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Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G (Ryzen 5 2500U, Radeon RX 540, SSD, FHD) Laptop Review

Hit the brakes. The Swift 3 SF315-41G is a multimedia allrounder by Acer that relies on the combination of a Raven Ridge APU and a dedicated AMD graphics unit. They are joined by an IPS display, a backlit keyboard and an NVMe-SSD. As a result, the computer is well-rounded in terms of features.

We are not unfamiliar with Acer's sleek multimedia allrounder. We have already been able to test three devices from the same series; the Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5, the Swift 3 SF315-51G-55Z9 and the Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1. Our current test device comes with a Raven Ridge APU and a dedicated Radeon RX 540 graphics unit. Its competition consists of devices such as the Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN, the HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng and the Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF.

Since we have already tested a few of Swift 3 models which are identical in construction to our current test device, we will not go into detail about the case, features, input devices, display and speakers. This information can be found in the Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1's review.

Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR (Swift 3 SF315 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U 4 x 2 - 3.6 GHz, Zen
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX 540 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 1124 MHz, Memory: 1250 MHz, GDDR5, 128 bit memory interface, 23.20.817.256, Enduro
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2400, dual-channel, soldered memory, no memory slots
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
AMD CZ FCH
Storage
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, 256 GB 
, 210 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC255 @ AMD K17.1 - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combined audio, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18.9 x 370.5 x 255 ( = 0.74 x 14.59 x 10.04 in)
Battery
48 Wh, 3220 mAh Lithium-Ion, 15.2 V
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Primary Camera: 0.9 MPix
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Mozilla Firefox, Norton Security (trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
2.2 kg ( = 77.6 oz / 4.85 pounds), Power Supply: 315 g ( = 11.11 oz / 0.69 pounds)
Price
899 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Size Comparison

380 mm / 15 inch 251 mm / 9.88 inch 23 mm / 0.906 inch 2.3 kg5.07 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.9 kg4.19 lbs384 mm / 15.1 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 2 kg4.46 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 260 mm / 10.2 inch 22.9 mm / 0.902 inch 2 kg4.46 lbs378 mm / 14.9 inch 252.1 mm / 9.93 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 1.8 kg4.01 lbs370.5 mm / 14.6 inch 255 mm / 10 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 2.2 kg4.85 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Multimedia
  (17.6 - 205, n=63, last 2 years)
91.6 MB/s +160%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80.2 MB/s +128%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.2 MB/s
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
34.3 MB/s -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
 
32.4 MB/s -8%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.8 MB/s -24%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
17.4 MB/s -51%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=59, last 2 years)
120.2 MB/s +223%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.9 MB/s +134%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.2 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
 
35 MB/s -6%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
31.1 MB/s -16%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.7 MB/s -20%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25.6 MB/s -31%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +260%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
680 MBit/s +211%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
611 MBit/s +179%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
484 MBit/s +121%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
325 MBit/s +48%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
325 MBit/s +48%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
219 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +166%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
579 MBit/s +37%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
554 MBit/s +31%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
541 MBit/s +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
424 MBit/s
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
331 MBit/s -22%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
294 MBit/s -31%

Display - Acer installs a reflective model

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

Acer has installed a reflective 15.6-inch display with a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels inside the Swift 3. The contrast ratio (979:1) is okay. In terms of brightness (253.8 cd/m²), the Swift compares more favorably to the competing devices that we have put it up against. Nonetheless, the brightness values of all of these devices - which also includes our current test device - turned out to be too low. We consider values above 300 cd/m² as good.

At brightness settings of 90 percent and below, the display exhibits screen flickering with a frequency of 1471 Hz. This high frequency should not cause headaches and/or eye problems, even for sensitive people.

The built-in display (BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48) can also be found inside the sister model, the Swift 3 SF315-41, which we have already tested. However, the measured values differ slightly. This is to be expected: Two displays, even if constructed in the same manner, are never one hundred percent identical.

255
cd/m²
255
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
254
cd/m²
284
cd/m²
261
cd/m²
226
cd/m²
256
cd/m²
239
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 284 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 253.8 cd/m² Minimum: 18.6 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 80 %
Center on Battery: 284 cd/m²
Contrast: 979:1 (Black: 0.29 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.22 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 1.17 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
59% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
38% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.43% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
59% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.1% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.39
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
TN LED, 1920x1080, 15.60
Display
-1%
-1%
-6%
5%
-6%
Display P3 Coverage
40.1
39.59
-1%
39.86
-1%
37.47
-7%
42.04
5%
37.28
-7%
sRGB Coverage
59
58.5
-1%
58.7
-1%
56.4
-4%
62.8
6%
56.1
-5%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.43
40.9
-1%
41.18
-1%
38.71
-7%
43.44
5%
38.51
-7%
Response Times
434%
441%
139%
564%
26%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
43 ?(23, 20)
46 ?(25, 21)
-7%
42 ?(22, 20)
2%
41 ?(22, 19)
5%
45.6 ?(24.4, 21.2)
-6%
45 ?(24, 21)
-5%
Response Time Black / White *
30 ?(16, 14)
36 ?(20, 16)
-20%
32 ?(17, 15)
-7%
19 ?(14, 5)
37%
16 ?(11.6, 4.4)
47%
13 ?(8, 5)
57%
PWM Frequency
1471 ?(90)
21000 ?(90)
1328%
21000 ?(80)
1328%
7000 ?(90)
376%
25770 ?(60)
1652%
Screen
-19%
-25%
-24%
-140%
-150%
Brightness middle
284
237
-17%
248
-13%
230
-19%
220
-23%
234
-18%
Brightness
254
229
-10%
237
-7%
221
-13%
194
-24%
230
-9%
Brightness Distribution
80
88
10%
79
-1%
91
14%
84
5%
76
-5%
Black Level *
0.29
0.19
34%
0.21
28%
0.45
-55%
0.43
-48%
0.34
-17%
Contrast
979
1247
27%
1181
21%
511
-48%
512
-48%
688
-30%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.22
4.85
-15%
4.98
-18%
3.6
15%
11.8
-180%
12.19
-189%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
9.29
8.34
10%
8.41
9%
5.59
40%
20.6
-122%
20.81
-124%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
1.17
3.84
-228%
4.26
-264%
3.13
-168%
12.5
-968%
13.99
-1096%
Gamma
2.39 92%
2.42 91%
2.37 93%
2.45 90%
2.07 106%
2.32 95%
CCT
6360 102%
6790 96%
7149 91%
7244 90%
14346 45%
15863 41%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
38
37
-3%
38
0%
36
-5%
40.1
6%
36
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
59
58
-2%
58
-2%
56
-5%
62.7
6%
56
-5%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
138% / 69%
138% / 67%
36% / 10%
143% / 20%
-43% / -98%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 1471 Hz ≤ 90 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 1471 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 90 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 1471 Hz is quite high, so most users sensitive to PWM should not notice any flickering.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 18034 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 14 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
43 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 23 ms rise
↘ 20 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.8 ms).

