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Acer Swift 3 (Ryzen 7 2700U, Radeon RX Vega 10) Laptop Review

Ryzen up. Acer has updated their popular Swift 3 laptop with AMD's most powerful mobile APU, the Ryzen 7 2700U with RX Vega 10 graphics. Unfortunately, the system fails to live up to its full potential.

Ryzen has been making waves in the desktop space since its introduction over a year ago, but Intel still dominates the laptop market. After a long wait, Ryzen CPUs are finally making their way into notebooks, but it's been a fairly slow trickle. Acer has been one of the manufacturers leading the Ryzen charge, and their Swift line has been among the first to debut AMD's new silicon.

Today's device is an update to the popular Swift 3 equipped with AMD's Ryzen 7 2700U and Radeon RX Vega 10 on-chip graphics. The new silicon is currently AMD's top-of-the-line accelerated processing unit (APU) for laptops. We'll see in this review whether or not the 2700U performs better than Intel's offerings and how much the Ryzen 7 APU bests the Ryzen 5 2500U.

As this is an update, we will forego discussion of the case, connections, input devices, and other external factors. For more details on those pieces of the Swift 3 experience, please check our prior review here. The Swift 3 has several competitors at this price point, most notably laptops powered by Intel's Core i5-8250U and Core i7-8550U. For this review, we will compare the Swift 3 to the Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN, the Dell Inspiron 13-5379, the Lenovo ThinkPad L380, and the HP Pavilion 15. We will also look at other variants of the Swift 3, namely the Ryzen 5 2500U and Core i7-8550U models. 

Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9 (Swift 3 SF315 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U 4 x 2.2 - 3.8 GHz, Zen
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 - 1024 MB VRAM, Core: 1300 MHz, Memory: 1200 MHz, DDR4, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10 23.20.817.256
Memory
6.9 GB 
, DDR4 @ 1200 MHz
Display
15.60 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 141 PPI, BOE BOE0700, IPS, glossy: yes
Mainboard
AMD CZ FCH
Storage
Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN), 512 GB 
, M.2, SATA 3, 475 GB free
Soundcard
AMD Raven - Audio Processor - HD Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: Combo audio in/out, Card Reader: Full-sized SD/SDHC/SDXC Card Reader, 1 Fingerprint Reader, Brightness Sensor
Networking
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 4.1
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.95 x 338 x 234 ( = 0.71 x 13.31 x 9.21 in)
Battery
49 Wh Lithium-Ion, 4-cell, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 8 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: HD
Additional features
Speakers: 2x 2 W, Keyboard: Chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, Acer Care Center, Acer documents, Acer Power Button, Acer Quick Access, Acer Recovery Management, 12 Months Warranty
Weight
2.021 kg ( = 71.29 oz / 4.46 pounds), Power Supply: 151 g ( = 5.33 oz / 0.33 pounds)
Price
950 USD
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

378 mm / 14.9 inch 252.1 mm / 9.93 inch 22.5 mm / 0.886 inch 1.8 kg4.01 lbs338 mm / 13.3 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 2 kg4.46 lbs325 mm / 12.8 inch 225 mm / 8.86 inch 20.5 mm / 0.807 inch 1.6 kg3.57 lbs322 mm / 12.7 inch 224 mm / 8.82 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.4 kg3.12 lbs310 mm / 12.2 inch 216 mm / 8.5 inch 13.9 mm / 0.547 inch 1.1 kg2.43 lbs306 mm / 12 inch 214 mm / 8.43 inch 14 mm / 0.551 inch 1.1 kg2.51 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=61, last 2 years)
93 MB/s +166%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
80.2 MB/s +129%
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
72.2 MB/s +106%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
69.7 MB/s +99%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.01 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
 
32.4 MB/s -7%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.6 MB/s -18%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
22.8 MB/s -35%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Multimedia
  (16.8 - 266, n=57, last 2 years)
122.4 MB/s +235%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
86.9 MB/s +138%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
84.9 MB/s +132%
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
83.4 MB/s +128%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.52 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
 
35 MB/s -4%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.9 MB/s -21%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.9 MB/s -32%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (285 - 1094, n=5, last 2 years)
789 MBit/s +137%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
680 MBit/s +104%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
670 MBit/s +101%
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
667 MBit/s +100%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
655 MBit/s +97%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
635 MBit/s +91%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
484 MBit/s +45%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
333 MBit/s
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
89 MBit/s -73%
iperf3 receive AX12
Average of class Multimedia
  (625 - 1675, n=5, last 2 years)
1127 MBit/s +100%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
597 MBit/s +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
579 MBit/s +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Qualcomm/Atheros QCA6174
564 MBit/s
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
554 MBit/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
534 MBit/s -5%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
522 MBit/s -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
243 MBit/s -57%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
41 MBit/s -93%

Display

The BOE panel suffers from the same weaknesses that plague other variants of the Swift 3. The highly reflective finish and low backlight brightness make for a frustrating display. The average contrast (753:1) doesn't help much; most images look washed out. Despite the upgrade in internal hardware, the display is worse than that of the Ryzen 5-bsaed Swift 3 and much worse than other options on the market. 

