editing or gaming, the Acer Swift X may be a good choice, particularly since it generally costs less. However, if portability and build quality are your primary concerns, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 is known for its sleek design and lightweight form factor, which could be beneficial for frequent travel or meetings. Keep in mind that even though the surface might cost more, you are paying for a premium design and potentially better support and ecosystem integration if you already use other Microsoft products. Ultimately, match the laptop to your most frequent tasks: performance and value with the Acer, or design and portability with the Surface. 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 battery life
- Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
- Good overall display quality
- Excellent portability
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.9
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Swift X and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 boast displays with ample resolution and brightness, lending clarity and ease of reading, which is essential for daily tasks such as browsing and document editing. Their screens have strong color representation, meeting the demands of engineering and design work, where precision in color accuracy is vital for accurate rendering. However, the lower refresh rates of their screens, while sufficient for casual use, fall short for gaming and 3D applications that benefit from higher rates for smoother motion and improved responsiveness.
Battery
10.0 Hours
7.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" has 7.5 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.
Cost
$580
$1,200
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" costs $1,200.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.4
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
400.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is suitable for general use with its ample RAM, capable AMD Ryzen CPU, dedicated Nvidia RTX graphics for smooth visuals, and a good balance between portability and battery life; however, it may feel heavier than some alternatives. The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" also performs well in general use scenarios, offering a high-resolution touchscreen display, more RAM for multitasking, and a lightweight design with a premium feel, though its battery life is shorter compared to the Acer Swift X.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.1
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Engineering and Design
7.0
7.1
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is well-suited for engineering and design due to its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and AMD Ryzen 5 CPU, allowing for robust graphical and computational performance, which is essential when running engineering simulations or design software. On the other hand, the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" offers exceptional screen quality with a higher resolution and touchscreen functionality, along with Intel i7 CPU and integrated Iris Xe graphics, supporting a balance of visual detail and processing power in a more portable and user-interactive package.
Content Creation
7.5
7.4
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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
7.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.9/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2256 x 1504
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" 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.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.5in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
2.8 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" to have excellent portability, while the Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
7.8
The Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" and Acer Swift X (2021) 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 Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,200 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | October 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 12.1'' x 8.8'' x 0.57'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 2.86 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 12.1" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 8.8" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i7-1255U | |
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 | 7.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 47.4 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.5" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2256 x 1504 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 400 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 7.8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
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."
Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Lori Grunin | October 2022
"The Surface Laptop 5 remains afloat as a solid machine. It's just not one that stands out in any particular way. Just like the last one. The biggest upgrade were some new components, but they perform in the same range as other laptops with them, and frequently at the bottom of that range. I suspect Microsoft's settings are very conservative to help keep cooling and battery life within reason in the older chassis design."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 13"
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 Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
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