Laptop computers continue to improve in value, increasing their capabilities while lowering in price. We recently had the chance to get our hands on two solid mainstream laptops, the Acer Swift Go 16 and the ASUS Vivobook 16, and found them both to be excellent choices for an everyday Windows laptop. Both come with impressive and spacious 16-inch screens, offer smooth performance for everyday productivity and media consumption, and start well below a thousand dollars in price.
Sign up for the BestReviews newsletter: Exclusive deals and expert picks, in your inbox.
When it comes to which is the best laptop, we had a split verdict. The Acer Swift Go 16, with a better display, better specs and more premium build, is the better computer. But the ASUS Vivobook 16, which handles all its tasks capably and comes at a lower price, is the better overall value.
In this article: Acer Swift Go 16, ASUS Vivobook 16
The BestReviews Testing Lab strives to investigate every claim the brand/manufacturer makes about the product. For this article, we examined both the Acer Swift Go 16 and the ASUS Vivobook 16 in a real-world environment combining general computing usage with specific, targeted tests of specific features and components.
Setup: We timed how long it took to set up each laptop out of the box, and how easy or difficult it was to do so.
Performance: We scored each laptop on Geekbench 6 and compared the results to each other and to a third benchmark. We opened 20 browser tabs at once, including pages with media autoplay, and kept them open simultaneously. We timed app opening and noted any lags or jerkiness. We also opened, viewed and saved short video clips to measure media decode and encode.
Display: Using photometer and colorimeter apps, we checked brightness, color accuracy against standard levels of black, white, gray and red/green/blue. We watched a 4K HDR video to evaluate performance, sharpness and picture quality.
Keyboard and trackpad: We typed extensively on the keyboard to note key travel, comfort and dependability, and noted the trackpad’s accuracy, sensitivity and extra features if any.
Build quality: We subjected the body, keyboard and display to pressure and twisting.
Ports and connectivity: We recorded the top transfer speeds of each USB port, the speed and latency of the Wi-Fi connection, and the range and stability of the Bluetooth signal.
Battery life: With a looped fullscreen HD video, 50% brightness and nothing else running, we timed how long it took to go from 100% charge to shutdown. We also noted battery drain during normal usage.
Our testing experience was overall positive, and we were left with a good impression of both these machines. They have a few drawbacks, but either would be a solid choice for an everyday Windows laptop.
Subscribe to BestReviews on Substack for the top trending product news of the week.
Both the Acer Swift Go 16 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are general-purpose laptops a notch above entry-level or budget machines. Both have capable processors, impressive performance for the price and big, roomy displays.
Processor: Intel Core Ultra 9 | Memory: 32GB | Storage: 1TB | Display: 16” WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) OLED | Battery life: 15.5 hr
The Acer Swift Go 16 is a midtier thin-and-light laptop aimed at both a general audience and mobile professionals. It comes with Intel Core or Core Ultra processors with 10 to 16 cores and preinstalled memory from 8 to 32GB, with internal SSD storage of 512GB to 1TB. It features a 16-inch display with a choice of IPS LCD or OLED displays in WUXGA, 2K or 3K resolutions. Versions weigh between 3.3 and 3.6 pounds and are between 0.59 and 0.65 inches thick.
The high-end variant comes with an Intel Core Ultra 9 16-core processor and 32GB of memory. Its processor is capable of 13 TOPS in AI tasks, although it isn’t marketed as a Copilot+ PC. Its 2K OLED display has a 120-hertz refresh rate and 16:10 aspect ratio. It has a maximum battery life of up to 15.5 hours.
Processor: AMD Ryzen AI 5 | Memory: 16GB | Storage: 512GB | Display: 16” WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS LCD | Battery life: 8 hr
The ASUS Vivobook 16 is a budget- to midtier laptop aimed at general usage. It boasts a 16-inch IPS LCD screen with WUXGA resolution and a 60-hertz refresh rate. It’s powered by an AMD Ryzen AI 5 processor with an AMD XDNA NPU capable of up to 50 TOPS in AI performance. It comes with 16GB of memory and 512GB of SSD storage.
Its plastic case is rated to MIL-STD 810H for ruggedness and durability. It has a backlit keyboard and a touchpad with brightness and volume controls. A Copilot+ PC, it has a dedicated Copilot key and built-in AI for camera and audio improvements.
You would be hard-pressed to find better Windows laptops at this price range than either ASUS or Acer 16-incher. All things considered, both are solid-to-excellent everyday laptops for general productivity working from home, in school or on the road.
Acer is well-known for high-value PCs that offer plenty of performance and features at non-premium prices. The Swift Go 16 is an excellent example of what Acer does well when it’s firing on all cylinders.
ASUSTeK competes directly with Acer in high-value general-purpose PCs and components. It may be most famous, however, for its ROG (Republic of Gaming) brand of gaming-focused computers, routers and gear. While not a gaming machine, the Vivobook 16 is an impressive example of ASUSTeK’s PC capabilities.
Sixteen-inch displays make these laptops a bit big to easily carry in many backpacks. While AI-equipped, sometimes their AI implementations were less than useful. Both laptops worked well for productivity and everyday use, but neither are optimized for gaming.
The Acer Swift Go 16 did surprisingly poorly in our battery drain test. We also experienced glitchy behavior with its AI presence sensing. Despite its gorgeous screen, it couldn’t run a high-end game as well as we hoped.
The Vivobook 16 impressed us across the board considering its price and specs. Those specs, however, were, in a couple of cases, simply inferior to the Acer.
The Acer Swift Go 16 is a mid-priced laptop, ranging from $799 to $1,149, depending on specs (our test model was the $1,149 version). The ASUS Vivobook 16 starts just above the budget laptop price range at $679, or $799 for our Copilot PC test model.
A few weaknesses aside, both the Acer Swift Go 16 and ASUS Vivobook 16 are excellent general productivity laptops. With their bright 16-inch screens and capable hardware, they can work as daily drivers for anyone from students to work-from-home professionals. The Acer’s OLED screen gives it the edge in specs and prestige, but the ASUS Vivobook’s overall performance at a lower list price makes it a better buy.
Prices listed reflect time and date of publication and are subject to change.
Check out our Daily Deals for the best products at the best prices and sign up here to receive the BestReviews weekly newsletter full of shopping inspo and sales.