Performance - The Swift 3 is available with an Intel or an AMD processor

With the Swift 3 SF315-41G, Acer offers a 15.6-inch multimedia allrounder with enough processing power for all standard use cases. The dedicated graphics unit facilitates gaming in a limited capacity. Our test device is available for 900 Euros (~$1050). Other models varying in features are available, starting at around 680 Euros (~$795). This range of products is extended through the identical-in-construction Swift 3 51G line where Acer relies on Intel processors and dedicated Nvidia graphics cards.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
CPU-Z
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWInfo
LatencyMon

Processor

The Swift 3 is powered by a Ryzen 5 2500U (Raven Ridge) APU from AMD that has a TDP of 15 watts. The CPU part of the APU consists of a four-core processor that has a 2 GHz base clock. Up to 3.6 GHz is possible with Turbo. The processor supports simultaneous multithreading (each core can process two threads).

The Cinebench multi-thread test benchmarks momentarily run at 3 to 3.1 GHz. Throttling takes place thereafter, reducing the clock to 2.8 GHz. The single-thread tests run at 1.6 to 3.6 GHz. The processor behaves similarly in battery mode. Higher speeds are reached less frequently however. The lower Cinebench benchmark results reflect this.

Single-thread
Single-thread
Multi-thread
Multi-thread

By running a continuous loop of the Cinebench R15 benchmark's multi-thread test for 30 minutes, we assess whether Turbo is permanently active. From the first to the fourth cycle, the results drop off by just over 33 percent where they stay at a constant level. Turbo is no longer active at this point. The CPU runs at 1.9 GHz. Thus the notebook is not suited for continuous CPU computation.

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Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Turbo is only continuously active during the first three cycles of the CB15 loop.
Turbo is only continuously active during the first three cycles of the CB15 loop.

The results of the CPU tests we performed paint an unclear picture. While the processor achieves values similar to those of Intel's Core i5-8250U in Cinebench benchmarks, it falls far behind in Geekbench and browser benchmarks. In these tests, Turbo is barely active or not active at all.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8002
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
13850
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4449
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
70.1 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
6.82 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.57 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
72.7 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
613 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
138 Points
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=98, last 2 years)
248 Points +80%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points +6%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
146 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points +5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
145 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
140 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
138 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (124 - 142, n=15)
136.2 Points -1%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=105, last 2 years)
2270 Points +270%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
730 Points +19%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
613 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (510 - 642, n=16)
598 Points -2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
589 (499min - 552max) Points -4%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
560 Points -9%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
556 Points -9%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
542 Points -12%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (19 - 31.6, n=3, last 2 years)
24 Points +252%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
6.82 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (5.71 - 6.91, n=4)
6.48 Points -5%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
6.01 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
5.71 Points -16%
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (2.6 - 3.21, n=3, last 2 years)
2.85 Points +82%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
1.65 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1.6 Points +2%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (1.53 - 1.61, n=4)
1.578 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1.57 Points
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (34412 - 61674, n=3, last 2 years)
43500 Points +214%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
22097 Points +60%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
18172 Points +31%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
17505 Points +26%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
17505 Points +26%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (13850 - 16471, n=6)
15426 Points +11%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
15307 Points +11%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
13850 Points
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (5791 - 10476, n=3, last 2 years)
7475 Points +68%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
5567 Points +25%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U
5553 Points +25%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
5542 Points +25%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
5538 Points +24%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4449 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4418 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (4103 - 4473, n=6)
4371 Points -2%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
13553 Points +29%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
13147 Points +25%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
12646 Points +20%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (10506 - 12280, n=5)
11390 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
11283 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
10506 Points
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3428 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
3416 Points 0%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (3234 - 3477, n=5)
3379 Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3372 Points -2%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
3185 Points -7%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
3182 Points -7%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
13486 Points +42%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
12305 Points +30%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
12057 Points +27%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (9480 - 9616, n=2)
9548 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
9480 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
4162 Points +17%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
4010 Points +13%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
3996 Points +12%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (3558 - 3605, n=2)
3582 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3558 Points
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (28928 - 38187, n=2, last 2 years)
33558 Points +256%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
14207 Points +51%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
12799 Points +36%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
12644 Points +34%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (9434 - 10871, n=8)
10029 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
9434 Points
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (6029 - 7531, n=2, last 2 years)
6780 Points +85%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U
4266 Points +17%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U
4115 Points +13%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U
4091 Points +12%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3657 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (3275 - 3789, n=8)
3641 Points 0%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (1138 - 1443, n=10)
1349 ms * -2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 42)
1327 ms *
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
1053 ms * +21%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 40)
1052 ms * +21%
Average of class Multimedia
  (363 - 1016, n=96, last 2 years)
554 ms * +58%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (43921 - 109055, n=43, last 2 years)
86667 Points +220%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
34533 Points +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 40)
33233 Points +23%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
29587 Points +9%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 42)
27082 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (21539 - 29587, n=10)
25871 Points -4%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (367 - 459, n=3, last 2 years)
424 Points +122%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41)
255.7 Points +34%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 40)
248 Points +30%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41.16299.15.0)
242.3 Points +27%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41)
230.1 Points +21%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
209 Points +9%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U (Edge 42)
190.9 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
  (118.2 - 209, n=10)
178.6 Points -6%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The system runs smoothly. We did not encounter any issues. The notebook possesses more than enough computing power for all standard use cases. The dedicated graphics unit allows for gaming in a limited capacity.

