Acer Swift 3 SF314 (i7-8565U, MX250) Laptop Review
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.
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.
Equipment - USB Type-C with DisplayPort
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) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (18.4 - 142, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Lenovo ThinkPad A485-20MU000CGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Average of class Subnotebook (22.5 - 207, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-55G-768V (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-55-31N8 (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Asus Zenbook 14 UX433FA-A6018T (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Acer TravelMate X3410-M-50DD (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
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.
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.
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
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.
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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 ? | 44.8 ? -12% | 38 ? 5% | 42 ? -5% | 42 ? -5% | 41 ? -3% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 28 ? | 35.2 ? -26% | 27.2 ? 3% | 30 ? -7% | 28 ? -0% | 30 ? -7% |
| PWM Frequency | 250 | 1000 ? 300% | 24500 ? 9700% | 25000 ? 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
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.
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.
Display 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)
| 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.
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.
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 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 ? -25% |
| Read 4K | 50.2 | 41.33 -18% | 28.04 -44% | 26.4 -47% | 40.03 -20% | 36.99 -26% | 44.2 ? -12% |
| Write Seq | 1175 | 1271 8% | 1009 -14% | 402.5 -66% | 973 -17% | 463.1 -61% | 1265 ? 8% |
| Read Seq | 1132 | 1171 3% | 962 -15% | 461.2 -59% | 1111 -2% | 794 -30% | 1237 ? 9% |
| Write 4K Q32T1 | 472.6 | 218.4 -54% | 572 21% | 175.8 -63% | 424.6 -10% | 291.7 -38% | 404 ? -15% |
| Read 4K Q32T1 | 642 | 308.5 -52% | 611 -5% | 228.8 -64% | 255.9 -60% | 352 -45% | 421 ? -34% |
| Write Seq Q32T1 | 1453 | 1460 0% | 1720 18% | 442.9 -70% | 1300 -11% | 468.1 -68% | 1491 ? 3% |
| Read Seq Q32T1 | 1738 | 1529 -12% | 1775 2% | 522 -70% | 1723 -1% | 1489 -14% | 1741 ? 0% |
| Write 4K Q8T8 | 1208 | 309 | 715 ? | ||||
| Read 4K Q8T8 | 983 | 247.1 | 1027 ? | ||||
| AS SSD | -43% | 6% | -68% | -29% | -51% | -13% | |
| Seq Read | 1438 | 1224 -15% | 1225 -15% | 492.9 -66% | 1389 -3% | 1201 -16% | 1363 ? -5% |
| Seq Write | 1352 | 1118 -17% | 1386 3% | 462.2 -66% | 795 -41% | 434.5 -68% | 1227 ? -9% |
| 4K Read | 47.35 | 42.46 -10% | 56.4 19% | 26.89 -43% | 37.3 -21% | 40.9 -14% | 40.8 ? -14% |
| 4K Write | 167.9 | 77.4 -54% | 137.6 -18% | 85.1 -49% | 130.8 -22% | 90 -46% | 127.3 ? -24% |
| 4K-64 Read | 1051 | 559 -47% | 1190 13% | 234.2 -78% | 653 -38% | 425.5 -60% | 957 ? -9% |
| 4K-64 Write | 1211 | 378.1 -69% | 1377 14% | 312.8 -74% | 605 -50% | 390.9 -68% | 1081 ? -11% |
| Access Time Read * | 0.081 | 0.046 | 0.114 | 0.184 | 0.07744 ? | ||
| Access Time Write * | 0.03 | 0.049 -63% | 0.026 13% | 0.056 -87% | 0.028 7% | 0.048 -60% | 0.03671 ? -22% |
| Score Read | 1242 | 724 -42% | 1369 10% | 310 -75% | 829 -33% | 586 -53% | 1134 ? -9% |
| Score Write | 1514 | 567 -63% | 1653 9% | 444 -71% | 815 -46% | 524 -65% | 1331 ? -12% |
| Score Total | 3397 | 1669 -51% | 3743 10% | 922 -73% | 2048 -40% | 1386 -59% | 3046 ? -10% |
| Copy ISO MB/s | 812 | 1837 | 923 | 601 | 310.1 | 1169 ? | |
| Copy Program MB/s | 209.4 | 473.6 | 453.6 | 246.8 | 88.4 | 446 ? | |
| Copy Game MB/s | 356.1 | 1216 | 523 | 549 | 166.4 | 874 ? | |
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | -32% /
-33% | 0% /
1% | -65% /
-65% | -25% /
-25% | -46% /
-47% | -11% /
-11% |
* ... smaller is better
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 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.
| low | med. | high | ultra | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
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) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Audix TM1, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 30.4 dB(A) | ||
Temperature
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.
(-) 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).
Speaker
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.
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.
| Off / Standby | 0.3 / 0.62 Watt |
| Idle | 7.4 / 9.9 / 11.7 Watt |
| Load |
29 / 52 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: 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% | 4.1 ? 45% | 4.47 ? 40% |
| Idle Average * | 9.9 | 8.3 16% | 9.3 6% | 6.5 34% | 5.8 41% | 5.6 43% | 7.91 ? 20% | 7.6 ? 23% |
| Idle Maximum * | 11.7 | 11.4 3% | 12.8 -9% | 8.5 27% | 10.2 13% | 6.1 48% | 10.4 ? 11% | 9.51 ? 19% |
| Load Average * | 29 | 42 -45% | 58.8 -103% | 56 -93% | 34.9 -20% | 29 -0% | 58.6 ? -102% | 46.2 ? -59% |
| Load Maximum * | 52 | 48.8 6% | 65 -25% | 67 -29% | 35 33% | 35.3 32% | 68.9 ? -33% | 68.4 ? -32% |
| 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.
| 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% | 1750 ? 81% | ||
| WiFi v1.3 | 484 | 330 -32% | 503 4% | 651 35% | 563 16% | 614 27% | 726 ? 50% |
| Load | 104 | 68 -35% | 109 5% | 131 26% | 115.1 ? 11% | ||
| H.264 | 368 | 695 | 911 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - More performance in exchange for less battery life
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
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