Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop Review

The Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop has quickly risen to the top of its class as an excellent mid-range ultrabook that balances performance, portability, and affordability. Armed with Intel’s 11th generation Core i7 processor, sleek design, and long-lasting battery, this laptop promises a lot for professionals, students, and casual users alike.

This detailed review breaks down everything you need to know about the Best Laptop For Students, the Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop, from its features and performance to its pros and cons.

Key Features

• Processor:

  11th Gen Intel Core i7-1165G7 (Up to 4.7GHz, 4 cores, 8 threads, 12MB Smart Cache)

• Display:

  14″ Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Widescreen, 100% sRGB

• Graphics:

  Intel Iris Xe Graphics

• Memory:

  8GB LPDDR4X onboard RAM

• Storage:

  256GB NVMe SSD

• Battery Life:

  Up to 16 hours

• Operating System:

  Windows 10 Home

• Connectivity:

  Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1

• Ports:

  1 USB Type-C, 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1, 1 USB 2.0, 1 HDMI

• Special Features:

  Backlit Keyboard, Fingerprint Reader, Thunderbolt 4

Specifications

Pros and Cons

Pros

• Lightweight and portable
• Excellent battery life
• Solid performance with Intel Core i7
• Vibrant Full HD display with 100% sRGB coverage
• Thunderbolt 4 support
• Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 connectivity

Cons

• Limited 8GB RAM for power users
• Shallow keyboard
• Only 256GB storage may be insufficient for some users

Detailed Review

Performance Review

The Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop packs a punch, primarily thanks to its Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor and Intel Iris Xe Graphics. This combination makes the laptop incredibly fast and responsive for day-to-day tasks such as browsing, media consumption, and multitasking between productivity apps. Opening multiple tabs in Chrome, editing documents, and even light photo editing in Adobe Photoshop were handled with ease.

In benchmark tests, the Intel Core i7 processor stands out, delivering better single-core performance than previous generations. It’s capable of handling moderate workloads like video rendering or gaming, although it’s not designed for heavy-duty tasks like 4K video editing or playing AAA games at high settings.

The Intel Iris Xe Graphics enhances visuals and enables decent gaming experiences at medium settings for older titles or casual gaming. The laptop also excels in creative tasks like photo and video editing. Iris Xe allows for better rendering times compared to older integrated graphics but won’t match the performance of a dedicated GPU.

The 8GB LPDDR4X RAM is sufficient for most users but might be a limiting factor for heavy multitaskers or those who work with RAM-intensive applications like large spreadsheets or video editing software. The 256GB NVMe SSD is fast and adequate for users who do not need excessive storage space. However, those dealing with large files may find themselves needing to rely on external storage.

Display Quality

One of the most striking features of the Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop is its 14-inch Full HD IPS display. It provides vibrant colors and impressive clarity with 100% sRGB coverage, making it ideal for creative professionals working with color-sensitive tasks like photo editing or design.

The 1920×1080 resolution ensures sharp visuals, and the IPS technology offers wide viewing angles, which is perfect for sharing the screen with colleagues or watching movies in comfort. While the screen is bright and clear indoors, its LED-backlighting may struggle under direct sunlight, which is something to consider if you plan on working outdoors frequently.

Battery Life

Battery life is a standout feature of this laptop. Acer claims up to 16 hours of battery life, and in real-world testing, it comes close. With moderate usage—browsing, streaming, working on documents—the laptop can easily last around 11-13 hours on a single charge. This makes the Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop an ideal choice for students, business professionals, or anyone on the go who needs a device that can last through the day without constantly seeking out a power outlet.

Heavy usage, like gaming or video editing, will naturally reduce the battery life to around 7-9 hours, which is still impressive compared to most laptops in this price range.

Build and Design

Weighing in at 2.64 pounds (1.2 kg), the Acer Swift 3 is incredibly lightweight and slim, making it extremely portable. The build quality is surprisingly sturdy for such a lightweight laptop, thanks to its aluminum chassis. The laptop has a premium feel, and the Pure Silver color adds a touch of class without being too flashy.

One drawback in the design is that the keyboard can feel a little shallow, and while the keys are backlit, the typing experience might not satisfy heavy typists. The trackpad is responsive, and the fingerprint reader adds an extra layer of security with Windows Hello compatibility.