The PC Mark benchmark results turned out to be very good. Although the sister model Swift 3 SF315-51G, which is equipped with a Core i5-8250U processor and a GeForce-MX150 graphics unit, performs better overall. This advantage cannot be felt in day-to-day use. It only becomes apparent when a lot of CPU or GPU performance is needed for a prolonged time.

The Cinebench R15 loop reflects that, with the Core i5-8250U showing consistently better results (about 527 to 530 points) than the AMD processor (about 414 to 420 points) in our test device. The Nvidia graphics card offers more performance than the AMD counterpart in practice as well. Since the SF315-51G we tested and the SF315-41G are equal in price currently, the SF315-51G offers more performance per Euro.

PC Mark 10
PC Mark 10
PCMark 7 Score
6038 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3741 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4358 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4749 points
PCMark 10 Score
3324 points
Help
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5583, n=10, last 2 years)
5126 Points +37%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
3935 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3741 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX 540
 
3741 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3695 Points -1%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
3683 Points -2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3450 Points -8%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
3274 Points -12%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=10, last 2 years)
5081 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
4992 Points +5%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
4812 Points +1%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
4779 Points +1%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
4760 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
4749 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX 540
 
4749 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3797 Points -20%
PCMark 10
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Multimedia
  (3861 - 13548, n=84, last 2 years)
8494 Points +179%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
3135 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3048 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX 540
 
3048 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
2808 Points -8%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
2783 Points -9%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
2397 Points -21%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
2363 Points -22%
Productivity
Average of class Multimedia
  (5462 - 11186, n=84, last 2 years)
8658 Points +72%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
6300 Points +25%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5499 Points +9%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
5109 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5045 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX 540
 
5045 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
4975 Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3113 Points -38%
Essentials
Average of class Multimedia
  (8480 - 12420, n=84, last 2 years)
10421 Points +61%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
8220 Points +27%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
7551 Points +17%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7140 Points +10%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
6480 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX 540
 
6480 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
6283 Points -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
5692 Points -12%
Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4039 - 8670, n=84, last 2 years)
6527 Points +96%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
3802 Points +14%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
3505 Points +5%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3418 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3324 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Radeon RX 540
 
3324 Points 0%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
3007 Points -10%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
2501 Points -25%

Storage Solution

An NVMe-SSD from Intel serves as the system disk. It is an M.2-2280 format model that offers 256 GB of storage space. Ex-factory, about 210 GB is available. The remaining storage space is distributed among the recovery partition and the Windows installation. NVMe-SSDs reach far higher transfer rates than SATA-III models due to being connected via PCI Express 3.0 x4. Thus the installed SSD delivers very good transfer rates. However, it is not one of the fastest NVMe models. Samsung NVMe-SSDs, for example, reach higher speeds.

On the inside of the notebook, there is space for an additional 2.5-inch drive. Our test device lacks the mounting frame, which is required for the installation of the additional drive, as well as the SATA connector. If needed, these components can be purchased through an Acer spare parts partner such as SB Electronics.

Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Sequential Read: 1123 MB/s
Sequential Write: 601 MB/s
512K Read: 822 MB/s
512K Write: 534 MB/s
4K Read: 25.03 MB/s
4K Write: 94.7 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 262.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 208.9 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
Hynix HFS128G39TND
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
Average Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
 
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
-7%
-33%
-21%
-24%
-29%
12%
Read Seq
1123
1130
1%
481.5
-57%
468.5
-58%
530
-53%
475.4
-58%
1122 ?(945 - 1187, n=13)
0%
Write Seq
601
601
0%
131.5
-78%
378.4
-37%
497.5
-17%
453.5
-25%
524 ?(263 - 606, n=13)
-13%
Read 512
822
837
2%
324.8
-60%
342.5
-58%
392
-52%
345.2
-58%
767 ?(639 - 935, n=13)
-7%
Write 512
534
606
13%
130.6
-76%
368.7
-31%
253.7
-52%
299.1
-44%
541 ?(469 - 609, n=13)
1%
Read 4k
25.03
20.46
-18%
30.81
23%
26.93
8%
29.67
19%
27.8
11%
29.9 ?(20.1 - 36.2, n=13)
19%
Write 4k
94.7
81.7
-14%
84.8
-10%
88.1
-7%
78.3
-17%
54.2
-43%
114.5 ?(81.7 - 139.8, n=13)
21%
Read 4k QD32
262.2
235.5
-10%
345
32%
247.8
-5%
282.8
8%
250.9
-4%
279 ?(236 - 290, n=13)
6%
Write 4k QD32
208.9
155
-26%
131.6
-37%
246.5
18%
149.8
-28%
181.8
-13%
356 ?(155 - 520, n=13)
70%

