The Acer Swift X offers a balance of performance and value, suited for general use and light gaming or engineering tasks, and is also quite portable. In contrast, the Razer Blade 14, with a better processor, more RAM, and a stronger GPU, excels at intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and gaming. While the Razer Blade also boasts a superior screen with higher resolution and refresh rates ideal for professionals and gamers, this comes at a higher price point and includes a slight reduction in portability due to increased weight. Both laptops have good battery life, but if your budget allows and you need top-tier performance for demanding applications, the Razer Blade is the appropriate 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 battery life
Very good speakers
Advantages of the Razer Blade 14 (2023)
Very good for general use
Very good for engineering and design
Very good for gaming and AI
Very good for content creation
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4/10
8.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
560.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
6.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) excels over the Acer Swift X (2021) for general use due to its more powerful CPU and double the RAM, which contribute to better multitasking and overall performance. Additionally, the Razer's superior screen quality with a higher resolution and better color coverage, combined with its longer battery life, enhances user experience significantly, despite being slightly less portable owing to its extra weight.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
8.4/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
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
6.5/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
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
7.0/10
8.7/10
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
8.5/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) is very good for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) surpasses the Acer Swift X (2021) with a more powerful CPU, doubling the RAM, and a higher-end GPU, which are critical for demanding engineering and design tasks, while also offering a superior screen resolution and quality for detailed visuals. Despite being heavier and possibly costlier, the Razer Blade maintains good portability, and both laptops provide respectable battery life, keyboard and speaker quality, though the Razer Blade may offer a slight edge in build quality and overall experience.
Content Creation
7.5/10
8.2/10
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 Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
7.3/10
7.9/10
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
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) and Acer Swift X (2021) are both good for software development, though the Razer Blade 14 (2023) 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
8.9/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
240Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
560.0 nits
The Razer Blade 14 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 balance suitable for everyday tasks and work in engineering and design due to its resolution and color accuracy, but its lower refresh rate isn't ideal for smooth 3D rendering and fast-paced gaming. The Razer Blade 14, with superior color gamut coverage and high resolution, caters excellently to professionals in engineering and design who prioritize color fidelity. However, like the Acer, it falls short for gaming and 3D applications due to a refresh rate that doesn't match the higher standards required for those activities.
Battery
10.0 Hours
6.0 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 14 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
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) and Razer Blade 14 (2023) both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift X (2021) has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6/10
8.5/10
The Razer Blade 14 (2023) has 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.
Cost
$580
$2,400
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Razer Blade 14 (2023) costs $2,400.
"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."
"After making a huge splash with the original 2021 model, it's expected that the 2022 refresh would be more of a minor update to an already impressive machine. It adds a higher resolution webcam (720p to 1080p), faster CPU (Ryzen 9 5900HX to Ryzen 9 6900HX), faster GPU (RTX 3070/3080 to 3070/3080 Ti), faster RAM (DDR4-3200 to DDR5-4800), faster M.2 SSD support (PCIe3 x4 to PCIe4 x4), newer WLAN module (Killer AX1690i to Qualcomm WCN685x), and a MUX switch for the new integrated Radeon 680M GPU. It's indubitably an upgrade especially in terms of single-thread processor performance."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Razer Blade 14 (2023)
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 Razer
Razer is an American-Singaporean technology company. Razer is best known for their Blade series laptops, well known for their strong performance and sleek design. Although Razer charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a stealthy laptop with clean fit and finish and strong performance. All of their models offer great portability and build quality compared to other gaming laptops.
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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