Acer Swift X SFX14 with GTX 1650 in review: Swift Ryzen laptop
With the Swift X SFX14-41G, Acer addresses prospective buyers who are looking for a lightweight office device with decent gaming performance. These users will shy away from a Swift 3 SF314-511, which is the mostly similar Intel version of the 14-inch laptop. With Iris Xe graphics, the latter is much too tame. Although the manufacturer has upped the ante with the Swift 3X SF314-510G, the overall performance of the dedicated Iris Xe MAX graphics is disappointing for gamers and in most cases insufficient for Full HD gaming with high settings.
Instead, Acer is trying to impress its target audience with the GTX 1650 and even though the dGPU from March 2020 is not exactly brand new anymore, it remains near the bottom of our 2nd performance tier (4 tiers total, 1=best) and on par with the older GeForce GTX 1060 Max-Q. As this review will show, it also leaves AMD's and Intel's iGPUs in the dust.
The otherwise identical variant Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S3 with a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti shows that we have not yet reached the limits. We have not yet had the chance to review this particular unit, although we are currently trying to get a hold of a sample.
There are more thin laptops with gaming aspirations yet to come with Acer announcing its Swift X14 in January 2022. Aside from 12th gen Intel processors (Alder Lake), the X14 also features an RTX 3050 Ti. The 14-inch IPS panel will be upgraded to support a resolution of 2240 x 1400 pixels.
More Acer Swift 14-inch laptops in review:
- Acer Swift 3 SF314-511 (i5-1135G7, Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs)
- Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G (i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe MAX)
- Acer Swift 3 SF314-43 (Ryzen 5 5500U, Radeon RX) – review in progress
- Acer Swift 3 SF314-42 (Ryzen 7 4700U, Radeon RX) – 6/2020
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 85.6 % v7 (old) | 03 / 2022 | Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 R5 5500U, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile | 1.4 kg | 18.89 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 88.2 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2022 | Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.2 kg | 16.55 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.5 % v7 (old) | 02 / 2021 | HP Envy 14-eb0010nr i5-1135G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q | 1.6 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
| 86.1 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2021 | Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW i7-1165G7, Xe MAX | 1.4 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 86.3 % v7 (old) | 05 / 2021 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE R5 5500U, Vega 7 | 1.4 kg | 19.1 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.5 % v7 (old) | 12 / 2020 | MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 1.2 kg | 16 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
Case - Swift X with Solid Craftsmanship
Acer has opted to use metal for both the top and the bottom shell as well as the lid. While the sleek, slim aluminum case is not particularly flashy, there are a few premium highlights, particularly when also taking into account the solid haptics of the edges and corners.
The chassis comes with a matte silver finish, contrasted by black plastic bezels and surrounded by a polished frame. The lid and the rear area near the hinges are dark blue.
The clearances are even and there are no material protrusions. The Acer reveals no rigidity issues and the base unit is resistant to twisting from the corners. In the same scenario, the lid slightly yields, although this does not distort the image on the display.
The dual hinges and the display, which slides under the chassis when opened, are an important detail. This lifts the base unit up to improve the airflow courtesy of the flat intakes on the bottom.
We were pleased with the firm hinges, which reliably prevent teetering when transporting the device. The display can be opened up to a maximum angle of 130 degrees. The lid can be opened one-handedly without holding the base unit in place.
The Envy 14 is the biggest candidate in our size comparison overall and although it is not thicker than our Swift X, it is siignifiicantly deeper. The Swift 3 SF314-511 is even thinner than our test device at 16.5 vs. 19 mm (0.65 vs. 0.75 in). Additionally, it boasts an incredibly low weight of only 1.2 vs. 1.4 kilograms (2.65 vs. 3.09 lbs). A dGPU and the associated copper for the heatpipes do seem to factor into the equation.
Connectivity - 90-Watt PSU for Nvidia Graphics
The laptop comes with two USB type-A ports. Additionally, there is one USB type-C port with both DisplayPort via USB-C and Power Delivery (supports charging the laptop via this port). Combined wiith the HDMI port, the Swift offers two video outputs in total. There is no integrated card reader.
Communication
The MediaTek MT7921 Wi-Fi and Bluetooth module is a rare sight, even though it was designed for Ryzen processors by AMD and MediaTek. With Wi-Fi 6 2x2 and Bluetooth 5.2, it should be able to match Intel's AX200. As our review shows, however, this is not the case and the download speeds are a small catastrophy.
