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Acer Swift 3 SF314-41 Laptop Review: A stylish and slim Ryzen subnotebook with plenty of power and battery life in the tank

Ryzen is doing well for itself. Acer's new 14-inch subnotebook sports a sleek metal chassis, a Ryzen 5 APU and dual-channel RAM among other features. The rest of the device seems on point too, with Acer including an NVMe SSD, matte IPS screen, and a backlit keyboard. These are joined by good battery life too.

The Acer Swift 3 SF314-41 is a sleek and slim 14-inch laptop, several siblings of which we have already reviewed. Most recently we have covered the Swift 3 SF314-54, a version with an Intel Pentium Gold 4417U processor. By contrast, our current review unit has an AMD Ryzen 5 3500U onboard. We shall compare the device not only against its sibling but also other comparable laptops like the ASUS VivoBook 14 X403FA, HP 14, Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D and Lenovo IdeaPad S340-14IWL.

Since the SF314-54 and SF314-41 share the same case, connectivity, input devices and speakers, we shall not cover them in this review. Please see our SF314-54 review for our thoughts on these areas.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ (Swift 3 SF314 Series)
Processor
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U 4 x 2.1 - 3.7 GHz, Picasso-U (Zen+)
Graphics adapter
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000) - 2.9 GB VRAM, Core: 1200 MHz, Memory: 1299 MHz, Dual-Channel, 26.20.13031.5006 (Adrenalin 19.10.2)
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4-2666, dual-channel, one memory bank (occupied), 4 GB soldered
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
AMD Promontory/Bixby FCH
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
, 442 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC256 @ AMD K17.1 - Audio Processor - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm combined headphone and microphone jack, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 18 x 323 x 228 ( = 0.71 x 12.72 x 8.98 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 Ultra trial, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.5 kg ( = 52.91 oz / 3.31 pounds), Power Supply: 159 g ( = 5.61 oz / 0.35 pounds)
Price
599 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Rating
Date
Model
Weight
Height
Size
Resolution
Best Price
82.7 %
11/2019
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
R5 3500U, Vega 8
1.5 kg18 mm14.00"1920x1080
84.6 %
05/2019
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
R5 2500U, Vega 8
1.5 kg16 mm14.00"1920x1080
84.8 %
06/2019
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
i7-8565U, GeForce MX230
1.6 kg17.9 mm14.00"1920x1080
83.7 %
09/2019
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620
1.3 kg16.5 mm14.00"1920x1080
81.9 %
06/2019
HP 14-dk0008ng
R7 3700U, Vega 10
1.5 kg20 mm14.00"1920x1080
82.9 %
09/2019
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Pentium 4417U, HD Graphics 610
1.6 kg17.95 mm14.00"1920x1080

Size Comparison

335 mm / 13.2 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 20 mm / 0.787 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 228 mm / 8.98 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.5 kg3.31 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 228 mm / 8.98 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 231 mm / 9.09 inch 17.9 mm / 0.705 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 208 mm / 8.19 inch 16.5 mm / 0.65 inch 1.3 kg2.91 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 221 mm / 8.7 inch 16 mm / 0.63 inch 1.5 kg3.24 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)
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
71.6 MB/s +97%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (18.9 - 193.9, n=17, last 2 years)
66.7 MB/s +84%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
36.3 MB/s
HP 14-dk0008ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
35.2 MB/s -3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.1 MB/s -28%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
19.7 MB/s -46%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
83.7 MB/s +121%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (23.6 - 239, n=17, last 2 years)
81.3 MB/s +115%
HP 14-dk0008ng
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
38 MB/s +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
37.8 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
28.8 MB/s -24%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.5 MB/s -38%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
629 MBit/s +13%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
558 (428min - 613max) MBit/s
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
514 MBit/s -8%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
321 (249min - 389max) MBit/s -42%
iperf3 receive AX12
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Intel 8265 Tri-Band WiFi (Oak Peak) Network Adapter
635 MBit/s +41%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
635 MBit/s +41%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Atheros/Qualcomm QCA6174
450 (234min - 544max) MBit/s
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Cannon Lake-H/S CNVi: WiFi
251 (184min - 354max) MBit/s -44%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630Tooltip
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000); iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø450 (234-544)
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX230; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø250 (184-354)
HP 14-dk0008ng AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø271 (234-285)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK Intel Pentium Gold 4417U, Intel HD Graphics 610; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø558 (532-575)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000); iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø558 (428-613)
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX230; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø321 (249-389)
HP 14-dk0008ng AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø309 (212-410)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK Intel Pentium Gold 4417U, Intel HD Graphics 610; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø636 (598-663)