Graphics Card

The Radeon RX 540 is a Polaris generation GPU. It supports DirectX 12 and runs at up to 1.124 MHz. This is a value we were able to confirm while running the GPU benchmarks. However, the GPU falls behind AMDs proposed maximum speed of 1219 MHz. The reason for Acer reducing the maximum speed are thermals. The GPU has access to 2048 MB GDDR5 graphics memory. The 3D Mark benchmark results are roughly on par with those of Nvidia's GeForce MX150 graphics unit.

Combining the Radeon RX 540 graphics unit and the integrated Radeon RX Vega 8 GPU, the Swift 3 is equipped with two AMD models. The two GPUs form a graphics-switching solution (Enduro). 

3DMark 03 Standard
48274 points
3DMark 05 Standard
20313 points
3DMark 06 Standard Score
15818 points
3DMark Vantage P Result
12248 points
3DMark 11 Performance
4664 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
62283 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
11989 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
3133 points
3DMark Fire Strike Extreme Score
1549 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
1095 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=88, last 2 years)
18158 Points +291%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
4742 Points +2%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (4443 - 4983, n=5)
4699 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4646 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
4582 Points -1%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
4575 Points -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
3551 Points -24%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3457 Points -26%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2734 Points -41%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
2471 Points -47%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=62, last 2 years)
57252 Points +146%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
23263 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (18704 - 25616, n=4)
23165 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
21666 Points -7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
19333 Points -17%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
18940 Points -19%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
17743 Points -24%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
14338 Points -38%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
12166 Points -48%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
9012 Points -61%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=89, last 2 years)
13382 Points +280%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
3688 Points +5%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (3242 - 3876, n=4)
3623 Points +3%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
3576 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3519 Points
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
3511 Points 0%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
2807 Points -20%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
2291 Points -35%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2109 Points -40%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
1720 Points -51%
LuxMark v2.0 64Bit
Room GPUs-only
Average of class Multimedia
  (1062 - 1165, n=3, last 2 years)
1107 Samples/s +167%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
446 Samples/s +8%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (414 - 447, n=2)
431 Samples/s +4%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
423 Samples/s +2%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
414 Samples/s 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
414 Samples/s
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
281 Samples/s -32%
Sala GPUs-only
Average of class Multimedia
  (1717 - 2796, n=3, last 2 years)
2401 Samples/s +196%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (811 - 905, n=2)
858 Samples/s +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
811 Samples/s
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
790 Samples/s -3%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
736 Samples/s -9%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
725 Samples/s -11%
ComputeMark v2.1 - 1024x600 Normal, Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (4447 - 9719, n=3, last 2 years)
7517 Points +178%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2708 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
2676 Points -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
2330 Points -14%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2292 Points -15%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
1979 Points -27%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (990 - 2708, n=3)
1565 Points -42%
Geekbench 4.0 - Compute OpenCL Score
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
47987 Points +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
45746 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
42956 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
42956 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
33350 Points -22%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
18158 Points -58%
Geekbench 4.4 - Compute OpenCL Score
Average of class Multimedia
  (last 2 years)
62130 Points +44%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-8250U
47397 Points +10%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
46097 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
43039 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
43039 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
33379 Points -22%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, Intel Core i5-8250U
18139 Points -58%
Unigine Heaven 2.1 - 1280x1024 high, Tesselation (normal), DirectX11 AA:off AF:1x
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
56.9 fps +78%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (31.9 - 47.6, n=2)
39.8 fps +25%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
35 fps +10%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
31.9 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad T480s-20L8S02E00
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
27 fps -15%
Unigine Valley 1.0
1920x1080 Extreme HD DirectX AA:x8
Average of class Multimedia
  (last 2 years)
19.5 fps +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
19.3 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
19.3 fps 0%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i5-7200U
16.8 fps -13%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
11.3 fps -41%
1920x1080 Extreme HD Preset OpenGL AA:x8
Average of class Multimedia
  (last 2 years)
16.8 fps +56%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
AMD Radeon RX 540, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
10.8 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
10.8 fps 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i5-8250U
10.6 fps -2%

Gaming Performance

The hardware of the Swift 3 SF315-41G is able to deliver a smooth experience in many games. Playable frame rates are usually achieved at HD resolution (1280x720 pixels) and medium quality settings. Games with low hardware demands allow for higher settings. Many performance hungry blockbusters from 2017/2018 such as “Assassin's Creed Origins” and “Final Fantasy XV” are not really playable.

