Notebookcheck Logo

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55 (i3-8145U, SSD, FHD) Laptop Review

RAM stinginess. Acer's 14-inch notebook features an elegant and small case, a Whiskey Lake Core i3 CPU, and decent battery life. While its SSD, its matte IPS display, and its keyboard backlight are state-of-the-art in 2018, the RAM is not: Acer only includes 4 GB.

Acer’s Swift 3 SF315-55 is a complete redesign and has little to nothing in common with its predecessors bearing the same name (Swift 3 SF314-52G and Swift 3). The new model is smaller and thinner, and it is based on Intel’s Whiskey Lake platform. Its competitors are the Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T and the Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 (Swift 3 SF314 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i3-8145U 2 x 2.1 - 3.9 GHz, Whiskey Lake-U
Graphics adapter
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Core: 1000 MHz, single-channel, 25.20.100.6373
Memory
4 GB 
, DDR4-2400, single-channel, RAM soldered, no free slots
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Chi Mei N140HCE-EN2, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ, 128 GB 
, 92 GB free
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: audio combo, Card Reader: SDXC, 1 Fingerprint Reader, TPM 2.0
Networking
Intel Wireless-AC 9560 (a/b/g/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth 5
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 14.9 x 323 x 228 ( = 0.59 x 12.72 x 8.98 in)
Battery
50.7 Wh, 3320 mAh Lithium-Ion, 15.28
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, Firefox, Norton Security (trial version), 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.5 kg ( = 52.91 oz / 3.31 pounds), Power Supply: 158 g ( = 5.57 oz / 0.35 pounds)
Price
699 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case

The SF314-55’s case is a brand-new design. It is thinner, smaller, and lighter than its predecessors’ but is still made of the exact same material: aluminum. Build quality is superb - the gaps are even and we found no overhanging lips anywhere on the device. All things considered, the Swift 3 is a fairly robust device, however we would have preferred if the base would have been a little bit sturdier than it already is. The battery is not user-replaceable, and the device lacks a maintenance opening.

In order to get to the internal hardware, the entire bottom cover must be removed. This requires removing all the screws at the bottom and prying the case open carefully with a spudger tool or a small spatula. Given that the case is fairly susceptible to scratches, you have to be very careful.

There are a total of three USB 3.1 Gen 1 ports on the unit, two USB Type-A and one USB Type-C. The latter includes support for Power Delivery and can be used as charging port. It also carries a DisplayPort signal, although this requires an extra adapter since Acer does not include any with the device. We tested both features, and both worked as expected. The Swift thus comes with two charging ports and two video-outputs.

The card reader is fairly lethargic. Copying large blocks of data results in transfer rates of no more than 29.5 MB/s. Copying 250 JPEG files of around 5 MB each topped out at 26.7 MB/s. Both tests were performed using our 64 GB Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC UHS-II reference card. Once inserted, the SD card protruded from the case (around 15 mm, or 0.6 inches).

Wi-Fi communications are handled by Intel’s Wireless-AC 9560 modem with support for 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac. Data rates were decent under ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices nearby, low distance between notebook and server).

Size Comparison

338 mm / 13.3 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.6 kg3.53 lbs338 mm / 13.3 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.6 kg3.57 lbs328 mm / 12.9 inch 226.5 mm / 8.92 inch 14.8 mm / 0.583 inch 1.2 kg2.65 lbs323 mm / 12.7 inch 228 mm / 8.98 inch 14.9 mm / 0.587 inch 1.5 kg3.31 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