Display - An Acer laptop with a dark screen

Sub-pixel array
Sub-pixel array

The Swift 3 has a 14-inch IPS panel that operates natively at 1920x1080. While the screen provides a good contrast ratio of 1,664:1, its average peak brightness is too low at 218.7 cd/m². We consider anything beyond 300 cd/m² good, so the Swift 3 falls well short of expectations here. The device also reduces its peak luminosity when running on battery power, but deactivating AMD Radeon Vari-Bright prevents this from happening.

Unfortunately, the screen flickers at 250 Hz when set at 10% brightness and below. This frequency is low enough to cause some people health issues like eyestrain and headaches.

231
cd/m²
244
cd/m²
240
cd/m²
209
cd/m²
233
cd/m²
220
cd/m²
182
cd/m²
210
cd/m²
199
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N140HCA-EAC tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 244 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 218.7 cd/m² Minimum: 14 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 75 %
Center on Battery: 212 cd/m²
Contrast: 1664:1 (Black: 0.14 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 5.9 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 4.8 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
62% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.85% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.8% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
41.43% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.06
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
HP 14-dk0008ng
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
6%
-7%
-1%
-5%
-7%
Display P3 Coverage
41.43
44.26
7%
38.41
-7%
40.85
-1%
39.53
-5%
38.62
-7%
sRGB Coverage
61.8
65.1
5%
57.8
-6%
61.1
-1%
59.1
-4%
58.1
-6%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.85
45.73
7%
39.68
-7%
42.25
-1%
40.84
-5%
39.9
-7%
Response Times
-18%
3%
3232%
0%
-9%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
38 ?(20, 18)
42.4 ?(22.8, 19.6)
-12%
36 ?(20, 16)
5%
40.8 ?(22.8, 18)
-7%
38 ?(18, 20)
-0%
43 ?(22, 21)
-13%
Response Time Black / White *
27 ?(16, 11)
32.8 ?(18, 14.8)
-21%
27 ?(16, 11)
-0%
27.2 ?(16.4, 10.8)
-1%
27 ?(15, 12)
-0%
28 ?(16, 12)
-4%
PWM Frequency
250 ?(10)
198.4 ?(99)
-21%
24510 ?(20)
9704%
Screen
3%
-9%
-5%
15%
9%
Brightness middle
233
287
23%
260
12%
250
7%
269
15%
258
11%
Brightness
219
276
26%
250
14%
236
8%
257
17%
252
15%
Brightness Distribution
75
86
15%
87
16%
78
4%
89
19%
90
20%
Black Level *
0.14
0.25
-79%
0.29
-107%
0.27
-93%
0.2
-43%
0.16
-14%
Contrast
1664
1148
-31%
897
-46%
926
-44%
1345
-19%
1613
-3%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
5.9
5.4
8%
6.29
-7%
5
15%
3.68
38%
5.1
14%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
22.8
18.1
21%
14.77
35%
20.7
9%
7.36
68%
19.99
12%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.8
3.1
35%
4.65
3%
2.4
50%
1.69
65%
2.5
48%
Gamma
2.06 107%
1.99 111%
2.73 81%
2.05 107%
2.49 88%
2.5 88%
CCT
6589 99%
6769 96%
7331 89%
6697 97%
6406 101%
6829 95%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
39
41.8
7%
37
-5%
38.9
0%
38
-3%
37
-5%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
62
64.6
4%
58
-6%
61
-2%
59
-5%
58
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
5
4.51
4.3
4.8
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-3% / -0%
-4% / -7%
1075% / 603%
3% / 9%
-2% / 4%

* ... smaller is better

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
27 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 16 ms rise
↘ 11 ms fall
The screen shows relatively slow response rates in our tests and may be too slow for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 63 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
38 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 20 ms rise
↘ 18 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. » 49 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 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 250 Hz ≤ 10 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 10 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 250 Hz is relatively low, so sensitive users will likely notice flickering and experience eyestrain at the stated brightness setting and below.

