At first glance, the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and the Acer Swift X 14 appear similar, but there are some significant differences between them, including a few that could be deal-breakers.
We gave both of these 14-inch productivity laptops — with Intel Core Ultra processors and similar prices — four-star reviews, so either might be a good pick. But when you're about to spend more than $1,000, knowing the biggest differences and tradeoffs can help you get the most bang for your buck.
Below is the Laptop Mag faceoff on how the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and Acer Swift X 14 compare, along with a few tips to know before you make a purchase.
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Price and configurations
The HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and the Acer Swift X 14 laptops we reviewed have many similarities, but one offers better value for money.
While the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 has more storage and a newer processor, the Acer Swift X 14 includes a dedicated graphics card and costs $200 less. That dedicated GPU can be a literal game-changer during video games but also with video editing. So, you're getting significantly more processing power for less money than the Omnibook.
On price, the Acer Swift X 14 has a lower starting price of $1,099 compared to Omnibook's starting price of $1,449. As a result, it's more accessible to budget users. So, the Acer Swift X 14 handily wins this category.
Winner: Acer Swift X 14
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Design
Design is often subjective and largely depends on your tastes and preferred features. However, there are a few differences between these two laptops that make one more advantageous.
The most significant difference is the 2-in-1 functionality. The Acer Swift X 14 is not a 2-in-1 laptop, meaning you can't flip the display around to use it in tablet mode.
Meanwhile, the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 is a 2-in-1 and even includes a stylus that magnetically sticks to the edge of the keyboard deck for easy storage. While you might not need tablet mode or a stylus daily, they're handy features and can seal the deal for artists and students.
So, the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 has a significant edge in this category. However, it's worth noting that the Omnibook only has USB Type-C ports and a headphone jack.
If USB Type-A or HDMI ports are a must-have, the Acer Swift X 14 might be worth sacrificing 2-in-1 functionality (unless you want to tote around a dongle or use a docking station).
Winner: HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Display
The HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and Acer Swift X 14 both have 14-inch 2880x1800 OLED displays. And both look good in person.
But their scores on our benchmark tests suggest otherwise.
Our testing relies on software that measures OLED color gamut volume differently than some manufacturers, like HP. Hence, there is a discrepancy between HP’s claim of 100% DCI-P3 and our test results. This affects both laptops, which may help explain their unusually low scores.
The HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 reproduced 84.3% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and averaged 359.6 nits of brightness.
The Acer Swift X 14 covered just 79.6% of the DCI-P3 color gamut but averaged 379.2 nits of brightness, about 20 points higher than the Omnibook.
While both laptops' scores are a bit disappointing, the Omnibook at least scored over 80% on the color gamut test, giving it a slight edge in this category.
Winner: HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Performance
The HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and Acer Swift X 14 have Intel Core 7 processors but are from different generations. (The Omnibook has a newer "Lunar Lake" CPU, while the Swift X 14 has one of last year's "Meteor Lake" CPUs.)
But a newer processor doesn't necessarily mean stronger performance. The Omnibook scored about 200 points higher on the Geekbench 6 single-core test.
Still, the Acer Swift X 14 scored significantly higher on the multi-core test and the HandBrake video transcoding benchmark:
Single-core and multi-core performance are both important, but in this case, the Acer Swift X 14 has an edge overall, despite lagging in the single-core test.
It scored almost 3,000 points higher on the multi-core test and completed the HandBrake video transcoding benchmark over a minute faster than the Omnibook.
So, the Acer Swift X 14 wins this category. It has an especially strong lead for users who mainly need a laptop for tasks like video editing, gaming, or other resource-intensive apps, which usually rely on multi-core performance.
Winner: Acer Swift X 14
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Graphics and gaming
While neither are gaming laptops, both offer more gaming performance than other mainstream laptops. The Acer Swift X 14 has a dedicated GPU, which gives it a major edge in this category. Still, the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 performed surprisingly well for a laptop with integrated graphics.
The Omnibook averaged over 60 fps in Sid Meier's Civilization VI, which is more than enough for a fully playable experience. I also noticed similarly strong performance in my hands-on testing.
Of course, the integrated graphics in the Omnibook may not be enough for AAA games at the highest graphics settings. Still, they're enough to have a smooth gaming experience with casual and lightweight titles.
While the Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 performed well for a laptop without a dedicated graphics card, it's still no competition for the Acer Swift X 14. Our review configuration costs less than the Omnibook and includes an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, allowing the Acer Swift X 14 to deliver some seriously impressive gaming performance. It scored nearly double what the Omnibook achieved on both of our main gaming tests. So, the Acer Swift X 14 comes out on top in gaming.
Winner: Acer Swift X 14
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Battery life
Battery life is crucial for any laptop, regardless of what you want to use it for. There was a significant gap between our battery life test results for the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and the Acer Swift X 14, revealing a clear winner.
The HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 lasted 12 hours and 2 minutes, while the Acer Swift X 14 lasted only 7 hours and 33 minutes. That's a difference of nearly four hours. The Acer Swift X 14's time isn't even enough to get most people through an average workday, so the Omnibook handily wins this category.
Winner: HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14
HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 vs Acer Swift X 14: Overall winner
At first glance, the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 and Acer Swift X 14 might seem similar, but some significant differences reveal which one has a clear edge: the Acer Swift X 14.
The Acer laptop has a lower starting price, an option for a dedicated GPU, and stronger overall performance and gaming scores, making it better value for money overall.
The only exception is users who need a 2-in-1 laptop. The HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 is a 2-in-1 and even includes a magnetic stylus, while, in contrast, the Acer Swift X 14 doesn't have a tablet mode at all. So, if tablet mode is a must-have feature, you should go with the Omnibook.
You can also visit our guides to the best laptops of the year and 2-in-1 laptops to compare the Acer Swift X 14 and the HP Omnibook Ultra Flip 14 to even more alternatives.