With just 183 Mbps under ideal conditions (no other Wi-Fi devices in proximity, distance of one meter between the laptop and the server) even after repeating the measurements at different times during the day, the download speeds are very poor. By contrast, the chip is much faster when transmitting data at up to about 950 Mbps. While this is not exactly a record either, it is at least a solid basis. Due to the discrepancy between the download and upload speeds, we suspect a driver problem that may be fixed in the future. During our testing, we found ourselves wondering where within the closed-off aluminum lid the antennas are hidden. Note that this cannot be the reason for the low score, since the upload speeds would otherwise be just as low.
Webcam
The 720p camera does the bare minimum: Washed-out colors, poor sharpness and a big deltaE color deviation. However, competitors do not fare better in this category with severe image noise being present on all models.
Security
The swift gamer features a fingerprint sensor and a Kensington Lock. The webcam is not accompanied by an IR camera. Thus, logging in via facial recognition is not possible. We prefer the fingerprint reader's integration below the arrow keys to those integrated into a touchpad. Here, putting a finger on suffices.
Accessories
Aside from the usual warranty information and a quick-start guide, the laptop only includes the 90-watt power supply.
Maintenance
The Swift X does not come with a maintenance hatch. Accessing the components is simple regardless. After loosening all the screws on the bottom, the bottom plate can be removed with a flat spudger or another object with a sharp edge. All of the RAM is fixed and there is no slot for expansion.
Warranty
Depending on the region, Acer offers a one- or two-year limited warranty including pick-up service. A warranty extension to three years costs 50 Euros (~55 USD).
Input Devices - Fit for Day-to-Day Use
Keyboard
Acer has equipped its Swift X with a backlit chiclet keyboard with one brightness setting. The flat, smooth keys offer shallow travel and a somewhat vague actuation point. The feedback is decent and the keyboard area does not yield anywhere while typing. Overall, Acer has created a keyboard that allows for quick typing during daily use. However, it still does not quite feel like a premium model. For a better feedback, the travel and actuation point would have had to be more distinct.
Touchpad
The clickpad supports multi touch and stretches itself across an area of 10.5 x 6.5 cm (4.13 x 2.56 in). Thus, user have a lot of space to work with for gestures. The smooth surface has good gliding properties with barely any friction. The pad is responsive all the way into the corners. Furthermore, it offers shallow travel, a distinct actuation point and audible, but only moderately loud clicks.
Display - Full HD Laptop with a High Contrast
The non-glossy 14-inch screen of the Acer Swift X sports a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels. It has an excellent contrast ratio (2194:1), setting itself far apart from its competitors.
The maximum brightness (412 nits) is excellent and higher than that of all its competitors - with the exception of the HP Envy 14. The luminance in battery mode remains the same, provided AMD Vari Bright has been disabled in the Radeon settings. Positive: The display does not suffer from PWM flickering under any circumstances.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 397 cd/m²
Contrast: 2194:1 (Black: 0.18 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 9.73 | 0.5-29.43 Ø4.87, calibrated: 1.41
ΔE Greyscale 7.5 | 0.5-98 Ø5.1
73% AdobeRGB 1998 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
99% sRGB (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
72% Display P3 (Argyll 2.2.0 3D)
Gamma: 1.5
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 AUO B140HAN06, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW AU Optronics AUO683D, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK AUO B140HAN06, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | HP Envy 14-eb0010nr AU Optronics AUOF392, IPS, 1920x1200, 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE AU Optronics B140HAN04.E, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 AUO B140HAN06.2 (AUO623D), IPS-Level, 1920x1080, 14" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | -1% | -4% | 4% | -46% | -2% | |
| Display P3 Coverage | 72 | 71.5 -1% | 67 -7% | 77.1 7% | 37.47 -48% | 68.8 -4% |
| sRGB Coverage | 99 | 99 0% | 98 -1% | 99.8 1% | 56 -43% | 99.4 0% |
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 73 | 72.5 -1% | 69 -5% | 76.7 5% | 38.71 -47% | 70.9 -3% |
| Response Times | 7% | 2% | -35% | 14% | -13% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 49 ? | 48 ? 2% | 52 ? -6% | 61.2 ? -25% | 41 ? 16% | 59.6 ? -22% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 32 ? | 28 ? 12% | 29 ? 9% | 46 ? -44% | 28 ? 12% | 32.8 ? -3% |
| PWM Frequency | 29800 | |||||
| Screen | 24% | 15% | 8% | -10% | 15% | |
| Brightness middle | 395 | 364 -8% | 320 -19% | 412 4% | 357 -10% | 293 -26% |
| Brightness | 391 | 372 -5% | 309 -21% | 392 0% | 315 -19% | 277 -29% |
| Brightness Distribution | 89 | 89 0% | 84 -6% | 81 -9% | 82 -8% | 89 0% |
| Black Level * | 0.18 | 0.19 -6% | 0.25 -39% | 0.32 -78% | 0.455 -153% | 0.18 -0% |
| Contrast | 2194 | 1916 -13% | 1280 -42% | 1288 -41% | 785 -64% | 1628 -26% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 9.73 | 2.18 78% | 2.57 74% | 1.88 81% | 3.98 59% | 2.95 70% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 16.33 | 4.01 75% | 3.5 79% | 3.06 81% | 6.92 58% | 6.03 63% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 1.41 | 0.76 46% | 1.96 -39% | 0.9 36% | ||
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 7.5 | 2.34 69% | 2.46 67% | 2.2 71% | 3.33 56% | 4.2 44% |
| Gamma | 1.5 147% | 2.37 93% | 2.23 99% | 2.1 105% | 2.47 89% | 2.099 105% |
| CCT | 6678 97% | 6533 99% | 6311 103% | 6650 98% | 6138 106% | 6622 98% |
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 68.7 | 36 | 71 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 99.8 | 56 | 93 | |||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 10% /
16% | 4% /
9% | -8% /
1% | -14% /
-15% | 0% /
7% |
* ... smaller is better
Ex-factory, the screen's color reproduction and accuracy are decent. With a deltaE-2000 color deviation of 2.46, it falls within the ideal range (deltaE of less than 3). The display does not suffer from a blue tint. On the contrary: 99 % of sRGB is covered. In this aspect, IPS competitors do not fare worse with the exception of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05.