Connectivity

Left: cable lock, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A), SDXC card reader, audio combo
Left: cable lock, USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A), SDXC card reader, audio combo
Right: USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A), USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C), power
Right: USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-A), USB 3.1 Gen 1 (Type-C), power
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (18.9 - 193.9, n=17, last 2 years)
66.7 MB/s +150%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
38.7 MB/s +45%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.7 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
23.1 MB/s -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
22.8 MB/s -15%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (23.6 - 239, n=17, last 2 years)
81.3 MB/s +176%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
37.8 MB/s +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.5 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
27.8 MB/s -6%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
24.9 MB/s -16%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
670 MBit/s +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
638 (570min - 673max) MBit/s
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
504 MBit/s -21%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
325 MBit/s -49%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
322 MBit/s -50%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
89 MBit/s -86%
iperf3 receive AX12
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
630 (523min - 670max) MBit/s
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
552 MBit/s -12%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Qualcomm Atheros QCA9377 Wireless Network Adapter
335 MBit/s -47%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821CE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
279 MBit/s -56%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
243 MBit/s -61%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Realtek 8821AE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCI-E NIC
41 MBit/s -93%
03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595630665Tooltip
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø629 (523-670)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø638 (570-673)

Input Devices

The Swift 3 features a backlit chiclet-style keyboard with even and smooth keys with short key travel and a well-defined pressure point. The keyboard flexed ever so slightly while typing, but not enough to become annoying. The backlight is operated via a function key and can only be turned on or off. All things considered, the keyboard is very usable and well suited even for sustained typing sessions.

The multitouch-capable ClickPad measures 10.5 x 6.5 cm (4.13 x 2.56 inches) in size and is thus large enough for comfortable gesture input. Its smooth surface was very pleasant, and it detected input up to its very edges and corners. The integrated buttons feature short key travel and a well-defined actuation point.

Input devices
Input devices

Display

Subpixel array
Subpixel array

The matte 14-inch display features a native resolution of 1920x1080 and a decent contrast ratio of 1,078:1. Unfortunately, brightness was somewhat low and maxed out at just 275.6 nits. Considering the notebook’s price we would have expected more. Nevertheless, the Swift 3’s display is still brighter than both its predecessors’. In order to be considered good enough by us, contrast ratio and brightness have to exceed 1,000:1 and 300 nits, respectively.

We noticed PWM flickering at brightness levels of 20% and below at a very high frequency of 25 kHz, which should not cause any headaches or eye strain even in sensitive users.

262
cd/m²
283
cd/m²
268
cd/m²
271
cd/m²
291
cd/m²
275
cd/m²
271
cd/m²
285
cd/m²
274
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei N140HCE-EN2 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 291 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 275.6 cd/m² Minimum: 18.1 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 90 %
Center on Battery: 291 cd/m²
Contrast: 1078:1 (Black: 0.27 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.86 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 5.33 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
98% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
62% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
67.8% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.3% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
66.2% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.25
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
TN LED, 1366x768, 14.00
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
IPS, 1920x1080, 13.30
Display
-45%
-38%
-9%
-41%
-9%
Display P3 Coverage
66.2
36.09
-45%
40.96
-38%
65.2
-2%
38.82
-41%
65.1
-2%
sRGB Coverage
98.3
54.2
-45%
61.4
-38%
83.3
-15%
58.2
-41%
83.1
-15%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
67.8
37.28
-45%
42.34
-38%
60.9
-10%
40.11
-41%
60.8
-10%
Response Times
9%
-32%
146%
-15%
72%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
41 ?(21, 20)
41 ?(19, 22)
-0%
43 ?(24, 19)
-5%
36 ?(18, 18)
12%
42 ?(22, 20)
-2%
31 ?(14, 17)
24%
Response Time Black / White *
30 ?(18, 12)
25 ?(15, 10)
17%
28 ?(15, 13)
7%
26 ?(14, 12)
13%
13 ?(7, 6)
57%
20 ?(11, 9)
33%
PWM Frequency
25000 ?(20)
200 ?(20)
-99%
128000 ?(90)
412%
200 ?(90)
-99%
65000 ?(10)
160%
Screen
-24%
-19%
0%
-57%
-9%
Brightness middle
291
233
-20%
281
-3%
299
3%
215
-26%
324
11%
Brightness
276
217
-21%
259
-6%
306
11%
208
-25%
293
6%
Brightness Distribution
90
88
-2%
81
-10%
90
0%
81
-10%
78
-13%
Black Level *
0.27
0.27
-0%
0.45
-67%
0.27
-0%
0.4
-48%
0.32
-19%
Contrast
1078
863
-20%
624
-42%
1107
3%
538
-50%
1013
-6%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.86
5.85
-52%
4.19
-9%
4.46
-16%
9.37
-143%
5.52
-43%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
8.26
11.51
-39%
10.64
-29%
10.51
-27%
15.84
-92%
10.91
-32%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
5.33
4.87
9%
2.55
52%
2.41
55%
10.52
-97%
3.36
37%
Gamma
2.25 98%
2.47 89%
2.24 98%
2.29 96%
2.45 90%
2.23 99%
CCT
7426 88%
6908 94%
6555 99%
6757 96%
11214 58%
6687 97%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
62
34
-45%
39
-37%
55
-11%
37
-40%
55
-11%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
98
54
-45%
61
-38%
83
-15%
58
-41%
83
-15%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-20% / -24%
-30% / -25%
46% / 26%
-38% / -46%
18% / 7%

