Two minutes of review
We were very impressed with the Acer Swift 3X. It’s a brilliant laptop that delivers a lot despite its size and weight. This could be the best laptop for someone who works on the go.
At just 1.4 kg, the Swift 3X is incredibly light and measures just 17.95 x 322.8 x 212.2 mm (12.7 x 8.4 x 0.7 inches). You shouldn’t have any problem carrying this laptop with you on your way.
The model that was sent to us was equipped with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and an integrated Iris Xe Max graphics chip. The Acer Swift 3X had more than enough horsepower to handle a typical workload in most jobs – and it will cover school and college work as well.
An updated version of the Swift 3X with an Intel i7 CPU alongside 16GB of RAM and 1TB SSB will likely be too much of a good thing for most people, but if your job needs the performance boost, it’s worth it.
The only downside to the hardware is the screen. The display itself looks fine, but 14 inches can be noticeably small. If you are used to a larger monitor, there are a few adjustments that you will need to make.
However, you can’t complain about the battery. This thing lasts a surprisingly long time. As long as it is fully charged when you leave, you should be able to leave your laptop charging cable at home.
Worst-case scenario, you should be able to keep your device alive longer if you carry around a USB-C phone charger.
All of this is packaged in an affordable mid-range laptop that’s worth the $ 899.99 / £ 899.99 / AU $ 1,199 price tag. When looking for your next work laptop, you should definitely consider the Acer Swift 3X.
Technical specifications
Here is the Acer Swift 3X configuration sent to TechRadar for review:
CENTRAL PROCESSOR: 2.4 GHz Intel Core i5-1135G7 (4-core, 12 MB Intel Smart Cache, up to 4.2 GHz with Turbo Boost)
Graphic: Intel Iris Xe graphics
R.A.M: 8 GB LPDDR4X (4,266 MHz)
Screen: 14-inch FHD IPS LCD (1920×1080)
Warehouse: 512 GB SSD (PCIe, NVMe, M.2)
Ports: 1x USB-C 3.2, 2x USB-A 3.2, 1x HDMI, combo audio socket
Connectivity:Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0
Camera: 720p webcam
Weight: 1.4 kg
Size: 17.95 x 322.8 x 212.2 mm (12 x 8.4 x 0.7 in; W x D x H)
Price and availability
The Acer Swift 3X starts at $ 899.99 / £ 899.99 / AU $ 1,199. At this price, you get an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a 14-inch full HD screen. You also get Intel’s built-in Iris Xe Max graphics.
This is the model we tested and we would safely say that for what you pay for, you are more than what you get on with this laptop.
For $ 1,199 / £ 1,199.99 / AU $ 1,599.99, you can get a version of the Acer Swift 3X with an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of SSB. The cheaper version offers more than enough power for regular use. However, if you want to spend a little more on a laptop that offers stronger punch down, you will again have a hard time finding something better.
In terms of availability, the Swift 3X appears to be a popular laptop as it was a little hard to find when searching online. It may take a little while in the UK, Australia and the US to find exactly the model you’re looking for – something the Swift 3 of the same name doesn’t support.
The Acer Swift 3X is well worth the search, however, as it should be able to handle just about anything you might need. It’s not suitable for heavy duty tasks like 4K video editing or high-end gaming, but for regular work – and the more casual photo or video editing – we’ve found this laptop to do more than what you throw at it.
design
What you get with the Acer Swift 3X is a pretty normal, yet clean, laptop design. It won’t blow your mind, but we still like the look and feel. Our only concern is that the screen will appear a little thin as it feels like it doesn’t take much to damage it – although luckily we didn’t find out on our review.
Other than that, the HD display is good. Acer’s Swift 3X has a 14-inch (35.6 cm) LCD screen that looks great and uses ComfyView (anti-glare) technology. A slightly larger display would be nice, but that’s our only complaint on this front.
We are also fans of the fingerprint scanner. It was as easy to set up as on any smartphone, and we found it reliable too. However, it has been put aside in a slightly odd location below the keyboard instead of being integrated into the trackpad or on / off switch. If you find it awkward to use, you can always opt for a more traditional password or PIN instead.
Weighing in at 1.4kg, this laptop is incredibly light and easy to pick up with one hand. At just 17.95 x 322.8 x 212.2 mm (12.7 x 8.4 x 0.7 in), it also fits in most pockets, so you shouldn’t have any problems taking it with you wherever you go .
The small size comes at a cost, however, as the Swift 3X lacks something in terms of ports. On the left there are USB-A 3.2, HDMI and USB-C 3.2 ports. The USB-C slot also doubles as an alternative laptop charging port if you want to reduce the number of cables you carry.