In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Our review unit had acceptable colour accuracy upon delivery. We measured a Delta E 2000 variance of 5.9 that, while being higher than our ideal value of less than 3, is on par with most of our comparison devices. The display in the Swift 3 does not suffer from a blue tint either, but its colour-space coverages of 39% for AdobeRGB and 62% for sRGB are too low to use the device for professional colour work. Again, the Swift 3 has roughly the same colour-space coverages as our comparison devices.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Grayscale
CalMAN - Colour Saturation
CalMAN - Colour Saturation

The display in our review unit also has stable viewing angles, making the device readable from practically any angle. Readability outdoors is a different story, though. The low maximum brightness comes into play here, making the device tricky to read on a sunny day. Effectively, Acer has restricted the Swift 3 to being used indoors because of the screen that it has included.

Using the Swift 3 outdoors.
Using the Swift 3 outdoors.

Performance - A Swift 3 powered by Ryzen

The Swift 3 offers enough power for most office and internet applications, while the dual-channel RAM helps the device get the most from its CPU and integrated GPU. Our test device currently retails for almost 600 Euros (~$669), but prices start at 450 Euros (~$502) for other configurations. Acer also sells Intel-powered versions under the SF314-54 series.

Processor

The Ryzen 5 3500U in our review unit incorporates four Picasso cores and is based on AMD's Zen+ microarchitecture. The APU also has a 2.1 GHz base clock that it can boost up to 3.7 GHz when needed. The processor supports simultaneous multithreading (SMT) too, allowing it to execute up to eight threads at the same time.

Our review unit briefly runs at between 3.2 and 3.3 GHz in multithreaded benchmarks like Cinebench R15 Multi 64Bit, before dropping to around 2.9 or 3 GHz. CPU speeds also fluctuate between 1.6 and 3.7 GHz in single-threaded tasks. By contrast, the Swift 3 initially operates at 2.4 GHz in multithreaded benchmarks when running on battery power, before speeding up to between 3 and 3.1 GHz. The Ryzen 5 3500U generally runs at between 1.3 to 2.4 GHz in single-threaded tasks too, but we noticed that it would occasionally spike to 3.7 GHz, for some reason.

CPU-Z
CPU-Z
HWiNFO
HWiNFO

We also checked how well the APU utilises its turbo clock speeds on mains power by running a CB R15 Multi 64Bit benchmark on a loop. We left the loop running for around 30 minutes, during which scores decreased slightly by the fifth run-through, after which they stabilised. In short, the APU can continually use its turbo clock speeds, but not at full capacity.