* ... smaller is better

Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)

To dim the screen, some notebooks will simply cycle the backlight on and off in rapid succession - a method called Pulse Width Modulation (PWM) . This cycling frequency should ideally be undetectable to the human eye. If said frequency is too low, users with sensitive eyes may experience strain or headaches or even notice the flickering altogether.
Screen flickering / PWM detected 25000 Hz ≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 25000 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) Flickering detected at a brightness setting of 20 % and below. There should be no flickering or PWM above this brightness setting.

The frequency of 25000 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 17900 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

Color representation was very decent out of the box already, and the DeltaE 2000 deviation for colors was just 3.86. Ideally, you want this to be less than 3. We noticed no blue tint, and sRGB color-space coverage was a very decent 98%.

The ICC profile resulting from our calibration attempts can be found for download in the box above. Before using it you need to make sure that your display is the exact same model as ours (manufacturer and model number) as it is not uncommon for a manufacturer to source its display panels from various suppliers. Applying the ICC profile to a different panel will most likely result in less accurate colors.

CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - grayscale
CalMAN - saturation
CalMAN - saturation

Display Response Times

Display response times show how fast the screen is able to change from one color to the next. Slow response times can lead to afterimages and can cause moving objects to appear blurry (ghosting). Gamers of fast-paced 3D titles should pay special attention to fast response times.
       Response Time Black to White
30 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 18 ms rise
↘ 12 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 77 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.5 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
41 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 21 ms rise
↘ 20 ms fall
The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers.
In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.2 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 60 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.7 ms).

The display is based on IPS technology and can thus be read from any position and angle. Display brightness was only high enough for indoor use, outdoors the device is best kept in the shade or used only on overcast days.

Swift 3 outdoors on an overcast and slightly foggy day
Swift 3 outdoors on an overcast and slightly foggy day

Performance

Acer’s Swift 3 SF314-55 is an elegant and small 14-inch notebook. It offers more than enough performance for office tasks and Internet workflows. At the time of writing, it sold for around $700 and was the series’ entry-level SKU. Better-equipped SKUs are also available.

Processor

The Swift 3 is powered by an Intel Core i3-8145U dual-core CPU. The ULV model with a TDP of 15 W is based on Intel’s Whiskey Lake architecture and was fast enough for the most common range of applications. Its base clock speed of 2.1 GHz can turbo boost up to 3.7 on two cores and 3.9 GHz on one. It also supports Hyper-Threading, meaning it can run two threads per core simultaneously.

During our Cinebench multithread test the CPU ran at 3.7 GHz for a few seconds and subsequently reduced its clock speed to 3.4-3.5 GHz. In the single-thread test it clocked between 3.7 and 3.9 GHz. At least on mains, that is. On battery, CPU clock speeds were reduced to just 1.9-2.1 GHz and only occasionally clocked higher than that for very short periods of time. Consequently, the Cinebench R15 scores on battery were just 60 (single-thread) and 156 (multithread).