It should be noted that the Swift 3's default settings keep the display backlight at 150 nits when running on battery power. This limit can be removed by disabling VeriBright through the Radeon settings menu. 

Subpixel Matrix
Subpixel Matrix
205.4
cd/m²
218.3
cd/m²
199.8
cd/m²
180.6
cd/m²
203.4
cd/m²
181.6
cd/m²
156
cd/m²
189.8
cd/m²
155.2
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
BOE BOE0700 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 218.3 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 187.8 cd/m² Minimum: 13.26 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 71 %
Center on Battery: 203.4 cd/m²
Contrast: 753:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.21 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5, calibrated: 4.94
ΔE Greyscale 3 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
58% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
37% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
41.1% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
58.1% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
39.79% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.184
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
BOE BOE0700, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
BOE CQ NV156FHM-N48, IPS, 15.60, 1920x1080
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
AU Optronics B140HAN02.1, IPS, 14.00, 1920x1080
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
LG Philips LGD04EF, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
Lenovo LEN4094, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
BOE BOE06A7, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
AU Optronics B133HAN04.9, IPS, 13.30, 1920x1080
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
AU Optronics, TN LED, 15.60, 1920x1080
Display
0%
-8%
52%
2%
5%
54%
-5%
Display P3 Coverage
39.79
39.59
-1%
36.09
-9%
65.2
64%
40.34
1%
41.2
4%
63.3
59%
37.28
-6%
sRGB Coverage
58.1
58.5
1%
54.2
-7%
83.3
43%
60.7
4%
61.7
6%
86.7
49%
56.1
-3%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
41.1
40.9
0%
37.28
-9%
60.9
48%
41.69
1%
42.6
4%
63.4
54%
38.51
-6%
Response Times
0%
21%
183%
16%
-29%
19%
32%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
43.2 ?(22.8, 20.4)
46 ?(25, 21)
-6%
41 ?(19, 22)
5%
36 ?(18, 18)
17%
44 ?(21, 23)
-2%
45 ?(24, 21)
-4%
44 ?(22, 22)
-2%
45 ?(24, 21)
-4%
Response Time Black / White *
39.6 ?(22.8, 16.8)
36 ?(20, 16)
9%
25 ?(15, 10)
37%
26 ?(14, 12)
34%
26 ?(14, 12)
34%
33 ?(20, 13)
17%
24 ?(13, 11)
39%
13 ?(8, 5)
67%
PWM Frequency
21370
21000 ?(90)
-2%
128000 ?(90)
499%
192 ?(90)
-99%
Screen
20%
3%
36%
4%
8%
38%
-49%
Brightness middle
203.4
237
17%
233
15%
299
47%
271
33%
274
35%
329
62%
234
15%
Brightness
188
229
22%
217
15%
306
63%
253
35%
272
45%
306
63%
230
22%
Brightness Distribution
71
88
24%
88
24%
90
27%
89
25%
81
14%
86
21%
76
7%
Black Level *
0.27
0.19
30%
0.27
-0%
0.27
-0%
0.17
37%
0.32
-19%
0.3
-11%
0.34
-26%
Contrast
753
1247
66%
863
15%
1107
47%
1594
112%
856
14%
1097
46%
688
-9%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.21
4.85
7%
5.85
-12%
4.46
14%
14.89
-186%
5.57
-7%
4.07
22%
12.19
-134%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
21.85
8.34
62%
11.51
47%
10.51
52%
31.08
-42%
13.48
38%
7.05
68%
20.81
5%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
4.94
4.43
10%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
3
3.84
-28%
4.87
-62%
2.41
20%
2.51
16%
4.66
-55%
2.76
8%
13.99
-366%
Gamma
2.184 101%
2.42 91%
2.47 89%
2.29 96%
2.14 103%
2.53 87%
2.56 86%
2.32 95%
CCT
5983 109%
6790 96%
6908 94%
6757 96%
6455 101%
7010 93%
6915 94%
15863 41%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
37
37
0%
34
-8%
55
49%
38
3%
39
5%
56
51%
36
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
58
58
0%
54
-7%
83
43%
60
3%
61
5%
86
48%
56
-3%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
7% / 13%
5% / 3%
90% / 67%
7% / 5%
-5% / 0%
37% / 38%
-7% / -30%

* ... smaller is better

Out of the box, the DeltaE2000 sits at 5.21 for color and 3 for grays. Calibration improves these numbers (4.94 for color, 0.8 for grays). While not optimal, these measurements match or beat most other mid-tier multimedia laptops. However, we should note the high maximum DeltaE2000 for colors. At 21.85, this translates to a wide color variance based on the specific wavelength. Blues and purples, in particular, seem to be the most inaccurate hues.


