Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 Comparison

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Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43

16 inches | May 2023

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Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021

16.2 inches | October 2021

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Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 Comparison Overview

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In this review, we will be comparing Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021, two laptops from Acer and Apple. Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 was introduced to market in May 2023 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 was launched in October 2021. There is 19 months difference between Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 so it would still give an advantage to younger Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43.

Click for Available Configurations of the Laptops

Here is a brief look at the main features of Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 Key Specs

Launched in May 2023
16.0" OLED, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: AMD Ryzen 5 7640U
GPU: Radeon 760M
16GB Ram
357.6 x 245.9 x 12.95 mm (14.08 x 9.68 x 0.51 inches)
Weight: 1.23 kg (2.71 lbs)

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 Key Specs

Launched in October 2021
16.2" Mini LED, 16:10 Aspect Ratio Display
CPU: Apple M1 Pro
GPU: Apple M1 Pro GPU (16-core)
16GB Ram
355.7 x 248.1 x 16.8 mm (14 x 9.77 x 0.66 inches)
Weight: 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 was replaced by apple-macbook-pro-16-2023. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
apple-macbook-pro-16-2023 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021
apple-macbook-pro-16-2023 vs Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 compares and decide which one is better for you.

**This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Reasons to choose Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 over Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021

Weight	1.23 kg vs 2.10 kg	0.87 kg lighter
Contrast Rate	1000000:1 vs 25700:1	more pleasing colors
DCI-P3 Color Gamut	100% vs 99.1%	Wider DCI-P3 Color Gamut
Response Time	0.2 ms vs 67 ms	Faster Response screen
CPU Fabrication Process	4 nm vs 5 nm	Newer Generation CPU
Upgradable Storage	Yes vs No	Easily increase the Storage when needed
WiFi Standard	v7 vs v6	More advanced Wi-fi connectivity
Bluetooth	v5.2 vs v5	More advanced Bluetooth connectivity
Webcam Resolution	2560 x 1440 vs 1920 x 1080	Higher Resolution Camera
HDMI Version	2.1 vs 2.0	Better HDMI connectivity
Numeric Pad	Yes vs No	Fast way to input numbers
Avg. MSRP Price	$800-1200 vs $1600-2000	Lower Price (*may change depending on config, seller, location, and time)

Reasons to choose Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 over Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43

Screen-to-Body Ratio	~86.2% vs ~84.4%	Larger screen area ratio
Side Bezel Thickness	3.4 mm vs 6.5 mm	3.1 mm thinner bezels
Display Size	16.2 inches vs 16 inches	Larger Screen Estate
Screen PPI	254 ppi vs 236 ppi	More pixels per inch
Screen Resolution	3456 x 2234 pixels vs 3200 x 2000 pixels	Higher pixel count screen
GPU Fabrication Process	5 nm vs 6 nm	Newer Generation GPU
GPU FLOPS	5.2 TFLOPS vs 4.06 TFLOPS	Flexible cable positions
Charging Port Position	Left, Right vs Left	3D Surround Sound Support
Dolby Atmos Speakers	Yes vs No	Better Sound capture
Number of Microphones	3 vs 2	Connect more device at the same time
Number of USB-C Ports	3x USB 4.0 vs 2x USB 4.0	Support audio, data, power and video all through one single port
Thunderbolt	v4 vs No

Common Strengths of Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 and Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43

Launch Dates	May 2023 vs October 2021	Both laptops are recent models
Screen Technology	OLED vs Mini LED	High Screen Quality
HDR Support	Yes, HDR10 vs Yes, Dolby Vision	Watch HDR Clips
Fast Charging Support	Yes vs Yes	Charge the battery in a shorter time
USB Power Delivery	Yes vs Yes	Charging via USB port gives flexibility
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes vs Yes	Easy Login with Fingerprint Sensor
HDMI Output	1x HDMI 2.1 vs 1x HDMI 2.1	Connect to External Displays via HDMI cable
VGA Output	No vs No	Connect to External Displays via VGA cable
Built-in SD Card Reader	Yes vs Yes	Read & Write SD Cards
Keyboard Backlight	Yes vs Yes	Easily see the keys under low light

Common Weaknesses of Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 and Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43

Touchscreen Capability	No vs No	No Touchscreen Capability
Upgradable RAM	No vs No	No Option to increase the RAM size

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021: Physical Specs Comparison

In this section, we will be comparing the physical specifications and body features of the Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021.

