Price When Reviewed

$1,599.99

Best Prices Today: Acer Swift X 16

$1399.99

Want a snug laptop computer with a big show that additionally packs nice efficiency on a price range? Acer’s Swift X 16 is value a glance. Though it makes a number of unforced errors in its port choice and ho-hum design, it redeems itself with AMD’s Ryzen 9 CPU with Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics—a strong one-two punch that beats many rivals.

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops.

Acer Swift X 16: Specs and options

The Acer Swift X 16 differs from lots of its rivals attributable to its AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS processor. We’ve reviewed a number of Ryzen 7000-series laptops to this point, however that is the primary Ryzen 9 7940HS on our bench. Its efficiency relative to Intel’s Core i7-13700H may make or break this laptop computer. Acer additionally packs RTX 4050 graphics, which is typical for a laptop computer of this dimension, however ups the ante with a excessive most graphics energy of 100 watts.

• CPU: AMD Ryzen 9 7940HS
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 4050 (100-watt graphics energy)
• Display: 16-inch 3,200 x 2,000 120Hz non-touch OLED 
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1080p 
• Connectivity:  2x USB-C 3.2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm combo audio
• Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 76 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.02 x 9.81 x .7 inches
• Weight: 4.2 kilos
• MSRP: $1,599.99

Pricing leans in Acer’s favor. The mannequin I examined retails at simply $1,599.99. That undercuts many related laptops together with the MSI Prestige 16 Studio, Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, and Dell XPS 15, to call a number of. Shoppers can discover related {hardware} at a cheaper price in a handful of gaming laptops, however they’re normally price range fashions that weigh a number of kilos greater than the Swift X 16. 

Acer Swift X 16: Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Acer Swift X 16 is a straightforward metallic slab roughly 0.7 inches thick, 14 inches extensive, and 10 inches deep. Like different Acer laptops, it has few design prospers and is recognized solely by a small Acer brand on the again of the show lid. The Swift X 16 is barely out there in a darkish grey shade known as “Iron.”

At this level, it’s honest to say understated simplicity is the Acer Swift line’s defining attribute. Whether this matches your preferences is a matter of style. It’s a sensible choice if you happen to choose a laptop computer that doesn’t draw consideration.

The Swift X 16 is compact for a laptop computer with a 16-inch show. The show bezels are small on all sides and the laptop computer’s thickness of 0.7 inches is modest for the class. The similar could be mentioned for the Swift X 16’s weight of 4.2 kilos. A number of alternate options, just like the LG Gram SuperSlim, are thinner and lighter, however most rivals are no less than as heavy because the Acer.

Acer’s construct high quality, very similar to its design, doesn’t stand out. It feels sturdy when dealt with at first brush with solely slight flex within the show lid and decrease chassis. However, the supplies used really feel skinny and bend beneath extra direct stress. It’s high-quality for typical use and corresponding to alternate options just like the LG Gram TremendousSlim and Asus VivoBook line, however not as luxurious as Dell’s XPS 15 and Apple’s MacBook Pro 16.

Acer Swift X 16: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

A roomy show permits for a big keyboard, and the Acer Swift X 16 takes full benefit of this with a spacious keyboard format that features a numpad. Most keys are massive and straightforward to seek out though some, just like the numpad keys, are smaller than regular.

Key really feel is suitable. There’s ample key journey, however the bottoming motion of every key feels obscure and gentle. Alternatives such because the Dell XPS 15 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i supply a greater tactile expertise. The keyboard comes normal with a white LED backlight that gives two brightness settings.

A spacious touchpad stretches beneath the keyboard. It’s roughly 6 inches extensive and three.5 inches deep, making it one of many largest touchpads on a contemporary Windows laptop computer: the Razer Blade 16 is the one Windows laptop computer we’ve examined in 2023 that delivers a considerably bigger touchpad. 

There’s loads of room for Windows multitouch gestures, and the touchpad’s floor is responsive. Due to its dimension, my palms sometimes touched the touchpad edges whereas typing, however I had no downside with unintended inputs.

My solely gripe is the off-center touchpad format, which shifts the touchpad in direction of the laptop computer’s left aspect. It forces me to hunch barely in direction of that aspect which, after a number of hours, provides a pinch in my left shoulder. This is widespread on laptops with a numpad, nevertheless, so it’s not a drawback in comparison with the competitors.

Acer Swift X 16: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Acer Swift X 16 has a 16-inch OLED show with a 16:10 facet ratio, 3,200 x 2,000 decision, and 120Hz refresh price. It’s a standard OLED show panel present in a number of Acer Swift laptops in addition to Asus Vivobook and ProArtwork laptops. Some rivals present the next show decision: Dell’s XPS 15, for instance, has a decision of three,456 x 2,160. It’s a small distinction, although, and never one you’re more likely to discover.