Colorchecker
Colorchecker
Colorchecker (calibrated)
Colorchecker (calibrated)
Grayscale
Grayscale
Grayscale (calibrated)
Grayscale (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
vs sRGB: 58%
vs sRGB: 58%
vs. AdobeRGB: 37%
vs. AdobeRGB: 37%

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
39.6 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22.8 ms rise
↘ 16.8 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. » 97 % 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
43.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22.8 ms rise
↘ 20.4 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. » 68 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 ms).

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 21370 Hz

The display backlight flickers at 21370 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

The frequency of 21370 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Viewing angles are good, but the dim screen makes images hard to discern at an angle. Colors remain accurate and text remains legible. The glossy screen is not favorable for use outdoors or under moderately bright fluorescent lights. Reflections are distracting, and the screen cannot get bright enough to cut past them. Overall, the screen is passable but very disappointing considering the price point.

Screen under overcast skies.
Screen under overcast skies.
Backlight bleed is present along all edges.
Backlight bleed is present along all edges.
Exposure increased to highlight bleed.
Exposure increased to highlight bleed.

Performance

The Ryzen 7 2700U is AMD's top-of-the-line APU for notebooks and promises to compete with Intel's 8th generation U-series CPUs. With four cores (eight threads) clocked at 2.2 GHz (3.8 GHz boost on a single core), the 15 W 2700U stacks up well against Intel's Core i5-8250U and Core i7-8550U, at least on paper. The added benefit of a powerful Radeon RX Vega 10 iGPU gives Ryzen a shot at running circles around Intel. However, our system seems to have trouble with hitting its promised potential, as we'll explore below.

CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: CPU
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Caches
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Mainboard
CPU-Z: Memory
CPU-Z: Memory
GPU-Z
GPU-Z
HWiNFO64
HWiNFO64

Processor

On paper, the Ryzen 7 2700U should compete with or beat out Intel's 8th gen Core i7 U-series CPUs, and we have indeed seen this play out in prior systems. It's this past performance that makes the Swift 3 particularly disappointing. In Cinebench R15's, the Swift 3 lags 5-20% behind devices equipped with Intel's Core i7-8550U (depending on the compared system). Even the lower-clocked Core i5-8250U (used in the Dell Inspiron 13 5379) scores better in single- and multi-threaded tests. It should also be noted that the Ryzen 7 version of the Swift 3 performed worse than the Ryzen 5 variant, which may indicate intentional throttling in our particular unit.

Long-term performance (tested by running Cinebench R15 several times in a row) is stable. The Swift 3 exhibits behavior commonly seen in this test; the systems has a strong initial run with a subsequent drop in performance that remains stable over the remaining passes.

To learn more about the Ryzen 7 2700U APU, please visit our dedicated CPU page here.

Cinebench R10
Cinebench R10
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R11.5
Cinebench R15
Cinebench R15
0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330340350360370380390400410420430440450460470480490500510520530540550560570Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (142.6 - 308, n=96, last 2 years)
249 Points +77%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
175 Points +24%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points +18%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
156 Points +11%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
150 Points +6%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Intel Core i5-8250U
144 Points +2%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (134 - 150, n=12)
141.9 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
141 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
140 Points -1%
Alienware 13 R3 (i5-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti)
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
136 Points -4%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (580 - 4703, n=103, last 2 years)
2280 Points +303%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1133 Points +100%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
733 Points +30%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (546 - 719, n=12)
640 Points +13%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
630 Points +11%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Intel Core i5-8250U
611 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
589 (499min - 552max) Points +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
566 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
550 Points -3%
Alienware 13 R3 (i5-7300HQ, GTX 1050 Ti)
Intel Core i5-7300HQ
512 Points -10%
Cinebench R11.5
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (2.6 - 3.21, n=3, last 2 years)
2.85 Points +80%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
1.98 Points +25%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
1.83 Points +16%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
1.72 Points +9%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (1.58 - 1.71, n=2)
1.645 Points +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1.6 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1.58 Points
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (19 - 31.6, n=3, last 2 years)
24 Points +308%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
Intel Core i7-8750H
12.93 Points +120%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
8.17 Points +39%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (5.88 - 7.66, n=3)
7.02 Points +19%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
6.29 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
5.88 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
5.71 Points -3%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (34412 - 61674, n=3, last 2 years)
43500 Points +217%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
21978 Points +60%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
19873 Points +45%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
16804 Points +22%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
15307 Points +11%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
13729 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (9812 - 17043, n=3)
13528 Points -1%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Multimedia
  (5791 - 10476, n=3, last 2 years)
7475 Points +66%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
Intel Core i7-8550U
6418 Points +42%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
6400 Points +42%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
5939 Points +32%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4515 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (4379 - 4527, n=3)
4474 Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
4418 Points -2%
wPrime 2.10 - 1024m
Average of class Multimedia
  (103.6 - 1259, n=2, last 2 years)
681 s * -154%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
  (268 - 270, n=2)
269 s * -0%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
268.1 s *
Asus FX503VM-EH73
Intel Core i7-7700HQ
231.7 s * +14%