After our calibration attempt, the Swift is even better and reaches a grayscale and color deltaE of 0.86 and 1.41, respectively. These values indicate an excellent IPS panel that benefits from a calibration.
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 32 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 16 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 16 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 84 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.8 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 49 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 28 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 21 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. » 84 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.5 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8516 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Outdoors, the readability under sunlight benefits from both the non-glare coating and the 400-nit brightness. In battery mode, the luminance does not decrease when VariBright is disabled in the Radeon tool. VariBright decreases the brightness according to the ambient lighting conditions. Since VariBright was enabled for the following two pictures, the screen appears dim.
The Swift X features an IPS panel with great viewing angles. As such, the screen is readable from any position.
Performance - AMD's Ryzen in the Fast Lane
The multimedia laptop Swift X SFX14-41G is suitable for various workloads. Aside from day-to-day webbrowsing, it is also fairly well suited to gaming thanks to its GeForce GTX 1650. Aside from our configuration, which includes a AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, 16 GB of RAM, and a 1-TB NVMe SSD, there are other configurations that for example include a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti or RTX 3050 - without Ti. All Swift X SFX14-41G come with an dGPU on board that can be disabled to rely on the Radeon RX GPU instead. The base configuration with 8 GB of RAM (soldered, non-upgradeable) and a 512-GB M.2 SSD is currently available for just 800 Euros (~880 USD), a compelling offer.
Test Conditions
Acer does not provide a performance control tool. Thus, only the windows power profiles are available for customization. We used "best performance" for the performance benchmarks and "power saver" for the battery tests.
Processor
The Ryzen 5 5500U inside the Swift X has a clock rate of up to 4 GHz. The hexa-core CPU from early 2021 is not based on AMD's latest Zen-3 architecture. Despite its smaller L3 cache, the processor achieves solid performance results, although it falls behind 11th gen Intel processors in terms of the single-thread performance. When it comes to the multi-thread performance, the Ryzen chip tops the scores of i5 and i7 alike. On top of that, the Ryzen 5 5500U in our test device beats its own average by 14 %. In short: The AMD APU performs unusually well in the Acer system.
The performance is largely dependant on the TDP setting and the cooling solution. During our Cinebench tests, we recorded a maximum CPU package power of 45 watts, which likely represents the PL2/short burst. This level can only be maintained for a few seconds, after which it drops to 37 watts. After four more loops, the clock speeds decrease for a final package power of 27 watts. This level can be maintained indefintely, even in battery mode.
With 1329 points in the first and 1182 points in the sixth loop, the performance dropoff is low (10 %). The Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 performs slightly worse with the same chip. The Core i7-1165G7 inside the Swift 3X is significantly slower compared to our Swift X. The overall performance rating is also above average for our test device.
