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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2021) is significantly less expensive and lighter, offering good portability and satisfactory performance for general use. It has a lower battery life and less power for intensive tasks compared to the MSI Creator Z16P. On the other hand, the MSI Creator Z16P, while more expensive and heavier, boasts a larger screen with higher resolution and touch capability, more storage and RAM, and superior performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, and engineering software, but with a shorter battery life. Consider the MSI if top-notch performance and a better screen are priorities, otherwise, the Acer offers solid performance at a lower cost and greater portability. 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
Advantages of the MSI Creator Z16P
- Very good for engineering and design
- Good for gaming and AI
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
Gaming and AI
6.3
7.6
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.7/10
The MSI Creator Z16P is good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is less suited for gaming and 3D because it has a Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics card and a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, whereas the MSI Creator Z16P excels with a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti graphics card and a higher 165Hz screen refresh rate, offering smoother visuals and better performance.
Engineering and Design
7.0
8.3
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The MSI Creator Z16P is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X (2021) offers a solid foundation for engineering and design with its Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU and Full HD screen, but it's outperformed by the MSI Creator Z16P, which boasts a more powerful Nvidia RTX 3070 Ti GPU and a higher resolution screen, better suited for detailed design work. While the Swift X is more portable and quieter, the Creator Z16P offers superior performance with double the RAM and a top-tier Intel i9 CPU, which makes it very good for demanding engineering tasks; this comes at the cost of increased weight and possibly more operating noise.
Screen Quality
6.9
8.3
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
165Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
394.0 nits
The MSI Creator Z16P has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, the Acer Swift X offers a pleasing balance between resolution and brightness, making it quite suitable for everyday tasks, but the MSI Creator Z16P steps this up further with a higher resolution and enhanced brightness providing sharper and more vibrant visuals. When it comes to engineering and design work, both laptops cover a wide color gamut, ensuring color accuracy for professional tasks, yet the MSI Creator Z16P takes the lead again with superior color reproduction due to its emphasis on color-critical display metrics. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is paramount, neither the Acer Swift X nor the MSI Creator Z16P excels, as their refresh rates are lower than what is ideal, meaning gaming or running 3D applications might not appear as fluid as on displays with higher refresh rates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Creator Z16P has 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
16.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
5.2 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the MSI Creator Z16P has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$1,300
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the MSI Creator Z16P costs $1,300.
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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
394.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.2/10
The MSI Creator Z16P and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift X (2021) is favored for general use due to its decent CPU and RAM, good screen quality, and lightweight design offering greater portability and substantial battery life. On the other hand, the MSI Creator Z16P, while boasting a higher-grade CPU, extra RAM, and a superior screen, is less portable due to its increased weight and has a shorter battery life, though it excels in storage capacity and build quality.
Content Creation
7.5
7.9
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Creator Z16P 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
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The MSI Creator Z16P 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
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Creator Z16P to have very good build quality, while the Acer Swift X (2021) has 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 MSI Creator Z16P compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | MSI Creator Z16P |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $1,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | June 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 14.1'' x 10.2'' x 0.75'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 5.27 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 14.13" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i9-12900H | |
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 | 5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 90 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 | 394 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.8/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 2 | |
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."
MSI Creator Z16P
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Mario Petzold | June 2022
"There's almost nothing left to be desired with the MSI Z16P. The creator laptop offers enormous performance resources for image editing, video editing, rendering, and more. All this is presented on a precalibrated, adequately sized, and high-resolution display. Its color space, refresh rate, and panel technology are also perfectly suited for a device that specializes in video reproduction and editing."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the MSI Creator Z16P
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 MSI
MSI, also known as Micro-Star International, is a Taiwanese technology corporation. MSI is known for their wide range of gaming devices. Their series include the entry-level Cyborg/Thin and Sword/Katana series, the mid-range Bravo/Delta and Crosshair/Pulse series, and their high-end Vector, Raider, Stealth, and Titan GT series. At every performance level, MSI offers a variety of devices with varying balances between performance, battery life, weight, and price, making them a solid option to consider at every price point.
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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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