We found no way in our review unit’s BIOS setup to change this behavior and enable turbo boost on battery. After we had finished our tests, Acer released a new BIOS update, version 1.05, but that also did not have any impact at all.

HWInfo
HWInfo
Intel XTU
Intel XTU

We verify whether or not turbo boost is applied over long periods of time by running Cinebench R15’s multithread test in a loop for at least 30 minutes. Our review unit’s score dropped between the first and second run of the test but remained steady and consistent afterwards. Therefore, performance does not decrease over time, and turbo boost is applied throughout the entire test at around 3.4-3.5 GHz.

We ran the same test on battery as well, and the device scored a very consistent 152 points over and over again.

03570105140175210245280315350385420455490525560595Tooltip
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel Core i3-8145U: Ø349 (347.66-361.38)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø519 (514.26-550.65)
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620) Intel Core i5-7200U, Intel Core i5-7200U: Ø319 (288.81-327.12)
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR AMD Ryzen 5 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 2500U: Ø361 (354.65-551.62)
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel Core i5-8250U: Ø543 (515.61-605.58)
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR AMD Ryzen 7 2700U, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U: Ø367 (350.28-545.62)

There are no architectural differences between Whiskey Lake and Kaby Lake. In other words: The per-MHz-performance is identical between the two. However, Whiskey Lake’s optimized manufacturing process allows for higher clock speeds. Accordingly, the 8145U is only faster in our tests thanks to its higher turbo boost speeds compared to its Core i3-8130U Kaby Lake predecessor.

Cinebench R10 Shading 32Bit
6926
Cinebench R10 Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
13074
Cinebench R10 Rendering Single 32Bit
5953
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Single 64Bit
1.77 Points
Cinebench R11.5 OpenGL 64Bit
31.24 fps
Cinebench R11.5 CPU Multi 64Bit
4.01 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
150 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
361 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
37.32 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.8 %
Help
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (91.8 - 280, n=62, last 2 years)
237 Points +58%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points +11%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
150 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (139 - 154, n=4)
147.5 Points -2%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
143 Points -5%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
140 Points -7%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
135 Points -10%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
135 Points -10%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Core i5-7200U
128 Points -15%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (514 - 2581, n=70, last 2 years)
1757 Points +387%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
606 Points +68%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
556 Points +54%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
550 Points +52%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
546 Points +51%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
361 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (318 - 361, n=4)
346 Points -4%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
338 Points -6%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Core i5-7200U
327 Points -9%
Cinebench R10
Rendering Multiple CPUs 32Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13940 - 56242, n=14, last 2 years)
38738 Points +196%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
18814 Points +44%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
16804 Points +29%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
13074 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (11790 - 13074, n=2)
12432 Points -5%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
12142 Points -7%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
9812 Points -25%
Rendering Single 32Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2481 - 10300, n=14, last 2 years)
7596 Points +28%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
6400 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
5953 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (5925 - 5953, n=2)
5939 Points 0%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
5501 Points -8%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
5476 Points -8%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
4379 Points -26%
Geekbench 3
32 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
21447 Points +189%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
13525 Points +82%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
12793 Points +72%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
10423 Points +40%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
7420 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (6870 - 7572, n=3)
7287 Points -2%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
6935 Points -7%
32 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
5120 Points +52%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
3779 Points +12%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
3412 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (3350 - 3457, n=3)
3389 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
3360 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
3136 Points -7%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
3107 Points -8%
Geekbench 4.0
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
14257 Points +91%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
12394 Points +66%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
8210 Points +10%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
7471 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  ()
7471 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
7123 Points -5%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
4699 Points +17%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
4029 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
4001 Points
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  ()
4001 Points 0%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
3796 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
3331 Points -17%
Geekbench 4.4
64 Bit Multi-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (15240 - 43897, n=11, last 2 years)
32353 Points +312%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
15117 Points +92%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
13030 Points +66%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
8582 Points +9%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (7780 - 8455, n=3)
8031 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
7859 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
7470 Points -5%
64 Bit Single-Core Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (3460 - 7522, n=11, last 2 years)
6551 Points +59%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U
4813 Points +17%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (4090 - 4421, n=3)
4210 Points +2%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U
4122 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
4118 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U
3919 Points -5%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
3357 Points -18%
JetStream 1.1 - Total Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (last 2 years)
348 Points +61%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel Core i7-8550U (Edge 40)
287.1 Points +33%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel Core i5-8250U (Edge 41)
238.1 Points +10%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U
  (205 - 227, n=3)
216 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U (Edge 42)
215.9 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel Core i3-8130U (Edge 41)
208.9 Points -3%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 7 2700U (Edge 42)
159.9 Points -26%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
144.5 Points -33%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Core i5-7200U
127.7 Points -41%

