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Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620) Laptop Review

Well-designed for every day. Acer has learned to produce good and affordable laptops with an attractive design. Our review sample also proves this. However, not only the outer values are good. The Swift 3 has quite a bit to offer on the inside as well. Our tests present a balanced laptop that delivers the promised performance.

For the original German review, see here.

Acer offers various laptop models with a similar configuration. Every laptop series is aimed at different target groups. The devices in the Swift lineup have been conceived for design-oriented buyers and are available in different hardware configurations. Our review sample is an Acer Swift 3 with an Intel Core i5-7200U CPU, an integrated Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics card, a 256 GB SSD, and 8 GB of working memory. The configuration points to a laptop that is suitable for office tasks and basic multimedia applications.

The competitors that we have selected feature a similar configuration and are positioned in the same price range. The Swift 3 faces the Aspire 3 also by Acer, HP's EliteBook 840 G4, and Fujitsu's LifeBook U747. We have also added Lenovo's ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017 as a more expensive member of this laptop category for comparison.

Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620) (Swift 3 SF314 Series)
Processor
Intel Core i5-7200U 2 x 2.5 - 3.1 GHz, Kaby Lake
Graphics adapter
Memory
8 GB 
Display
14.00 inch 16:9, 1920 x 1080 pixel 157 PPI, Chi Mei CMN14C9, IPS, glossy: yes
Storage
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7, 256 GB 
, 180 GB free
Soundcard
Realtek ALC892 @ Intel Kaby Lake-U/Y PCH - High Definition Audio Controller
Connections
1 USB 2.0, 3 USB 3.0 / 3.1 Gen1, 1 HDMI, 1 Kensington Lock, Audio Connections: combo audio jack, Card Reader: SD, 1 Fingerprint Reader
Networking
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265 (a/b/g/h/n = Wi-Fi 4/ac = Wi-Fi 5/), Bluetooth Bluetooth 4.2
Size
height x width x depth (in mm): 17.95 x 338 x 234 ( = 0.71 x 13.31 x 9.21 in)
Battery
48 Wh, 3220 mAh Lithium-Polymer, Battery runtime (according to manufacturer): 10 h
Operating System
Microsoft Windows 10 Home 64 Bit
Camera
Webcam: 720p
Additional features
Speakers: stereo, Keyboard: chiclet, Keyboard Light: yes, 24 Months Warranty
Weight
1.62 kg ( = 57.14 oz / 3.57 pounds), Power Supply: 158 g ( = 5.57 oz / 0.35 pounds)
Price
860 Euro
Note: The manufacturer may use components from different suppliers including display panels, drives or memory sticks with similar specifications.

 

Case and Connectivity

Acer delivers our review sample in the color "Stellar Blue". This, in conjunction with the casing made of brushed aluminum, gives the Swift 3 a very high-quality look. The area below the keyboard is plastic, but it does not look that different from the rest of the casing. There are no maintenance hatches on the underside. We tried to remove the base tray, but we had the feeling that we would either damage or warp the casing if we persisted.

The hinges keep the display firmly in the set position. It does not rock when the laptop is moved. Since the lid of the Swift 3 is also made of brushed aluminum, the display is correspondingly resistant. Its glossy glass surface gives it additional protection.

Size Comparison

341 mm / 13.4 inch 237 mm / 9.33 inch 18 mm / 0.709 inch 1.5 kg3.41 lbs338 mm / 13.3 inch 237 mm / 9.33 inch 18.9 mm / 0.744 inch 1.5 kg3.26 lbs338 mm / 13.3 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 17.95 mm / 0.707 inch 1.6 kg3.57 lbs332.6 mm / 13.1 inch 234 mm / 9.21 inch 19 mm / 0.748 inch 1.4 kg3.17 lbs323.5 mm / 12.7 inch 217.1 mm / 8.55 inch 15.95 mm / 0.628 inch 1.1 kg2.48 lbs297 mm / 11.7 inch 210 mm / 8.27 inch 1 mm / 0.03937 inch 5.7 g0.01257 lbs

Connectivity

Acer has placed all interfaces in the rear area of the Swift 3's sides. Consequently, they do not interfere when using a mouse. We particularly like the modern selection of interfaces. Two USB 3.0 ports and a USB Type-C port have not been part of the basic configuration of Acer's cheaper models until now. The other interfaces cover the requirements of most everyday peripherals that are connected to a laptop.