Connectivity and Ports

The Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop doesn’t compromise on connectivity, offering an array of ports that many ultrabooks in this category lack.

You’ll find:

• 1 USB Type-C port (Thunderbolt 4), which supports data transfer, DisplayPort, and charging
• 1 USB 3.2 Gen 1 port with power-off charging
• 1 USB 2.0 port for peripherals
• 1 HDMI 2.0 port for external displays

In terms of wireless connectivity, Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 ensure fast and reliable connections, making this laptop future-proof for fast internet speeds and smooth wireless peripheral usage.

Conclusion

The Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop excels in providing a balance of performance, portability, and price. With the Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor and Intel Iris Xe Graphics, it offers strong performance for a wide range of tasks, from browsing and document editing to light gaming and content creation. The 14-inch Full HD IPS display with 100% sRGB coverage is vibrant and crisp, making it a great option for creative professionals on a budget.

However, the 8GB of RAM may limit more demanding workflows, and the 256GB SSD might require additional external storage for users dealing with large files. Despite these limitations, the lightweight design, long battery life, and solid connectivity options make this laptop a compelling choice for students, business professionals, and casual users who need a dependable, portable device.

Overall, the Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop is one of the best options available for users looking for a budget-friendly ultrabook that doesn’t compromise on key features like battery life, build quality, and overall performance.

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Comparison with Similar Products

When evaluating the Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop, it’s helpful to compare it with similar models in the same category, which includes lightweight ultrabooks designed for productivity and light content creation. Here, we compare it to the Dell XPS 13, HP Envy x360, and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7. Each of these laptops offers a balance of portability, performance, and design, making them strong contenders in this category.

Detailed Comparison:

1. Performance:

   • The Acer Swift 3 features an Intel Core i7-1165G7 processor, which is very capable for productivity tasks and light content creation. In comparison, the Dell XPS 13 steps up with an Intel Core i7-1185G7, offering slightly better performance in multi-core tasks. The HP Envy x360, on the other hand, is powered by AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700U, making it highly competitive in terms of multi-threaded performance, especially for creative tasks like video editing. Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 packs an older but still solid Intel Core i7-1065G7, which holds its own but lags behind in some demanding scenarios.

2. Graphics:

   • All the models except the HP Envy x360 come with Intel Iris Xe graphics, which is adequate for casual gaming and light graphics work. The HP Envy x360, however, benefits from the AMD Radeon RX Vega 8 integrated GPU, which slightly edges out Intel Iris Xe in gaming performance, making it more suitable for users who need a bit more graphical power without going for a dedicated GPU.

3. Display:

   • The Acer Swift 3 offers a 14-inch Full HD display with 100% sRGB coverage, making it perfect for those who require accurate colors for photo editing or content creation. While the Dell XPS 13 offers an equally sharp display, it boasts a 90% DCI-P3 color gamut, making it better for professional creators who need even more accurate color reproduction. The HP Envy x360 includes a 13.3-inch Full HD touchscreen, but the 2-in-1 feature sets it apart for users looking for tablet-like functionality. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 has a 14-inch display, also with 100% sRGB, which is suitable for similar creative tasks.

4. Portability:

   • The Acer Swift 3 excels in portability, weighing just 2.65 lbs, which is lighter than the HP Envy x360 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7, making it easier to carry around for students or professionals. The Dell XPS 13 is slightly heavier at 2.8 lbs, but its ultra-slim design and smaller footprint make it equally travel-friendly.

5. RAM & Storage:

   • The Acer Swift 3 comes with 8GB of RAM, which is adequate for most users but might be limiting for heavy multitaskers. The Dell XPS 13 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 both come with 16GB of RAM, which offers better performance in multitasking and memory-intensive tasks. All models come with NVMe SSD storage, though the Acer model starts at 256GB, while others like the Dell XPS 13 and HP Envy x360 offer 512GB out of the box, providing more space for files and applications.

6. Battery Life:

   • The Acer Swift 3 offers up to 16 hours of battery life, beating most of its competitors. The Dell XPS 13 can last up to 14 hours, and the HP Envy x360 reaches up to 13 hours, which are still impressive but slightly lower. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7, on the other hand, has a more modest 10 hours of battery life, which may not last through a full day of heavy use without a charge.