While the Radeon RX 540 graphics unit is on the same level as Nvidia's GeForce MX150 GPU in terms of benchmarks, gaming in practice paints a less clear picture. The achieved frame rates are between those of a GeForce MX130 and a GeForce MX150.

low med. high ultra
Tomb Raider (2013) 145 75.9 59.5 29.7
BioShock Infinite (2013) 150.7 74.9 62.3 18.2
GTA V (2015) 74.9 63.7 16.7 6.2
The Witcher 3 (2015) 50.8 29.3 13.2 7.8
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 74.4 62.5 47.1 38.3
World of Warships (2015) 93.7 62.1 32.7 25.2
Rainbow Six Siege (2015) 105.5 56.3 28 21.1
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 50.8 21.6 11.3 9
The Division (2016) 43.7 21.2 9.9
Ashes of the Singularity (2016) 12.5 11.4
Doom (2016) 29.7 23.5 12.5
Overwatch (2016) 83.6 50.9 32 18.3
Deus Ex Mankind Divided (2016) 40 26.8 14
Battlefield 1 (2016) 54.2 30.8 12.2 10.7
Farming Simulator 17 (2016) 99.7 49.9 22.8
Resident Evil 7 (2017) 84.9 34.6 18.8 10.4
For Honor (2017) 64 20.5 18.9 14.8
Warhammer 40.000: Dawn of War III (2017) 51.4 24.6 22.2 20
Prey (2017) 92.2 38.9 25.3 18.7
Rocket League (2017) 152.9 53 31
Dirt 4 (2017) 103.9 32.7 18.2 9.8
Team Fortress 2 (2017) 65.5 63 60 54
Playerunknown's Battlegrounds (PUBG) (2017) 52 14.2 13.4
F1 2017 (2017) 55 22 16
Ark Survival Evolved (2017) 40.6 10.5 10.4
FIFA 18 (2017) 115.8 54.8 40.2 40
Middle-earth: Shadow of War (2017) 39 14 10
The Evil Within 2 (2017) 25.7 11.1 9.8
ELEX (2017) 30.3 15.3 10.9
Destiny 2 (2017) 34.4 18.8 15.5
Assassin´s Creed Origins (2017) 22 10
Call of Duty WWII (2017) 62.8 27.7 12.8
Need for Speed Payback (2017) 25 13.9 10.7
Star Wars Battlefront 2 (2017) 42.9 11.2 9.1
Fortnite (2018) 89.2 22.1 13.3 9.4
Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) 24.5 9.2 4.1
Kingdom Come: Deliverance (2018) 32.8 11.1 8.4
X-Plane 11.11 (2018) 29.8 23.3 19.7
Far Cry 5 (2018) 32 12
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 High Preset
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
117 fps +88%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
89.5 fps +44%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
82.2 fps +32%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
81.8 (13.4min - 231.3max) fps +31%
Lenovo ThinkPad E580-20KS001RGE
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8550U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
72.6 fps +17%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
62.3 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (61 - 62.3, n=2)
61.7 fps -1%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
60.6 fps -3%
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
58.5 fps -6%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
41.9 fps -33%
HP 17-bs103ng
Radeon 530, i5-8250U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
33.7 fps -46%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
23.4 fps -62%
Tomb Raider - 1366x768 High Preset AA:FX AF:8x
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
114.9 fps +93%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
87.2 fps +47%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (59.5 - 61, n=2)
60.3 fps +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
59.5 fps
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
55 fps -8%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
50.3 fps -15%
HP 17-bs103ng
Radeon 530, i5-8250U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
34.8 fps -42%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
24.2 fps -59%
GTA V - 1366x768 Normal/Off AF:4x
Average of class Multimedia
  (33.1 - 186.4, n=76, last 2 years)
137.4 fps +116%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
85.1 fps +34%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
83 fps +30%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
63.7 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
63.7 fps 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
57.8 fps -9%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1024x768 Lowest Preset
HP Pavilion Power 15t-cb2000
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i7-7700HQ, HGST Travelstar 7K1000 HTS721010A9E630
91 fps +79%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
84 (74min - 93max) fps +65%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
73.6 (65min - 82max) fps +45%
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Ramaxel RTNTE256PCA8EADL
67 (62min - 71max) fps +32%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (50.8 - 59, n=2)
54.9 fps +8%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
51.3 fps +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
50.8 fps
Lenovo ThinkPad E580-20KS001RGE
Radeon RX 550 (Laptop), i5-8550U, Lenovo LENSE20256GMSP34MEAT2TA
44.31 fps -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
38.7 fps -24%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
36.1 fps -29%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
21.6 fps -57%
F1 2017 - 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
110 (91min - 123max) fps +100%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (55 - 92, n=2)
73.5 fps +34%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
55 fps
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
50 fps -9%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
34 fps -38%
Dota 2 Reborn - 1920x1080 high (2/3)
Average of class Multimedia
  (8.8 - 184.4, n=90, last 2 years)
105.9 fps +125%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
78.5 fps +67%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2016 (2.7 GHz, 455)
Radeon Pro 455, 6820HQ, Apple SSD SM0512L
67.2 (63min) fps +43%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
47.1 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
47.1 fps 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
35 fps -26%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
29 fps -38%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
19 fps -60%
Rocket League - 1920x1080 Quality AA:Medium FX
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (53 - 86, n=2)
69.5 fps +31%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-55Z9
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
68.8 fps +30%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
54.3 fps +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
53 fps
HP Envy x360 15-bq102ng
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
44 fps -17%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
42.7 fps -19%
HP 17-bs103ng
Radeon 530, i5-8250U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
24.9 fps -53%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
22.2 fps -58%
Dirt 4 - 1280x720 Ultra Low Preset
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (103.9 - 150, n=2)
127 fps +22%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
107.2 fps +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
103.9 fps
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
85.9 fps -17%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
46.4 fps -55%
Team Fortress 2 - 1920x1080 maximum AA:8x MS AF:16x
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
132 (115min) fps +144%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
58 (43min) fps +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
GeForce MX150, i5-8250U, Hynix HFS128G39TND
75.1 fps +39%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
60.5 fps +12%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
54 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
54 fps 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
37.5 fps -31%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
19.6 fps -64%
For Honor - 1280x720 Low Preset
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
96.8 (74min - 149max) fps +51%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-51G-51RL
GeForce MX150, i5-7200U, Kingston RBUSNS8180DS3128GH
85.1 fps +33%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
64 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
64 fps 0%
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
55.7 fps -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
49 fps -23%
HP 17-bs103ng
Radeon 530, i5-8250U, Seagate Mobile HDD 1TB ST1000LM035
30.3 fps -53%
HP 15-bs103ng
Radeon 520, i5-8250U, Samsung SSD PM871a MZNLN256HMHQ
26.3 fps -59%
Far Cry 5 - 1280x720 Low Preset AA:T
Average of class Multimedia
  (40 - 187, n=44, last 2 years)
109 fps +241%
Apple MacBook Pro 15 2017 (2.8 GHz, 555)
Radeon Pro 555, i7-7700HQ, Apple SSD SM0256L
57 (51min - 70max) fps +78%
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
  (32 - 42, n=2)
37 fps +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Radeon RX 540, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
32 fps
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
GeForce MX130, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
21 fps -34%

