Acer Swift 3 review: A big screen on a modest budget

Price When Reviewed

$999

Best Prices Today

$849.00

Free

$959.99

Free

Big laptops are again in fashion. Once all however deserted, 16 and 17-inch laptops are as soon as once more broadly out there. Most fashions are costly, nonetheless, and that’s very true of 16-inch machines. 

Enter the Acer Swift 3 SF316-51. This mainstream 16-inch laptop computer has loads of show actual property and a slim profile but carries a mid-range MSRP of $999. Online retailers have offered it for as little as $849. That’s an alluring worth for a big, succesful laptop computer, however there’s a catch. Battery life is lower than stellar and efficiency falls behind relating to extra demanding apps. If you possibly can stay with these trade-offs, the Swift 3 has an enormous display and is priced moderately.

Acer Swift 3 SF316-51 specs and options

The Swift 3 SF316-51 packs quite a lot of worth, episcally when offered beneath its $999 MSRP. It has an Intel Core i7-11370H with 4 cores, plus 16GB of RAM and a 512GB strong state drive. That’s quite a lot of RAM and storage for the cash.

• CPU: Intel Core i7-11370H
• Memory: 16GB
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Iris Xe
• Display: 16-inch 1080p LCD
• Storage: 512GB PCIe strong state drive
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: 1x USB-C (with DisplayPort Alt Mode, 65 watts Power Delivery, Thunderbolt 4), 2x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x barrel-plug energy jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 55 watt-hour
• Dimensions: 0.63 x 9.3 x 14.5 inches
• Weight: 3.86 kilos

Acer additionally has a variant with an Intel Core i5-11300H processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB strong state drive, but it surely’s at present offered solely by way of Acer’s on-line retailer and Costco. The laptop computer I reviewed will rating higher in processor benchmarks however other than that and decreased RAM within the entry-level model, the 2 fashions are very comparable.

Design and construct high quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Acer Swift 3, like so a lot of Acer’s laptops, has a generic look that appears ordered by the pound. However, this laptop computer’s mid-range worth level is clear when in comparison with Acer’s budget Aspire series. Upgrading to the Swift gives a extra enticing metallic chassis with an expensive gunmetal hue.

My solely aesthetic grievance considerations are the important thing caps, that are darker and lack the glint of the encircling materials. This cheapens the look of the laptop computer. Keyboard backlighting is normal however extra purposeful than enticing, as important gentle escapes across the edges of every key. 

Build high quality is sweet. A little bit of flex is clear when dealing with the laptop computer roughly and shifting the show, but it surely’s minor and never distracting in day-to-day use. The Swift 3 feels tightly constructed and has a notable edge over Asus’ Vivobook line and lower-end Dell Inspiron laptops. 

The Swift 3 weighs in at solely 3.86 kilos. That’s lighter than most 15 and 16-inch laptops, together with premium fashions just like the MacBook Pro 16 and Dell XPS 15. It’s simply .63 inches thick, which is a tad thinner than LG’s Gram 16. However, the Acer weighs a couple of pound greater than the light-weight LG.

Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Acer Swift 3 has a cushty keyboard with good key journey and really feel. The 16-inch show gives room for a spacious and traditional structure, and the chunky palmrest means customers with massive palms are much less more likely to discover their palms dangling within the air. 

There’s a lot house, in actual fact, that Acer crams in a numpad. The numpad pushes the remainder of the keyboard to the left, which may add errors when touch-typing and feels uncomfortable when continuously utilizing the touchpad. If you want the numpad, nonetheless, you’ll recognize its inclusion. 

Acer makes use of the massive palmrest to offer a big touchpad with loads of room to be used of WIndows’ extra elaborate multi-touch gestures. The touchpad’s floor doesn’t really feel luxurious however ]a lot smoother than the encircling materials, which makes it simple to search out whereas typing. 

Display, audio

The 16-inch show may appear disappointing at first. It makes do with 1080p decision and lacks the options you’ll discover in dearer opponents. It’s a easy, edge-lit LCD with a 60Hz refresh fee. Don’t let that idiot you. The show is nice. It affords depth and wealthy, lifelike coloration. 