* ... smaller is better

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
8278
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
13729
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4515
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
46.4 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
5.88 Points
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.58 Points
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
48.7 fps
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
566 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
141 Points
Help

System Performance

System performance is frustratingly slow. Opening the start menu or programs takes a tick too long and feels as though the device is playing catch-up. Once things get going, however, performance is smooth and responsive. The biggest hurdle lies in the SSD (discussed below). The Swift 3 scores well in PCMark 8's Creative benchmark, in particular, and beats out other devices with iGPUs. Notebooks with dedicated GPUs understandably trump the Ryzen SoC. 

It should be noted that during our testing period, we experienced a handful of system crashes that resulted in either a BSOD or an unwarranted reboot. One occurred during our load battery test and two others occurred while browsing the web. The crashes cannot be intentionally repeated and seem to be random.

PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Home
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Creative
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8 Work
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Multimedia
  (4484 - 5525, n=9, last 2 years)
5075 Points +39%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
4940 Points +36%
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
4504 Points +24%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3968 Points +9%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
3780 Points +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
3640 Points
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3592 Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3450 Points -5%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (3155 - 3640, n=7)
3308 Points -9%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Gigabyte Aero 15X v8
GeForce GTX 1070 Max-Q, i7-8750H, Toshiba NVMe THNSN5512GPU7
5676 Points +19%
Average of class Multimedia
  (3115 - 6078, n=9, last 2 years)
5278 Points +11%
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
5174 Points +8%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4811 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
4774 Points
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
4621 Points -3%
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (2438 - 4774, n=7)
4215 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3797 Points -20%
Creative Score Accelerated v2
Asus FX503VM-EH73
GeForce GTX 1060 Mobile, i7-7700HQ, SanDisk SD8SN8U128G1002
7238 Points +80%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
4765 Points +19%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
4014 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (3430 - 4014, n=3)
3632 Points -10%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3577 Points -11%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3640 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4014 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4774 points
PCMark 10 Score
3303 points
Help

Storage Devices

The Micron SSD is slow and disappointing. Despite its PCIe connection, the SSD used in this variant of the Swift 3 runs on the SATA protocol rather than the faster NVMe standard. As such, drive performance suffers. Speeds are slow, even for a SATA-based SSD, and fall well behind other options. It's odd that Acer chose a Micron SSD rather than the Intel SSD 600p used in other Swift 3 models. The Intel SSD 600p is much quicker, particular in read operations. Consumers should be aware of the options that Acer uses and choose their hard drive accordingly.

CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1
CrystalDiskMark 5.2.1
AS SSD
AS SSD
PCMark 8 Storage
PCMark 8 Storage
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1006
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Average Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
 
AS SSD
34%
112%
5%
-6%
3%
-168%
20%
Copy Game MB/s
221.7
421.5
90%
154.1
-30%
183.7
-17%
222
0%
Copy Program MB/s
174.4
290.2
66%
129.7
-26%
142.3
-18%
174.4
0%
Copy ISO MB/s
262.5
620
136%
192.4
-27%
333.5
27%
263
0%
Score Total
727
1170
61%
1703
134%
812
12%
991
36%
890
22%
1516
109%
956 ?(727 - 1090, n=3)
31%
Score Write
275
563
105%
695
153%
350
27%
323
17%
250
-9%
143
-48%
371 ?(275 - 449, n=3)
35%
Score Read
297
425
43%
697
135%
303
2%
445
50%
419
41%
947
219%
384 ?(297 - 434, n=3)
29%
Access Time Write *
0.072
0.204
-183%
0.031
57%
0.074
-3%
0.23
-219%
0.091
-26%
1.995
-2671%
0.056 ?(0.047 - 0.072, n=3)
22%
Access Time Read *
0.078
0.098
-26%
0.07
10%
0.13
-67%
0.09
-15%
0.133
-71%
0.058
26%
0.071 ?(0.064 - 0.078, n=2)
9%
4K-64 Write
187
458.2
145%
521
179%
245.1
31%
233.1
25%
155.5
-17%
114.2
-39%
254 ?(187 - 313, n=3)
36%
4K-64 Read
231.8
279.4
21%
506
118%
232.2
0%
368.4
59%
343.9
48%
736
218%
314 ?(232 - 360, n=3)
35%
4K Write
49.43
48.36
-2%
117.5
138%
68.2
38%
68.9
39%
49.33
0%
1.21
-98%
73.7 ?(49.4 - 89.1, n=3)
49%
4K Read
20.27
14.84
-27%
29.55
46%
24.71
22%
27.98
38%
25.92
28%
44.53
120%
22.8 ?(20.3 - 25.2, n=3)
12%
Seq Write
384.7
561
46%
567
47%
365.7
-5%
213.7
-44%
452
17%
275
-29%
436 ?(385 - 465, n=3)
13%
Seq Read
448.1
1304
191%
1609
259%
462.8
3%
483.7
8%
491.7
10%
1971
340%
467 ?(448 - 489, n=3)
4%