Cinebench R15 Multi Loop
Cinebench R23: Multi Core | Single Core
Cinebench R20: CPU (Multi Core) | CPU (Single Core)
Cinebench R15: CPU Multi 64Bit | CPU Single 64Bit
Blender: v2.79 BMW27 CPU
7-Zip 18.03: 7z b 4 | 7z b 4 -mmt1
Geekbench 5.5: Multi-Core | Single-Core
HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2: 4k Preset
LibreOffice : 20 Documents To PDF
R Benchmark 2.5: Overall mean
| CPU Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Multimedia | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 -1! | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 -2! | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Cinebench R23 / Multi Core | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4861 - 30789, n=96, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6030 - 8565, n=19) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Cinebench R23 / Single Core | |
| Average of class Multimedia (878 - 2290, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (1149 - 1183, n=18) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Multi Core) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1887 - 11924, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (2223 - 3316, n=20) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Cinebench R20 / CPU (Single Core) | |
| Average of class Multimedia (341 - 853, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (449 - 461, n=19) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Multi 64Bit | |
| Average of class Multimedia (856 - 5224, n=87, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (995 - 1412, n=20) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Cinebench R15 / CPU Single 64Bit | |
| Average of class Multimedia (99.6 - 323, n=82, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (170 - 179, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Blender / v2.79 BMW27 CPU | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (358 - 490, n=18) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (100 - 557, n=80, last 2 years) | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (29095 - 130368, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (29585 - 36896, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| 7-Zip 18.03 / 7z b 4 -mmt1 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3398 - 7545, n=75, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (4174 - 4378, n=19) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Multi-Core | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4652 - 23059, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (4063 - 5917, n=20) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Geekbench 5.5 / Single-Core | |
| Average of class Multimedia (891 - 2555, n=79, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (1070 - 1126, n=20) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| HWBOT x265 Benchmark v2.2 / 4k Preset | |
| Average of class Multimedia (5.26 - 34.3, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (6.7 - 9.74, n=20) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| LibreOffice / 20 Documents To PDF | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (60 - 80.7, n=17) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Average of class Multimedia (23.9 - 146.7, n=76, last 2 years) | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| R Benchmark 2.5 / Overall mean | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (0.607 - 0.67, n=19) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Average of class Multimedia (0.3604 - 0.947, n=74, last 2 years) | |
* ... smaller is better
AIDA64: FP32 Ray-Trace | FPU Julia | CPU SHA3 | CPU Queen | FPU SinJulia | FPU Mandel | CPU AES | CPU ZLib | FP64 Ray-Trace | CPU PhotoWorxx
| Performance Rating | |
| Average of class Multimedia | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / FP32 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Multimedia (5121 - 50388, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (7222 - 10680, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Julia | |
| Average of class Multimedia (14528 - 201874, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (41815 - 58107, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / CPU SHA3 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1188 - 8623, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (1354 - 1907, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| AIDA64 / CPU Queen | |
| Average of class Multimedia (21547 - 181505, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (68235 - 74033, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / FPU SinJulia | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (9007 - 10446, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average of class Multimedia (1240 - 28794, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / FPU Mandel | |
| Average of class Multimedia (9903 - 105740, n=73, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (21894 - 30659, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / CPU AES | |
| Average of class Multimedia (26066 - 169946, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (31792 - 54455, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| AIDA64 / CPU ZLib | |
| Average of class Multimedia (440 - 2022, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (234 - 614, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / FP64 Ray-Trace | |
| Average of class Multimedia (2759 - 26875, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (3943 - 5717, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| AIDA64 / CPU PhotoWorxx | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (12860 - 58844, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (7765 - 22932, n=18) | |
System Performance
Our test sample comes in last in PCMark with the exception of the Digital Content Creation subscore, where it is - likely due to its GTX 1650 - able to claim first place together with the HP Envy 14-eb0010nr. With a discrepancy of 5 to 16 %, the differences are marginal and each device in our comparison make for good allround office laptops. When comparing these models, the more significant differences in terms of the input devices and displays should be the deciding factors.
CrossMark: Overall | Productivity | Creativity | Responsiveness
| PCMark 10 / Score | |
| Average of class Multimedia (4325 - 8670, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (4672 - 5138, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| PCMark 10 / Essentials | |
| Average of class Multimedia (8025 - 12420, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (8448 - 8671, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| PCMark 10 / Productivity | |
| Average of class Multimedia (6089 - 10615, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (5704 - 7154, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| PCMark 10 / Digital Content Creation | |
| Average of class Multimedia (3651 - 13548, n=70, last 2 years) | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (5744 - 5936, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| CrossMark / Overall | |
| Average of class Multimedia (866 - 2255, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (n=1) | |
| CrossMark / Productivity | |
| Average of class Multimedia (913 - 2050, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (n=1) | |
| CrossMark / Creativity | |
| Average of class Multimedia (907 - 2795, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (n=1) | |
| CrossMark / Responsiveness | |
| Average of class Multimedia (605 - 2094, n=81, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (n=1) | |
| PCMark 10 Score | 4672 points | |
Help | ||
| AIDA64 / Memory Copy | |
| Average of class Multimedia (21158 - 104459, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (19083 - 40547, n=18) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Read | |
| Average of class Multimedia (24312 - 125604, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (23005 - 47024, n=18) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Write | |
| Average of class Multimedia (23679 - 117933, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (20150 - 42337, n=18) | |
| AIDA64 / Memory Latency | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (7 - 346, n=74, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Average AMD Ryzen 5 5500U (87.3 - 119, n=18) | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
* ... smaller is better
DPC Latencies
In our LatencyMon test, the Swift's latencies are increased due to the DirectX kernel driver. As a result, the 14-inch laptop may not be suitable for realtime applications and software with similar requirements. The measurements are based on the driver configuration available at the time of testing.
