Its hardware is a known quantity, though, so an educated guess is possible.

Geekbench 5s benchmark shows the Ryzen 5 reachinga multi-core score of around 5,500, andthe Ryzen 7scores about 7,000.

Apples M1 MacBook Airscores about 7,500.

Acer Swift X in rose gold, gold, and grey

Acer

The MacBook Air also wins in single-core tests.

Its a different story in graphics.

The GeekBench 5 OpenCL benchmark shows Nvidias RTX 3050 Ti laptop graphics hitting a score just north of 55,000.

Woman filming herself while using the Acer Swift X

Acer

Apples M1 turns in a result just above 18,000.

Most PC games are not available on Mac, and fewer still are optimized for M1.

A laptop with Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphicscan triple that result.

Thats a win for Acer.

Apple fans will see this as a flaw.

The MacBook Airs silent, fanless design is part of its charm.

What About Battery Life?

The Swift X should prove a performer, but what about portability?

Is a 14-inch Windows laptop with Nvidia graphics in the same league as Apples MacBook Air?

The answer is a clear “yes,” at least in size and weight.

The Swift X is hardly larger than the MacBook Air.

It measures half an inch wider and less than a tenth of an inch thicker.

The Swift X weighs three pounds, while the Air weighs 2.8 pounds.

A laptop with Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti graphics can triple the Airs graphics performance.

Thats a win for Acer.

In truth, endurance will vary greatly based on how you use the laptop.

The RTX 3050 Ti has a configurable design power ranging from 35 watts to 80 watts.

Apples MacBook Air ships with a power adapter rated for no more than 30 watts.

The Air will always need less power, even at maximum load.

Can Acers Swift X Really Beat the MacBook Air?

That depends on your definition of victory.

Theyre similar from a distance, yet the hardware inside could hardly be more different.

Acers Swift X is basically an entry-level gaming laptop, while Apples MacBook Air is an everyday ultraportable.

Deciding between them comes down to preferences.

Thats a victory for users.

On the contrary, theyll find opportunities to build the laptops Apple cantlaptops like the Acer Swift X.