Emissions - The fan behaves timidly

Noise Emissions

The fan frequently stands still during idle. During this time, there is no noise at all. Under load, the fan does not spin up very aggressively. During stress tests, we only measured a sound pressure level of 35 dB(A) - a very good value for a multimedia notebook with a dedicated graphics unit.

Noise Level

Idle
30.3 / 30.3 / 32.2 dB(A)
Load
34.8 / 35 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.3 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2042.637.133.742.62535.834.534.135.83133.829.735.733.84033.533.330.533.55034.734.437.634.76336.73828.736.78031.532.326.231.510033.430.42633.412525.926.326.725.916027.126.424.827.120027.72923.627.725025.624.923.225.631525.826.222.625.840024.32422.724.35002423.8202463025.825.419.325.880022.923.418.722.910002424.618.124125022.823.21822.8160023.323.617.923.3200023.523.61823.5250024.124.317.924.1315023.223.518.223.2400019.919.918.519.9500019.619.718.619.6630018.818.818.718.8800018.418.318.918.41000018.218.21918.21250018.318.219.118.31600018.818.719.418.8SPL34.8353134.8N2.12.11.42.1median 23.5median 23.6median 19median 23.5Delta2.93.222.9hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
R5 2500U, Radeon RX 540
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Noise
-2%
-1%
-3%
-2%
-2%
3%
4%
off / environment *
30.3
31.8
-5%
30.5
-1%
30
1%
29.9
1%
30.5
-1%
29.1 ?(28.3 - 30.3, n=3)
4%
24.1 ?(19.4 - 29.6, n=94, last 2 years)
20%
Idle Minimum *
30.3
31.8
-5%
30.5
-1%
30.9
-2%
29.9
1%
30.9
-2%
29.1 ?(28.3 - 30.3, n=3)
4%
24.6 ?(20.1 - 31.8, n=94, last 2 years)
19%
Idle Average *
30.3
32.1
-6%
30.5
-1%
30.9
-2%
29.9
1%
30.9
-2%
29.1 ?(28.3 - 30.3, n=3)
4%
25.1 ?(20.1 - 31.8, n=94, last 2 years)
17%
Idle Maximum *
32.2
32.1
-0%
30.9
4%
30.9
4%
32.2
-0%
31
4%
29.7 ?(28.3 - 32.2, n=3)
8%
26.6 ?(20.1 - 36.8, n=94, last 2 years)
17%
Load Average *
34.8
33
5%
35.7
-3%
39
-12%
34.6
1%
37.2
-7%
32.5 ?(29.9 - 34.8, n=3)
7%
39.8 ?(24.2 - 59.7, n=93, last 2 years)
-14%
Load Maximum *
35
34.8
1%
35.6
-2%
38
-9%
40.2
-15%
36.8
-5%
37.3 ?(35 - 39, n=3)
-7%
47.4 ?(29.6 - 62.9, n=94, last 2 years)
-35%
Witcher 3 ultra *
40.2

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Stress testing the Swift 3.
Stress testing the Swift 3.

The Acer computer completes stress tests (Prime95 and FurMark for at least an hour) differently depending on whether the computer is running in battery mode or on power supply. The latter results in the processor running at 1.7 GHz at the beginning of the test. Over the course of the test, the clock drops to 1.1 to 1.4 GHz. The graphics card exhibits the same behavior. Here, the speed drops from 550 to 700 MHz at the beginning to 200 to 300 MHz. In battery mode, the CPU clock fluctuates between 400 MHz and 1.7 GHz, the graphics card runs at a constant 550 MHz.

The notebook does not heat up excessively. It exceeds the fourty degrees Celsius mark (104 °F) at some points during the stress test. Our stress test represents an extreme scenario that does not occur in day-to-day use. With it, we test whether the system is stable even under full load.