Left: Power-in, 1x HDMI, 1x USB Type-C, 2x USB 3.0, combo audio jack
Left: Power-in, 1x HDMI, 1x USB Type-C, 2x USB 3.0, combo audio jack
Right: SD card reader, 1x USB 2.0, cable lock
Right: SD card reader, 1x USB 2.0, cable lock
SD Card Reader
average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs)
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
 
74.9 MB/s +224%
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
 
72.6 MB/s +214%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
 
71.4 MB/s +209%
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
 
23.6 MB/s +2%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
 
23.1 MB/s
maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB)
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
 
87.5 MB/s +215%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
 
83.7 MB/s +201%
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
 
83.3 MB/s +200%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
 
27.8 MB/s
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
 
25.8 MB/s -7%
Networking
iperf3 transmit AX12
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
674 MBit/s +34%
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
672 MBit/s +33%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (jseb)
509 MBit/s +1%
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
509 MBit/s +1%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
504 MBit/s
iperf3 receive AX12
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
655 MBit/s +19%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265 (jseb)
579 MBit/s +5%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
552 MBit/s
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 7265
542 MBit/s -2%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
Intel Dual Band Wireless-AC 8265
517 MBit/s -6%

Input Devices

Keyboard and ClickPad
Keyboard and ClickPad

The keys in the Swift 3's chiclet keyboard have a very sleek surface. However, the fingers do not slip off the surface, but astonishingly manage to hit the exact center. The smooth typing feel sometimes tends to get spongy. After working a while with the keyboard, we got used to it and could type fast and without typos. The arrow and scroll keys are very small and the positioning of the delete key directly beside the power button is quite inconvenient.

The keys' sleek surface is also found in the ClickPad. Thus, even lightly moist fingers glide pleasingly fast over the mouse replacement. The keys can be triggered anywhere on the pad. Mouse movement was sometimes not detected when "pressing" the key in the test. Thus, drag and drop did not function reliably.

Display

A clear image characterizes the Full HD panel with a resolution of 1920x1080 pixels in the Swift 3. The average brightness of 259 cd/m² is slightly lower than that of the comparison devices. We determined PWM in our measurements. The screen flickers at 200 Hz in a brightness level of 20%. Users with sensitive eyes might find this unpleasant.