| DPC Latencies / LatencyMon - interrupt to process latency (max), Web, Youtube, Prime95 | |
| HP Envy 14-eb0010nr | |
| Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW | |
| Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
* ... smaller is better
Storage Solution
The Western Digital drive with a gross capacity of one terabyte represents the highest configuration available from Acer. However, there is still room for more: The storage can be upgraded further via the secondary M.2 slot with a length of 80 mm. While the WDC PC SN530 produces relatively average results, it beats its Micron counterpart in the Acer Swift 3X SF314 by a significant margin. However, the Samsung SSD inside the Swift 3 SF314 (Intel, iGPU) is the only truly fast model. This is unfortunate, since a very fast SSD would have been a better match for the performance aspirations of the remaining hardware.
Note: Manufacturers may equip the same model with different SSD types. There is no way to know whether you will receive a WDC, Micron, or Samsung model.
More information on other storage devices and their performance characteristics can be found in our HDD/SSD table.
* ... smaller is better
Disk Throttling: DiskSpd Read Loop, Queue Depth 8
GPU Performance
The Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 is an entry-level GPU that is also suitable for thin laptops. In this case, our test device is equipped with the GDDR6 variant (N18P-G61, 896 shader). Since the power draw of the GPU alone can be as high as 50 watts, Acer ships a 90-watt power brick with this model. In the 3DMark performance rating, the GTX graphics inside our Acer performs 15 % worse compared to its average. Here, the HP Envy 14-eb0010nr is faster.
The sister model Swift X SFX14-41G-R1S3 with a GeForce RTX 3050 Ti is also available, which begs the question how the two compare. Since we have not yet been able to test this model, we used the Dell G14 5515 as a stand-in RTX 3050 Ti system for the following comparisons. Assuming the cooling solution is as efficient as the Dell's, the upgrade is worth it. The RTX 3050 Ti doubles our synthetic performance scores and offers an approximately 100 % increased performance in games as well.
More comparisons with other graphics units can be found in our GPU benchmark list.
| 3DMark 11 Performance | 10672 points | |
| 3DMark Fire Strike Score | 7427 points | |
| 3DMark Time Spy Score | 3142 points | |
Help | ||
Gaming Performance
The GTX inside the Acer performs worse by about 6-15 % in actual games compared to its own average from our database. This suggests that the cooling solution with the single fan does not work quite as effectively as the twin fans of the Envy 14-eb0010nr.
As expected, iGPUs stand no chance against the GTX. However, even dedicated chips are in trouble: Acer's Swift 3X SF314-510G with Iris Xe Max runs Strange Brigade at only 29 FPS, while the GTX manages 51. AMD's iGPU Vega 7, which can also come into play in our test model, only reaches 21 FPS.
Our GPU games list shows what level of performance can be expected in other titles.
| Far Cry 5 - 1920x1080 Ultra Preset AA:T | |
| Dell G15 5515 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (17 - 145, n=57, last 2 years) | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (44 - 57, n=9) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE | |
| F1 2021 - 1920x1080 Ultra High Preset + Raytracing AA:T AF:16x | |
| Average of class Multimedia (31.5 - 149.8, n=12, last 2 years) | |
| Dell G15 5515 | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (n=1) | |
| MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 | |
| God of War | |
| 1920x1080 High Preset | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (29.7 - 33.6, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| 1920x1080 Original Preset | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (33.9 - 42.8, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| 1920x1080 Low Preset | |
| Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile (40.8 - 52.5, n=2) | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 | |
| Average of class Multimedia (n=1last 2 years) | |
Our Witcher 3 FPS chart shows the comparison between the GTX 1650 and RTX 3050 Ti - the difference is massive. The other GTX 1650 model, Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Pro 16ACH, renders marginally more frames per second. The small dip over the course of the benchmark is present on all devices and thus evidently caused by the game and not hardware throttling. As expected, the integrated AMD and Intel solutions fall very far behind and even the dedicated Xe Max produces a frame rate of less than 20.