FAQs

Is the Acer Swift 3 suitable for gaming?

The Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop is not primarily built as a gaming machine, but it can handle light gaming and older titles quite well, thanks to the Intel Iris Xe Graphics. This integrated graphics solution significantly improves over previous generations, allowing games like Fortnite, League of Legends, and Rocket League to run smoothly at medium settings.

If you’re a casual gamer or enjoy indie titles, the laptop should be able to deliver a satisfactory experience. However, for AAA games or more graphically demanding titles, the Acer Swift 3 will struggle to keep up, especially at higher resolutions or settings.

For serious gaming enthusiasts, a laptop with a dedicated graphics card, such as an NVIDIA or AMD GPU, would be more appropriate. The Swift 3’s lightweight and slim form make it a great all-rounder, but it’s not designed to replace a gaming rig. However, if you only game occasionally and prioritize portability and battery life, it’s an acceptable compromise for users who want a bit of everything.

Can I upgrade the RAM and storage?

The Acer Swift 3 comes with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM, which is soldered directly onto the motherboard, meaning it cannot be upgraded. This may be a downside for power users who rely on heavy multitasking or who use resource-intensive applications like video editing software.

While the 8GB RAM is sufficient for day-to-day tasks like web browsing, document editing, and light creative work, more demanding users might feel the limitations, especially if they frequently switch between multiple apps or run large files.

On the positive side, the 256GB NVMe SSD can be upgraded. The laptop allows for swapping out the existing storage with a higher-capacity SSD if more space is required. The NVMe SSD provides fast read and write speeds, ensuring that the laptop boots quickly and loads applications in no time. So, while the RAM is not expandable, those looking to increase storage can easily do so, making it a bit more versatile in that aspect.

How does the battery life hold up with heavy use?

The Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop is known for its impressive battery life, and even under heavy use, it holds up quite well. Acer advertises up to 16 hours of battery life, but this is generally under light usage scenarios.

With heavy use, such as running processor-intensive applications, streaming high-definition videos, or casual gaming, you can expect a realistic battery life of 7-9 hours, which is still commendable for a laptop of this size and category. This makes it ideal for professionals who need to work on the go without worrying about finding a power outlet throughout the day.

When performing lighter tasks like browsing the web, using productivity software, or watching videos, the battery can last around 11-13 hours. With the help of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 technology, the laptop efficiently manages power to ensure connectivity without significant battery drain. Overall, for both moderate and heavy usage, the Acer Swift 3 proves to be a reliable companion in terms of battery longevity, making it an excellent choice for students, travelers, and remote workers.

How good is the display quality for creative work?

The 14-inch Full HD IPS display on the Acer Swift 3 is a standout feature, particularly for creative professionals who work with color-sensitive tasks such as photo editing, graphic design, and video production. With 100% sRGB coverage, the display delivers accurate and vibrant colors, making it an excellent choice for creators who need color precision. The 1920×1080 resolution ensures that images and text appear sharp, and the IPS panel provides wide viewing angles, meaning the display remains clear and consistent even when viewed from the side.

The display’s brightness and clarity perform well indoors, and the LED-backlit screen offers good visibility in most lighting conditions. However, outdoor visibility can be somewhat lacking under direct sunlight, as the brightness levels may not be high enough to combat glare effectively. Despite this, for most indoor environments and general creative work, the Acer Swift 3 delivers excellent display quality that punches above its weight for the price.

Does the Acer Swift 3 support fast charging?

Yes, the Acer Swift 3 Intel Evo Thin & Light Laptop supports fast charging via its USB Type-C port (Thunderbolt 4). This allows users to charge the laptop quicker than conventional chargers, especially if they use a high-wattage charger that’s compatible with the Thunderbolt 4 specification. This feature is especially beneficial for professionals and students who are frequently on the move and may not have the luxury of waiting for long charging times.

The Type-C port on the Acer Swift 3 isn’t just for charging, though—it also supports data transfer and display output. This multi-functionality makes the laptop extremely versatile, especially for users who need to connect to external monitors or transfer large files. Although the laptop doesn’t come with an ultra-fast charger in the box, purchasing a compatible fast charger separately can reduce the time needed to get the laptop back up to full power, adding to its portability and convenience.