* ... smaller is better

Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
CDM 5/6 Read Seq Q32T1: 427.3 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write Seq Q32T1: 432.1 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K Q32T1: 241.4 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K Q32T1: 204 MB/s
CDM 5 Read Seq: 460.8 MB/s
CDM 5 Write Seq: 414.5 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Read 4K: 25.49 MB/s
CDM 5/6 Write 4K: 77.7 MB/s

GPU Performance

The purpose of an APU is to pair a competent CPU with a powerful integrated GPU, and here the combination of the Ryzen 7 2700U CPU and Radeon RX Vega 10 iGPU succeeds. The Swift 3's graphical prowess falls in between Nvidia's GeForce 940MX and GeForce MX150 GPUs. More pertinent to AMD's goal, the Radeon RX Vega 10 iGPU sits well above Intel's integrated solutions and more than doubles the performance of Intel's UHD Graphics 620's in Fire Strike. Intel's Iris Plus Graphics 640 are also left in the dust. Unsurprisingly, the RX Vega 10 falls far behind mid-tier graphics solutions like the GTX 1050 and GTX 1050 Ti. As far as on-chip GPUs are concerned, the RX Vega 10 is the current king.

For more information about the Radeon RX Vega 10 GPU, visit our dedicated GPU page here.

Fire Strike
Fire Strike
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Extreme
Fire Strike Ultra
Fire Strike Ultra
Ice Storm Extreme
Ice Storm Extreme
Cloud Gate
Cloud Gate
Sky Diver
Sky Diver
3DMark 11
1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Multimedia
  (3408 - 60250, n=86, last 2 years)
18365 Points +393%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
9181 Points +146%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
6744 Points +81%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
3728 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (2688 - 4165, n=17)
3483 Points -7%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3461 Points -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
3457 Points -7%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
2471 Points -34%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
2401 Points -36%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1980 Points -47%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
1668 Points -55%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1497 Points -60%
1280x720 Performance Combined
Average of class Multimedia
  (2018 - 24900, n=86, last 2 years)
12612 Points +361%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
8850 Points +224%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
5312 Points +94%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
3553 Points +30%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2734 Points
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
2349 Points -14%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (1157 - 3247, n=17)
2306 Points -16%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1968 Points -28%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1800 Points -34%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
1907 Points -30%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
1251 Points -54%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
1246 Points -54%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (14679 - 150699, n=60, last 2 years)
58023 Points +272%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
50520 Points +224%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
35788 Points +129%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
18346 Points +18%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
15613 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (9364 - 20784, n=16)
14708 Points -6%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
14338 Points -8%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
10486 Points -33%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
9012 Points -42%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
8053 Points -48%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
7309 Points -53%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Multimedia
  (1835 - 46022, n=86, last 2 years)
13601 Points +457%
Gigabyte Aero 14-K8
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Ti Mobile, i7-8750H
7637 Points +213%
Acer Nitro 5 Spin NP515-51-86CX
NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1050 Mobile, i5-8550U
5373 Points +120%
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, i5-8550U
2826 Points +16%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, R7 2700U
2442 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (1567 - 2999, n=17)
2224 Points -9%
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
2109 Points -14%
HP Pavilion 15-cc107ng
NVIDIA GeForce 940MX, i5-8250U
1720 Points -30%
Microsoft Surface Laptop i7
Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640, i7-7660U
1315 Points -46%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), R5 2500U
1095 Points -55%
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Intel UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U
934 Points -62%
3DMark 06 Standard Score
15372 points
3DMark 11 Performance
3753 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
10835 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2241 points
Help

