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Acer Swift 3 SF314 (i7-8565U, MX250) Laptop Review

Small and light with an MX250.

Acer promises buyers of the Swift 3 an elegant design and high mobility. With its attractive aluminum case and small size, the 14-inch notebook is able to already fulfill those promises at first glance. We evaluate in our test whether the performance of the compact laptop is also right.
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V

The Acer Swift 3 was already represented in our tests in numerous incarnations. The last model with a 14-inch display was the Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8, which missed a better evaluation due to its low amount of storage equipment. In our current test unit, there is now 8 GB of working memory and a 512 GB SSD. An Intel Core i7-8565U is responsible for smooth system operation, and graphically demanding applications are brought to the screen by Nvidia's GeForce MX250.

The model of the Acer Swift 3 listed above is available for about 1200 Euros (~$1343). Buyers also have the choice between various competing devices that offer similar equipment at a similar price point. In this test, we compare the Swift 3 with the Asus ZenBook 14 UX433FA, Lenovo's ThinkPad A485, the Acer TravelMate X3410, and Huawei's MateBook 14.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V (Swift 3 SF314 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i7-8565U 4 x 1.8 - 4.6 GHz (Intel Core i7)
Graphics adapter
NVIDIA GeForce MX250 - 2048 MB VRAM, Core: 544 MHz, RAM: 202.5 MHz, 1D52, GeForce 417.35
Memory
8 GB 
, DDR4
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Chi Mei CMN14D5, IPS, glossy: no
Mainboard
Intel Cannon Lake-U PCH-LP Premium
Storage
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, 512 GB 
, 430 GB free
Soundcard
Intel Cannon Lake-LP - cAVS
Connections
3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 DisplayPort, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: 3.5 mm audio port, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
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
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 0.9MP 16:9 (1280x720)
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.5 kg ( = 52.91 oz / 3.31 pounds), Power Supply: 208 g ( = 7.34 oz / 0.46 pounds)
Price
1200 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case - A laptop with a modest design

For a detailed description of the case, we refer you to the test of the similarly built Acer Swift 3 with Intel Core i3-8145U from January 2019.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V

Size Comparison

336.6 mm / 13.3 in 232.5 mm / 9.15 in 19.95 mm / 0.785 in 1.6 kg3.61 lbs328 mm / 12.9 in 238 mm / 9.37 in 19.9 mm / 0.783 in 1.7 kg3.73 lbs323 mm / 12.7 in 228 mm / 8.98 in 14.9 mm / 0.587 in 1.5 kg3.31 lbs319 mm / 12.6 in 199 mm / 7.83 in 15.9 mm / 0.626 in 1.2 kg2.6 lbs307.5 mm / 12.1 in 223.8 mm / 8.81 in 15.9 mm / 0.626 in 1.5 kg3.37 lbs297 mm / 11.7 in 210 mm / 8.27 in 1 mm / 0.03937 in 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Equipment - USB Type-C with DisplayPort

Left side: cable lock, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, storage card reader, audio combo port
Left side: cable lock, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, storage card reader, audio combo port
Right side: 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, HDMI, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C, power
Right side: 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-A, HDMI, 1x USB 3.1 Gen1 Type-C, power

SD Card Reader

The SD card reader of the Acer Swift 3 only achieves below-average transfer rates with our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference storage card in this model variant as well.

SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
74.2 MB/s +176%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (18.4 - 142, n=14, last 2 years)
54.3 MB/s +102%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
36 MB/s +34%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.9 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
26.7 MB/s -1%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
20.9 MB/s -22%
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
85.6 MB/s +168%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (22.5 - 207, n=14, last 2 years)
72.6 MB/s +127%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
32 MB/s
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
29.5 MB/s -8%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB)
25.8 MB/s -19%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
  (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II)
25 MB/s -22%

Communication

In our WLAN test, the Swift 3 achieves average speeds of 615 Mb/s when receiving and 637 Mb/s when sending data. This places the Acer notebook, which benefits from wireless networks in the 5-GHz band and the fast 802.11-ac standard, at a similar level as comparable devices.

Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
659 MBit/s +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
638 (570min - 673max) MBit/s 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
637 (467min - 709max) MBit/s
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
631 (503min - 648max) MBit/s -1%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
581 MBit/s -9%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
565 (533min - 587max) MBit/s -11%
iperf3 receive AX12
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
666 (585min - 685max) MBit/s +8%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
663 MBit/s +8%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
630 (523min - 670max) MBit/s +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Wireless-AC 9560
615 (517min - 654max) MBit/s
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
551 (441min - 572max) MBit/s -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Realtek RTL8822BE Wireless LAN 802.11ac PCIe Adapter
536 MBit/s -13%
04080120160200240280320360400440480520560600640680Tooltip
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V; iperf3 receive AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø615 (517-654)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V; iperf3 transmit AX12; iperf 3.1.3: Ø637 (467-709)

Security

Users of the Acer Swift 3 can protect their notebook from unauthorized access with the built-in fingerprint reader. In our test, the setup via Windows Hello worked without any complications, and stored fingerprints were recognized reliably.

