Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-5848

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Reviews for the Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-5848

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Model: New models, new processors, new graphics cards. Acer is presenting its new Swift 3 models, but this time with a new processor and a graphics card. The new 8th generation Intel Kaby Lake-R processors have more cores compared to 7th generation. In single-threaded applications, it may not make a huge difference, but performance gains appear as soon as you start doing multi-threaded tasks like video compressing etc. In those cases, performance gains are up to 40%. Of course different benchmarks may provide different results, but this can be seen as average performance increase.

So why am I mentioning this details? Again, this new Acer Swift 3 model has the new processor and graphics card. What makes this model special is those new components. Because both are better compared to predecessor and both provide better value for your money.

For instance, new Core i5 processors also have 4 cores and you will not need an i7 processor anymore for performance. This happens while keeping the power consumption at the same level as predecessors.

The new MX150 GPU from Nvidia replaces GeForce 940MX. It is not for gaming of course, but you can still play games like League of Legends. Its highlight is power consumption. While providing better results compared to GeForce 940MX, it consumes less power. This all combined makes it possible to have more mobility by having longer battery times.

Going back to the Acer Swift 3. The Swift 3 is the middle brother of the Swift 1 and Swift 5 models. It has a 14 inch screen with a resolution of 1,920 x 1080 pixels. Its touchscreen is protected by gorilla glass. However, I have to say it is pretty glossy and therefore not suitable for outside use. There high likely be other SKUs without touchscreen, so if you are planning high outside use, you may want to check out other models as well.

Other aspects like sturdiness, chassis stability etc. are well thought. Not something premium of course, but there is a good mixture of plastic and metal here. It looks nice, smooth, but not cheap. You do not get that premium feel either, it is a mid-range laptop and it is what it looks like.

Battery run time is around 5 to 7 hours depending on how you use it. Connectivity-wise you get 4 USB connections, 1 one of them is USB-C, good WiFi range and an HDMI output. The laptop looks lean and clean, Not too elegant, not too shiny. It is not a performance monster. It has been made for office work and some internet fun. It may cover your whole work day, an SSD ensures faster operation, 1.8 kg weight and a 14 inch screen make it easy to carry around. The sound output of the speakers is clear and loud, so you will not have any issues while making presentations.

Overall, the only criticism I have is the constant fan noise. They keep running almost all the time. This can of course be fixed with a small software update, which we may be available in the coming days.

Cutting it short, this device is mainly for office users who do not want to spend too much on a laptop. It is a mid-range device and does what it is made for; nothing more, nothing less.

Hands-on article by Ümit Yılmaz Güneş

NVIDIA GeForce MX150: Pascal GP108 based laptop graphics card and mobile version of the desktop GeForce GT 1030. Offers 384 shader cores and usually 2 GB GDDR5 with a 64 Bit memory bus. Manufactured in 14nm.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

i5-8250U: Kaby-Lake-Refresh based low power quad-core processor. The four cores are clocked between 1.6 and 3.4 GHz (Turbo Boost) and support HyperThreading. The integrated GPU is clocked between 300 and 1,100 MHz. The SoC is manufactured in a 14nm+ FinFET process. » Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

14.00":

There are hardly any tablets in this display size range anymore. For subnotebooks, on the other hand, it is the standard format.

The advantage of subnotebooks is that the entire laptop can be small and therefore easily portable. The smaller display also has the advantage of requiring less power, which further improves battery life and thus mobility. The disadvantage is that reading texts is more strenuous on the eyes. High resolutions are more likely to be found in standard laptops.

» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.

Acer: In 1976, the company was founded in Taiwan under the name Multitech and was renamed Acer or Acer Group in 1987. The product range includes, for example, laptops, tablets, smartphones, desktops, monitors, TVs and computer peripherals. Since 2007, the group has merged with Gateway Inc. and Packard Bell, which also market their own laptop product lines.

Acer computers are designed for a variety of purposes, including ultrabooks for mobile use, gaming laptops for gamers, affordable options for everyday tasks, and 2-in-1 convertible laptops for versatility. Acer's product portfolio also includes tablets that offer portable computing and multimedia capabilities.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

 

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