04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680720760Tooltip
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Ryzen 5 3500U: Ø549 (530.85-646.18)
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø583 (578.22-612.26)
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø654 (578.9-760.2)
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel Core i5-8265U: Ø538 (531.69-621.96)
HP 14-dk0008ng AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U: Ø447 (422.06-536.95)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK Intel Pentium Gold 4417U, Intel Pentium Gold 4417U: Ø227 (224.21-228.14)
CPU clock speeds during a loop of CB R15 Multi 64Bit
CPU clock speeds during a loop of CB R15 Multi 64Bit
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
4560
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
16980
Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
7902
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
145 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
646 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
49.56 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
98 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
237 Points +63%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Core i7-8565U
175 Points +21%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
152 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
145 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (131 - 147, n=18)
142.4 Points -2%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
139 Points -4%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
127 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
89 Points -39%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1757 Points +172%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Core i7-8565U
760 Points +18%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
646 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (482 - 682, n=19)
642 Points -1%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
622 Points -4%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
615 (576.4min - 616.38max) Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
537 Points -17%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
228 Points -65%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2481 - 10300, n=14, last 2 years)
7596 Points +67%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
6038 Points +32%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
4560 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (4542 - 4565, n=4)
4556 Points 0%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
4045 Points -11%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
3570 Points -22%
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13940 - 56242, n=14, last 2 years)
38738 Points +128%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
20546 Points +21%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
16980 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (13249 - 17578, n=4)
16322 Points -4%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
12881 Points -24%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
8012 Points -53%
Cinebench R20
CPU (Single Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (216 - 738, n=64, last 2 years)
610 Points +64%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
399 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
372 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
357 Points -4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (317 - 372, n=15)
354 Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
285 Points -23%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
203 Points -45%
CPU (Multi Core)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (810 - 6314, n=64, last 2 years)
3963 Points +206%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (1063 - 1540, n=15)
1436 Points +11%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1363 Points +5%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
1350 Points +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
1294 Points
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
1047 Points -19%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
472 Points -64%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
21447 Points +64%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
14015 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
13081 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (9503 - 13145, n=4)
12182 Points -7%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
10238 Points -22%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
4882 Points -63%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
5120 Points +47%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
3736 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3478 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (3258 - 3478, n=4)
3405 Points -2%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
3003 Points -14%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
2254 Points -35%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (15240 - 43897, n=11, last 2 years)
32353 Points +175%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
14927 Points +27%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
11783 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (10099 - 12171, n=11)
11388 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
10356 Points -12%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
8907 Points -24%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
5248 Points -55%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3460 - 7522, n=11, last 2 years)
6551 Points +68%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U
4483 Points +15%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3893 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (3400 - 3924, n=11)
3785 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3709 Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
3445 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
2695 Points -31%
Geekbench 5.0
5.0 Multi-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3749 - 11684, n=15, last 2 years)
8229 Points +168%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3067 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (2599 - 3244, n=8)
3035 Points -1%
5.0 Single-Core
Average of class Subnotebook
  (663 - 1828, n=15, last 2 years)
1554 Points +75%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
886 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (772 - 913, n=8)
880 Points -1%
Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U (Edge 44)
2162 ms * -71%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1443 ms * -14%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U (Edge 44)
1405 ms * -11%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (1101 - 1693, n=14)
1272 ms * -0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (Edge 44)
1266 ms *
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
1220 ms * +4%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Core i7-8565U
730 ms * +42%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (363 - 1913, n=67, last 2 years)
587 ms * +54%
Octane V2 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (49893 - 98093, n=33, last 2 years)
81852 Points +186%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Core i7-8565U
43069 Points +51%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
30968 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (Edge 44)
28573 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (19083 - 32938, n=11)
26794 Points -6%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U (Edge 44)
23657 Points -17%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
21539 Points -25%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U (Edge 44)
16702 Points -42%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
348 Points +68%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Core i7-8565U
243 Points +17%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U (Edge 44)
218.8 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U (Edge 44)
207.7 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
  (106.9 - 208, n=13)
180.2 Points -13%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U (Edge 44)
177 Points -15%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U (Edge 44)
124.7 Points -40%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
118.2 Points -43%

* ... smaller is better

System Performance

The combination of a Ryzen APU, 8 GB of dual-channel RAM and an NVMe SSD ensures that the Swift 3 offers nimble and fluid system performance. Our review unit has more than enough performance for office and internet applications, an impression that system performance benchmarks like PCMark underline. We also encountered no performance issues during our tests.

PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3566 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
3551 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4633 points
PCMark 10 Score
3907 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=55, last 2 years)
5879 Points +50%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
GeForce MX230, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4011 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3907 Points
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3485 - 3972, n=16)
3766 Points -4%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3692 Points -6%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3534 Points -10%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3522 Points -10%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
HD Graphics 610, Pentium 4417U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
2178 Points -44%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=55, last 2 years)
10247 Points +30%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
GeForce MX230, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
8222 Points +4%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7877 Points
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
7595 Points -4%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (6690 - 8300, n=16)
7533 Points -4%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
7050 Points -10%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
6756 Points -14%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
HD Graphics 610, Pentium 4417U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
4944 Points -37%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=55, last 2 years)
7857 Points +32%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
GeForce MX230, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
6373 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5952 Points
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
5898 Points -1%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (5456 - 6074, n=16)
5774 Points -3%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
5459 Points -8%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
5425 Points -9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
HD Graphics 610, Pentium 4417U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
3592 Points -40%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=55, last 2 years)
6923 Points +100%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3453 Points
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
GeForce MX230, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3344 Points -3%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (2989 - 3526, n=16)
3337 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3269 Points -5%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3082 Points -11%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3050 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
HD Graphics 610, Pentium 4417U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
1579 Points -54%
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +41%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
GeForce MX230, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3641 Points +2%
Average AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (3316 - 4235, n=13)
3600 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Vega 8, R5 3500U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3566 Points
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
3515 Points -1%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
Vega 8, R5 2500U, SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
3420 Points -4%
HP 14-dk0008ng
Vega 10, R7 3700U, Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
3325 Points -7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
HD Graphics 610, Pentium 4417U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
2196 Points -38%

Storage Devices

Acer has equipped our review unit with a Western Digital SSD, a picture of which we have included below. The PC SN520 that Acer has included offers 512 GB of storage, although only approximately 442 GB is free once the space required for installing Windows 10 has been taken into account. Overall, the SSD achieves good transfer speeds and consistently outperforms SATA III drives, which are limited to around 600 MB/s.