Accessories

Only the notebook itself and its charger are included in the box of the Swift 3. Acer does not offer any additional accessories that are designed specifically for the Swift 3. However, you can order various bags, docking stations, input devices, and more in the manufacturer's shop.

Maintenance

The Acer Swift 3 offers only very limited maintenance options. While the working memory cannot be expanded or replaced, users have to remove one of the white flat-band cables to be able to access the SSD and the WLAN module below.

Maintenance options
Maintenance options

Warranty

Acer offers a warranty period of 24 months to buyers of the Swift 3. For a surcharge, users can purchase additional warranty packages to extend the warranty to three or four years, for example, or include on-site repair service.

Input Devices - An Acer notebook with keyboard illumination

For a detailed description of the input devices, we refer to the review of the similarly built Acer Swift 3 with i3 CPU from January 2019.

Display - Acer Swift 3 with good color-space coverage

Subpixel grid
Subpixel grid

The display of the Acer Swift 3 is a 14-inch IPS panel that offers a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. At a maximum of 323 cd/m², the brightness is slightly higher than that of the i3 model, but the brightness distribution is slightly lower at 87%. In our current test unit, PWM is also used for the brightness control. However, the difference is that now the frequency is significantly lower. With it being only 250 Hz, users with sensitive eyes might run into problems when having to look at the screen for longer time periods.

284
cd/m²
290
cd/m²
280
cd/m²
295
cd/m²
323
cd/m²
299
cd/m²
298
cd/m²
312
cd/m²
309
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN14D5 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 323 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 298.9 cd/m² Minimum: 20 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 87 %
Center on Battery: 317 cd/m²
Contrast: 923:1 (Black: 0.35 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 3.13 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.91, calibrated: 0.9
ΔE Greyscale 4.32 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
99% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
64% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
69.5% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
98.9% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
67.3% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.29
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Chi Mei CMN14D5, , 1920x1080, 14"
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
NV140FHM-N46, , 1920x1080, 14"
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Chi Mei CMN8C02, , 2160x1440, 14"
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
N140HCA-EAC, , 1920x1080, 14"
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
AU Optronics B140HAN03.2, , 1920x1080, 14"
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Chi Mei N140HCE-EN2, , 1920x1080, 14"
Display
-40%
-1%
-37%
-7%
-2%
Display P3 Coverage
67.3
40.24
-40%
66.6
-1%
41.96
-38%
63.5
-6%
66.2
-2%
sRGB Coverage
98.9
60
-39%
97.8
-1%
63
-36%
90.9
-8%
98.3
-1%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
69.5
41.57
-40%
68.1
-2%
43.37
-38%
64.6
-7%
67.8
-2%
Response Times
87%
4%
3229%
-3%
3297%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
40 ?(22, 18)
44.8 ?(22.8, 22)
-12%
38 ?(19.6, 18.4)
5%
42 ?(22, 20)
-5%
42 ?(21, 21)
-5%
41 ?(21, 20)
-3%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(15, 13)
35.2 ?(19.6, 15.6)
-26%
27.2 ?(17.2, 10)
3%
30 ?(17, 13)
-7%
28 ?(16, 12)
-0%
30 ?(18, 12)
-7%
PWM Frequency
250
1000 ?(99)
300%
24500 ?(20)
9700%
25000 ?(20)
9900%
Screen
-70%
-10%
-32%
-27%
-4%
Brightness middle
323
275
-15%
401.7
24%
255
-21%
321
-1%
291
-10%
Brightness
299
272
-9%
386
29%
218
-27%
282
-6%
276
-8%
Brightness Distribution
87
85
-2%
95
9%
72
-17%
77
-11%
90
3%
Black Level *
0.35
0.26
26%
0.42
-20%
0.08
77%
0.2
43%
0.27
23%
Contrast
923
1058
15%
956
4%
3188
245%
1605
74%
1078
17%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
3.13
5.9
-88%
4.11
-31%
5.01
-60%
6.35
-103%
3.86
-23%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
6.96
20
-187%
8.93
-28%
17.44
-151%
12.2
-75%
8.26
-19%
Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated *
0.9
4.9
-444%
1.36
-51%
4.06
-351%
1.88
-109%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
4.32
3.6
17%
6.1
-41%
3
31%
8.35
-93%
5.33
-23%
Gamma
2.29 96%
2.36 93%
2.19 100%
2.26 97%
2.51 88%
2.25 98%
CCT
7436 87%
6798 96%
7222 90%
6185 105%
8227 79%
7426 88%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
64
38.1
-40%
62.7
-2%
40
-37%
59
-8%
62
-3%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
99
59.6
-40%
98.6
0%
63
-36%
91
-8%
98
-1%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-8% / -37%
-2% / -6%
1053% / 543%
-12% / -20%
1097% / 615%

