Acer Swift 3 review:
Don’t be deceived – this computer is better than it seemsFully interesting review to see > by trending technologies
Centered on handing over the nice performance for the lowest price, the worst part approximately the Acer speedy 3 is that each one of its great features may also very well move omitted.
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powerful for the rate
Stellar battery life
lots of ports
Killer keyboard and trackpad
against
dull looks
Down-firing speakers
Acer fast three SF314-52-517Z 14" computer PC - Silver, Intel center i5-8250U Processor 1.6GHz, 8GB DDR4 On board RAM, 256GB solid state drive, Microsoft windows 10
The fast three is the most recent budget computer from Taiwanese electronics maker Acer, a manufacturer whose 2017 exploits encompass a $nine,000 (£nine,000 round AU$15,120) gaming PC and the sector’s thinnest Ultrabook.
With that legacy, everyone ought to have anticipated Acer to go all in with its subsequent mission, some thing that it didn’t truly set out to obtain, however got here pretty dang near anyhow. The rapid 7 can be Acer’s flagship notebook, however the fast 3 is a inexpensive, greater possible model of that.
SPEC SHEET
CPU: 2.5GHz Intel center i5-7200U (dual-center, 3MB cache, up to a few.1GHz)
pix: Intel HD photographs 620
RAM: 8GB DDR4 SDRAM
display screen: 14-inch FHD (1,920 x 1,080) Comfy View IPS
garage: 256GB SSD
Ports: 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB 2.0, 1 x USB three.1 Gen 1 kind-C, 1 x HDMI, headset jack, SD card slot
Connectivity: 802.11ac wi-fi LAN, Bluetooth four.zero
digital camera: 720p HD webcam
Weight: three.fifty three pounds (1.6kg)
size: thirteen.31 x 9.21 x zero.seventy one inches (33.eighty one x 23.39 x 1.8cm; W x D x H)
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Like most laptops, the Acer fast three comes in some of distinctive variations, each entire with their very own specific specifications and pricing.
within the US, the Acer fast three starts off evolved at a modest $499, while a similar model may be determined inside the UK for £699. Stateside, the entry-level Ultrabook is comprised of Intel middle i3-7100U CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state pressure (SSD). parents within the united kingdom get a touch bit of a special configuration, taking off with 8GB of DDR4 memory rather.
On the other facet of the pricing spectrum, the top-give up version will set you lower back $849 within the US, but caps off at £749 inside the united kingdom. That’s in the main because the maximum powerful Acer quick 3 in North the united states takes gain of an Intel core i7 CPU, instead of the UK’s Intel center i5. The only other difference is the SSD garage, which quantities to 256GB in inside the UK in place of the 512GB to be had to individuals.
The latter is the model we have been patched for overview. For $599, US readers can choose the precise identical version because the configuration we tested, i.e., one that functions an Intel core i5-7200U, 8GB of SDRAM and a 256GB SSD. hold in thoughts, there’s no getting faraway from the 1080p screen, so if you’re looking for a 4K display, you’re going to need to discover some thing else.
Please be aware, that on the time of writing, the Acer swift three has but to be launched in Australia.
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To be frank, the Acer swift 3’s seems are arguably its weakest point. despite the fact that it could be had in a sleeker gold or black finish within the US, or even a purple one in the united kingdom, the unit we have been sent for overview appears to be the maximum drab of the bunch.
certain, it dons an angled hinge embroidered through the word “swift” in a way that resembles the metallic badge worn by using a Volvo, however the Acer fast three fails to distinguish itself from the likes of the Samsung pocket book 7 Spin and the Asus ZenBook turn, apart from missing the two-in-1 competencies that make those laptops more worth your whilst.
alternatively, what the Acer swift three lacks in coffee shop attraction, it more than makes up for in consolation and practicality. the first thing we noticed when propping it up along a MacBook become just how roomy the trackpad is. Pair that with the simply-first-class display screen resolution and, in the end, you could manage your cursor on a windows laptop without it being a complete nuisance.