Max. Load
 42.2 °C
108 F
46.6 °C
116 F
44.5 °C
112 F
 
 38.2 °C
101 F
42.7 °C
109 F
31.9 °C
89 F
 
 30.3 °C
87 F
28.6 °C
83 F
28.4 °C
83 F
 
Maximum: 46.6 °C = 116 F
Average: 37 °C = 99 F
32.3 °C
90 F
45.5 °C
114 F
40.9 °C
106 F
30.4 °C
87 F
38.6 °C
101 F
35.8 °C
96 F
28.6 °C
83 F
31.3 °C
88 F
31.4 °C
89 F
Maximum: 45.5 °C = 114 F
Average: 35 °C = 95 F
Power Supply (max.)  49.9 °C = 122 F | Room Temperature 23.3 °C = 74 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 37 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 31.2 °C / 88 F for the devices in the class Multimedia.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 46.6 °C / 116 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.5 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 28.4 °C / 83 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.3 °C / 86.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-1.5 °C / -2.7 F).
Heat development top (load)
Heat development top (load)
Heat development bottom (load)
Heat development bottom (load)
Heat development top (idle)
Heat development top (idle)
Heat development bottom (idle)
Heat development bottom (idle)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
R5 2500U, Radeon RX 540
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Heat
6%
15%
11%
11%
15%
2%
4%
Maximum Upper Side *
46.6
41
12%
43.4
7%
40.2
14%
43
8%
42.3
9%
43.5 ?(41.6 - 46.6, n=3)
7%
43.9 ?(26 - 67, n=96, last 2 years)
6%
Maximum Bottom *
45.5
41.1
10%
38.1
16%
46.6
-2%
49.7
-9%
40
12%
45 ?(42 - 47.6, n=3)
1%
46.4 ?(25 - 69, n=96, last 2 years)
-2%
Idle Upper Side *
30.2
29.9
1%
24.8
18%
25.1
17%
24
21%
25.5
16%
30.1 ?(28.6 - 31.6, n=3)
-0%
28.5 ?(21.2 - 41.7, n=94, last 2 years)
6%
Idle Bottom *
30.7
30.9
-1%
25.2
18%
25.8
16%
23.7
23%
23.6
23%
30.9 ?(30.2 - 31.8, n=3)
-1%
29.3 ?(21.4 - 39.8, n=94, last 2 years)
5%

* ... smaller is better

During the stress tests we noticed the Radeon RX 540 GPU throttling when it reached a temperature of 74 degrees Celsius (165.2 °F), which means that it can only maintain its maximum speed for a short time. In order to confirm this, we ran the game “The Witcher 3” for around 60 minutes at Full HD resolution and maximum quality settings. The playable character is not moved throughout this entire period. High speeds are only reached at the beginning of the test. Most of the time, the GPU runs at 550 to 740 MHz (Average: 640 MHz).

The GPU is not able to continuously maintain high speeds due to thermals.
The GPU is not able to continuously maintain high speeds due to thermals.
The CPU clock fluctuates during the Witcher 3 test.
The CPU clock fluctuates during the Witcher 3 test.

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2041.233.741.22541.434.141.4314235.7424041.130.541.15043.237.643.2634628.7468042.926.242.910044.92644.912546.826.746.81604724.8472005023.65025052.823.252.831556.722.656.740059.722.759.750063.22063.263068.219.368.280066.818.766.8100065.918.165.9125070.51870.5160069.717.969.7200071.31871.3250072.317.972.3315074.218.274.2400073.818.573.8500072.818.672.8630070.818.770.8800064.818.964.81000058.91958.91250058.219.158.21600060.919.460.9SPL82.83182.8N51.51.451.5median 64.8median 19median 64.8Delta7.827.831.630.731.632.633.832.639.334.539.332.429.832.435.429.335.432.326.332.327.326.927.327.525.927.535.924.635.94624.14650.722.750.76221.3626720.56765.820.865.86319.36365.218.465.263.51863.560.617.360.66517.16564.117.264.163.717.263.765.117.165.163.817.363.866.417.566.467.317.667.365.617.865.669.117.869.171.117.771.168.417.668.459.717.859.777.93077.941.51.241.5median 64.1median 17.8median 64.14.81.74.835.336.429.73031.831.929.432.433.734.727.427.62525.930.930.925.62726.130.224.239.921.953.22154.719.75518.854.518.354.917.956.817.458.816.768.516.762.716.465.216.566.316.967.517.365.317.769.817.96318.162.418.261.717.95817.852.929.977.11.437.7median 17.9median 5827hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BRAsus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143TLenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (74.2 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 6.6% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (5.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (18.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 48% of all tested devices in this class were better, 9% similar, 44% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 33% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 59% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (71.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 16.9% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.2% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (15.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 29% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 67% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 17% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 79% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (77.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 18.8% lower than median
(-) | bass is not linear (15.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 7.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 82% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 68% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 25% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management - The Acer notebook offers decent battery life

Energy Consumption

The Acer laptop does not reveal any abnormalities in terms of energy consumption. We register a maximum consumption of 11.8 watts during idle. This means that the Swift 3 consumes more energy than the Intel/Nvidia-based sister model. During the stress test (Prime95 and FurMark run for at least an hour) this value increases to 67 watts. However, this value is only reached for a short time at the beginning of the test. The power rating of the power supply is 65 watts.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.22 / 0.32 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 6.9 / 9.6 / 11.8 Watt
Load midlight 50 / 60 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Currently we use the Metrahit Energy, a professional single phase power quality and energy measurement digital multimeter, for our measurements. Find out more about it here. All of our test methods can be found here.
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
R5 2500U, Radeon RX 540
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX
Average AMD Radeon RX 540
 