* ... smaller is better

Color-space coverage (sRGB) - 99%
Color-space coverage (sRGB) - 99%
Color-space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 64%
Color-space coverage (AdobeRGB) - 64%

Our measurements attest the Acer Swift 3 with a relatively low contrast ratio of 923:1 and a slightly elevated black value of 0.35 cd/m². This causes colors to appear not very well delineated and black image content to appear covered by a slight gray veil.

The CalMAN analysis also shows that the display of the Acer Swift 3 has a significant blue tint in the state of delivery. But you can completely remove this through calibration. The corresponding profile can be downloaded from the link above in the box on the left, next to the graphic with the brightness distribution of the display.

CalMAN - Color accuracy
CalMAN - Color accuracy
CalMAN - Color accuracy (calibrated)
CalMAN - Color accuracy (calibrated)
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation
CalMAN - Saturation (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation (calibrated)

As long as you choose places in the shade, the Acer Swift 3 can be used easily outdoors. Due to the matte screen, reflections of the surrounding objects remain within limits. However, the display is not bright enough to use in direct sunlight, which makes the image content unrecognizable. 

Screen bleeding
Screen bleeding
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use
Outdoor use

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
28 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 15 ms rise
↘ 13 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. » 68 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
40 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 22 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 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 58 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 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

The display backlight flickers at 250 Hz (worst case, e.g., utilizing PWM) .

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 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured.

The IPS panel of the Acer Swift 3 has very stable viewing angles. The image content can be read from almost any angle without becoming distorted or the colors being distorted. 

Viewing-angle stability
Viewing-angle stability

Performance - The Swift 3 laptop with GeForce MX250

In our current test unit of the Acer Swift 3, an Intel Core i7-8565U and 8 GB of working memory ensure smooth system operation. An Nvidia GeForce MX250 is responsible for the display of more-demanding image content and a 512 GB SSD offers a sufficient amount of storage for programs and your own data. With this equipment, the 14-inch notebook is suited for more-demanding office applications and is also capable of running some modern games at low to medium graphics settings.

 

Processor

Intel's Core i7-8565U is an energy-efficient quad-core processor based on the Whiskey Lake architecture, which is suited for use in small notebooks and ultrabooks. Compared to its Intel Core i7-8550U predecessor, the i7-8565U offers a higher clock speed and supports Thermal Velocity Boost. This function increases the Turbo clock speed, as long as the core temperatures remain within a moderate range. By how much and for how long the increased clock speed can be maintained depends mainly on the cooling system of the notebook.

Our Cinebench R15 constant load test shows that the performance of the Swift 3 drops by about 7% after a short time. Until the end of the test, the performance can be maintained at this level with slight fluctuations. Thus it is slightly above devices with the Intel Core i7-8550U or Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U. In the Cinebench R15 single tests, the Swift 3 with i7-8565U is able to lead our test field in the single-core performance. However, in the multi-core values the Huawei MateBook 14 dominates, and the Asus ZenBook 14 is also able to achieve better results with its i5-8265U. Compared to the Acer Swift 3 with Intel Core i3-8145U, the performance turns out about 50% higher.

0306090120150180210240270300330360390420450480510540Tooltip
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V Intel Core i7-8565U, Intel Core i7-8565U: Ø525 (504.86-564.35)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel Core i3-8145U: Ø349 (347.66-361.38)
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U: Ø504 (495-536)
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD Intel Core i7-8550U, Intel Core i7-8550U: Ø501 (497-532)
Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (72.4 - 307, n=61, last 2 years)
250 Points +39%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U
180 Points
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Core i7-8565U
177 Points -2%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (138.3 - 193, n=51)
172.5 Points -4%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U
167 Points -7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U
165 Points -8%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U
157 Points -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
150 Points -17%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Core i5-8265U
149 Points -17%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
134 Points -26%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Average of class Subnotebook
  (327 - 3345, n=66, last 2 years)
1978 Points +251%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Core i7-8565U
659 Points +17%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Core i5-8265U
654 Points +16%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Core i5-8265U
647 Points +15%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U
  (452 - 815, n=52)
612 Points +9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U
564 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
553 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U
540 Points -4%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U
528 Points -6%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U
493 Points -13%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U
361 Points -36%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
180 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
564 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
94.3 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
99.6 %
Help

System Performance

In the PCMark benchmarks, the Acer Swift 3 also only achieves a place in the middle of our test field. Here, the notebook with an Intel Core i7-8550U processor once again places behind devices with the usually slower Intel Core i5-8265U. Compared to the Swift 3 with Core i3-8145U, the performance is about 30% higher in the PCMark 10 Overall score, and the results are 14% and 9% higher in the PCMark 8 Work and Home tests, respectively.