A look at the WDC PC SN520 SSD in our review unit.
A look at the WDC PC SN520 SSD in our review unit.
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Sequential Read: 1423 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1361 MB/s
512K Read: 1002 MB/s
512K Write: 1174 MB/s
4K Read: 40.89 MB/s
4K Write: 105.4 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 306.9 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 227.3 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
SK Hynix SC313 HFS256G39TNF
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel SSD 660p SSDPEKNW512G8
HP 14-dk0008ng
Samsung PM871b MZNLN128HAHQ
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
Average WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-47%
19%
3%
-48%
-46%
10%
88%
Write 4K
134.3
72.3
-46%
160.8
20%
130.8
-3%
90.6
-33%
47.96
-64%
Read 4K
43.56
30.77
-29%
50.5
16%
55.1
26%
33.17
-24%
17.62
-60%
Write Seq
1434
468.1
-67%
1458
2%
962
-33%
483
-66%
479.4
-67%
1265 ?(750 - 1768, n=25)
-12%
Read Seq
1448
518
-64%
1447
0%
1634
13%
511
-65%
940
-35%
1237 ?(423 - 1710, n=25)
-15%
Write 4K Q32T1
239.1
214.2
-10%
406.5
70%
343.5
44%
170.7
-29%
169.9
-29%
Read 4K Q32T1
327.6
241.1
-26%
476.8
46%
339.7
4%
235
-28%
224.5
-31%
Write Seq Q32T1
1456
482
-67%
1458
0%
984
-32%
496.5
-66%
492.1
-66%
Read Seq Q32T1
1734
537
-69%
1743
1%
1858
7%
534
-69%
1516
-13%

Graphics Card

The Radeon RX Vega 8 handles graphics tasks, which AMD integrates within the Ryzen 5 3500U. The GPU supports DirectX 12 and can reach 1,200 MHz, while it also supports eight compute units (CU). The Swift 3 performed as expected in 3DMark benchmarks and even outperforms the NVIDIA GeForce MX230 found in the IdeaPad S340-14IWL. The GPU benefits from operating in dual-channel mode too.

The GPU incorporates a hardware decoder as well, which relieves the processor of the resources required to stream or playback videos. Hence, you should have no issues with streaming videos on the Swift 3.

GPU-Z
GPU-Z
DXVAChecker
DXVAChecker
3DMark 11 Performance
4019 points
3DMark Ice Storm Standard Score
64530 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
13168 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2146 points
3DMark Time Spy Score
828 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8227 Points +108%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
4056 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
3949 Points
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, Intel Core i7-8565U
3582 Points -9%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
3565 Points -10%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1668 - 4317, n=44)
3447 Points -13%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1845 Points -53%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel HD Graphics 610, Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
899 Points -77%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
6026 Points +148%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, Intel Core i7-8565U
2729 Points +12%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
2581 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
2433 Points
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
2381 Points -2%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (1095 - 2901, n=41)
2224 Points -9%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1281 Points -47%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel HD Graphics 610, Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
593 Points -76%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=39, last 2 years)
29386 Points +59%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
18528 Points
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
18378 Points -1%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
NVIDIA GeForce MX230, Intel Core i7-8565U
17999 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
17661 Points -5%
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (7309 - 19399, n=37)
15327 Points -17%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
10335 Points -44%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel HD Graphics 610, Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
5067 Points -73%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (811 - 4773, n=58, last 2 years)
2027 Points +173%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 3700U
779 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 3500U
742 Points
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (523 - 790, n=23)
673 Points -9%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
404 Points -46%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel HD Graphics 610, Intel Pentium Gold 4417U
189 Points -75%

Gaming Performance

Typically, integrated GPUs are not powerful enough to play modern games. However, the Radeon RX Vega 8 can even play recent titles like GRID 2019, Total War: Three Kingdoms or FIFA 20, although only at 768p and low graphics settings. The Swift 3 has no issues with playing older titles like BioShock Infinite on the high preset at 768p, though, while you may be able to increase the resolution to 1080p in less-demanding games like Dota 2 Reborn, Diablo 3, Sims 4, Team Fortress 2 or League of Legends, for example.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 117.3 67.2 53.4 18.4
Total War: Three Kingdoms (2019) 41.7 10.2 6.5
Ghost Recon Breakpoint (2019) 17 9 9
GRID 2019 (2019) 39.1 18.5 13.6
BioShock Infinite - 1366x768 High Preset
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX230
79.2 fps +48%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
AMD Ryzen 5 3500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
53.4 fps
Average AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
  (17.2 - 68, n=16)
52.2 fps -2%
HP 14-dk0008ng
AMD Ryzen 7 3700U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 10
51.3 fps -4%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
32.1 fps -40%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Intel Pentium Gold 4417U, Intel HD Graphics 610
15.9 fps -70%