Witcher 3 FPS Chart
| low | med. | high | ultra | QHD | 4K | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Witcher 3 (2015) | 45 | 30 | ||||
| Dota 2 Reborn (2015) | 94.2 | 90.6 | 84.9 | 80.8 | 45 | |
| Final Fantasy XV Benchmark (2018) | 31.8 | 22.9 | 12.5 | |||
| Far Cry 5 (2018) | 49 | 46 | ||||
| Strange Brigade (2018) | 161 | 76 | 60.7 | 51.3 | ||
| F1 2021 (2021) | 93 | 77 | 58 | |||
| God of War (2022) | 40.8 | 33.9 | 29.7 | 18.5 |
Emissions - Prioritization for the Ryzen APU
System Noise
While idling, the Acer Swift X does not make a sound. Even though the fan is active, it remains extremely quiet. Although after increasing the performance parameters, the fan noise becomes permanent, it fades into the background noise.
When the device is stressed, the fan produces a noise level of up to 44 dB(A). Other laptops with similar hardware specifications can be significantly more noisy (HP Envy 14). Since the fan is very monotonous, the noise of the Swift X also never becomes distracting.
Noise Level
| Idle |
| 26 / 27 / 27.4 dB(A) |
| Load |
| 42.2 / 44.3 dB(A) |
 | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min:  , med:  , max:  Earthworks M23R, Arta (15 cm distance) environment noise: 26 dB(A) | ||
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, R5 5500U, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-1T00 | Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1135G7, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ | HP Envy 14-eb0010nr GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, i5-1135G7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ | Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW Xe MAX, i7-1165G7, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE Vega 7, R5 5500U, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ | MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1185G7, Phison 512GB SM280512GKBB4S-E162 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Noise | 7% | 3% | 3% | 5% | -5% | |
| off / environment * | 26 | 25 4% | 25.9 -0% | 25 4% | 25.5 2% | 24 8% |
| Idle Minimum * | 26 | 25 4% | 26 -0% | 25 4% | 25.5 2% | 25 4% |
| Idle Average * | 27 | 25 7% | 26 4% | 25 7% | 25.5 6% | 27 -0% |
| Idle Maximum * | 27.4 | 27.5 -0% | 26 5% | 25 9% | 25.5 7% | 39 -42% |
| Load Average * | 42.2 | 32.9 22% | 34.9 17% | 44.2 -5% | 40.6 4% | 43 -2% |
| Load Maximum * | 44.3 | 42 5% | 48.7 -10% | 44.2 -0% | 40.8 8% | 43 3% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 34.5 | 39 |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Due to the conservative performance characteristics of the CPU and GPU that have been optimized for low temperatures, the exhausted air remains moderately warm at 42 to 45 °C (107.6-113 °F). The heat signature picture shows our stress test, whereas the chassis remains cooler while gaming.
The case then only becomes somewhat warm and never too hot for use on the legs.
However, the 14-inch laptop should not be set down on a blanket or carpet while playing games, since this would cause the bottom intakes to be blocked. The display lid intentionally lifts the base unit in order to improve the airflow.
While idling, the average temperature is only 23 °C (73.4 °F) and the metal chassis feels lukewarm.
(±) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 42.1 °C / 108 F, compared to the average of 36.9 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(-) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 45.3 °C / 114 F, compared to the average of 39.2 °C / 103 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.3 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 31.3 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 31.4 °C / 88.5 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(-) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (-2.6 °C / -4.7 F).
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile | Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK Intel Core i5-1135G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | HP Envy 14-eb0010nr Intel Core i5-1135G7, NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q | Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe MAX Graphics | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE AMD Ryzen 5 5500U, AMD Radeon RX Vega 7 | MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 Intel Core i7-1185G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Heat | 2% | -18% | -3% | -6% | -20% | |
| Maximum Upper Side * | 42.1 | 39.6 6% | 41.2 2% | 40.8 3% | 40.8 3% | 50 -19% |
| Maximum Bottom * | 45.3 | 43.2 5% | 45.6 -1% | 45.2 -0% | 42.2 7% | 61 -35% |
| Idle Upper Side * | 25.5 | 25 2% | 31.8 -25% | 29.8 -17% | 29.8 -17% | 28 -10% |
| Idle Bottom * | 25.3 | 26.2 -4% | 37.8 -49% | 24.7 2% | 29.5 -17% | 29 -15% |
* ... smaller is better
Stress Test
During our stress test, the internal temperatures rise to up to 67 °C (152.6 °F). The clock speeds during and at the end of our test range from 2.1 to 2.2 GHz, meaning the base clock is at least maintained. Meanwhile, the GTX runs at close to 1000 MHz after boosting to 1600 MHz for the first half minute. In the Witcher 3 energy consumption chart below, this is represented by the initial 94-watt peak.