You can find out about the performance of other laptops compared to the Acer Swift 3 in our CPU benchmark list.

PCMark 10
Score
Average of class Subnotebook
  (4993 - 7788, n=51, last 2 years)
6447 Points +59%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4236 Points +4%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4205 Points +4%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
4190 Points +3%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3759 - 4547, n=9)
4153 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4061 Points
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
3643 Points -10%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3565 Points -12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
3179 Points -22%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2673 Points -34%
Essentials
Average of class Subnotebook
  (9476 - 11331, n=51, last 2 years)
10480 Points +41%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
8394 Points +13%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
8367 Points +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
8233 Points +11%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (7204 - 8929, n=9)
8038 Points +8%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
7618 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7446 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
7368 Points -1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
6911 Points -7%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
5848 Points -21%
Productivity
Average of class Subnotebook
  (6440 - 10623, n=51, last 2 years)
8633 Points +23%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7212 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
7037 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (6302 - 7443, n=9)
6948 Points -1%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
6916 Points -2%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
6604 Points -6%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
5939 Points -16%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5437 Points -23%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
5274 Points -25%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
3759 Points -47%
Digital Content Creation
Average of class Subnotebook
  (5305 - 10983, n=51, last 2 years)
8124 Points +134%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
3604 Points +4%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3133 - 3841, n=9)
3489 Points +1%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3488 Points +1%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3475 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3470 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3071 Points -11%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
2902 Points -16%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
2392 Points -31%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2359 Points -32%
PCMark 8
Home Score Accelerated v2
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
4220 Points +18%
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3331 - 4220, n=9)
3738 Points +4%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
3733 Points +4%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
3612 Points +1%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
3603 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
3581 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
3578 Points 0%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
3281 Points -8%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1739 - 4730, n=2, last 2 years)
3235 Points -10%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
2937 Points -18%
Work Score Accelerated v2
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5272 Points +2%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
GeForce MX250, i5-8265U, Toshiba KBG30ZMV256G
5223 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
5174 Points
Average Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (4796 - 5277, n=9)
5047 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
GeForce MX130, i5-8550U, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
5030 Points -3%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
GeForce MX250, i7-8565U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
4796 Points -7%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
UHD Graphics 620, i5-8265U, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
4715 Points -9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
UHD Graphics 620, i3-8145U, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
4556 Points -12%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Vega 8, R5 PRO 2500U, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
4123 Points -20%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (1609 - 5271, n=2, last 2 years)
3440 Points -34%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3581 points
PCMark 8 Work Score Accelerated v2
5174 points
PCMark 10 Score
4061 points
Help

Storage Solution

The Acer Swift 3 offers a 512 GB SSD to its users, about 430 GB of which can still be used for storage of your own data and installation of programs. The built-in Western Digital storage achieves very good read and write rates in the storage benchmarks. Not only do these values best the competition but also the average of all the storage solutions we tested.

You can find out about the performance of other storage solutions compared to the SSD used here in our HDD/SSD benchmark list.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ
Average WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
 