Emissions - A quiet & cool subnotebook

Fan Noise

The Swift 3 never ran loudly during our tests. The single fan usually operates quietly or is off at idle, but it can reach 30.9 dB(A) under these conditions. During the stress test, we measured the fan reaching 36.6 dB(A), which is not overly loud.

Noise Level

Idle
30.4 / 30.9 / 30.9 dB(A)
Load
36.3 / 36.6 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: 30.4 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.236.236.234.438.22541.136.636.737.441.13141.442.944.340.141.4403534.333.632.3355031.632.932.931.331.66329.533.529.928.429.5802929.128.726.82910027.127.127.427.327.112526.426.627.725.826.416025.624.224.323.725.62002624.823.122.6262502525.122.122.22531523.924.822.120.923.940023.522.721.220.223.55002323.120.419.52363022.923.119.719.222.980024.826.119.418.224.8100026.627.419.21826.6125024.624.8181824.6160027.327.718.117.527.3200026.827.317.817.526.825002626.41817.726315023.723.81817.823.7400020.420.718.21820.4500020.520.718.31820.5630019.919.818.318.219.980001918.818.218.4191000018.718.418.318.418.7125001918.218.118.1191600018.918.118.218.218.9SPL36.336.730.930.436.3N2.42.51.51.42.4median 23.9median 24.2median 18.3median 18.2median 23.9Delta33.21.91.23hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ

Temperature

System information during a FurMark & Prime95 stress test.
System information during a FurMark & Prime95 stress test.

The Swift 3 does not get too hot either. Surface temperatures on our review unit never exceeded 40 °C during our tests, while the palm rest remained cool even during our stress tests. The whole device averages at around 25 °C when idling too.

We also ran a stress test comprised of FurMark and Prime95 to see how the Swift 3 performed under extreme load conditions. Initially, the system could keep the APU at between 2.4 and 2.7 GHz, but it gradually downclocked to 1.4 GHz after an hour's stress testing. This is 700 MHz below its base clock, for reference. Likewise, the GPU initially fluctuated between 600 and 800 MHz, before eventually dropping to 200 MHz. Please note that our stress tests push devices to their limits and do not represent how the Swift 3 would perform in resource-heavy tasks like gaming.

Max. Load
 36.1 °C
97 F
37 °C
99 F
31.3 °C
88 F
 
 35.7 °C
96 F
37.1 °C
99 F
28.7 °C
84 F
 
 30 °C
86 F
27 °C
81 F
26.3 °C
79 F
 
Maximum: 37.1 °C = 99 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
28.4 °C
83 F
39.6 °C
103 F
35.2 °C
95 F
27.1 °C
81 F
33.4 °C
92 F
35 °C
95 F
26.8 °C
80 F
29.4 °C
85 F
33.6 °C
92 F
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 32.1 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  54.3 °C = 130 F | Room Temperature 23.3 °C = 74 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.1 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 30.7 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 37.1 °C / 99 F, compared to the average of 35.9 °C / 97 F, ranging from 21.4 to 59 °C for the class Subnotebook.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 39.6 °C / 103 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 25.2 °C / 77 F, compared to the device average of 30.7 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30 °C / 86 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(±) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.3 °C / 82.9 F (-1.7 °C / -3.1 F).
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the bottom of the device under load
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the top of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle
Heat map of the bottom of the device at idle

Speakers

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2034.534.434.52535.537.435.5314240.142403132.331502931.3296329.328.429.38027.526.827.510026.627.326.612525.625.825.616025.623.725.62003422.63425050.722.250.731551.820.951.840053.820.253.850055.219.555.263056.819.256.880069.118.269.1100064.21864.2125059.81859.8160052.817.552.820005517.555250051.817.751.8315054.717.854.7400053.41853.4500051.21851.2630055.418.255.4800059.818.459.81000055.718.455.71250049.618.149.61600047.618.247.6SPL71.630.471.6N26.71.426.7median 53.4median 18.2median 53.4Delta5.41.25.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (69.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.6% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (13.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 5.1% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.3% away from median
(±) | linearity of highs is average (9.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (24.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 80% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 15% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 71% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 23% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management - Low consumption & good runtimes