Physical Specs
Weight	1.23 kg (2.71 lbs)	2.1 kg (4.63 lbs)
Surface Area	879 cm2 (136.3 inches2)	882 cm2 (136.8 inches2)
Screen to Surface Ratio	~84.4%	~86.2%
Side Bezel Thickness	~6.5 mm	~3.4 mm
Weight per Inch of Screen	0.08 kg/inch	0.13 kg/inch
	0.176 lbs/inch	0.286 lbs/inch
Colors	Black	Silver, Gray

Comparison of the Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 External Dimensions

Weight

Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 weighs 1.23 kg (2.71 lbs), whereas the MacBook Pro 16 2021 weighs 2.1 kg (4.63 lbs). There is a notable difference in weight between these two laptops. However, it's important to consider that comparing their weights directly may not provide a complete picture since they also have different display sizes.

Weight Comparison

Displays size 16.0-16.9 inches

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 1.23 kg

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 2.10 kg

Min 1.17 kg

Average 2.08 kg

Max 3.15 kg

Thickness Comparison

Displays size 16.0-16.9 inches

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 12.95 mm

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 16.80 mm

Min

1.70 mm

Average 20.33 mm

Max 30.80 mm

Another value that we use for comparing the weights of the laptops is the Weight per Inch of Screen, which is calculated by dividing the total weight of the model with its usable diagonal screen size. This value for the Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 is 0.08 kg/inch.In comparison, this value for the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 is 0.13 kg/inch.Here are some of the best performing laptops in this area:

Microsoft Surface Go 4: 0.05 kg/inch
LG Gram SuperSlim 15.6 2023: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus ProArt PZ13 HT5306: 0.06 kg/inch
Asus Zenbook A14 UX3407: 0.06 kg/inch
Microsoft Surface Pro 12: 0.06 kg/inch
Dell Latitude 7330: 0.07 kg/inch
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Nano Gen 2: 0.07 kg/inch
LG Gram 14 2022: 0.07 kg/inch

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021: Internals (CPU, GPU, RAM, Battery, SSD, etc.) Comparison

CPU Comparison

CPU Model	AMD Ryzen 5 7640U AMD Ryzen 7 7840U	Apple M1 Pro Apple M1 Max
Base Frequency	3.5 GHz	2.0 GHz
Turbo Frequency	4.9 GHz	3.2 GHz
Number of Cores	6	10
Number of Threads	12	10
L3 Cache	16 MB
Integrated GPU	Radeon 760M	Apple M1 Pro GPU (16-core)
CPU Fabrication Process	4 nm	5 nm
Geekbench 5 (Single)	1876	1780
Geekbench 5 (Multi)	8884	12589
Cinebench 23 (Single)	1779	1537
Cinebench 23 (Multi)	12583	12182

Above you can see the CPU options and the CineBench and GeekBench test scores for both laptops, which gives an idea about what kind of performance difference you may experience between the Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021.

You may also read reviews of latest laptops with the same CPUs and compare them:

Laptops with: AMD Ryzen 5 7640U

Laptops with: Apple M1 Pro

Apple MacBook Pro 14 2021 Compare

GPU Comparison

GPU Model	Radeon 760M	Apple M1 Pro GPU (16-core)
Base Clock Frequency	1500 MHz	450 MHz
Boost CLock Frequency	2800 MHz	1296 MHz
TGP (Total Graphics Power)	15 W	30 W
Type	Integrated	Integrated
FLOPS	4.06 TFLOPS	5.2 TFLOPS
Memory Size	System Shared	System Shared
Memory Type	LPDDR5	LPDDR5
Memory Speed	5.2 Gbps	6.4 Gbps
Shading Units Cores	384	2048
TMUs	24	128
ROPs	16	64

GPU is as critical as the CPU for graphic heavy applications and the table above gives a picture of how the two GPU compares. FLOPS is a measure of a GPU's performance based on the number of floating-point arithmetic calculations that the processor can perform within a second. Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 has a FLOPS value of 4.06 TFLOPS whereas the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 ' has a FLOPS value of 5.2 TFLOPS. If graphical performance of the laptop is important for your use type, the Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 may be the better choice between these two setups.

RAM Comparison

RAM	16GB 32GB	16GB 32GB 64GB
Memory Bus	2x8 GB	4x4 GB
RAM Clock	5200 MHz	6400 MHz
RAM Type	LPDDR5	LPDDR5
Upgradable	No	No
Memory Bus	PCI-E Gen 4.0 (4x)	Custom

Both laptops, the Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and the MacBook Pro 16 2021, come with similar RAM capacities of 16 GB, providing comparable performance in memory-intensive tasks.