Gaming Performance

The RX Vega 10 GPU is powerful enough to hit Medium settings at 1366x768 in most games. Lighter titles like Rocket League are able to reach 30 fps at FHD (1920x1080) with High settings, but gamers may want to turn the resolution and/or graphics settings down to get higher framerates. More popular titles like DOTA 2 and CS: GO should also be fluid and enjoyable at Full HD at medium-high settings. All said, the Ryzen 2700U benefits greatly from the on-chip Vega 10 GPU, which blows Intel's iGPUs out of the water. Vega 10 is a reasonable solution for most multiplayer games. Gamers that play more demanding titles (like The Witcher 3) should look at notebooks with a dedicated GPU; even Nvidia's low-end MX150 offers better performance.

Rocket League - 1920x1080 High Quality AA:High FX (sort by value)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
33 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (33 - 38.9, n=3)
35.7 fps +8%
Dirt 4 - 1920x1080 Medium Preset AF:4x (sort by value)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
53 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
  (14.2 - 53, n=2)
33.6 fps -37%
Rise of the Tomb Raider - 1366x768 Medium Preset AF:2x (sort by value)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
30 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
 
30 fps 0%
low med. high ultra
The Witcher 3 (2015) 9.3
Rise of the Tomb Raider (2016) 30
Civilization VI (2016) 29
Rocket League (2017) 33
Dirt 4 (2017) 53 21

Stress Test

Stressing the system via synthetic workloads reveals a possible reason behind the disappointing CPU performance we witnessed above. The Ryzen 2700U seems to be tuned very conservatively; in Prime95, the CPU boost intermittently to 3.2 GHz but generally holds back at just under 2.0 GHz. Temperatures on the CPU die are relatively low for a stress test, averaging about 74° C. GPU performance is similar; the Vega 10 GPU never manages to reach its boost clock of 1300 MHz under synthetic stress (via Furmark) or gaming load (during an hour-long session of The Witcher 3). There's plenty of headroom for increased performance, so the restrained clocks are a bit confusing. It could be that Acer has tuned the SoC down in order to keep both interior and exterior temperatures cooler. It could also be that the drivers are too new and these programs cannot fully utilize the hardware. The CPU and GPU can be pushed further; perhaps an update or improved drivers can mitigate this in the future.

Prime95
Prime95
Furmark
Furmark
Prime95 + Furmark
Prime95 + Furmark
The Witcher 3
The Witcher 3
01234567891011Tooltip
The Witcher 3 ultra
CPU Clock (GHz) GPU Clock (MHz) Average CPU Temperature (°C) Average GPU Temperature (°C)
Prime95 Stress 1.95 397 74 72
FurMark Stress 1.6 1150 74 73
Prime95 + FurMark Stress 1.4 900 75 74
Witcher 3 Stress 1.7 880 70 70

Emissions

System Noise

Fan Noise Profile
Fan Noise Profile

One of the high points of the Swift 3 is its external thermal management. The single fan is relatively quiet and only spins up when the device falls under moderate load. Even then, the low pitch blends into room noise remarkably well, and the overall fan volume rarely exceeds 35 dB(A). System noise is on the better side of average compared to other mid-tier devices and quieter than most thin-and-light notebooks (which tend to have shrill, high-pitched fans). There is coil whine, but it is only noticeable within 6 inches of the bottom panel.

Noise Level

Idle
28.1 / 28.1 / 29.3 dB(A)
Load
32.6 / 35.7 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   BK Precision 732A (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 28.1 dB(A)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
Noise
-8%
-7%
-4%
-10%
-3%
-3%
off / environment *
28.1
31.8
-13%
30.5
-9%
30.1
-7%
30.13
-7%
30
-7%
30.4
-8%
Idle Minimum *
28.1
31.8
-13%
30.5
-9%
30.1
-7%
30.13
-7%
30
-7%
30.4
-8%
Idle Average *
28.1
32.1
-14%
30.5
-9%
30.1
-7%
30.3
-8%
30
-7%
30.4
-8%
Idle Maximum *
29.3
32.1
-10%
30.9
-5%
30.1
-3%
30.3
-3%
30
-2%
30.4
-4%
Load Average *
32.6
33
-1%
35.6
-9%
33
-1%
39.2
-20%
33.1
-2%
32.3
1%
Witcher 3 ultra *
33.3
35.1
-5%
Load Maximum *
35.7
34.8
3%
35.6
-0%
35
2%
41
-15%
32.6
9%
31.4
12%

* ... smaller is better

Temperature

Exhaust during load
Exhaust during load

The Swift 3 has the best of both worlds: quiet fan noise and low external temperatures. Under full load, the hottest point on the chassis lies at the bottom left vent along the backside. Even this point only gets somewhat warm and never feels painful to the touch. The keyboard feels neither warm nor cool during long gaming sessions. While we bemoaned the lackluster performance (see the Stress Testing section), the resultant cooler temperatures are a pleasant consequence of the restrained hardware.

