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Updated March 22, 2024·
When choosing between the Acer Swift X and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, consider how you'll use the laptop. The Acer Swift X offers good value for everyday tasks and lighter workloads at a lower price, with the benefit of being more portable. On the other hand, the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio, while more expensive, delivers higher performance suitable for demanding tasks such as 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming, at the expense of portability and potentially shorter battery life. If your work requires powerful specs and you have a higher budget, the MSI is a suitable choice. 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 Stealth 18 AI Studio
- Very good for general use
- Excellent for engineering and design
- Very good for gaming and AI
- Very good for software development
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good overall build quality
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.0/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers a balance of reasonable processing power, memory, and screen quality suited for everyday tasks, plus it's lighter and has longer battery life for on-the-go use. The MSI Stealth, on the other hand, boasts a more powerful CPU and extra memory which enhances performance for more demanding applications, but this comes with a tradeoff in terms of higher weight and potentially shorter battery life, making it less portable but better for intensive tasks.
Gaming and AI
6.3
8.9
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Acer Swift X, while suitable for lighter gaming, has limitations due to a less powerful GPU and a lower screen refresh rate compared to the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio; the MSI, on the other hand, offers high-end gaming with its top-tier GPU and higher refresh rate, ensuring smoother visuals and better overall gaming and 3D performance. Although both laptops have good CPUs and screen quality, the superior GPU and screen refresh rate in the MSI make it a much better choice for demanding gaming and 3D applications.
Engineering and Design
7.0
9.1
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers a competent CPU, ample RAM, and a capable GPU, all of which make it suitable for engineering tasks, but the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio surpasses it with a top-tier CPU, more RAM, and a superior GPU, ensuring smoother performance in demanding design software. While both have high-quality screens, the MSI's emphasis on power over portability, and potentially louder operating noise due to more powerful hardware, are tradeoffs against the Acer's balance of portability and performance.
Content Creation
7.5
8.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for content creation, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
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
8.2
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.6/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.5/10
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio is very good for software development, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
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
8.4
14.0in
SIZE
18.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
305.0 nits
The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has a better screen than the Acer Swift X for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
The Acer Swift X offers a good balance for general tasks with its bright, high-resolution panel, making text and images sharp and vivid, which is also a boon for engineering and design work due to accurate color reproduction. The MSI Stealth provides an even higher quality display with a broader color gamut, ensuring that designers and engineers see precise colors, paramount for their tasks. However, for gaming and 3D applications, both laptops fall short due to lower refresh rates, which can make fast-paced visuals less smooth compared to panels designed specifically for those purposes.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has 6 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
18.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.1 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.9in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$580
$2,900
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio costs $2,900.
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Key similarities
Build Quality
7.6
8.0
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio 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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We’re constantly working to improve.
How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $2,900 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | March 1, 2024 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.8'' x 11.4'' x 0.94'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 6.15 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.75" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 11.4" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel Core Ultra 9 185H | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 8 GB | 32 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 | 6 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 99.9 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 18" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 240Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 305 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 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 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 1 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 2 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift X (2021)
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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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the MSI Stealth 18 AI Studio
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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