LOCAL LLM Compatibility Evaluation

This quick guide shows what types of large language models (LLMs) each of these laptops could support, based on their respective hardware specifications. It's meant to help you compare their suitability for running AI models locally.

LLM Category	Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-43)	Apple MacBook Pro 16 (2021)
Small Models(1-3B):Examples: Phi-2, Qwen-1.8B	✔ Run smoothly.	✔ Run smoothly.
Medium Models(7-8B):Examples: Mistral-7B, Qwen-7B	✔ Good performance.	✔ Good performance.
Large Models(13-30B):Examples: Mixtral, Qwen-14B	✖ Not supported.	✖ Not supported.
Extra-Large Models(65B+):Examples: LLaMA2-70B, Qwen1.5-72B	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.	✖ Not supported on most systems. Requires high-end GPU or advanced setup.

Note: Optimized (e.g., 4-bit) models may run on limited hardware. Performance depends on runtime and setup.

📌 MoE Models: Some models like Mixtral 8x7B and Qwen3-30B-A3B use a Mixture of Experts (MoE) design, activating only part of the model during inference. This means they can often run efficiently on laptops with 12–16 GB of VRAM when quantized.

BATTERY

BATTERY	54 Wh	100 Wh
Battery Type	Li-Po	Li-Po
Replaceable	No	No
Fast Charging	No	No
USB Power Delivery	Yes	Yes
Charging Port Position	Left	Left, Right
Charge Power	65 W	140 W
Full Charging Time	2:30 hr	1:25 hr

On the other hand, the MacBook Pro 16 2021 features a higher battery capacity of 100 Wh, delivering longer usage time compared to the Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43's 54 Wh.

Battery Comparison

Displays size 16.0-16.9 inches

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 54 Wh

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 100 Wh

Min 38.00 Wh

Average 73.72 Wh

Max 100.00 Wh

STORAGE
The MacBook Pro 16 2021 offers a larger max storage capacity of 8 TB, providing more room for storing files and data compared to the Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43's storage capacity of 2 TB.

Storage Options	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB	512 GB, 1 TB, 2 TB, 4 TB, 8 TB
Upgradable	Yes	No
Storage type	SSD (M2)	SSD (M2)
NVMe	Yes

If your budget allows, we recommend opting for the largest possible disk size, considering the potential increase in storage capacity needs in the future. However, please keep in mind the question 'What will the laptop be used for?' when making this decision. Of course, you can later upgrade the hard disk capacity by getting a larger disk. However, if your laptop has only one disk slot, it may not be as straightforward as a RAM upgrade, where you simply add or replace a module, as moving or cloning files to a new disk may be necessary.

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021: Display Comparison

The display is an essential aspect to consider when comparing the Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 since its is the component that you interact the most and significantly impact the experience.

Screen Area and Dimensions

Now let's look at the comparison of the actual display areas of both laptops below, keeping the bezels around the screens out of the equation. Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 has a display size of 16.0".On the other hand, MacBook Pro 16 2021 has a larger16.2" display.The total usable screen area of the Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 is 742cm² / 115inch² whereas the MacBook Pro 16 2021's total usable screen area is 761cm² / 118inch².

PPI (Pixels per Inch)
Additionally, the MacBook Pro 16 2021 features a higher pixel density with 254 pixels per inch (PPI), ensuring sharper image details.

Screen PPI (Pixels Per Inch) Comparison

Displays size 16.0-16.9 inches

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 236 ppi

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 254 ppi

Min 137 PPI

Average 167 PPI

Max 283.00 PPI

Refresh Rate
Both Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 offer the same refresh rate of 120 Hz.

Furthermore, the Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 boasts a faster response time of 0.2 ms, reducing motion blur for fast-paced content.

Brightness
Both Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 offer the same maximum brightness of 500 nits (cd/m²).

Brightness Comparison

Displays size 16.0-16.9 inches

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 500 nits

Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 500 nits

Min

40 nits

Average 407 nits

Max 1250.00 nits

Acer Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 vs Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 Connectivity Comparison

In terms of connectivity,

Wifi
Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 features a more advanced Wi-Fi standard v7, providing faster and more reliable wireless connections compared to MacBook Pro 16 2021 (v6).

Below, you'll find a Wi-Fi Versions Table, along with their release dates and speeds, to provide a brief overview of its development.