Max. Load
 37 °C
99 F
40.2 °C
104 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 36.2 °C
97 F
38 °C
100 F
26.2 °C
79 F
 
 27.2 °C
81 F
25.4 °C
78 F
24.4 °C
76 F
 
Maximum: 40.2 °C = 104 F
Average: 32.5 °C = 91 F
30 °C
86 F
41 °C
106 F
44.2 °C
112 F
28.4 °C
83 F
35.8 °C
96 F
36.2 °C
97 F
27.6 °C
82 F
30 °C
86 F
31.2 °C
88 F
Maximum: 44.2 °C = 112 F
Average: 33.8 °C = 93 F
Power Supply (max.)  47 °C = 117 F | Room Temperature 21.4 °C = 71 F | Fluke 62 Mini
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.5 °C / 91 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 40.2 °C / 104 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 44.2 °C / 112 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.8 °C / 78 F, compared to the device average of 31.2 °C / 88 F.
(+) Playing The Witcher 3, the average temperature for the upper side is 31 °C / 88 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 27.2 °C / 81 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 (+1.6 °C / 2.8 F).
Keyboard, idle
Keyboard, idle
Bottom panel, idle
Bottom panel, idle
Keyboard, load
Keyboard, load
Bottom panel, load
Bottom panel, load
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Keyboard, The Witcher 3
Bottom panel, The Witcher 3
Bottom panel, The Witcher 3

Speakers

Most devices in this price range aren't known for their sound quality, and the Swift 3 is no exception. The speakers are underwhelming. Bass is almost entirely absent, and highs are thin and tinny. There is also a noticeable rattle in the chassis at higher volumes. The overall listening experience is none too pleasant. Headphones are highly recommended.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.637.92534.134.13130.734.34032.232.75031.534.66332.132.88031.630.910029.329.712529.229.816027.733.820027.746.525025.853.631525.551.540024.953.350024.155.763023.762.780023.568.8100023.862.912502366.816002370200022.969.9250022.870.9315022.470400022.768.1500022.563.6630022.565.1800022.565.21000022.561.91250022.861.21600022.963.8SPL35.279.7N2.444median 23median 62.9Delta1.57.84841.24844.939.944.934.131.834.132.731.732.733.92933.934.431.134.434.628.734.636.23036.236.525.536.540.425.440.444.524.444.549.223.249.250.622.450.648.321.548.348.120.248.148.119.948.153.11953.153.418.553.461.617.961.664.117.264.161176158.316.858.357.416.857.455.916.755.955.416.655.461.616.761.659.516.859.558.816.758.851.416.751.451.616.851.671.130.171.126.51.426.5median 53.1median 17.9median 53.16.32.36.3hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.9 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 22.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.4% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.7% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (23.9% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 82% of all tested devices in this class were better, 7% similar, 12% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
Compared to all devices tested
» 67% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 26% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (64.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 10.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (7.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.3% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (7.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.1% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.3% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 52% of all tested devices in this class were better, 12% similar, 36% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 54% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 39% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Energy Management

Power Consumption

AMD CPUs are not renowned for their power management, but Ryzen may bring a change. When idle, the Ryzen 7 2700U system pulls more power than most of its Intel-based competitors. Under load, however, the Swift 3 draws about 33 Watts, which is similar to other devices with Kaby Lake R CPUs. As expected, the Swift 3 uses more power under full load (e.g., when gaming) than Intel systems without a dedicated GPU. The RX Vega 10 GPU needs about 30-40% more power than Intel's UHD Graphics 620, but the performance gain is certainly worth the trade. Conversely, systems with Nvidia's MX150 GPU pull another 10 or so Watts when gaming, a bump of about 25%.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.19 / 0.31 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.9 / 8.6 / 8.7 Watt
Load midlight 32.8 / 40.9 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 SF315-41-R6J9
R7 2700U, Vega 10, Micron SSD 1100 SED 512GB, M.2 (MTFDDAV512TBN), IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, SK Hynix HFS256G39TND-N210A, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
R5 2500U, Vega 8, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR, IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Power Consumption
-22%
-12%
16%
18%
24%
-4%
Idle Minimum *
5.9
7.3
-24%
4.4
25%
3.2
46%
2.2
63%
2.7
54%
5.3
10%
Idle Average *
8.6
9.7
-13%
6.6
23%
5.9
31%
5
42%
5.6
35%
9
-5%
Idle Maximum *
8.7
13
-49%
9.2
-6%
8.8
-1%
8
8%
9.2
-6%
12.6
-45%
Load Average *
32.8
40.4
-23%
61
-86%
31.2
5%
33
-1%
30
9%
37.1
-13%
Witcher 3 ultra *
38.2
40
-5%
Load Maximum *
40.9
42.2
-3%
50
-22%
42.2
-3%
49.4
-21%
30.4
26%
26.5
35%