System Performance

Thanks to the combination of a Core i3 CPU and an NVMe SSD the system was very smooth and responsive at all times, and we have not encountered any issues. The Swift 3 was more than powerful enough for the most common office and Internet applications, which is further corroborated by its good PCMark benchmark scores. However, Acer could have improved performance somewhat by making use of the memory controller’s dual-channel mode, but the RAM soldered onto the motherboard only runs in single-channel mode. Activating dual-channel mode retroactively is not possible.

PCMark 7 Score
5393 points
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3281 points
PCMark 8 Creative Score Accelerated v2
4161 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
4556 points
PCMark 10 Score
3179 points
Help
PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4384 - 7428, n=55, last 2 years)
5879 Points +85%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3805 Points +20%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
3612 Points +14%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8130U, Kingston RBUSNS8180S3128GI1
3230 Points +2%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (3042 - 3399, n=3)
3207 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
3179 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2584 Points -19%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8890 - 11168, n=55, last 2 years)
10247 Points +48%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
7637 Points +11%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
7468 Points +8%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6911 - 7625, n=3)
7240 Points +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
6911 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8130U, Kingston RBUSNS8180S3128GI1
6696 Points -3%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
5395 Points -22%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6213 - 10279, n=55, last 2 years)
7857 Points +49%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
6587 Points +25%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8130U, Kingston RBUSNS8180S3128GI1
6079 Points +15%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
6004 Points +14%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (5274 - 6096, n=3)
5686 Points +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
5274 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3605 Points -32%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4093 - 9749, n=55, last 2 years)
6923 Points +189%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
2972 Points +24%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
2852 Points +19%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
2410 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
2392 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8130U, Kingston RBUSNS8180S3128GI1
2249 Points -6%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1762 - 2433, n=3)
2196 Points -8%
PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4730 - 5285, n=3, last 2 years)
5030 Points +53%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
GeForce MX150, i5-8550U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3968 Points +21%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
3937 Points +20%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3636 Points +11%
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8130U, Kingston RBUSNS8180S3128GI1
3302 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
3281 Points
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 8, R5 2500U, Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
3168 Points -3%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Vega 10, R7 2700U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3155 Points -4%
Average Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (2959 - 3281, n=2)
3120 Points -5%

Storage Devices

The 128 GB M.2-2280 NVMe SSD is made by Kingston, and around 92 GB of the storage space is user-accessible out of the box. The rest is taken up by the Windows installation and the recovery partition. Traditionally, NVMe SSDs tend to be much faster than SATA III SSDs due to the fact that they are connected to the much faster PCIe 3.0 x4 bus instead of the SATA interface. While this particular Kingston SSD performed quite well, it was certainly not the fastest SSD available.

Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
Sequential Read: 767 MB/s
Sequential Write: 400.4 MB/s
512K Read: 570 MB/s
512K Write: 336.3 MB/s
4K Read: 28.71 MB/s
4K Write: 63.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 353.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 182.7 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Samsung PM961 NVMe MZVLW128HEGR
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
SanDisk SD8SN8U256G1002
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Average Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
AS SSD
55%
5%
-796%
-28%
30%
3%
284%
Seq Read
1201
1609
34%
1371
14%
599
-50%
490.6
-59%
1977
65%
973 ?(702 - 1201, n=7)
-19%
Seq Write
434.5
567
30%
590
36%
103.6
-76%
297.6
-32%
1321
204%
404 ?(213 - 460, n=7)
-7%
4K Read
40.9
29.55
-28%
32.12
-21%
35.82
-12%
26.05
-36%
20.72
-49%
28.2 ?(18.9 - 45.2, n=7)
-31%
4K Write
90
117.5
31%
94.1
5%
0.96
-99%
49.92
-45%
33.62
-63%
65.5 ?(46.5 - 90, n=7)
-27%
4K-64 Read
425.5
506
19%
279.6
-34%
462.8
9%
368.1
-13%
933
119%
4K-64 Write
390.9
521
33%
431.5
10%
47.85
-88%
151
-61%
302.7
-23%
259 ?(116 - 391, n=7)
-34%
Access Time Read *
0.184
0.07
62%
0.08
57%
0.086
53%
0.118
36%
0.149
19%
0.2317 ?(0.152 - 0.278, n=7)
-26%
Access Time Write *
0.048
0.031
35%
0.042
12%
4.061
-8360%
0.085
-77%
0.109
-127%
0.06829 ?(0.048 - 0.09, n=7)
-42%
Score Read
586
697
19%
449
-23%
559
-5%
443
-24%
1152
97%
443 ?(303 - 586, n=7)
-24%
Score Write
524
695
33%
585
12%
59
-89%
231
-56%
468
-11%
365 ?(196 - 524, n=7)
-30%
Score Total
1386
1703
23%
1235
-11%
890
-36%
899
-35%
2174
57%
1014 ?(634 - 1386, n=7)
-27%
Copy ISO MB/s
310.1
620
100%
332.5
7%
640
106%
549 ?(310 - 823, n=7)
77%
Copy Program MB/s
88.4
290.2
228%
109.4
24%
75
-15%
209 ?(88.4 - 488, n=7)
136%
Copy Game MB/s
166.4
421.5
153%
139.4
-16%
225.1
35%

* ... smaller is better

GPU Performance

Video output is handled by Intel's UHD Graphics 620 GPU. It supports DirectX 12 and runs at clock speeds between 300 and 1,000 MHz. 3DMark benchmark results were at a level expected of this GPU.

3DMark 06 Standard Score
7653 points
3DMark 11 Performance
1511 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
6130 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
778 points
Help
3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2979 - 16904, n=55, last 2 years)
8227 Points +481%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
NVIDIA GeForce MX150, Intel Core i7-8550U
4690 Points +231%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
2688 Points +90%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (1144 - 3432, n=244)
1749 Points +24%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1743 Points +23%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1668 Points +18%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1509 Points +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8145U
1415 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8130U
1366 Points -3%
3DMark
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (2837 - 12349, n=59, last 2 years)
6026 Points +619%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
1567 Points +87%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
1178 Points +41%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (557 - 2608, n=213)
1161 Points +39%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
1095 Points +31%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8145U
838 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8130U
819 Points -2%
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13768 - 65911, n=39, last 2 years)
29386 Points +311%
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8250U
9969 Points +39%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 10, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U
9364 Points +31%
Average Intel UHD Graphics 620
  (6205 - 16400, n=225)
9262 Points +30%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 2500U
7309 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8145U
7152 Points
Acer Aspire 3 A315-51-30YA
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8130U
6911 Points -3%

Gaming Performance

The Swift 3’s combination of CPU and GPU is capable of running some games smoothly. However, these are limited to games with very modest hardware requirements and will only run smoothly with reduced resolutions and details. More-demanding games, like Battlefield V, are not going to be playable at all.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 40.2 23.3 19.1 6
Hitman 2 (2018) 4.9
Fallout 76 (2018) 12
Battlefield V (2018) 9.2
Farming Simulator 19 (2018) 46.8 17.4
Darksiders III (2018) 16.5
Just Cause 4 (2018) 11.7

Emissions & Energy

System Noise

Acer’s 14-inch notebook remained quiet regardless of load. When idle, the fan was usually off and the device was thus completely silent. Under load the fan only revved up slightly, and the maximum sound pressure level determined during our stress test was a low 31.4 dB(A).