259
cd/m²
274
cd/m²
264
cd/m²
259
cd/m²
281
cd/m²
265
cd/m²
229
cd/m²
255
cd/m²
242
cd/m²
Distribution of brightness
Chi Mei CMN14C9 tested with X-Rite i1Pro 2
Maximum: 281 cd/m² (Nits) Average: 258.7 cd/m² Minimum: 18 cd/m²
Brightness Distribution: 81 %
Center on Battery: 281 cd/m²
Contrast: 624:1 (Black: 0.45 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 4.19 | 0.5-29.43 Ø5
ΔE Greyscale 2.55 | 0.57-98 Ø5.3
61% sRGB (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
39% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 1.6.3 3D)
42.34% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
61.4% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
40.96% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 2.24
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Chi Mei CMN14C9, , 1920x1080, 14.00
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
AUO123D, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
ChiMei CN14C9, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
LG LP140WF3, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
B140HAN03_1, , 1920x1080, 14.00
Display
34%
2%
48%
47%
Display P3 Coverage
40.96
55.8
36%
41.81
2%
66.1
61%
61.6
50%
sRGB Coverage
61.4
80.7
31%
62.3
1%
84.8
38%
87.6
43%
AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage
42.34
57.7
36%
43.26
2%
62
46%
62.6
48%
Response Times
14%
4129%
17%
-11%
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% *
43 ?(24, 19)
39 ?(20, 19, Plateau)
9%
43 ?(25, 18)
-0%
36 ?(16.4, 19.6)
16%
48 ?(22, 26)
-12%
Response Time Black / White *
28 ?(15, 13)
23 ?(6, 17, Plateau)
18%
32 ?(19, 13)
-14%
23.2 ?(12.4, 10.8)
17%
30.4 ?(18.8, 11.6)
-9%
PWM Frequency
200 ?(20)
25000 ?(20)
12400%
Screen
-49%
-9%
14%
34%
Brightness middle
281
346
23%
271
-4%
291
4%
278
-1%
Brightness
259
317
22%
253
-2%
296
14%
271
5%
Brightness Distribution
81
86
6%
83
2%
84
4%
91
12%
Black Level *
0.45
0.86
-91%
0.35
22%
0.32
29%
0.16
64%
Contrast
624
402
-36%
774
24%
909
46%
1738
179%
Colorchecker dE 2000 *
4.19
8.64
-106%
5.05
-21%
4.3
-3%
4.5
-7%
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. *
10.64
13.58
-28%
11.74
-10%
7.5
30%
8.4
21%
Greyscale dE 2000 *
2.55
11.24
-341%
4.3
-69%
4.3
-69%
3.2
-25%
Gamma
2.24 98%
2.62 84%
2.44 90%
2.31 95%
2.02 109%
CCT
6555 99%
12530 52%
6726 97%
6529 100%
7042 92%
Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998)
39
52
33%
42
8%
55.46
42%
57
46%
Color Space (Percent of sRGB)
61
80
31%
39
-36%
84.77
39%
87.5
43%
Total Average (Program / Settings)
-0% / -24%
1374% / 769%
26% / 21%
23% / 30%

* ... smaller is better

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. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (21.6 ms).
       Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey
43 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined↗ 24 ms rise
↘ 19 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. » 67 % of all devices are better.
This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (33.9 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 200 Hz ≤ 20 % brightness setting

The display backlight flickers at 200 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 200 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 18110 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured.

sRGB color space coverage: 61%
sRGB color space coverage: 61%
AdobeRGB color space coverage: 39%
AdobeRGB color space coverage: 39%

The Swift 3's color space coverage of 61% in sRGB and 39% in AdobeRGB has to be described as mediocre. Subjectively, the colors are pleasing, but are also covered by a slight grayish haze. The somewhat high black value explains this impression.

Working in lighted rooms is no problem with our review sample. However, the disadvantages of a glossy screen become evident outdoors. The brightness would be sufficient for working under cloudy skies on the patio. However, the intensity of the reflections makes this impossible.

On the other hand, the viewing angle stability is superb. The content is quite legible from all angles. A black screen displays visible backlight bleeding.

CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - Grayscales
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - ColorChecker
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps
CalMAN - Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - Grayscales (calibrated)
CalMAN - ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN - ColorChecker (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
CalMAN - Saturation Sweeps (calibrated)
Viewing angles
Viewing angles
Outdoors
Outdoors
Backlight bleeding
Backlight bleeding

Performance

The Swift 3's performance is sufficient for most office tasks and basic multimedia applications. Our review sample is equipped with an i5-7200U CPU from Intel. Acer also offers the Swift 3 with a variety of i3, i5, and i7 Intel CPUs. There are also many options for the working memory and storage device. With 8 GB of RAM, our model is suitably equipped for most tasks. The integrated HD Graphics 620 graphics solution from Intel is not suitable for demanding graphics applications. However, it is quite adequate for everyday use and simple games.

Processor

With the Core i5-7200U CPU, Intel delivers a fast and power efficient processor based on the Kaby Lake architecture. It supports decoding H.265/HEVC videos in the Main10 profile with a color bit depth of 10 bits and Google's VP 9 codec in the hardware. More information about Intel's Core i5-7200U can be found on our benchmark page.

0102030405060708090100110120130140150160170180190200210220230240250260270280290300310320330Tooltip
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64 Bit

The Swift 3 proved to be a bit inconsistent in the Cinebench R15 permanent test. Although it provides stable performance, the curve shows small, recurrent drops. This could be due to running background processes or an unstable cooling. For example, we noticed that the device heated up noticeably even without load in our test routine. The Cinebench benchmark scores position the Swift 3 in the midfield of the comparison devices. Since all comparison models have the same CPU, they only deviate slightly.