Witcher 3 Ultra primarily stresses the GTX graphics, whereas the Ryzen processor is only at 10 % load. In this scenario, the dGPU's temperature only reaches 58 °C (136.4 °F), indicating a conservative performance tuning. Acer appears to have prioritized the surface temperatures. This does not seem to be a disadvantage, since the FPS in the Witcher 3 ultra test remain constant throughout.
After pulling the plug, the gaming performance drops slightly, the FPS drop from 30 to around 27, and the GPU power decreases from 35 to 30 watts. In our R15 loop and Witcher 3 ultra tests, we disconnected the power supply after 10 and 15 minutes, respectively, leading to the resulting temperature, wattage, and FPS changes visible in the graphs below.
In the R15 loop, which represents a normal multi-thread workload, the temperatures of the SoC reach up to 85 °C (185 °F), showing the Ryzen chip's more lenient heat development constraints. Slight throttling can be observed after the fourth loop with the 85-°C mark being the temperature threshold for decreasing the CPU clock frequency.
In summary, there are no issues due to excessively high temperatures. The dGPU is subordinate with strict temperature limits that, when reached, disable its turbo. Meanwhile, the processor is allowed to reach higher temperatures.
Speakers
Mids and treble sound solid on the stereo speakers. However, there is a complete lack of bass, leading to a shrill and thin sound profile overall. Furthermore, the maximum volume is fairly low. The speakers are thus suitable for video calls and less well suited to gaming, music, and similar multimedia use cases. We recommend connecting external speakers via the 3.5mm audio jack or Bluetooth.
Acer includes the DTS software audio processor that is supposed to improve the sound in music, gaming, and movie applications. Although the effect is very noticeable with the integrated speakers, it does not always improve the experience.
While the dual array microphones next to the webcam capture sound without static noise, they appear to struggle with gain when speaking from distances of more than 1.5 meters. For conference calls in front of the device, they are more than sufficient.
Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.3 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 26.1% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (12.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 4.8% away from median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (14.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5.7% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (22.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 78% of all tested devices in this class were better, 4% similar, 18% worse
» The best had a delta of 5%, average was 18%, worst was 45%
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 24%, worst was 134%
MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (75 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 24.3% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.8% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | higher mids - on average 8.5% higher than median
(±) | linearity of mids is average (11% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 2.8% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.5% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (27.2% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 84% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 11% worse
» The best had a delta of 7%, average was 21%, worst was 53%
Compared to all devices tested
» 82% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 14% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 24%, worst was 134%
Energy Management - Acer's Swift is Both Economical and Powerful
Energy Consumption
In terms of the energy consumption, the Acer Swift X is economical during idle and power hungry under load. This is desirable, since 57 and 94 watts under normal and heavy load (stress test), respectively, emphasize the 14-inch device's focus on performance.
Since the single fan is not able to continuously handle the heat development of 94-watt operation, the power draw gradually drops to 60 watts during the stress test.
During the Witcher 3 ultra test, the energy consumption (temporarily) decreases from 65 to about 60 watts, while the FPS in game remain consistent, as the Witcher 3 FPS chart above shows.
As expected, competitors in this comparison with onboard GPUs draw less power in both load scenarios. The 90-watt power supply that comes with our Acer is reasonably dimensioned, since the 94-watt peak is only a temporary occurrence in an extreme scenario.
Although theoretically, the laptop can also be powered by a type-C power supply, this would block the only type-C USB port and the secondary video output. We tested it with a 60-watt Dell power supply.
| Off / Standby | 0.25 / 0.45 Watt |
| Idle | 3.4 / 6 / 9.2 Watt |
| Load |
57 / 93.6 Watt |
   
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 R5 5500U, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, WDC PC SN530 SDBPNPZ-1T00, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Samsung PM9A1 MZVL2512HCJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | HP Envy 14-eb0010nr i5-1135G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB256HBHQ, IPS, 1920x1200, 14" | Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW i7-1165G7, Xe MAX, Micron 2210 MTFDHBA1T0QFD, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE R5 5500U, Vega 7, Samsung SSD PM981a MZVLB512HBJQ, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, Phison 512GB SM280512GKBB4S-E162, IPS-Level, 1920x1080, 14" | Average NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile | Average of class Multimedia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Power Consumption | 13% | -68% | 4% | -8% | -3% | -47% | -58% | |
| Idle Minimum * | 3.4 | 4.3 -26% | 4.2 -24% | 3.6 -6% | 5.4 -59% | 5 -47% | 4.96 ? -46% | 6.86 ? -102% |
| Idle Average * | 6 | 6.8 -13% | 18.3 -205% | 6.2 -3% | 8.4 -40% | 7 -17% | 8.61 ? -44% | 11.5 ? -92% |
| Idle Maximum * | 9.2 | 9 2% | 19.2 -109% | 10.4 -13% | 11.3 -23% | 11 -20% | 14.8 ? -61% | 13.5 ? -47% |
| Load Average * | 57 | 33.3 42% | 72.9 -28% | 55.1 3% | 45.3 21% | 54 5% | 81.7 ? -43% | 71.4 ? -25% |
| Witcher 3 ultra * | 57.3 | 33.3 42% | 61.5 -7% | 54.1 6% | 46.6 19% | 39 32% | ||
| Load Maximum * | 93.6 | 65 31% | 127.8 -37% | 58 38% | 63 33% | 65 31% | 131.9 ? -41% | 116.6 ? -25% |
* ... smaller is better
Energy Consumption Witcher 3 / Stress Test
Energy Consumption External Monitor
Battery Life
Thanks to the particularly low idle consumption and the sizeable 59-Wh battery, the runtimes are good at up to ten hours in a real-world scenario with reduced brightness and an undemanding workload for the processor (webbrowsing). Despite having the same battery capacity, the Intel model lasts two hours longer in the same scenario.