Image high quality is excellent. The OLED panel has an successfully infinite distinction stage, an ideal minimal brightness of zero nits, and excessive shade accuracy. It helps a large shade gamut, too, which spans one hundred pc of sRGB, 97 p.c of AdobeRGB, and one hundred pc of DCI-P3. These are glorious outcomes and translate to a vibrant, immersive, and lifelike picture when viewing pictures, films, and video games. 

Brightness is the show’s weak point. The Swift X 16 hits a most SDR brightness of 377 nits. HDR boosts that to 534 nits, however HDR isn’t out there on battery energy. The Acer’s show is brilliant sufficient to be used in a house workplace however can really feel a bit dim in a room with sunlit home windows and no gentle management (like a fishbowl company workplace or airport foyer).

The show’s excellence returns in movement readability, nevertheless, because the 120Hz panel offers buttery-smooth movement with minimal movement blur. Fast-moving objects present good element and scrolling pictures are largely readable, although some small particulars (like a roughly 12-point font or high-quality textures in supplies) will stay laborious to see. PC avid gamers will probably be happy. 

Unfortunately, the Swift X 16’s audio system don’t reside as much as the show. They do hearth upwards, which implies the quantity and tone of audio doesn’t change considerably relying on the floor the laptop computer is positioned on, however the laptop computer’s most quantity is low and audio sounds harsh. Less demanding media, like podcasts and YouTube movies, sound acceptable, however music can devolve right into a buzzy mess. It’s not the worst I’ve heard, but in addition a great distance from the most effective. 

Acer Swift X 16: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Acer packs a 1080p webcam within the Swift X 16’s skinny prime show bezel. It offers good sharpness and respectable shade copy. Image high quality is nowhere close to satisfactory for YouTube or Twitch, nevertheless it’s greater than sufficient to deal with video calls.

The similar is true of the microphone array. It simply picked up my voice after I spoke at a standard quantity at a distance three to 4 ft from the laptop computer. Some repetitive background noises, like a window air conditioner, have been obscured. Less common sounds, like typing on a mechanical keyboard, steadily got here by way of. The microphone’s general efficiency is nothing particular however once more appropriate for video or audio calls.

A fingerprint reader is baked into the Swift X 16’s energy button, nevertheless it didn’t work effectively in my testing. The fingerprint reader steadily did not register my fingerprint and barely labored on the primary attempt. Any quantity of wetness or grit on my finger—even the sweat of a soda can—threw it off. I choose to make use of facial recognition on Windows laptops for precisely these causes, however the Swift X 16 lacks this characteristic. 

Acer Swift X 16: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Swift X 16 has a mixture of recent and legacy USB connectivity. The left flank offers two USB-C 3.2 ports, whereas on the best flank you’ll discover two USB-A 3.2 ports, a full-size HDMI output, and a micro SDcard reader. The solely notable absence is wired Ethernet, however most of Acer’s rivals additionally ditch that port.

That’s a wholesome record of connectivity, however there’s some points. All the ports are located comparatively ahead on the laptop computer’s flanks, which implies the wires from these ports usually tend to be in your approach. 

While the laptop computer consists of two USB-C ports, it ships with a 135W barrel-plug energy adapter for charging. I’d’ve most well-liked a USB-C energy adapter, one thing almost all of Acer’s rivals present. The USB-C ports can energy the laptop computer, although, so you’ll be able to change the default energy brick with a USB-C charger.

I additionally observed the USB-C ports lack DisplayPort Alternate Mode. I confirmed this with two moveable screens. Both powered on however did not obtain a video sign. That’s an issue if you happen to personal a USB-C monitor, moveable or in any other case.

Wireless connectivity is nice with assist for Bluetooth 5.2 and the newest Wi-Fi 6E normal. Download speeds are glorious when linked to a Wi-Fi 6E router and customarily match what’s doable over wired gigabit Ethernet, no less than at quick ranges. Of course, those that want a wired connection can obtain it by way of a USB-C to Ethernet adapter.

Acer Swift X 16: Performance

Unlike the smaller Acer Swift X 14, which depends on Intel processors, the Acer Swift X 16 presents AMD Ryzen 7000-series {hardware}. The laptop computer I examined had AMD’s Ryzen 9 9740HS, an eight-core, 16-thread processor with a base clock of 4GHz and most increase clock of 5.2GHz. It was paired with 16GB of RAM and a 1TB PCIe4 strong state drive. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Our checks start with PCMark 10, a holistic system benchmark. It stories a powerful rating of seven,290, which defeats {most professional} efficiency laptops. Only the MSI Prestige 16 Studio defeated the Swift X 16, and solely by a small margin. Acer’s robust efficiency on this benchmark hints on the respectable scores it receives in different checks. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Cinebench R15 is a short-duration but closely threaded CPU benchmark. It hits a superb rating of two,644, which barely defeats related Intel-powered laptops just like the Samsung Galaxy Book 3 Ultra and Dell XPS 15. The margin of victory is sufficiently small that it’s unlikely to make-or-break your buying choice, however a win is a win. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Acer Swift X 16 continues to attain effectively in Handbrake, a long-duration multi-core CPU benchmark. It completes our take a look at, which converts a film into an .MKV format to be used on an Android pill, in 18 minutes and 9 seconds. That’s a strong consequence although, in contrast to the Swift X 16’s efficiency in Cinebench R15, it doesn’t break free from the pack.