Noise Level

Idle
30.3 / 30.3 / 30.3 dB(A)
Load
31 / 31.4 dB(A)
  red to green bar
 
 
30 dB
silent
40 dB(A)
audible
50 dB(A)
loud
 
min: dark, med: mid, max: light   Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance)   environment noise: 30.3 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.636.237.538.62535.633.734.435.63130.729.431.230.74029.428.728.629.45029.628.129.329.66330.727.429.430.78025.424.527.625.410026.524.926.526.512523.723.424.823.71602524.324.42520024.22324.324.225023.422.822.823.431523.121.821.823.140021.521.121.121.550020.420.420.520.463020.419.719.420.48002019.918.920100019.419.418.619.4125019.118.918.219.1160018.819.117.718.8200018.619.217.518.6250018.118.817.418.1315017.818.61717.840001818.71718500017.718.817.117.7630017.7191717.7800017.719.21717.71000017.619.317.117.61250017.619.517.117.61600018.721.317.318.7SPL3131.430.331N1.41.41.21.4median 19.1median 19.5median 18.2median 19.1Delta2.31.222.3hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8

Temperature

Swift 3 stress test
Swift 3 stress test

Our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark running simultaneously for at least one full hour) was performed differently on mains and on battery. The CPU ran at between 2.2 and 2.5 GHz on mains and between 1.8 and 2.1 GHz on battery. The GPU ran at its full speed regardless of power source.

The Swift 3 remained fairly cool overall. We found two hot spots of more than 40 °C while running our stress test, but the device was much cooler during everyday use. Keep in mind that our stress test is an extreme load scenario that is rarely ever encountered in the real world. We use this test to determine any bottlenecks and potential stability issues.

Max. Load
 30.1 °C
86 F
37.5 °C
100 F
40.2 °C
104 F
 
 27.1 °C
81 F
32 °C
90 F
32.6 °C
91 F
 
 26 °C
79 F
26.1 °C
79 F
27.7 °C
82 F
 
Maximum: 40.2 °C = 104 F
Average: 31 °C = 88 F
40 °C
104 F
37.6 °C
100 F
34 °C
93 F
33.7 °C
93 F
31.9 °C
89 F
28 °C
82 F
29.4 °C
85 F
29.1 °C
84 F
27.7 °C
82 F
Maximum: 40 °C = 104 F
Average: 32.4 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  51.1 °C = 124 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(+) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 31 °C / 88 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 40.2 °C / 104 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 40 °C / 104 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.5 °C / 74 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 27.7 °C / 81.9 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 (+0.6 °C / 1 F).
Heat map top (load)
Heat map top (load)
Heat map bottom (load)
Heat map bottom (load)
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map top (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)
Heat map bottom (idle)

Speakers

The stereo speakers are located at the bottom of the device. Their soundscape is pleasant but lacks bass. As is often the case we suggest using headphones or external speakers for an improved audio experience.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2038.937.538.92539.334.439.33135.831.235.84033.128.633.15034.329.334.36334.429.434.48035.427.635.410036.926.536.912538.524.838.516039.224.439.220041.724.341.725045.722.845.731548.321.848.34005121.15150053.220.553.263058.819.458.880064.718.964.7100062.418.662.412506018.260160059.317.759.3200059.117.559.1250058.317.458.3315059.71759.7400060.41760.4500063.717.163.7630062.81762.8800059.71759.71000058.817.158.81250059.317.159.31600046.717.346.7SPL72.730.372.7N28.81.228.8median 58.8median 18.2median 58.8Delta6.426.435.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (64.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 17.1% lower than median
(+) | bass is linear (5.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.1% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (6.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (19.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 55% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 37% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 42% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 50% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz audio analysis