Loading the teaser trailer for the most recent Star Wars present, Obi-Wan, gave the show an opportunity to point out off. The comparatively strong distinction ratio of 1440:1 gives dimension and element in darker scenes, whereas the show’s correct coloration correctly shows the dusty, choking beige of Tatoonie’s countless desert. 

Does it beat a MacBook Pro 16 or XPS 15 with OLED? Of course not. Still, the Swift 3 is spectacular for its worth. 

The Swift 3’s most brightness is simply 317 nits, which isn’t excessive sufficient for snug viewing outdoor. The matte coating minimizes glare, nonetheless, so room lighting received’t simply drown out the show.

Audio is offered by audio system positioned above the keyboard and on the laptop computer’s entrance edge. They present a full, wealthy sound with some trace of bass, however lack the readability to make podcasts or dialogue-heavy reveals pleasing. You’ll need headphones or exterior audio system for critical listening. 

Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A fundamental 720p webcam hides within the Swift 3’s slim higher show bezel and does nothing to repair the standard points that hang-out entry-level laptop computer cameras. Video seems noisy in even reasonable lighting. 

Microphone high quality is ok. It had no drawback choosing up my voice from as much as six ft away. Ambient noise just isn’t properly dealt with, nonetheless, so any background noise you possibly can simply discover is more likely to come by way of.

A fingerprint reader is included and helps biometric login by way of Windows Hello. It’s dependable in preferrred situations however might be tripped up by a barely off-angle place or a little bit of grime.

Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

A USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort Alternate Mode, and as much as 65 watts of Power Delivery (sufficient to cost the laptop computer) might be discovered on the Swift 3’s left flank. It’s a pleasant perk for a laptop computer on this worth vary. You can use it to attach a show, cost the laptop computer, or shortly switch knowledge to strong state exterior storage. 

USB-C is paired with two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one on both sides of the laptop computer. A full-sized HDMI port and a combo audio jack spherical out the wired connectivity. Yes, which means Ethernet is lacking, although you possibly can nonetheless use Ethernet by way of a USB-C hub. 

While it may cost over USB-C, Acer ships the Swift 3 with a small 65-watt energy brick with a barrel plug. I would like a USB-C charger, however the one offered is small and light-weight. 

Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 are offered by an Intel AX201 wi-fi adapter, a standard half discovered in lots of laptops. It gives glorious efficiency right here, reaching speeds of over 600Mbps when in the identical room as a Wi-Fi 6 router. Speeds had been usually between 200 and 100Mbps in different rooms. Bluetooth connectivity was additionally dependable and maintained a connection to Bluetooth headphones as much as 30 ft away. 

Performance

Intel’s Core i7-11370H powered the Acer Swift 3 I acquired for evaluation and it’s a slightly odd duck. 

The i7-11370H has 4 cores and eight threads, identical to the extra widespread Core i5-1135G7 and Core i7-1165G7 processors. It can use extra energy, nonetheless, as its specs listing a configurable thermal design energy between 28 and 35 watts. A Core i7-1165G7, by comparability, operates inside 12 to 28 watts. 

Put merely, the i7-11370H is designed to make use of extra energy in demanding workloads and this delivers an enchancment in efficiency. 

The Intel processor is supported by 16GB of RAM and a 512GB strong state drive. These specs are usually not unusual for this worth however good worth. Most 16-inch laptops with comparable {hardware} are a number of hundred {dollars} dearer. 

Let’s get into the benchmarks. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Swift 3 begins off with a good PCMark 10 rating of 5,032, which is a lot better than the Acer Aspire 5’s Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor. That’s value remembering, because the Core i5-1135G7 is discovered in lots of equally priced laptops. 