Acer pairs the AMD Ryzen 9 processor with Nvidia’s RTX 4050 graphics. While that is the least costly, least performant RTX 40-series {hardware} out there from Nvidia proper now, the Swift X 16 retains it well-fed with a most graphics energy of 100 watts. That’s considerably greater than most laptops on this class, which have a tendency to focus on a most graphics energy of 40 to 75 watts. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

Upping the watts offers an apparent profit in 3DMark’s Time Spy benchmark. The Swift X 16 beat comparable laptops with a rating of seven,875. It even defeats the Dell XPS 15 with Nvidia RTX 4070. That’s a little bit of a shock, however the Dell XPS 15 limits the RTX 4070 by capping its most graphics energy at 40 watts. MSI’s Prestige 16 Studio, with an RTX 4060, is the one related laptop computer that beats the Swift X 16.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Shadow of the Tomb Raider additionally delivers favorable outcomes for the Swift X 16. It achieves a median of 99 frames per second at 1080p decision and the sport’s Highest element settings. DLSS was left off for this take a look at.

This is a superb consequence for the class and proves a match for the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, which additionally scores effectively on this recreation. It’s a bit stunning to see the 2 laptops carry out so equally, because the Swift X 16 has the next most graphics energy and a bigger chassis. It’s believable that the RTX 4050’s restricted video reminiscence, which stays caught at 6GB, is an element, or that Acer chooses to throttle efficiency to maintain thermals in test.

MSI’s Prestige 16 Studio additionally averaged 100 frames per second. This too could appear stunning, however its RTX 4060 has a decrease most graphics energy of 55 watts. It goes to point out how difficult laptop computer GPUs have change into in 2023, as totally different laptops with the identical mannequin of GPU can differ considerably in efficiency, and in some circumstances a GPU with a decrease mannequin quantity can match or beat a GPU one or two tiers greater.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Metro Exodus additionally factors to a bottleneck that limits the RTX 4050’s efficiency. The Acer Swift X 16 averaged 29 frames per second within the recreation’s benchmark at 1080p decision and Extreme graphics element. That’s once more no higher than the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i. 

The Acer Swift X 16’s general efficiency is great for the class and for its value. It went toe-to-toe with costlier laptops such because the Dell XPS 15 and Samsung Galaxy Book3 Ultra and even nips on the heels of the MSI Prestige 16 Studio, although it finally scores higher in GPU efficiency. The Swift X 16 is a well-rounded machine for productiveness, creativity, and gaming—it doesn’t supply the perfect in anybody space, however it will possibly deal with most duties with ease. 

Acer Swift X 16: Battery life

The Swift X 16’s robust efficiency is sweet information if you happen to want a strong laptop computer, nevertheless it does include a draw back: battery life. Acer features a 76 watt-hour battery, which is small for a laptop computer on this class. In reality, it’s the identical dimension because the battery within the Acer Swift X 14.

IDG / Matthew Smith

As a consequence, the Swift X16 lasted eight hours and eight minutes in our normal battery life take a look at, which loops a 4K file of the quick movie “Tears of Steel.” I noticed 6 to 7 hours in my regular use, which incorporates writing in Word, modifying massive Excel spreadsheets, and browsing the online.

The Swift X 16’s battery life is finest summed up in a single phrase: common. It’s not the most effective, however not the worst, and needs to be high-quality for customers who don’t want a laptop computer that may deal with a full work day away from an influence socket. 

Acer Swift X 16: Should you purchase it?

Acer’s Swift X 16 is a superb selection for customers who desire a 16-inch laptop computer and care extra for efficiency than engaging design or lengthy battery life. The Swift X 16’s attractive OLED show, spacious keyboard, and massive touchpad make it nice to make use of in fundamental day-to-day duties. It additionally has an AMD Ryzen 9 processor and Nvidia RTX 4050 graphics, which mix to ship good efficiency in all kinds of productiveness purposes and video games. A number of minor errors, like poorly-placed USB-C ports that lack DisplayPort, will flip off some customers, however those that can settle for its shortcomings will discover the Swift X 16 a flexible each day driver.