Acer Swift 3 (2022) review: a stable system for the value

Acer Swift 3 (2022)

MSRP $1,130.00

“The Acer Swift 3 gives class-leading efficiency and above-average battery life.”

Execs

• Wonderful productiveness efficiency
• Shiny show with deep distinction
• Superb keyboard
• Strong battery life
• Full HD webcam

Cons

• Show is old-school 16:9
• Small touchpad

Acer’s Swift 3 is an fascinating laptop. It’s provided some budget-level machines with large worth, such because the 2020 AMD Swift 3 that maintains a spot on our greatest finances laptops checklist. The road additionally options machines that higher match the midrange class, comparable to the brand new Swift 3 Evo SF314-512. This laptop is meant to compete with 14-inch laptops within the $850 to $1,000 vary, a extremely aggressive area.

I reviewed the top-end configuration that is available in at $1,130 for a Core i7-1260P CPU and a 14-inch 16:9 QHD (2,560 x 1,440) IPS show. Apart from the old-school facet ratio, the Swift 3 lived as much as its worth level and can be a relative discount at its beginning worth of $850. It gives sturdy efficiency and battery life that beats out a lot of its competitors and even takes on dearer laptops, making the Swift 3 a stable worth.

Value and configurations

The Swift 3 (SF314-512) is a distinctly midrange laptop. On the entry degree, it’s $850 for a 28-watt 12-core/16-thread Core i5-1540P operating at as much as 4.4GHz, with 16GB of RAM, a 512GB SSD, and a 14-inch 16:9 Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) IPS show. On the excessive finish, which I reviewed, the Swift 3 prices $1,130 for a 28-watt 12-core/16-watt Core i7-1260P with a Turbo increase of 4.7GHz, 16GB of RAM, a 1TB SSD, and a 14-inch 16:9 QHD IPS show.

On paper, these are engaging costs. They’re aggressive with different mi-range 14-inch laptops just like the Asus Vivobook S 14X and the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1, though the Asus advantages from its 120Hz OLED show.

Design

Mark Coppock/Digital Tendencies

Because of an all-aluminum chassis, the Swift 3 in all fairness stable. There’s a tiny little bit of bending within the lid, however the keyboard deck resists flexing and the chassis backside is inflexible. The Swift 3 feels higher constructed than a lot of its competitors at this worth level, just like the Vivobook S 14X and the Inspiron 14 2-in-1, nevertheless it’s not fairly in the identical league as dearer laptops just like the Dell XPS 15 and the Lenovo Yoga 9i Gen 7. The standard carries by way of to the hinge, which permits opening of the lid with one hand however holds the show firmly in place.

Unusually for a 14-inch laptop, the Swift 3 has a second user-accessible SSD slot. Add one other SSD and you may both velocity up the laptop or broaden storage as much as 2TB.

Aesthetically, the Swift 3 is a merely designed laptop with none bling and with streamlined angles. It’s obtainable in three lid colours — silver, blue, and gold — and my review unit was all silver. It’s a horny and minimalist laptop, very like so many others produced currently, together with the Vivobook S 14X and the Inspiron 14 2-in-1. Solely the plastic show bezels detract from an general high quality look. The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is an instance of a aggressive laptop with a extra elegant aesthetic.

The Swift 3 has skinny facet bezels, with high and backside bezels that aren’t as trendy. General, the laptop has an 86% screen-to-body ratio, which is ok for midrange laptops however properly below premium laptops which can be at 90% or higher. The Swift 3 is skinny at 0.63 inches and light-weight at 2.76 kilos, which compares to the Vivobook S 14X at 0.70 inches and three.53 kilos and the Inspiron 14 2-in-1 at 0.70 inches and three.61 kilos.

Due to the 16:9 facet ratio, the Swift 3 is wider than laptops with 16:10 shows, however not as deep. It’s a extremely moveable laptop that received’t take up an excessive amount of area or weight in a backpack.