CrystalDiskMark 5.2 / 6
-20%
-6%
-62%
-21%
-41%
-8%
Write 4K
185.5
114.8
-38%
165.9
-11%
85.4
-54%
99.9
-46%
96.8
-48%
138.5 ?(94.1 - 191.2, n=27)
-25%
Read 4K
50.2
41.33
-18%
28.04
-44%
26.4
-47%
40.03
-20%
36.99
-26%
44.2 ?(27.6 - 53.1, n=27)
-12%
Write Seq
1175
1271
8%
1009
-14%
402.5
-66%
973
-17%
463.1
-61%
Read Seq
1132
1171
3%
962
-15%
461.2
-59%
1111
-2%
794
-30%
Write 4K Q32T1
472.6
218.4
-54%
572
21%
175.8
-63%
424.6
-10%
291.7
-38%
404 ?(239 - 749, n=27)
-15%
Read 4K Q32T1
642
308.5
-52%
611
-5%
228.8
-64%
255.9
-60%
352
-45%
421 ?(229 - 654, n=27)
-34%
Write Seq Q32T1
1453
1460
0%
1720
18%
442.9
-70%
1300
-11%
468.1
-68%
Read Seq Q32T1
1738
1529
-12%
1775
2%
522
-70%
1723
-1%
1489
-14%
Write 4K Q8T8
1208
309
Read 4K Q8T8
983
247.1
AS SSD
-43%
6%
-68%
-29%
-51%
-13%
Seq Read
1438
1224
-15%
1225
-15%
492.9
-66%
1389
-3%
1201
-16%
Seq Write
1352
1118
-17%
1386
3%
462.2
-66%
795
-41%
434.5
-68%
4K Read
47.35
42.46
-10%
56.4
19%
26.89
-43%
37.3
-21%
40.9
-14%
40.8 ?(25 - 48.3, n=28)
-14%
4K Write
167.9
77.4
-54%
137.6
-18%
85.1
-49%
130.8
-22%
90
-46%
127.3 ?(82.1 - 179.7, n=27)
-24%
4K-64 Read
1051
559
-47%
1190
13%
234.2
-78%
653
-38%
425.5
-60%
4K-64 Write
1211
378.1
-69%
1377
14%
312.8
-74%
605
-50%
390.9
-68%
1081 ?(709 - 1459, n=28)
-11%
Access Time Read *
0.081
0.046
0.114
0.184
Access Time Write *
0.03
0.049
-63%
0.026
13%
0.056
-87%
0.028
7%
0.048
-60%
0.03671 ?(0.021 - 0.099, n=28)
-22%
Score Read
1242
724
-42%
1369
10%
310
-75%
829
-33%
586
-53%
Score Write
1514
567
-63%
1653
9%
444
-71%
815
-46%
524
-65%
1331 ?(926 - 1879, n=28)
-12%
Score Total
3397
1669
-51%
3743
10%
922
-73%
2048
-40%
1386
-59%
3046 ?(2126 - 4334, n=28)
-10%
Copy ISO MB/s
812
1837
923
601
310.1
Copy Program MB/s
209.4
473.6
453.6
246.8
88.4
Copy Game MB/s
356.1
1216
523
549
166.4
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-32% / -33%
0% / 1%
-65% / -65%
-25% / -25%
-46% / -47%
-11% / -11%

* ... smaller is better

WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G
Sequential Read: 1148 MB/s
Sequential Write: 1176 MB/s
512K Read: 646 MB/s
512K Write: 773 MB/s
4K Read: 38.09 MB/s
4K Write: 129.2 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 390.8 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 244 MB/s

Graphics Card

In addition to the Intel UHD Graphics 620 that is integrated into the CPU, the Acer Swift 3 is also able to use an Nvidia GeForce MX250 for the display of image content. Here, the weaker-performing 1D52 variant with a TDP of 10 watts is used. In the 3DMark benchmark, its performance is up to 33% lower than that of an MX250-1D13 with 25 watts TDP. Compared to the Swift 3 with Intel Core i3-8145U, which can merely use the integrated UHD Graphics 620, the graphics performance is significantly higher.

Our GPU benchmark list shows how Nvidia's GeForce MX250 fares in the comparison against other graphics cards.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Average of class Subnotebook
  (968 - 16296, n=56, last 2 years)
9532 Points +165%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i5-8265U
4761 Points +33%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
4633 Points +29%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
4459 Points +24%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (3585 - 4942, n=29)
4404 Points +23%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3593 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
3203 Points -11%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
2794 Points -22%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1851 Points -48%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8145U
1415 Points -61%
3DMark
1280x720 Cloud Gate Standard Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (5577 - 58319, n=30, last 2 years)
37354 Points +84%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
22615 Points +11%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i5-8265U
22232 Points +10%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
21545 Points +6%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (13805 - 23863, n=25)
21491 Points +6%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
20283 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
14880 Points -27%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
10968 Points -46%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
10370 Points -49%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8145U
7152 Points -65%
1920x1080 Fire Strike Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (832 - 11887, n=60, last 2 years)
6964 Points +134%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i5-8265U
3690 Points +24%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3664 Points +23%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
3616 Points +21%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (2939 - 3885, n=29)
3531 Points +19%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
2977 Points
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
NVIDIA GeForce MX130, Intel Core i7-8550U
2495 Points -16%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000), AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U
1757 Points -41%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-8265U
1292 Points -57%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel UHD Graphics 620, Intel Core i3-8145U
838 Points -72%
2560x1440 Time Spy Graphics
Average of class Subnotebook
  (804 - 4501, n=61, last 2 years)
2566 Points
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
1130 Points
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
NVIDIA GeForce MX250, Intel Core i7-8565U
1090 Points
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (881 - 1169, n=22)
1070 Points
3DMark 11 Performance
3942 points
3DMark Cloud Gate Standard Score
14136 points
3DMark Fire Strike Score
2762 points
Help

Gaming Performance

Nvidia's GeForce MX250 1D52 is suited for games to a limited extent. Older games and those with low demands on the graphics performance can also run at high detail settings. While modern games can also be played under some conditions, often only lower graphics settings will work.