Power Consumption

The Swift 3 does not consume much energy when idling, with our review unit fluctuating between 5.7 and 9 W. Power consumption peaked at 42.4 W during our stress test, but the device averaged 40.1 W under sustained load. Acer includes a 45 W power supply in the box, so at no point should it stop charging the Swift 3.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.19 / 0.4 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 5.7 / 7.6 / 9 Watt
Load midlight 40.1 / 42.4 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.

Battery Life

The Swift 3 has a 48 Wh battery, which lasted 8:17 hours in our practical Wi-Fi test before it needed recharging. We conduct this test by running a script that simulates the load required to render websites, while we set the display to approximately 150 cd/m² and leave the device on the Balanced Windows 10 power plan. While the Swift 3 lasts longer than the class average here, it falls well short of what something like the ASUS VivoBook 14 X403FA achieves.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 44)
8h 17min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 72 Wh (Firefox 69, Ubuntu 19.04)
806 min +62%
Asus VivoBook 14 X403FA
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 72 Wh (Edge 44)
761 min +53%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (303 - 1144, n=63, last 2 years)
629 min +27%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-54-P2RK
Pentium 4417U, HD Graphics 610, 48 Wh (Edge 44)
570 min +15%
Huawei MateBook D 14 W00D-53010GXL
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 57.4 Wh
542 min +9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ
R5 3500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh (Edge 44)
497 min
HP 14-dk0008ng
R7 3700U, Vega 10, 41.04 Wh (Edge 44)
432 min -13%
Lenovo Ideapad S340-14IWL-81N70056GE
i7-8565U, GeForce MX230, 52.5 Wh
361 min -27%

Pros

+ IPS screen
+ matte display finish
+ stylish and slim metal chassis
+ NVMe SSD
+ good battery life
+ backlit keyboard
+ quiet fan
+ moderate surface temperatures

Cons

- weak maximum brightness
- low colour-space coverage
- slow memory card reader
- no DisplayPort via USB Type-C
- no USB Type-C power delivery

Verdict

The Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ laptop review. Test device courtesy of Acer Germany.
The Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ laptop review. Test device courtesy of Acer Germany.

The Acer Swift 3 SF314-41 impressed us during our tests, not least because of its sleek and slim metal chassis. Its Ryzen 5 3500U APU provides more than enough performance for office and internet applications too, while its integrated GPU is powerful enough for some light gaming. Moreover, our review unit remained quiet and cool even during our stress tests, which push devices to their limits.

The Swift 3 SF314-41 is a largely successful 14-inch subnotebook. A brighter display and more complete I/O would have made for a more-rounded system, though.

An NVMe SSD also ensures that the device runs quickly and smoothly. You could swap the SSD for a larger or faster drive should you wish to, but doing so would require disassembling the device. The Swift 3 has a good keyboard too, while having the option of backlighting is always welcome. The device should last a full workday on a single charge.

The 14-inch 1080p display is a mixed bag, though. While the IPS panel boasts stable viewing angles, a matte finish, a good contrast ratio and reasonable colour accuracy, it is too dim for our liking. Even a 600-Euro (~$669) laptop should offer more here. Its colour-space coverage is also rather low.

We also have a minor gripe with the USB Type-C port that Acer has included. While we like that the company has included one at all, the omission of DisplayPort or Power Delivery support feels like a missed opportunity. The latter should be a given on a compact laptop like the Swift 3, as it would allow it to be charged using a universal power supply rather than a proprietary one. Notwithstanding, the Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ is a solid 14-inch subnotebook that has plenty going for it.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-41-R8HZ - 11/04/2019 v7
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
84 / 98 → 86%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
49 / 75 → 65%
Weight
69 / 20-75 → 89%
Battery
81%
Display
79%
Games Performance
57 / 78 → 73%
Application Performance
76 / 85 → 90%
Temperature
94%
Noise
93%
Audio
51 / 91 → 56%
Camera
32 / 85 → 38%
Average
72%
83%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Swift 3 SF314-41 Laptop Review: A stylish and slim Ryzen subnotebook with plenty of power and battery life in the tank
Sascha Mölck, 2019-11- 5 (Update: 2019-11- 5)