Unsurprisingly, the AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is a extra critical contender. It has twice the core depend and is ready to squeak out a notable victory over the Swift 3’s i7-11370H. Intel just isn’t far behind, however this can be a win for AMD powered laptops.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Cinebench outcomes are just like PCMark 10. The i7-11370H within the Swift 3 performs higher than the Core i5-1135G7 or i7-1185G7, however falls behind the AMD competitors. This, as soon as once more, comes right down to core counts. The eight-core AMD Ryzen 7 5700U is all the time going to beat the i7-11370H in a closely multithreaded CPU take a look at. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

A 4K MKV encoding run of the brief movie Tears of Steel delivers no surprises. Handbrake reveals the Core i7-11370H bettering on its much less power-hungry siblings, however AMD is as soon as once more far within the lead because of its increased core depend. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

However, Intel has an ace up its sleeve – Quick Sync Video. This massively improves encoding occasions in apps that help it. AMD’s reply to Intel is its personal Video Encoding Engine, which additionally drastically improves efficiency. Still, Intel’s QSV takes a straightforward win right here. Swift 3 homeowners will certainly wish to use QSV when video encoding efficiency is a precedence.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Core i7-11370H packs a strong model of Intel’s Xe built-in graphics with 96 EUs and a clock pace of as much as 1.35GHz. It delivers nice outcomes, posting a 3DMark rating properly above the Ryzen 7 5700U’s built-in graphics and simply behind the Lenovo Yoga 9i. 

This is about as fast as you possibly can anticipate from a mid-range laptop computer and not using a discrete graphics chip (at least until AMD’s Ryzen 6000 arrives) and it’s satisfactory for a lot of much less demanding 3D video games. Titles like Counter-Strike and League of Legends will really feel easy. More taxing video games like FInal Fantasy XIV or Lost Ark are playable however require some cutbacks in picture high quality settings to remain above 30 frames per second. 

Taken collectively, the benchmark outcomes present a laptop computer that delivers modest however succesful efficiency. The i7-11370H is notably faster than the Core i5-1135G7 and i7-1165G7 which can be widespread in mid-range opponents. Integrated graphics efficiency can also be strong, providing usable speeds for players who don’t thoughts avoiding titles with cutting-edge graphics. 

AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700U looms massive, nonetheless, because it’s out there on the Swift 3’s worth level and might beat the i7-11370H in multithreaded exams. Shoppers in want of a mid-range laptop computer that may deal with demanding apps will likely be higher served by AMD.

Battery life

Acer ships the Swift 3 with a modest 55 watt-hour battery. This just isn’t a big battery for a 16-inch laptop computer with a processor barely extra energy hungry than most alternate options, and it reveals. 

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Swift 3 managed simply 5 and a half hours in our normal video rundown take a look at. That’s a disappointing outcome that falls in need of many fashionable Windows laptops. 

I discovered the Swift 3 can final about 5 hours in gentle use. For me, this contains searching the online, modifying paperwork in Word, utilizing Excel, and infrequently touching up a photograph in GIMP. More demanding workloads can minimize battery life underneath 5 hours. I observed that one hour-long Google Hangouts name consumed over 1 / 4 of a cost. 

This stage of endurance is ok for journeys to a espresso store or use round the home however may very well be an issue in the event you journey continuously or bounce between convention rooms at an workplace all day.

Software

This laptop computer is packed to the brim with software program and shortcuts. The taskbar contains each Microsoft Edge and Mozilla Firefox, plus Dropbox and an Amazon shortcut that launches the location within the default browser. Norton Antivirus is put in as properly and can fortunately remind you of all of the methods hackers can steal your knowledge in the event you don’t proceed the subscription. 

Conclusion

Acer’s Swift 3 is all in regards to the display. It’s among the many most reasonably priced 16-inch laptops out there, rivaled solely by Lenovo’s 16-inch IdeaPad. Despite this, the Swift 3 delivers an amazing 1080p display with a excessive distinction ratio and correct coloration. It’s preferrred for multi-tasking, watching motion pictures, and streaming reveals. 

Look previous the show, nonetheless, and the laptop computer is much less thrilling. The Intel Core i7-11370H is normally behind AMD’s Ryzen 7 in demanding apps, although Intel’s Xe built-in do handle a win. Battery life is an issue as properly and makes the Swift 3 of restricted use for journey regardless of its slim, modern profile. 

This laptop computer is nice for college kids, writers, accountants, researchers, and anybody else who needs an enormous display on a modest finances. If you want multi-threaded efficiency or battery life, nonetheless, take into account an AMD different.