Cinebench R15
CPU Single 64Bit
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
Intel Core i5-7200U
130 Points +2%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Core i5-7200U
128 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
Intel Core i5-7200U
126 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
Intel Core i5-7200U
124 Points -3%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel Core i5-7200U
119 Points -7%
CPU Multi 64Bit
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
Intel Core i5-7200U
331 Points +1%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel Core i5-7200U
329 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel Core i5-7200U
327 Points
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
Intel Core i5-7200U
321 Points -2%
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
Intel Core i5-7200U
318 Points -3%
Cinebench R15 CPU Single 64Bit
128 Points
Cinebench R15 CPU Multi 64Bit
327 Points
Cinebench R15 OpenGL 64Bit
45.47 fps
Cinebench R15 Ref. Match 64Bit
97.7 %
Help

System Performance

As expected, the Swift 3 also positions itself in the midfield of the comparison devices in PCMark 8. The available performance is sufficient for most office tasks and basic multimedia applications. This includes simple image editing programs. Enough performance is provided also for playing music and videos.

PCMark 8 - Home Score Accelerated v2
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
3824 Points +5%
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
3668 Points +1%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
3636 Points
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung MZYTY256HDHP
3506 Points -4%
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
HD Graphics 620, i5-7200U, Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
3486 Points -4%
PCMark 8 Home Score Accelerated v2
3636 points
Help

Storage Device

Acer has equipped the Swift 3 with a 256 GB SSD. The user has approximately 170 GB for personal use. Again, the Swift 3 delivers a midfield performance among the comparison devices. Nevertheless, the performance is decent. Our benchmark page reveals how the installed SSD scores compared to other storage devices.

Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Samsung PM961 MZVLW256HEHP
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW512G7
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
Samsung MZYTY256HDHP
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
Toshiba THNSF5256GPUK
CrystalDiskMark 3.0
63%
19%
-18%
11%
Write 4k QD32
251
410.2
63%
210.8
-16%
249.7
-1%
241.2
-4%
Read 4k QD32
290.1
513
77%
373.7
29%
399.1
38%
477.3
65%
Write 4k
108.3
157.1
45%
133.4
23%
87.8
-19%
128.5
19%
Read 4k
31.6
61.4
94%
34.93
11%
35.73
13%
34.63
10%
Write 512
564
804
43%
586
4%
283.4
-50%
311
-45%
Read 512
800
922
15%
1134
42%
396.7
-50%
972
22%
Write Seq
606
1263
108%
582
-4%
497.8
-18%
648
7%
Read Seq
1137
1819
60%
1818
60%
504
-56%
1277
12%
Intel SSD 600p SSDPEKKW256G7
Sequential Read: 1137 MB/s
Sequential Write: 606 MB/s
512K Read: 800 MB/s
512K Write: 564 MB/s
4K Read: 31.6 MB/s
4K Write: 108.3 MB/s
4K QD32 Read: 290.1 MB/s
4K QD32 Write: 251 MB/s

Graphics Card

The installed Intel HD Graphics 620 graphics solution  is suitable for most graphically undemanding applications. Since the graphics card greatly benefits from the installed working memory, the test result benefits from the Swift 3's dual-channel RAM. The Swift 3 positions itself in the second place compared with the competing devices in the 3DMark 11 performance test. Our benchmark page shows how the integrated HD Graphics 620 from Intel scores compared with other graphics solutions.

3DMark 11 - 1280x720 Performance GPU
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1555 Points +3%
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1509 Points
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1413 Points -6%
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
Intel HD Graphics 620, Intel Core i5-7200U
1409 Points -7%
3DMark 11 Performance
1662 points
Help

Gaming Performance

We could compare Intel's integrated HD Graphics 620 graphics solution with a dedicated Nvidia GeForce 920M in our benchmark test. Thanks to the Swift 3's dual-channel RAM, the review sample confirms this comparison.