Under load, the runtime drops to just 74 to 100 minutes courtesy of the active GTX graphics and the high energy consumption that comes with it (close to 60 W on avg under load). Overall, ten hours is a great result for this performance category and an Nvidia dGPU.
| Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 R5 5500U, GeForce GTX 1650 Mobile, 58.7 Wh | Acer Swift 3 SF314-511-54ZK i5-1135G7, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 56 Wh | HP Envy 14-eb0010nr i5-1135G7, GeForce GTX 1650 Ti Max-Q, 63.3 Wh | Acer Swift 3X SF314-510G-70DW i7-1165G7, Xe MAX, 58 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14ALC05 82LM005YGE R5 5500U, Vega 7, 56.5 Wh | MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M-005 i7-1185G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 52.4 Wh | Average of class Multimedia | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Battery Runtime | 125% | 87% | 78% | 49% | 8% | 43% | |
| Reader / Idle | 458 | 2015 340% | 1661 263% | 1181 158% | 825 80% | 1197 ? 161% | |
| WiFi v1.3 | 605 | 724 20% | 649 7% | 764 26% | 649 7% | 451 -25% | 645 ? 7% |
| Witcher 3 ultra | 74 | 76 ? 3% | |||||
| Load | 100 | 114 14% | 90 -10% | 230 130% | 82 -18% | 68 -32% | 99 ? -1% |
| H.264 | 1067 | 762 | 864 ? |
Pros
Cons
Verdict - An Acer for Entry-Level Gaming
In the fast lane with the GeForce GTX 1650? With the entry-level graphics chip, our Acer not only beats every single current AMD and Intel iGPU, but also Intel's dGPU Iris Xe Max. However, despite being a GDDR6 version, the GTX does not match the expectations set by its own counterparts from our database. This may be a result of the single fan, which only produces moderate noise levels under load.
The performance level of the thin and light 1.4 kg (~3.09 lbs) 14-inch laptop is impressive nonetheless. Both the gaming and the overall performance are great relative to its price category and the AMD Ryzen 5 5500U manages to top the CPU performance rating by outclassing a Core i7-1165G7 (Acer Swift 3X).
The performance of the GTX 1650 is slightly subpar, whereas the Ryzen 5 5500U reaches top scores. In light of the 14-inch laptop's thickness of just 19 millimeters (~0.75 in), the gaming performance is quite fast overall.
The laptop has a lot to offer otherwise as well: Real-world runtimes of about ten hours thanks to iGPU switching are the result of a modern laptop. The low weight, high maximum brightness of 400 nits, solid chassis, and input devices fit for daily use complete the package. There is no Thunderbolt, which is instead exclusive to the Intel variants. The type-C port supports Power Delivery and DisplayPort and there is a secondary M.2 slot for an SSD upgrade.
Finally, the Mediatek Wi-Fi chip somewhat taints the overall impression with almost atrocious download speeds that would not improve even after repeating the test multiple times at different times during the day. By contrast, although the upload speeds are not great, they are good, which leaves us hoping for the possibility of a driver fix.
Note: There is an identical configuration of the Acer Aspire 7 A715-42G in the 15-inch form factor with a Ryzen 5500U and a GTX 1650 (GDDR6).
Price and Availability
A model with the AMD Ryzen 7 5800U, RTX 3050 Ti, 16 GB of RAM, and a 512 GB SSD is currently available on Amazon for around 930 USD.
Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3
- 03/07/2022 v7 (old)
Sebastian Jentsch
More articles related to this device
Acer Swift X SFX14-41G-R7F3 (Swift X SFX14 Series)Related Articles
Price comparison