You can find out which games can run on Nvidia's GeForce MX250 in our GPU games list.

The Witcher 3
1024x768 Low Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Subnotebook
  (48 - 187, n=48, last 2 years)
118 fps +103%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
65 fps +12%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
64.5 fps +11%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
63.5 fps +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (47.4 - 70, n=24)
60.8 fps +5%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
58 fps
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
47.3 fps -18%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
29.5 fps -49%
1366x768 Medium Graphics & Postprocessing
Average of class Subnotebook
  (33 - 118, n=36, last 2 years)
70.4 fps +113%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
37.9 fps +15%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
37 fps +12%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
36.5 fps +11%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (30 - 40, n=27)
35.3 fps +7%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
33 fps
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
28.2 fps -15%
1920x1080 High Graphics & Postprocessing (Nvidia HairWorks Off)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (11.2 - 71, n=51, last 2 years)
41.2 fps +129%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
21 fps +17%
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
21 fps +17%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
20.4 fps +13%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (16.3 - 23.1, n=27)
20.1 fps +12%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
18 fps
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
15.3 fps -15%
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
AMD Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 (Ryzen 2000/3000)
9.8 fps -46%
1920x1080 Ultra Graphics & Postprocessing (HBAO+)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (8.5 - 43.7, n=53, last 2 years)
21.8 fps
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
16 fps
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
11.9 fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (9 - 16, n=24)
11.6 fps
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
11.4 fps
BioShock Infinite
1366x768 High Preset
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
94 fps +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (84 - 100.5, n=14)
93.6 fps +11%
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
93 fps +11%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
84 fps
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
68.8 fps -18%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
31 fps -63%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
19.1 fps -77%
1366x768 Medium Preset
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
110 fps +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (98.4 - 117.5, n=14)
109.1 fps +11%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
107 fps +9%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
98.4 fps
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
80.2 fps -18%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
36.7 fps -63%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
23.3 fps -76%
1280x720 Very Low Preset
HP Pavilion 15-cs2019ng
Intel Core i5-8265U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
197 fps +12%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (133.9 - 212, n=14)
187.3 fps +7%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
180.2 fps +3%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
175.5 fps
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
Intel Core i7-8550U, NVIDIA GeForce MX130
138.1 fps -21%
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
Intel Core i5-8265U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
67.4 fps -62%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
Intel Core i3-8145U, Intel UHD Graphics 620
40.2 fps -77%
Dota 2 Reborn
1280x720 min (0/3) fastest
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
118 (103min) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (71 - 131, n=21)
108.5 fps -8%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (33.7 - 171.8, n=64, last 2 years)
107.8 fps -9%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
89.2 fps -24%
1366x768 med (1/3)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
98.7 (83.8min) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (21.8 - 109, n=21)
86.7 fps -12%
Average of class Subnotebook
  (25 - 137.8, n=64, last 2 years)
86.1 fps -13%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
79.5 fps -19%
1920x1080 high (2/3)
Average of class Subnotebook
  (14.8 - 112.6, n=64, last 2 years)
68.1 fps +12%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
66.4 fps +9%
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (8.6 - 77.4, n=21)
62 fps +2%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
60.7 (54.2min) fps
1920x1080 ultra (3/3) best looking
Average of class Subnotebook
  (13 - 99.5, n=64, last 2 years)
62.5 fps +14%
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
54.7 (47.4min) fps
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
  (7.8 - 67.5, n=21)
53.6 fps -2%
Acer Aspire 5 A515-52G-723L
Intel Core i7-8565U, NVIDIA GeForce MX250
52.9 fps -3%
lowmed.highultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 175.5 98.4 84 32.27
The Witcher 3 (2015) 58 33 18
Dota 2 Reborn (2015) 118 98.7 60.7 54.7

Emissions - A notebook for quiet surroundings

Noise Emissions

Noise characteristics
Noise characteristics

The fans of the Swift 3 remain quiet during simple office operation, making the Acer notebook well-suited for use in noise-sensitive environments. When the system load increases, the fans also rev up audibly, producing an even but clearly noticeable noise. We did not notice any coil whine or other such noise in our test unit.