Games the same age as “BioShock Infinite” run smoothly in medium settings and can be played well. More gaming benchmark outcomes of the HD Graphics 620 can be found on our benchmark page.

low med. high ultra
BioShock Infinite (2013) 48.61 30.87 25.2 7.83

Emissions and Energy Management

As our noise measurement shows, the Swift 3 barely produces any audible noises. The fan noise is hardly perceptible even in very quiet environments and only a quiet hum is audible during load. Thus, our review sample is perfectly suitable for quiet surroundings.

Noise Level

Idle
30.6 / 30.6 / 31.1 dB(A)
Load
34 / 31.45 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: 30.6 dB(A)
dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2033.634.539.335.533.62535.631.639.538.635.63138.537.339.848.238.54032.731.333.935.632.75038.639.939.93438.66329.128.331.732.229.18026.725.528.728.226.710026.326.7262726.312524.825.226.824.324.816024.123.826.223.224.120024.125.323.722.824.125022.321.722.722.322.331521.921.622.321.521.940021.62120.820.221.650020.720.319.919.220.763020.92019.418.920.980021.62119.618.421.6100023.321.32017.923.3125022.82119.51822.8160023.32119.517.623.3200023.120.618.917.523.1250023.42018.717.923.4315023.719.318.41823.7400019.218.518.418.219.2500019.218.718.718.519.2630018.918.718.818.618.9800018.818.818.818.818.81000018.9191918.718.91250019.119.11918.919.11600019.319.219.219.119.3SPL3432.231.530.734N21.71.61.52median 21.9median 20.6median 19.5median 18.8median 21.9Delta2.11.81.222.1hearing rangehide median Fan NoiseAcer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)

Temperature

Acer's Swift 3 only achieves moderate temperature ranges. 40 °C (~104 °F) is exceeded just slightly, even during load. Our review sample heated up noticeably, particularly in the underside's left area. However, this was not to such an extent that it could no longer be used on the lap.

The core temperatures of the Swift 3 climbed to over 70 °C (~158 °F) in the stress test. The impact on performance is kept within limits. The 3DMark 11 performance test performed directly afterwards presented a lower score of just 100 points.

Max. Load
 39.6 °C
103 F
38.6 °C
101 F
33.4 °C
92 F
 
 36.1 °C
97 F
35.1 °C
95 F
28 °C
82 F
 
 29.5 °C
85 F
27 °C
81 F
26.6 °C
80 F
 
Maximum: 39.6 °C = 103 F
Average: 32.7 °C = 91 F
30.4 °C
87 F
38.2 °C
101 F
40.4 °C
105 F
27.5 °C
82 F
33.5 °C
92 F
33.9 °C
93 F
26.5 °C
80 F
27.8 °C
82 F
29.9 °C
86 F
Maximum: 40.4 °C = 105 F
Average: 32 °C = 90 F
Power Supply (max.)  45.3 °C = 114 F | Room Temperature 22 °C = 72 F | FIRT 550-Pocket
(±) The average temperature for the upper side under maximal load is 32.7 °C / 91 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 39.6 °C / 103 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 40.4 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 39.4 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.7 °C / 73 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 29.5 °C / 85.1 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 (-1.2 °C / -2.2 F).
Heatmap upperside (idle)
Heatmap upperside (idle)
Heatmap underside (idle)
Heatmap underside (idle)
Heatmap upperside (load)
Heatmap upperside (load)
Heatmap underside (load)
Heatmap underside (load)

Speakers

The Swift 3 produces an astonishingly clear sound. However, it distorts low tones slightly, which is particularly noticeable at high volumes. The maximum volume is very high for a laptop, although the sound quality decreases the higher the volume. We believe that the Swift 3 is quite suitable for the occasional playing of music and videos.

