Acer Swift 3 SF314-51-731X Notebook Review

Acer uses a high-quality aluminum chassis (silver) for the Swift 3. As well as the silver and matte finish, you can also choose a golden model. Our test model leaves a very sophisticated impression at a first glance. All edges are carefully rounded and the individual case elements fit very well together. The display hinge offers a convenient resistance, but we had to use both hands to open the lid of the 14-inch notebook. The chassis is quite stable, even though you can dent the lid slightly with some pressure. Maintenance work or replacing the battery will require the removal of the entire bottom panel. This process is quite complicated due to numerous plastic clips and therefore only recommended for experienced users. After the removal of the panel, you can access the battery, the CMOS battery and the SSD. It is also possible to clean the fans.

The Swift 3 tips the scale at around 1.55 kg (~3.4 lb). Subjectively, the 14-inch system is a convenient travel companion. If you prefer a lighter device, but do not want to switch to a plastic chassis, the Asus ZenBook with a weight of just 1.2 kg (~2.6 lb) is worth a look. The height of 13.5 mm (~0.5 in) is also 4.5 mm (~0.2 in) lower compared to our model. For comparison: The TravelMate X3 has pretty much the same dimensions as our model. One interesting aspect is the similar weight of the Lenovo IdeaPad 500s, despite a dedicated GPU. However, it is slightly thicker at 19.5 mm (~0.8 in) and does not feature a metal chassis.

We can find the essential ports on the new Swift 3, but the USB 3.1 Type-C port deserves praise.

However, it is rather unfortunate that only one of the two USB Type-A ports supports the faster 3.0 standard. All ports are located in the rear areas of the sides, so there should not be any issues with attached cables on the desk.

You have to expect surprisingly long waiting times if you plan to transfer pictures onto your notebook via an SD card. We only determined transfer rates of 22.7 MB/s when we copied JPEG files (around 5 MB each) from our reference card, Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II. We are already familiar with similarly low values from the Acer TravelMate X3, and the Asus ZenBook is not much better at around 30 MB/s. If you have to rely on this scenario on a regular basis, you should consider competitors such as the Dell XPS 13.

Our test model is not defined by the numerous security standards, which are more important for business devices. However, there are still some security features available, including a TP module 2.0 as well as a fingerprint scanner. The swipe-style fingerprint scanner unlocks the device quickly and without any problems.

The included accessories are limited to a brochure and a short setup guide. The manufacturer does not list any dedicated accessories for this system on its website.

Acer offers a 24-month warranty by default. It includes a Pickup & Return service as well as an international traveller's warranty for one year. More information is available in the provided service manual.

Please see our Guarantees, Return Policies & Warranties FAQ for country-specific information.

The heart inside the test model is an Intel Core i7-6500U. It is a dual-core chip with clocks between 2.5 and 3.1 GHz (two cores up to 3.0 GHz). Because of the low power consumption of 15 watts (TDP according to the manufacturer), the CPU is mainly used in slim notebooks and ultrabooks. Based on the Skylake architecture, the CPU is not part of Intel's brand-new Kaby Lake generation. The difference compared to the Kaby Lake successor Intel Core i7-7500U is about 10%, but the CPU of the test model still provides plenty of performance for complex software. We use the Cinebench R15 benchmarks to determine the real performance and compare the results with the rivals. The Multi-Core test determines 323 points, which is really good and in the upper third of all devices we have reviewed with this CPU. All the rivals are on a very similar performance level except for the Acer Aspire S 13. Even though the latter is also equipped with the Intel Core i7-6500U, it does not even reach 300 points.

It is possible to utilize the full CPU performance of the Swift 3 on battery power. The Cinebench R15 score is similar without the attached power adapter. 

The performance difference compared to other processors can also be quite interesting. We recommend our dedicated article on benchmarks for modern notebook processors.

The combination works! A responsive SSD together with a powerful Intel Core i7 CPU supported by memory in a dual-channel configuration. In short: We like working with the laptop. We use PCMark 8 to check our subjective impression. The results are scores of almost 4400 points in the Work test and 3500 points in the Home test. A look at the competition shows that the Swift 3 can easily compete with their results and therefore confirm our impression.

The storage solution is a solid-state disk from LiteOn's CV 3 series. As described in the maintenance section, it is an M.2 drive with a capacity between 128 GB and 512 GB depending on the model. We can check the largest drive in our configuration.

The sequential transfer rates show the expected performance for a SATA 3.1 interface. Only the writing performance of 398 MB/s could be slightly higher for our taste.

The graphics output of the 14-inch notebook is handled by an internal processor graphics card, the Intel HD Graphics 520. The iGPU is supported by a dual-channel DDR4 memory configuration. We can determine core clocks of up to 1050 MHz. Thanks to the low power consumption, the GPU is often used in slim notebooks and ultrabooks.

We use 3DMark 11 to analyze and compare the performance. Our Swift 3 scores 1643 points and is on par with similarly equipped competitors. The Lenovo IdeaPad 500s benefits from its Nvidia GeForce 940M and scores 2423 points. The more expensive Dell XPS 13 also scores more points thanks to its more powerful Intel Iris Graphics 540.

As with the processor, the GPU performance is not reduced on battery power. More benchmarks for different graphics cards are available in our Tech section.

If you purchase a slim notebook with an integrated graphics card, you have to know that such a device is not a gaming machine. Potential buyers should focus on older games from the last couple of years and also expect limitations in terms of graphics settings.

A positive aspect of the stereo speakers is the high maximum volume, but the sound quality itself is pretty mediocre. Bass and rich mids are lacking, and the overall sound puts slightly too much emphasis on the high tones. The performance of the 14-inch notebook should be sufficient for occasional YouTube and TV shows. A better sound experience is provided by the 3.5 mm stereo jack.

Frequency Comparison (Checkboxes select/deselectable!)

As per usual for notebooks with this kind of hardware, the power consumption is pretty low. The idle consumption varies between just 4.9 watts and 9.2 watts.

The consumption is increased to 34 watts under load and will level off at 33.4 watts under maximum load. The lower value under maximum load confirms the previously determined clock behavior of the CPU. Nevertheless, the provided 45-watt power adapter is sufficient.

By comparison, much more power is consumed by devices such as the Lenovo IdeaPad 500s, which needs up to 52 watts.

Acer has equipped the new Swift 3 with a 4-cell battery and a capacity of 48.9 Wh. According to HWInfo, the maximum capacity is around 45 Wh. The battery sticker shows the minimum guaranteed capacity of 46.9 Wh. The manufacturer claims a maximum runtime of up to 10 hours. We want to check this value with various scenarios.

We start with the maximum runtime that you can expect. With the Windows Power-Saver plan and the minimum luminance, we execute a reading script. The test model lasts 11 hours and 47 minutes and therefore beats the advertised runtime.

Probably the most important result is the runtime during web browsing. At an adjusted luminance of 150 nits, we simulate the WLAN browsing. The runtime is just six hours. By comparison: The ZenBook lasts more than 10 hours, and the Acer Aspire S 13 can almost manage a full business day with 7 hours and 52 minutes.

Finally, there is the minimum battery runtime. At the highest luminance and High-Performance power plan, the Swift 3 shuts down after 1.5 hours. This is a good indicator of how long the Swift 3 will last when you run demanding applications or play games. The other rivals are not much better in this respect, but there are two exceptions. The Dell XPS 13 has more stamina with 2 hours and 21 minutes. The Lenovo IdeaPad 500s on the other hand becomes empty after just one hour.