Noise Level

Idle
31.5 / 31.5 / 31.5 dB(A)
Load
33.4 / 33.6 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 Highs2035.631.230.831.435.62534.232.231.530.734.23135.833.933.231.735.84031.831.73029.831.85032.431.831.13132.46329.930.629.928.529.98027.427.227.126.327.41002726.426.724.92712527.22725.525.427.216025.324.72423.225.320024.623.823.722.224.625023.624.3232223.631524.924.722.421.424.940022.522.421.220.722.550021.522.120.619.821.563020.821.620.318.820.880021.421.819.918.221.4100022.322.619.718.322.3125021.921.91917.721.9160021.62219.417.421.6200021.922.119.417.721.925002222.118.817.722315021.92218.717.821.9400020.220.818.618.220.2500020.220.21918.120.2630019.319.31918.319.3800019.319.219.118.419.31000019.21919.118.419.21250019.118.919.418.319.11600019.71919.118.419.7SPL33.433.631.630.533.4N1.81.81.51.31.8median 21.9median 22median 19.4median 18.4median 21.9Delta1.81.811.31.8hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V

Temperature

Stress test
Stress test

Our measurements attest the Swift 3 with surface temperatures of at least 25 °C (77 °F) during idle operation and up to 49.2 °C (120.6 °F) under load. While the Acer notebook can feel very warm, particularly in the back area below the monitor, it never gets too hot to use it on your lap, for example.

Inside the Swift 3, the temperatures rise up to 89 °C (192 °F) during our stress test, with the CPU speed dropping significantly below the base clock speed. Although the values stabilize again until the end of the hour-long test, they still remain below the base clock speed of 1.8 GHz. However, since such a scenario is almost impossible in everyday operation, users do not need to worry about limitations due to excess temperatures.

Max. Load
 37.4 °C
99 F
48.6 °C
119 F
46.8 °C
116 F
 
 29 °C
84 F
39.3 °C
103 F
38 °C
100 F
 
 27.1 °C
81 F
28.7 °C
84 F
30.9 °C
88 F
 
Maximum: 48.6 °C = 119 F
Average: 36.2 °C = 97 F
48.4 °C
119 F
49.2 °C
121 F
40.6 °C
105 F
40.1 °C
104 F
40.3 °C
105 F
31 °C
88 F
33.6 °C
92 F
32.4 °C
90 F
29.1 °C
84 F
Maximum: 49.2 °C = 121 F
Average: 38.3 °C = 101 F
Power Supply (max.)  49.4 °C = 121 F | Room Temperature 23.2 °C = 74 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 36.2 °C / 97 F, compared to the average of 30.8 °C / 87 F for the devices in the class Subnotebook.
(-) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 48.6 °C / 119 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 49.2 °C / 121 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 26.5 °C / 80 F, compared to the device average of 30.8 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 30.9 °C / 87.6 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 (-2.6 °C / -4.7 F).
Heat map during idle - top
Heat map during idle - top
Heat map during idle - bottom
Heat map during idle - bottom
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - top
Heat map under load - bottom
Heat map under load - bottom

Speaker

Speaker characteristics
Speaker characteristics

The speakers of the Acer Swift 3 produce a medium volume with a relatively balanced sound spectrum. The sound quality is suited to reproduce audio in very quiet surroundings. For listening to audio more frequently, we recommend using headphones or external speakers.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.331.433.32534.730.734.73133.131.733.14030.629.830.65032.63132.66329.928.529.98026.926.326.910026.724.926.712526.525.426.516035.323.235.320040.322.240.32504722473155121.45140057.320.757.350058.919.858.963061.418.861.480072.118.272.1100069.318.369.3125066.517.766.5160063.917.463.9200066.117.766.125006517.765315064.817.864.8400065.318.265.350006718.167630063.118.363.1800060.218.460.21000061.918.461.91250067.118.367.1160006118.461SPL7830.578N38.51.338.5median 61.9median 18.4median 61.9Delta9.11.39.135.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768VApple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Frequency diagram (checkboxes can be checked and unchecked to compare devices)
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V audio analysis

(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (72.1 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.6% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.5% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (3.9% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.4% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 74% of all tested devices in this class were better, 5% similar, 21% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 62% of all tested devices were better, 6% similar, 32% 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
» 6% of all tested devices in this class were better, 2% similar, 92% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 4% of all tested devices were better, 1% similar, 95% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%