dB(A) 0102030405060708090Deep BassMiddle BassHigh BassLower RangeMidsHigher MidsLower HighsMid HighsUpper HighsSuper Highs2036.935.536.92536.638.636.63140.148.240.14034.835.634.85041.43441.46329.332.229.38027.528.227.510026272612529.324.329.316038.823.238.820042.222.842.225053.122.353.131556.421.556.440060.520.260.55006219.26263061.718.961.780070.318.470.3100067.817.967.8125061.81861.8160059.417.659.4200064.117.564.1250062.217.962.2315063.41863.4400065.818.265.8500062.318.562.3630061.618.661.6800055.718.855.71000058.118.758.11250059.618.959.61600047.119.147.1SPL75.930.775.9N37.41.537.4median 60.5median 18.8median 60.5Delta6.326.335.335.132.931.831.83236.535.132.428.93328.936.328.848.32761.52752.924.860.92462.822.763.32269.521.267.82174.82075.919.472.718.97117.770.117.86917.671.817.668.117.671.417.673.717.670.417.571.617.671.617.669.617.459.717.583.630.662.51.5median 69.6median 17.84.72.4hearing rangehide median Pink NoiseAcer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)Apple MacBook 12 (Early 2016) 1.1 GHz
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620) audio analysis

(-) | not very loud speakers (70.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.5% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 3.2% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (9% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (20.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 63% of all tested devices in this class were better, 8% similar, 30% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 19%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 50% of all tested devices were better, 8% similar, 42% 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%

Frequency diagram comparison (checkboxes above can be turned on/off!)

Power Consumption

Our review sample proves to be very efficient in terms of power consumption. It is one of the energy-saving laptops that consume 8 watts in idle mode and 30 watts during load. The included 45-watt power supply should definitely have enough capacity to reliably supply the Swift 3 with power.

Power Consumption
Off / Standbydarklight 0.28 / 0.35 Watt
Idledarkmidlight 3.7 / 6.1 / 8.8 Watt
Load midlight 30.6 / 29.6 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 Runtime

Acer promises a battery life of up to 10 hours. Our review sample even exceeded this by almost one hour in the practical Wi-Fi test. Comparable devices from the competition often do not last this long. As usual, the maximum battery runtime also depends on the user's habits and thus the rates we measured could deviate in everyday use.

Battery Runtime - WiFi Websurfing
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620)
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48 Wh
653 min
HP EliteBook 840 G4-Z2V49ET ABD
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 51 Wh
571 min -13%
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon 2017-20HR0021GE
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 57 Wh
547 min -16%
Acer TravelMate X349-G2
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 48.9 Wh
456 min -30%
Fujitsu LifeBook U747
i5-7200U, HD Graphics 620, 50 Wh
430 min -34%
Battery Runtime
WiFi Surfing
10h 53min
WiFi Websurfing
10h 53min

Pros

+ attractive design
+ good battery life
+ light and portable

Cons

- glossy screen
- no maintenance options
- ClickPad's multitouch unreliable functions

Verdict

Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620). Review sample courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de
Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620). Review sample courtesy of Notebooksbilliger.de

With the Swift 3, Acer delivers an office device that is suitable for everyday use. The design is attractive and the inner values are also good. According to our test results, our review sample can compete even with more expensive devices. The available performance is on par with similarly configured laptops. However, Acer clearly has a better price-performance ratio.

The Swift 3 is suitable for design-oriented users who are looking for a mobile device for everyday applications. However, the glossy screen prevents working outdoors.

The lack of maintenance options speaks against the Swift 3. Unqualified users cannot open the casing without damaging the device. Thus, the fan cannot be cleaned and memory components cannot be replaced. Every buyer has to decide for themselves whether the advantages of a glossy screen can compensate for the limited mobility.

Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620) - 10/07/2017 v6(old)
Mike Wobker

Chassis
82 /  98 → 83%
Keyboard
76%
Pointing Device
58%
Connectivity
49 / 80 → 61%
Weight
68 / 35-78 → 76%
Battery
97%
Display
80%
Games Performance
56 / 68 → 82%
Application Performance
86 / 87 → 99%
Temperature
94 / 91 → 100%
Noise
93%
Camera
40 / 85 → 46%
Average
73%
81%
Subnotebook - Weighted Average

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> Expert Reviews and News on Laptops, Smartphones and Tech Innovations > Reviews > Acer Swift 3 (i5-7200U, HD 620) Laptop Review
Mike Wobker, 2017-10-11 (Update: 2020-05-19)