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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift X (2021) is a more budget-friendly and portable option with reasonable performance for general use, but with limited capabilities for tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, and intensive gaming. It has a decent battery life and a good screen for general purposes. On the other hand, the Razer Blade 17 offers superior performance suitable for demanding engineering tasks, 3D work, and gaming, thanks to its high-end processor and top-tier graphics card, along with a larger, higher-resolution screen that boasts better colour accuracy and can handle fast motion well. However, the Razer Blade 17 is heavier, less portable, more expensive, and has a shorter battery life. 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 Razer Blade 17
- 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
- Excellent speakers
- Excellent keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.4
8.5
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
372.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
10.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.5 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
8.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
6.7/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for general use, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Acer Swift X offers good general use with a balance of moderate CPU performance, adequate RAM, and an IPS screen ensuring good color reproduction and viewing angles, combined with better portability and longer battery life, making it ideal for on-the-go users. In contrast, the Razer Blade 17 provides superior general use capabilities due to its high-end CPU, substantial RAM, and premium screen quality that offers higher resolution and color accuracy, but this comes with decreased portability and shorter battery life, catering to users who prioritize performance and screen fidelity over mobility.
Gaming and AI
6.3
8.6
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
Yes
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
Yes
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.2/10
The Razer Blade 17 is very good for gaming and AI, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is only fair.
The Razer Blade 17 outperforms the Acer Swift X for gaming and 3D applications due to its higher-end Nvidia RTX 3080 Ti graphics card and a faster screen refresh rate, thus rendering visuals more smoothly. While the Acer Swift X's Nvidia RTX 3050 is suitable for some gaming, its screen's lower refresh rate isn't as capable of delivering the seamless motion provided by the Razer Blade 17.
Engineering and Design
7.0
9.1
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
4.4/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
The Razer Blade 17 is excellent for engineering and design, while the Acer Swift X (2021) is good.
The Razer Blade 17, with its high-end CPU, substantial memory, and powerful GPU, paired with a superior quality screen, excels for engineering and design tasks that demand more robust performance and detailed visuals. Conversely, the Acer Swift X also supports engineering tasks with respectable processing power and graphics, but has less RAM and a more modest screen, making it a better fit for less demanding applications and offering increased portability and longer battery life.
Content Creation
7.5
8.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Razer Blade 17 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
8.5
5.6/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
9.2/10
8.0 GB
RAM
32.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Razer Blade 17 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
8.6
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
3840 x 2160
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
144Hz
372.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
486.0 nits
The Razer Blade 17 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's screen is suitable for general use and engineering due to its high resolution and brightness, which ensure clarity and visibility, but it doesn't excel in gaming as it lacks a high refresh rate necessary for smooth motion. The Razer Blade 17 has a high-quality screen that shines in both general use and engineering with vibrant colors covering wide color gamuts, ensuring precise color work, yet its refresh rate isn't optimized for the fast-paced motion in 3D gaming. Both laptops have the resolution and panel quality to offer sharp images and wide viewing angles, but for gaming enthusiasts focused on action-oriented 3D games, neither of these laptops would be ideal due to their lower refresh rates.
Battery
10.0 Hours
5.5 Hours
The Acer Swift X has 10 hours of battery life. The Razer Blade 17 has 5.5 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
Fair
14.0in
SIZE
17.3in
3.0 lbs
WEIGHT
6.0 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift X (2021) has very good portability, while the Razer Blade 17 has only fair portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.6
8.5
The Razer Blade 17 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
$4,300
$0
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
The Acer Swift X (2021) has a price of $580 and the Razer Blade 17 costs $4,300.
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How the Acer Swift X (2021) and the Razer Blade 17 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift X (2021) | Razer Blade 17 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$580 | $4,300 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | June 1, 2021 | February 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.7'' x 8.4'' x 0.7'' | 15.6'' x 10.2'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 3.06 lbs | 6.06 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.7" | 15.55" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.4" | 10.24" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 5 5600U | Intel i9-12900H | |
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 | 5.5 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 59 Wh | 82 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 17.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 3840 x 2160 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 144Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 372 nits | 486 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.6/10 | 8.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.6/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7.3/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 8/10 | 9/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 8/10 | 9.1/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
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 | 3 | |
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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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."
Razer Blade 17
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sascha Mölck | July 2022
"Our test configuration of the Blade 17 targets gamers and creative professionals. A Core i9-12900H processor, GeForce RTX 3080 Ti Laptop GPU (175 watts TGP after the BIOS update, 16 GB of VRAM), and 32 GB of working memory equip the laptop for video processing, rending, and 4k gaming at the highest level. In addition, a fast PCIe-4 SSD (1 TB) ensures short load and storage times. With the Blade 17 (Early 2022), Razer delivers a successful and powerful work device for creative professionals. But this also has its price."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift X (2021) or the Razer Blade 17
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.
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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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About the laptop team
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