If you’re in the market for an outstanding 14-inch laptop, the Apple MacBook Pro 14 should be high on your list. It boasts exceptional speed, impeccable build quality, an impressive mini-LED display, and unmatched battery life. However, it comes with a hefty price tag.
Introducing the Acer Swift X 14. This laptop is also speedy, features a stunning OLED display, and stands out as one of the few non-gaming 14-inch machines with a powerful GPU. Moreover, it’s significantly more affordable. But how does it stack up against the best?
Specs and Configurations
| Acer Swift X 14 SFX14-72G | Apple MacBook Pro 14 | |
|---|---|---|
| Dimensions | 12.71 x 8.98 x 0.74-0.80 inches | 12.31 x 8.71 x 0.60 inches |
| Weight | 3.4 pounds | 3.5 pounds |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Apple M3 (8-core), Apple M3 Pro (11-core, 12-core), Apple M3 Max (14-core, 16-core) |
| Graphics | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050, Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | M3: 10-core, M3 Pro: 14-core, 18-core, M3 Max: 30-core, 40-core |
| RAM | 16GB, 32GB | M3: 8GB to 24GB, M3 Pro: 18GB to 128GB, M3 Max: 36GB to 128GB |
| Display | 14.5-inch 16:10 2.8K (2880 x 1800) OLED, 120Hz | 14.2-inch 16:10 Liquid Retina XDR (3024 x 1964), 120Hz |
| Storage | 1TB SSD | 512GB SSD, 1TB SSD, 2TB SSD, 4TB SSD, 8TB SSD |
| Touch | Yes | No |
| Ports | 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 2, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, 1 x microSD card reader | 3 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 1 x HDMI 2.0, 1 x 3.5mm audio jack, SD card reader |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Webcam | 1080p | 1080p |
| Operating System | Windows 11 | MacOS Monterey |
| Battery | 76 watt-hours | 70 watt-hours |
| Price | $1,400+ | $1,599+ |
| Rating | 4 out of 5 stars | 4.5 out of 5 stars |
The Swift X 14 comes in two configurations: the base model at $1,400 with an Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, and a 14.5-inch 2.8K OLED display. The higher-end model, priced at $1,700, includes 32GB of RAM and an RTX 4070.
In contrast, the MacBook Pro 14 starts at $1,599 for the base M3 8-core CPU/10-core GPU, 8GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14.2-inch mini-LED display. Upgrading to an 11-core CPU/14-core GPU M3 Pro with 18GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD brings the price to $1,999. The M3 Max version starts at $2,399 with a 14-core CPU/30-core GPU, 18GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. A fully configured MacBook Pro 14 with a 16-core CPU/40-core GPU M3 Max, 128GB of RAM, and an 8TB SSD costs $6,899.
For a fair comparison, the MacBook Pro 14 configuration with an M3 Pro, 36GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD costs $2,599, making the Swift X 14 a more budget-friendly option.
Design
If you’re considering these laptops, it’s assumed you have no strong preference between macOS and Windows 11. If you do, this comparison might not change your mind.
The MacBook Pro 14 excels in build quality, constructed from a single piece of CNC-machined aluminum, offering exceptional solidity and a premium feel. The Swift X 14 also features an aluminum chassis and lid, which resist bending, flexing, and twisting. While the Swift X 14 is solid, the MacBook Pro 14’s construction is superior. However, for most people, the difference might not justify the higher cost.
The MacBook Pro 14 is more compact and slightly heavier, contributing to a denser feel. The Swift X 14, in comparison, is chunkier, making the MacBook appear more elegant with its simpler design lines.
Keyboard preferences may vary: the MacBook’s Magic Keyboard offers shallow, snappy switches with larger keycaps and more spacing, while the Swift X 14’s keyboard has deeper travel, smaller keycaps, and less spacing. The MacBook’s Force Touch haptic touchpad is also superior to the Swift X 14’s mechanical version.
In terms of connectivity, the Swift X 14 offers more ports and better legacy support, whereas the MacBook Pro 14 includes an additional Thunderbolt 4 port, a full-size SD card reader, and a separate MagSafe 3 power connector. Both laptops support Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3.
Both laptops feature 1080p webcams, but the Swift X 14’s Neural Processing Unit (NPU) in the Intel Meteor Lake chipset supports Microsoft’s Studio Effects software, providing hardware-assisted features like blurring and facial tracking. Both laptops have fingerprint readers embedded in their power buttons for password-free login.
Performance
The Swift X 14 is equipped with the 28-watt Core Ultra 7 155H processor, offering 16 cores (six Performance, eight Efficient, and two Low Power Efficient) and 22 threads, and can be paired with either the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 or the more powerful RTX 4070. The MacBook Pro 14, on the other hand, comes with the base M3 with eight CPU cores and 10 GPU cores, the M3 Pro with up to 12 CPU cores and 18 GPU cores, and the M3 Max with up to 16 CPU cores and 40 GPU cores.
In tests, the Swift X 14 with the RTX 4070 and the MacBook Pro 14 with the M3 Max 16/40 were compared. The M3 Max was faster across the board, but the Swift X 14 was competitive, especially when compared to the MacBook Pro 14 with the M3 Pro. The Swift X 14 also outperformed in gaming due to its dedicated GPU.
| Geekbench 6 (single/multi) | Handbrake (seconds) | Cinebench R24 (single/multi/GPU) | Pugetbench Premiere Pro | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Swift X 14 (Core Ultra 7 155H / RTX 4070) | Bal: 2,149 / 12,523 Perf: 2,172 / 12,591 Turbo: 2,173 / 12,686 | Bal: 67 Perf: 66 Turbo: 65 | Bal: 106 / 805 / 8,093 Perf: 107 / 842 / 9,110 Turbo: 107 / 887 / 9,600 | Bal: 4,204 Perf: 4,678 Turbo: 5,168 |
| MacBook Pro 14 M3 (M3 Max 16/40) | 3,174/ 21,137 | 53 | 139/ 1,522 / 12,765 | N/A |
| MacBook Air (M3 8/10) | 3,102 / 12,078 | 109 | 141 / 601 / 3,049 | 3,633 |
Display and Audio
The Swift X 14 features a 16:10 2.8K OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate, while the MacBook Pro 14 has a 16:10 3024-by-1964 mini-LED display, also at 120Hz. Although the MacBook’s display is sharper, the Swift X 14’s OLED display offers superior color accuracy, wider color gamut, and higher contrast. The MacBook Pro 14 excels in HDR brightness with a peak of 1,600 nits.
| Acer Swift X 14 (OLED) | Apple MacBook Pro 14 (Mini-LED) | |
|---|---|---|
| Brightness (nits) | 405 | 511 |
| AdobeRGB gamut | 95% | 89% |
| sRGB gamut | 100% | 100% |
| **Accuracy (DeltaE |