Power Management - A higher consumption with the dGPU

Power Consumption

Our measurements attest the Acer Swift 3 with a minimum power consumption of 7.4 watts during idle operation and a maximum of 52 watts under load. This puts the power consumption at the level of comparable notebooks that have a dedicated MX graphics card. In comparison, the Acer Swift 3 with i3-8145U and integrated graphics unit uses about 37% less power.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.3 / 0.62 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 7.4 / 9.9 / 11.7 Watt
Load midlight 29 / 52 Watt
 color bar
Key: min: dark, med: mid, max: light        Metrahit Energy
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-512G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
R5 PRO 2500U, Vega 8, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB256HAHQ, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, Samsung SSD PM981 MZVLB512HAJQ, IPS, 2160x1440, 14"
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130, Micron 1100 MTFDDAV256TBN, IPS LED, 1920x1080, 14"
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, WDC PC SN520 SDAPNUW-256G, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
i3-8145U, UHD Graphics 620, Kingston RBUSNS8154P3128GJ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14"
Average NVIDIA GeForce MX250
 
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Power Consumption
2%
-16%
-5%
26%
37%
-12%
-2%
Idle Minimum *
7.4
5.3
28%
3.7
50%
4.6
38%
2.7
64%
2.9
61%
Idle Average *
9.9
8.3
16%
9.3
6%
6.5
34%
5.8
41%
5.6
43%
Idle Maximum *
11.7
11.4
3%
12.8
-9%
8.5
27%
10.2
13%
6.1
48%
10.4 ?(7 - 16.2, n=29)
11%
Load Average *
29
42
-45%
58.8
-103%
56
-93%
34.9
-20%
29
-0%
58.6 ?(29 - 84, n=29)
-102%
Load Maximum *
52
48.8
6%
65
-25%
67
-29%
35
33%
35.3
32%
68.9 ?(38 - 131, n=29)
-33%
Witcher 3 ultra *
55.8

* ... smaller is better

Battery Life

In our realistic WLAN test, the Swift 3 achieves a runtime of little more than eight hours. This places the Acer notebook next to last in our test field. The Acer Swift 3 with i3-8145U achieves a battery life that is about 37% longer in our test.

Battery Runtime
Idle (without WLAN, min brightness)
16h 08min
WiFi Websurfing
8h 04min
Load (maximum brightness)
1h 44min
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, 50.7 Wh
Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE
R5 PRO 2500U, Vega 8, 48 Wh
Huawei MateBook 14 KLV-W29
i7-8565U, GeForce MX250, 57.4 Wh
Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD
i5-8550U, GeForce MX130, 57 Wh
Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T
i5-8265U, UHD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8
i3-8145U, UHD Graphics 620, 50.7 Wh
Average of class Subnotebook
 
Battery Runtime
-33%
19%
23%
16%
27%
47%
Reader / Idle
968
671
-31%
1435
48%
1041
8%
WiFi v1.3
484
330
-32%
503
4%
651
35%
563
16%
614
27%
Load
104
68
-35%
109
5%
131
26%
H.264
368
695

Pros

+ matte IPS display
+ Full HD resolution
+ NVMe SSD
+ keyboard illumination
+ always runs quietly
+ DisplayPort via USB-C
+ can be charged via USB-C

Cons

- soldered-in working memory
- working memory cannot be expanded
- PWM for brightness control
- only the 10-watt model of the MX250 is used

Verdict - More performance in exchange for less battery life

In review: Acer Swift 3. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de
In review: Acer Swift 3. Test unit provided by notebooksbilliger.de

In our test, the Acer Swift 3 shows good performance for more-demanding office applications and the occasional game at low graphics settings. While the performance of the i7-8565U drops slightly after a short time, it can then maintain a level slightly above that of a Core i7-8550U or Ryzen 5 PRO 2500U. With about eight hours, the battery life is also good, which in combination with its compact dimensions makes the Swift 3 a good mobile companion.

With more-powerful hardware, the Acer Swift 3 also delivers a better performance. However, this is paid for with a shorter battery life and higher power consumption.

In terms of the display, Acer takes a step back compared to our test of the Swift 3 from January 2019. Although the brightness is slightly higher, PWM at a significantly lower frequency is used. While the dedicated Nvidia GeForce MX250 also delivers a better graphics performance, this is accompanied by higher power consumption and a shorter battery life. For users who can live without a longer battery life in exchange for the increased performance, the Swift 3 is worth taking a look at.

Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V - 05/27/2019 v6 (old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
86 /  98 → 87%
Keyboard
82%
Pointing Device
86%
Connectivity
56 / 80 → 70%
Weight
69 / 35-78 → 79%
Battery
90%
Display
89%
Games Performance
75 / 68 → 100%
Application Performance
91 / 87 → 100%
Temperature
88 / 91 → 97%
Noise
92%
Audio
55 / 91 → 60%
Camera
44 / 85 → 52%
Average
77%
86%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

Price comparison

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Swift 3 SF314 (i7-8565U, MX250) Laptop Review
Mike Wobker, 2019-05-29 (Update: 2019-05-29)