Ports

Connectivity is stable with two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 assist, two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a full-size HDMI 2.0 port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. There’s no SD card reader, which is disappointing, however the inclusion of Thunderbolt 4 at this worth level is welcome.

Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 present up-to-date wi-fi connectivity.

Efficiency

Mark Coppock/Digital Tendencies

The Core i7-1260P has been a robust performer within the laptops we’ve reviewed, providing a big uptick from Intel’s Eleventh-gen CPUs. A few laptops have stood out, although, performing higher than the chip’s common. I’ve listed two of them within the desk under, and one in all them is the Swift 3.

Together with the MSI Status 14, the Swift 3 did exceptionally properly in our benchmark suite. It beat out the Lenovo ThinkPad x1 Yoga Gen 7 with a Core i7-1260P that carried out nearer to common. It was additionally as quick or sooner than a few thin-and-light laptops with the 45-watt 14-core/20-thread Core i7-12700H, particularly the HP Pavilion Plus 14 and Asus Vivobook S 14X. I examined the Swift 3’s balanced and efficiency modes and reported each outcomes. The thermal administration utility didn’t make as a lot distinction within the Swift 3 as in another laptops.

The Swift 3 basically tied the Status 14 in Geekbench 5, our Handbrake check that encodes a 420MB video as H.265, and Cinebench R23, and each have been on the high of the checklist with the 45-watt chips competing most strongly in Cinebench. The Status 14 was sooner within the PCMark 10 Full benchmark, which is a robust indicator of productiveness efficiency, with the Swift 3 coming in third behind the MSI and the Asus ZenBook S 13 OLED with an AMD Ryzen 7 6800U.

General, the Swift 3 is a sooner performer. It’s fast sufficient for demanding productiveness workflows, and it could additionally deal with low-end artistic duties. It competes strongly in opposition to laptops costing tons of extra.

The Swift 3 is restricted to built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, which suggests it’s not a critical gaming machine. However for what it’s, the Swift 3 carried out properly, reaching a excessive rating in 3DMark Time Spy and better-than-average body charges in Fortnite at 1080p and epic graphics.

You received’t need to deal with trendy 3D titles, however the Swift 3 needs to be positive for older video games and a few lighter esports titles.

Show and audio

Mark Coppock/Digital Tendencies

The Swift 3’s greatest weak spot is its old-school 16:9 show. Taller shows, both 16:10 or 3:2, have change into more and more common, to the purpose the place all however the least costly finances laptops are making the transition. My review unit loved a excessive QHD (2,560 x 1,440) decision, and it seemed like a high quality show as I used to be utilizing it when penning this review, however its facet ratio was disappointing nonetheless. Additionally lacking was contact, however there’s a Full HD (1,920 x 1,080) contact show choice.

In keeping with my colorimeter, the show had common coloration width and accuracy for medium and premium laptops, though extra IPS shows are beginning to present wider colours. A yr in the past, 98% sRGB and 75% AdobeRGB would have been a robust displaying, however latest high quality shows have AdobeRGB gamuts within the 80s. The Swift 3’s coloration accuracy is respectable for entry-level artistic work, with a Delta-E of 1.51. Discerning creators will discover it limiting, nonetheless. The show was loads vivid, although, at 368 nits, properly above our 300-nit customary, and it loved a excessive distinction ratio of 1,330:1, offering deeper blacks than our 1,000:1 threshold for high quality pictures.

General, this high quality show will work properly for productiveness work, media consumption, and even the occasional photo-editing or graphic design challenge. As your major work laptop for artistic work, although, you’ll most likely need one thing with tighter calibration.

Two downward-firing audio system on the entrance backside of the chassis present the audio. The amount was simply loud sufficient to fill my small residence workplace, and the mids and highs have been clear with out distortion. There wasn’t any bass to talk of, although, so for music and motion motion pictures, you’ll desire a pair of headphones.