On the right you will find another USB-A 3.2 port and an aux port for headsets. Overall, it’s not terrible, but a few extra ports could have been nice – maybe an additional USB-C port or two to keep the laptop in its smaller shape but not sacrifice utility. There’s no SD or microSD slot in the Acer Swift 3X either, but that’s by no means the end of the world.
The keyboard is one thing that doesn’t suffer from the Swift 3X’s size, however. The keys are well laid out and more than big enough. A built-in backlight can be turned on or off if you want to make it glow in low light. Just don’t expect anything special as your only color option is white.
Benchmarks
Here’s how the Acer Swift 3X performed in our series of benchmark tests:
Cinebench R20 CPU: 2,256 points
3DMark Time Spy: 1,838; Fire strike: 5,437; Night attack: 16,215
GeekBench 5: 1,426 (Single processor);; 5.391 (Multi-core)
PCMark 10 (home test): 4,946
PCMark 10 battery life: 10 hours 43 minutes
Battery life (TechRadar film test): 16 hours 39 minutes
performance
The Acer Swift 3x (2021) is a fairly powerful laptop with one of Intel’s 11th generation mobile processors and built-in Intel Iris Xe Max graphics. The model we tested came with an Intel Core i5-1135G7 processor, 8 GB of RAM, a 512 GB SSD and a 14-inch full HD screen.
The 16: 9, 14-inch FHD display makes optimal use of the iris graphics and offers an excellent picture. Thanks to anti-glare technology – or ComfyView technology, as Acer calls it – bright sunlight shouldn’t disturb you from seeing what’s on the screen as you work.
In addition, the specifications of the Acer Swift 3X ensured that it performed impressively on Windows 10, booted up quickly, and easily performed everyday tasks such as creating documents and surfing the Internet with ease.
The speakers are a little lackluster, but if they’re not critical to your job, they’re more than good enough. Headphones can also solve any problems you may have.
For those who want to stop working from home when you can, this should be a more than capable laptop that you can easily take with you on the days you need to go to the office – or to school or college can. The webcam and microphone are more than passable for all Zoom meetings.
However, more difficult tasks like high-end gaming and 4K video editing are a little beyond the capabilities of this computer. However, if you settle for a more casual experience in these areas, you shouldn’t find too many problems.
When it comes to general use, the Acer Swift 3X offers a lot for its relatively low price, which makes it an excellent mid-range choice.
Battery life
When it comes to batteries, the Acer Swift 3X is excellent – we loved how well the laptop performed in our benchmarking tests. If you need a laptop that can handle the distance, the Acer Swift 3X might be for you.
The PC Mark battery test is designed to determine how long the device can last while the program mimics an intense workload at 50% screen brightness. After 10 hours and 43 minutes, the Acer Swift 3X has shown that it is more than capable of handling anything you would need for a typical nine to five day job – and it could still have more to offer on a one-time charge.
In our movie test, in which we played a 1080p video in a loop at 50% brightness, the Swift 3X managed to last a whopping 16 hours 39 minutes. In time, you might be happy to leave your laptop charger at home as long as you remembered to charge it the night before.
When you need power, you can always charge the Acer Swift 3X using the USB-C port with your phone charger. Fast charging should charge your laptop quickly. If your phone’s charger cannot provide enough power, you should be able to use the remaining battery life.
software
The Acer Swift 3X runs on the Windows 10 operating system, on which it is preinstalled. Otherwise, the laptop won’t already have too many applications loaded – much to the relief of “bloatware” haters everywhere.
While some might be useful – there are easy links to access Express VPN and the Firefox browser – you should remove others to free up space. In our tests, there were none that deserved special mention. So you can delete any programs that you don’t want.
Fortunately, despite all the programs, you don’t get a lot of unwanted notifications. We received warnings that the pre-installed Norton antivirus trial was about to end, but only shortly after it started, and we had no other issues.
Buy it when …
You want a long battery life
The battery life on the Acer Swift 3X is incredible and should be more than enough for everything you need.
You need a small laptop
This lightweight and compact laptop is characterized by portability. The Acer Swift 3X is the perfect on-the-go laptop that you can take with you wherever you go.
You want a laptop that can handle your workload
With very modern hardware, the Acer Swift 3X gives you more than enough power to handle most typical workloads quickly and easily.
Don’t buy it if …
You want a bigger screen
The 14-inch display is a bit small. So if you prefer a bigger screen then the Acer Swift 3X is not for you.
You want to play
Despite its good technical data, the Acer Swift 3x will not run many modern games on its integrated graphics card. However, if you like retro and indie games, you shouldn’t have too many problems.
You’re on a tight budget
This mid-range laptop isn’t as expensive as some others – but not as cheap as many laptop options you can buy. If you’re on a tight budget, you might reconsider the Acer Swift 3 X.
Source link : https://www.techradar.com/reviews/acer-swift-3x/