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

Sadly, battery life is still an issue with AMD systems. At 5 hours 17 minutes in our WiFi v1.3 battery test, the Swift 3 comes in far behind Intel-based systems. For instance, the Asus ZenBook 13 (Core i7-8550U) manages a 3.5-hour longer runtime in the same test even though it has a similarly-sized battery. Users will be able to get some work done away from the outlet, but the power adapter will need to be packed for even a modest day out. Thankfully, the power brick is small and very portable.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
13h 15min
WiFi Websurfing
5h 17min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 15min
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9
R7 2700U, Vega 10, 49 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R4W1
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 48 Wh
Dell Inspiron 13-5379-9573
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 42 Wh
Asus ZenBook 13 UX331UN
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 50 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad L380-20M5000WGE
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 45 Wh
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
Battery Runtime
-1%
47%
16%
55%
73%
10%
Reader / Idle
795
730
-8%
918
15%
1240
56%
1129
42%
683
-14%
WiFi v1.3
317
310
-2%
465
47%
324
2%
538
70%
697
120%
204
-36%
Load
75
81
8%
98
31%
105
40%
117
56%
134
79%

Pros

+ competes well with Kaby Lake R CPUs
+ Vega 10 GPU bests Intel iGPUs by wide margin
+ relatively compact and portable
+ ports are well-positioned and offer wide variety
+ fingerprint reader is nice addition
+ fans are well-tuned and quiet
+ heat output is well managed
+ good maintenance options
+ color accurate screen

Cons

- relatively short battery life compared to Kaby Lake R devices
- no Thunderbolt 3
- slow card reader
- inconsistent PCIe SSD
- screen is far too dim
- screen is far too reflective
- screen has low color space coverage
- sound is thin
- keyboard is shallow and clacky
- sharp edges will be uncomfortable for some users
- performance improvements over Ryzen 5 are disappointing

Verdict

In review: Acer Swift 3 (Ryzen 7 2700U w/ Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics). Review unit courtesy of Acer US.
In review: Acer Swift 3 (Ryzen 7 2700U w/ Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics). Review unit courtesy of Acer US.

Ryzen 7 is here, but not in full force. Acer's Swift 3 is one of the first machines to use AMD's new APU, but it may not be the best picture of what the chip can do. While performance is slightly improved from the Ryzen 5 2500U in most cases, it still lags behind Intel's offerings in spite of the promises enumerated in AMD's marketing. Mixed with lackluster battery life and a disappointing screen, the Ryzen 7 variant of the Swift 3 has a lot working against it.

The machine hits some high points, though. The chassis looks nice and is fairly light and portable. The keyboard and touchpad are good, and gaming performance is superior to other on-chip GPUs. Ultimately, the restrained performance leaves a disheartening taste in our mouth. There's plenty of headroom to push the silicon further, which elicits some hope for the future. However, this speculation is fully reliant on AMD providing improved drivers and Acer pushing out updates in a timely fashion.

There is a silver lining: price. At $950, the Ryzen 7 variant of the Swift 3 is positioned well for consumers that want to indulge in some lighter gaming from time to time. Intel's Core i7-8550U handily beats the 2700U but is priced at about $200-300 more. The 10-15% drop in CPU performance may be worth the Swift 3's lower cost; the bump in GPU power is icing on a reasonably-priced cake. There are better options available, but they come with a higher tag.

In sum, the Ryzen 7 2700U promises a lot but fails to deliver, at least in the Acer Swift 3. There is plenty of room for improvement, but it's up to AMD and Acer to push the APU further. Still, the Swift 3 is well-priced for what it offers. Intel may need to start looking over their shoulder.

Acer Swift 3 SF315-41-R6J9 - 04/29/2018 v6(old)
Sam Medley

Chassis
76 / 98 → 77%
Keyboard
79%
Pointing Device
92%
Connectivity
48 / 81 → 60%
Weight
63 / 20-67 → 91%
Battery
83%
Display
77%
Games Performance
70 / 85 → 82%
Application Performance
83 / 92 → 91%
Temperature
91%
Noise
96 / 95 → 100%
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 (Ryzen 7 2700U, Radeon RX Vega 10) Laptop Review
Sam Medley, 2018-05- 2 (Update: 2018-05- 2)