The keyboard, then again, feels way higher than Apple’s 12-inch clam shell of yesteryear, and is luckily complemented by nifty back lighting (of which there are four tiers, inclusive of “off”).
You’ll note, too, that under the directional keys is a pint-sized fingerprint reader, designed for use at the side of Microsoft’s windows good day login feature. even though it didn’t work perfectly on the first pass, it’s nonetheless a profitable addition when you get used to how its slimline square form doesn’t pretty match up with that of your digits.
one of the greater commendable alternatives Acer made within the manufacturing of the speedy three, although, is the inclusion of legacy ports, the most remarkable of which are USB three.0 connections and an SD card slot. nonetheless, laptop futurists need now not be alarmed, as a single USB three.1 kind-C port rests snugly at the left-facet of the gadget.
most of the Acer swift 3’s maximum redeeming characteristics is its overall performance. regardless of which version you cross for, you’re getting full-on Intel center U series processors, not the low-frequency Y series chips you would find within the fast 7 and now not the core m3 you will find in an access-stage MacBook.
BENCHMARKS
right here's how the Acer swift 3 performed in our suite of benchmark tests:
3DMark Sky Diver: 3,774; Time undercover agent: 361; fire Strike: 859
Cinebench CPU: 334 points; photos: 42 fps
Geekbench four unmarried-core: three,916; Multi-middle: 7,744
PCMark 8 home: 2,867
PCMark eight Battery life: four hours and 18 minutes
Battery lifestyles : 8 hours and three mins
This puts the Acer quick three at the identical gambling field as a great deal more steeply-priced machines. overall performance-sensible, it isn’t too a ways off from the $999 (£979, AU$1,499) floor laptop or even the $1,049£1,199 (£1,199, AU$2,299) Asus ZenBook UX310UA. in spite of arising brief with regards to screen decision, its specs are eerily similar to each of those devices.
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in which the Acer speedy three doesn’t come on pinnacle is with its sound. We’re nonetheless not definitely clear on why computer makers keep to do this, however we are able to’t pressure sufficient how counter intuitive it's miles to position the audio system on the lowest of the machine. particularly on a trendy, non-hybrid notebook like this one, there is no excuse for this.
The audio at the Acer speedy 3 is effectively muffled due to this decision to the point wherein we can’t tell if the speakers would otherwise be any correct. still, at least the headphone jack is in area as well as Bluetooth and 4 USB ports in case you’re keen on presenting your own pair of earbuds or over-the-ear cans.
Battery life
Even within the PCMark 8 battery existence take a look at, the Acer rapid 3 managed to conquer out the Asus ZenBook UX310UA, albeit by using simplest a handful of minutes. greater mainly, the speedy three lasted four hours and 18 minutes in comparison to the ZenBook’s four hours and thirteen minutes.
That’s no longer a drastic distinction, glaringly, but it does pass to expose which you don’t need to shell out over a grand for enough performance matched with an unwavering battery existence. Even more spectacular, but, are the results validated by using the Acer fast 3 in our personal film check, in which we loop the film Guardians of the Galaxy at 1080p till the gadget dies.
Therein, this laptop outperformed the Asus ZenBook UX310UA by using over 3 hours, having survived a total of eight hours and 3 mins of Chris Pratt-infused movement-comedy. It even came strikingly close to the floor laptop, which lasted 8 hours and 47 minutes in home windows 10 S, a skinny patron-operating gadget acknowledged for its improved electricity performance.
very last verdict
even though it’s categorized as a budget computer, the Acer fast 3 packs overall performance and toughness that allow it to compete in a area outdoor its charge variety. The wide range of ports and pinnacle-notch keyboard and touchpad are mere icing on the cake. so long as you don’t thoughts its uninspired lack of style, you may’t get a lot higher than the Acer quick 3 for $599 (£749).
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