Wi-Fi Versions and Speeds

Standard	Speed	Release Date	Network	Frequency Bands (GHz)
Wi-Fi 7	up to 40 Gbps (5 GB/s)	2023	802.11be	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6E	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2020	802.11ax	2.4, 5, 6
Wi-Fi 6	up to 9.6 Gbps (1.2 GB/s)	2019	802.11ax	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 5	up to 6.93 Gbps (866.25 MB/s)	2014	802.11ac	2.4, 5
Wi-Fi 4	up to 600 Mbps (75 MB/s)	2009	802.11n	2.4, 5

* Please note that the provided transfer rates are maximum theoretical values, and real-life performance may vary based on environmental factors.

USB
Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 is equipped with 2x USB 3.2 USB-A ports. MacBook Pro 16 2021 does not have USB-A ports.
Both Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 have USB Type-C ports. Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 has 2x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports, while MacBook Pro 16 2021 has 3x USB 4.0 USB Type-C ports.

Below, you'll find a table of USB ports, along with their release dates and speeds.
To mitigate the confusion caused by generation names, the USB Implementers Forum (USB-IF) suggests using marketing names like USB 5Gbps, USB 10Gbps, and so forth, based on their respective transfer rates.

USB Type and Speeds

USB Type	Version	Speed	Date	Other Features/Explanations
USB4	Gen 4 (2.0)	80 Gbps	2022	Also known as USB 80Gbps
USB4	Gen 3×2	40 Gbps	2019	Also known as USB 40Gbps
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2x2	20 Gbps	2019	Double the data transfer rates of Gen 2
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.1
USB 3.2	3.2 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2017	Previously known as USB 3.0
USB 3.1	3.1 Gen 2	10 Gbps	2013	Faster data transfer rates
USB 3.0	3.1 Gen 1	5 Gbps	2010	SuperSpeed USB, improved data transfer rates
USB 2.0	2.0	480 Mbps	2000	High-speed data transfer
USB 1.0	1.0	1.5 Mbps	1996	Original USB standard

Thunderbolt
MacBook Pro 16 2021 is equipped with Thunderbolt 4 port. Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 does not have Thunderbolt port.

HDMI
Both Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 feature an HDMI port. Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 offers 1x HDMI 2.1, while MacBook Pro 16 2021 offers 1x HDMI 2.0.

Below, you'll find a comparison table detailing different HDMI versions, including their bandwidth, color depth, maximum resolution, and release dates. This information can be helpful in understanding the capabilities of each HDMI version and choosing the most suitable one for your needs.

HDMI Comparison Table

HDMI Version	Maximum Resolution	Bandwidth (Gbps)	Color Depth (bits)	Release Date
HDMI 2.1-2.1b	7680 x 4320 *(8K)* @ 60p 3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 120p	48.0	48	2017
HDMI 2.0-2.0b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 60p	18.0	48	2013
HDMI 1.4-1.4b	3840 x 2160 *(4K)* @ 30p	10.2	48	2009
HDMI 1.3-1.3a	2560 x 1440 @ 60p	10.2	48	2006
HDMI 1.0-1.2a	1920 x 1200 @ 60p	4.95	24	2002

* Please note that the provided resolution values represent the maximum supported resolution, and actual display quality may depend on other factors such as source content and connected devices.

SD Card Reader
Both Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 come with an SD Card Reader for easy access to memory cards.

Audio Jack
Both Swift Edge 16 SFE16-43 and MacBook Pro 16 2021 are equipped with a 3.5mm Audio Jack, providing seamless connection to headphones and speakers.

To summarize the connectivity and ports details, please refer to the table below to see them listed.

Connectivity and Ports
WiFi Standard (latest: v7)	v7	v6
Bluetooth (latest: v5.4)	v5.2	v5
USB-A (latest: 3.2)	2x USB 3.2	No
USB Type-C (latest: USB4 2.0)	2x USB 4.0	3x USB 4.0
Thunderbolt (latest: 5)	No	Thunderbolt 4
HDMI (latest: 2.1)	1x HDMI 2.1	1x HDMI 2.0
Display Port (latest: v2.0)	No	No
VGA	No	No
Fingerprint Sensor	Yes	Yes
Optical Drive	No	No
Audio Jack 3.5mm	Yes	Yes
Ethernet RJ45	No	No
SD CardReader	Yes	Yes
Proprietary Charging Port	No	Yes