Average of class Multimedia
 
Power Consumption
6%
20%
17%
23%
27%
-21%
-39%
Idle Minimum *
6.9
7.3
-6%
3.8
45%
4.75
31%
4.03
42%
2.8
59%
6.07 ?(4.8 - 6.9, n=3)
12%
7.2 ?(2.2 - 34.6, n=95, last 2 years)
-4%
Idle Average *
9.6
9.7
-1%
6.5
32%
6.9
28%
6.81
29%
5.8
40%
12.8 ?(9.6 - 15.1, n=3)
-33%
11.6 ?(4.6 - 43, n=95, last 2 years)
-21%
Idle Maximum *
11.8
13
-10%
9.1
23%
7
41%
8.34
29%
7.5
36%
13.9 ?(11.8 - 16.1, n=3)
-18%
14.4 ?(5.6 - 44.9, n=95, last 2 years)
-22%
Load Average *
50
40.4
19%
53.4
-7%
53
-6%
37.3
25%
54
-8%
62.8 ?(50 - 70.5, n=3)
-26%
76.5 ?(14.3 - 147, n=94, last 2 years)
-53%
Load Maximum *
60
42.2
30%
55.6
7%
65.3
-9%
65.5
-9%
56
7%
82.9 ?(60 - 95.2, n=3)
-38%
118.1 ?(44 - 247, n=94, last 2 years)
-97%
Witcher 3 ultra *
52

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

The Acer Swift 3 reaches a running time of 6:41 h in our real-world Wi-Fi test. This test simulates the workload of accessing web pages. The active profile is "Balanced" and the display brightness is set to approximately 150 cd/m². The Acer computer completed our video test after 6:06 h. In this test, we determine video playback time. To this end, we play the short film Big Buck Bunny (H.264- encoding, 1920x1080 pixels) in a continuous loop. The radio modules are disabled during this time, the power saver power plan is active and the display brightness is reduced to 150 cd/m².

The Swift 3 delivers decent battery running times overall. It falls significantly behind the Swift 3 SF315-51G, battery capacities being identical. The reason for this can be found quickly: The SF315-41G consumes more energy during idle and under light loads than the Intel counterpart.

The battery offers a capacity of 48 Wh.
The battery offers a capacity of 48 Wh.
Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
12h 04min
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 42)
6h 41min
Big Buck Bunny H.264 1080p
6h 06min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 49min
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
R5 2500U, Radeon RX 540, 48 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF315-51G-57E5
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 49.7 Wh
Asus VivoBook 15 X542UF-DM143T
i5-8250U, GeForce MX130, 38 Wh
Lenovo IdeaPad 320-15IKBRN 81BG001KGE
i5-8250U, GeForce MX150, 30 Wh
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
i5-8250U, GeForce 940MX, 41.7 Wh
Average of class Multimedia
 
Battery Runtime
-16%
27%
1%
-16%
-1%
37%
Reader / Idle
724
730
1%
631
-13%
933 ?(506 - 1571, n=25, last 2 years)
29%
H.264
366
300
-18%
690 ?(319 - 1481, n=50, last 2 years)
89%
WiFi v1.3
401
310
-23%
511
27%
407
1%
270
-33%
395
-1%
561 ?(262 - 1204, n=93, last 2 years)
40%
Load
109
81
-26%
110
1%
97.5 ?(39 - 215, n=75, last 2 years)
-11%

Verdict

Pros

+ matte IPS display
+ Full-HD resolution
+ NVMe-SSD
+ thin, light, compact

Cons

- reflective display
- slow card reader
- gaming performance below GeForce MX150
The Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR
The Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR

Acer's multimedia allrounder comes with an AMD Raven-Ridge APU that offers more than enough computing power for all standard use cases. The dedicated GPU enables gaming in a limited capacity. However, resolution and quality settings have to be selected conservatively in order to reach playable frame rates. This is particularly true for modern titles.

An NVMe-SSD ensures a responsive system. Exchanging the SSD is possible, although the case would have to be opened in the process. The keyboard left us with a good impression. Positive: The keyboard is backlit. Battery running times are decent overall.

With the Swift 3 SF315-41G, Acer delivers a multimedia allrounder that is not without weaknesses.

The Full HD IPS display shines with viewing angle stability, good color accuracy and a good contrast ratio. Acer deserves criticism for - as with the sister models - relying on a reflective display. The slow memory card reader does not exactly create excitement - another facet the Swift 3 shares with its sister models. Acer has equipped the notebook with a Type-C USB 3.1 gen 1 port; this could very well have been a gen 2 slot, in order to distinguish itself from its competition.

The Swift 3 SF315-41G left a good impression overall, but it ultimately has to bow down to the Swift 3 SF315-51G that comes with a Core i5-8250U processor and a GeForce MX150 graphics unit. The latter offers better performance in games and better battery life. The SF315-41G is not able to secure an advantage in terms of price either. Both Swift 3 models are currently available for around 900 Euros (~$1050).

Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G-R6BR - 06/13/2018 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
78 / 98 → 80%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
49 / 81 → 60%
Weight
62 / 20-67 → 89%
Battery
88%
Display
84%
Games Performance
69 / 85 → 82%
Application Performance
79 / 92 → 86%
Temperature
89%
Noise
92 / 95 → 97%
Audio
71%
Camera
35 / 85 → 42%
Average
74%
82%
Multimedia - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Swift 3 SF315-41G (Ryzen 5 2500U, Radeon RX 540, SSD, FHD) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2018-06-20 (Update: 2018-07- 2)