(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (83.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(±) | reduced bass - on average 11.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (14.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 2.4% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (5.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (4.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (10.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 5% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 93% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 3% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 96% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Consumption

Acer’s SF314-55 was comparatively economic and efficient. Maximum power consumption when idle was just 6.1 W, which increased to 35.3 W while running our stress test (Prime95 and FurMark simultaneously for at least one full hour). With just Prime95 running, power consumption was even higher and peaked at 38.4 W. The power supply is rated at 45 W.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.5 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 2.9 / 5.6 / 6.1 Watt
Load midlight 29 / 35.3 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

In our real-life Wi-Fi test, in which we simulate conditions typical for browsing the web, the Swift 3 lasted for 10:14 hours. During this test, the energy plan is set to “Balanced”, display brightness is normalized to 150 nits, and all power-saving features are disabled.

Battery Runtime
WiFi Websurfing (Edge 42)
10h 14min
Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
653 min +6%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (303 - 1144, n=63, last 2 years)
629 min +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
i3-8145U, UHD Graphics 620, 50.7 Wh
614 min
Asus VivoBook S14 S406UA-BV023T
i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 39 Wh
476 min -22%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-52G-89SL
i5-8550U, GeForce MX150, 48 Wh
465 min -24%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
R7 2700U, Vega 10, 48 Wh
398 min -35%
Lenovo Ideapad 720S-13ARR
R5 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
204 min -67%

Pros

+ matte IPS Display
+ FHD resolution
+ NVMe SSD
+ decent battery life
+ backlit keyboard
+ very quiet
+ DisplayPort via USB-C
+ Power Delivery via USB-C

Cons

- only 4 GB of RAM
- RAM soldered onto motherboard
- RAM is not upgradeable
- CPU turbo barely utilized on battery

Verdict

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8. Review unit courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8. Review unit courtesy of notebooksbilliger.de.

Acer’s Swift 3 SF314-55 is a 14-inch notebook with an elegant and compact metal case. It offers plenty of performance for everyday office and Internet tasks thanks to its Core i3 CPU, which manages to outperform its Kaby Lake competitors like the Core i5-7200U due to its higher turbo boost speeds. Despite this, the device remained very quiet and cool in all load scenarios.

An NVMe SSD makes for a buttery smooth and responsive system, and the SSD can be upgraded. Unfortunately, this requires removing the bottom cover and opening the case. The IPS panel offers great viewing angles and a good contrast ratio but its maximum brightness is nothing to write home about. Considering the laptop’s price we would have expected a brighter display. It is only bright enough for indoor use. The backlit keyboard left a good impression and was certainly well usable. Battery life was pretty decent; however, it comes at a price: CPU turbo boost is practically not applied on battery at all.

Our biggest criticism is the device’s meager RAM configuration. 4 GB is not enough considering the notebook’s price of around $700.

In addition, the RAM is soldered onto the motherboard and there are no free RAM slots available, which means it is impossible to add more memory. This is most certainly going to be a deal-breaker for many potential customers. For $100 more you can get the SF314-55-34T6 SKU with not only 8 GB of RAM but also a more spacious 256 GB SSD.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 - 12/29/2018 v6(old)
Sascha Mölck

Chassis
86 /  98 → 87%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
61 / 80 → 76%
Weight
69 / 35-78 → 79%
Battery
93%
Display
87%
Games Performance
55 / 68 → 81%
Application Performance
86 / 87 → 99%
Temperature
94 / 91 → 100%
Noise
95%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Average
76%
86%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

Pricecompare

Read all 1 comments / answer
static version load dynamic
Loading Comments
Comment on this article
Please share our article, every link counts!
> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Swift 3 SF314-55 (i3-8145U, SSD, FHD) Laptop Review
Sascha Mölck, 2019-01- 3 (Update: 2019-01- 3)