Keyboard, touchpad, and webcam

Mark Coppock/Digital Tendencies

The keyboard has silver keys with grey lettering that’s simple to learn with the backlight turned off, however just a little tougher to learn with the backlight turned on. The keycaps are properly sized, although, and there’s loads of key spacing. The switches are gentle and snappy with a responsive bottoming motion. It’s not fairly nearly as good because the keyboards on Dell’s XPS or HP’s Spectre traces, nevertheless it’s only a small step behind. I discovered the keyboard comfy for longer typing classes whereas creating this review.

The touchpad makes use of what Acer calls OceanGlass, which is definitely recycled plastic that’s meant to really feel like glass. I discovered it a cushty floor with dependable assist for Home windows 11 multitouch gestures, and the buttons have been quiet and exact. The touchpad’s solely downside is that it’s a bit small, primarily as a result of there’s not as a lot room on the palm relaxation as there may be with taller shows.

Home windows 11 Hey passwordless login assist is offered by a fingerprint reader embedded within the energy button, the right location. It labored shortly and reliably throughout my testing.

Lastly, the webcam is a Full HD mannequin able to capturing 1080p video at 60 frames per second (fps). Mixed with Acer’s instruments for cleansing up and brightening video, the webcam offered a wonderful picture for videoconferencing. It’s a webcam you’re extra more likely to anticipate in a dearer laptop, and it’s nice to see right here.

Battery life

Mark Coppock/Digital Tendencies

The Swift 3 has a 56 watt-hour battery powering a quick CPU and a high-res show. That’s about common for the 14-inch laptops we’ve reviewed currently, with the Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Yoga Gen 7 configured with 57 watt-hours, the Dell Inspiron 14 2-in-1 with 54 watt-hours, and the MSI Status 14 with 52 watt-hours. Often, that leads to less-than-average battery life, however the Swift 3 and ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 (with a low-power Full HD show) proved to be exceptions.

The Swift 3 hit eight hours in our web-browsing check that cycles by way of a handful of complicated web sites. That’s a stable rating. The Acer hit 14 hours in our video check that loops by way of an area 1080p film trailer, which is above common. And within the PCMark10 Purposes check that’s one of the best indicator of productiveness battery life, the Swift 3 managed 10 hours.

These outcomes point out a laptop that may final a full working day operating a typical productiveness workflow. In our comparability group, solely the ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 7 lasted longer, nevertheless it benefited from a low-power show. In opposition to its major competitors, the Swift 3 was a frontrunner.

Our take

The Acer Swift 3 is a typical 14-inch midrange clamshell laptop in look, nevertheless it excels in a number of essential areas. First, it’s well-built. Second, its efficiency is class-leading, And third, its battery life is above common. That mixes to create a laptop that needs to be on anybody’s buying checklist.

The one unfavourable is the 16:9 show. Not each laptop has transitioned to 16:10 or 3:2, however sufficient have that the Swift 3 stands out. At some point quickly, I received’t suggest a laptop with an old-school facet ratio irrespective of its different qualities, however that day hasn’t come simply but.

Are there any options?

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 is a robust competitor, coming in at $850 (on sale) for a machine with stable efficiency and a stunning 2.8K OLED show operating at 90Hz. It might probably’t match the Swift 3’s battery life, nonetheless.

Lenovo’s Yoga 9i Gen 7 is a stable different in case your pockets is a bit thicker. Its spectacular design, improbable OLED show, and stable battery life are value the additional cash.

Lastly, you go for the brand new Apple MacBook Air M2. It’s dearer at $1,200, with much less RAM at 8GB and storage at 256GB, however it’ll provide sooner efficiency and for much longer battery life. And its construct high quality is second to none.

How lengthy will it final?

The Swift 3 is constructed properly sufficient to final for years of productive service, with parts to match. The industry-standard one-year guarantee is simply OK at this worth level.

Must you purchase it?

Sure. The Acer Swift 3 is quick and gives sturdy battery life, making it a good selection amongst a aggressive area of 14-inch laptops.

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