Tag Archives: Swift 3

Computers, Editorial, Reviews

The Acer Swift 3 OLED In-Depth Review – Brilliant Display Update

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We have reviewed Acer’s Swift 3 before. It is, in many ways quite a regular recipe for a budget thin-and-light laptop. It is really everything you can ask for in a very regular laptop you want to bring around for productivity.

To begin with, it is not that thin in the first place. Still, it is well built. It is also not the most powerful thing you can find in the market since there is no discrete GPU.

Now, the Acer Swift 3 OLED then. It is a slightly outdated product. Yet, it is still relevant since it is technically an updated version of the Acer Swift 3. It was released a few months ago, technically a 2023 product. While Acer released a few products in CES 2023, the Acer Swift 3 OLED will still be the latest Acer Swift laptop available at the time of writing.

It shares the same chassis with the 2022 Swift 3 and Swift 3X. You get mostly the same materials, which is not a bad thing. There is very little in terms of exposed plastic, save for the keyboard and the display’s bezel.

In this case, is the Acer Swift 3 OLED worth looking at? Is it for you? Is it worth its asking price? Should you wait for Acer’s latest laptops released in CES 2023?

Design

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If you have come across our Acer Swift 3X and read through our Acer Swift 3 reviews before, they pretty much look the same. There are a few key differences though. Instead of 13-inch on your display, you have 14-inch on the display this time. With that, you get a larger 16:10 aspect ratio display with smaller bezels at the top, the sides, and the bottom. Thanks to that, the Acer logo now sits just above the keyboard, in-line with the DTS etching you see above the power button.

No, it is not a facial recognition capable webcam, but it is a Full HD webcam this time. Somehow, the punch hole for the camera looks smaller than before.

Everything else remains the same. The keyboard layout is familiar. The trackpad is the same exact size and build. Even the thermal vents are placed at the same top right corner of the bottom chassis. The only noticeable difference is the shell design. The Acer logo is smaller now and sits at the top of the shell. It is now a very plain grey, which we find rather boring.

Hardware

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Within the familiar all-metal chassis is a very familiar 12th generation Intel Core processor as well. 13th Generation Intel processors are reserved for the next generation Swift laptops. Still, the Swift 3 OLED is an Intel EVO platform laptop.

Specifications

Acer Swift 3 OLED
SF314-71-7980		As tested
Processor (clock)Intel® Core™ i7-12700H
2.30 GHz tetradeca-core with Turbo Boost (up to 4.70GHz)
24MB cache
GPUIntel® Iris® Xe Graphics
Display14” OLED WQXGA (2880 x 1800)
16:10 aspect ratio
Memory16GB LPDDR5
1TB PCIe® NVMe™ 3.0 M.2 SSD
Networking and ConnectionsIntel WiFi 6E
Bluetooth 5.2
2x Thunderbolt™ 4 USB-C® 1 USB 3.2 Gen 2
2x Type-A
1x HDMI 2.1
1x 3.5mm AUX Jack
Battery57W with up to 8 hours life (quoted)
100W Type-C power adapter
Operating SystemWindows 11 Home 64-bit
MiscellaneousFHD camera
Backlit Keyboard
Stereo Speakers
Far Field Microphone
DisplayPort over USB-C
Thunderbolt 4
Windows Hello with Fingerprint Sensor

Features

The Acer Swift 3 OLED starts at MYR 400 premium (MYR 4,399 as tested) over the regular outgoing Acer Swift 3. Most of that extra money goes to the brilliant OLED display you get on the OLED variant of the laptop. You are also not really losing out in terms of features over the regular ol’ Swift 3.

Full HD Webcam

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On top of the OLED display is a better webcam than before. Instead of the standard 720p webcam, it is a Full HD 1080p one. In theory, this should be an improvement.

The image you get from it is not the best. The edges are quite soft and dynamic range still. Colours look fine in favourable lighting conditions.

For most cases, in video calls specifically, it works. There is not much to complain about if you are just looking for a simple workaround in your remote working situation. If you want something better, or to use your webcam for streaming purposes, you are better off getting a separate webcam.

Fingerprint Sensor with Windows Hello

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Like the older Swift 3, the fingerprint sensor is built into the power button. We think that the fingerprint sensor placement is the most sensible in this configuration. The distinct tactility on the power button is highly appreciated though. It at least prevents us from accidentally turning off our laptop.

USB type-C Charging, Thunderbolt 4, and HDMI 2.1

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Thunderbolt 4 should not come as a surprise. It is technically an existing feature of the Acer Swift 3 and any modern laptop that comes with Intel’s latest CPUs. The capabilities of Thunderbolt 4 should also be known by now. You can strap a 4K monitor alongside any USB hubs with Thunderbolt 4.

The HDMI 2.1 port is also found on the 2022 variant of the regular Swift 3. It allows your Swift 4 to get up to 8K resolution of output. You might want to tamper your expectations in terms of performance though since there is no dedicated GPU on the Swift 3 OLED. Still, with HDMI 2.1 you can get your laptop to take advantage of 4K 120hz displays, which should be in the Swift 3 OLED’s range of capabilities even in gaming; just not AAA titles.

The Acer Swift 3 OLED now exclusively charges via USB Type-C. There is no proprietary charging port on the hardware. That also means you have an extra USB Type-C port to work with especially when the other is used as a charging port.

Both USB Type-C ports are Thunderbolt 4 capable ports, allowing you to strap up to two 4K monitors to the Acer Swift 3. You might want to make sure that the monitor can at least charge the Acer Swift 3 at 65W at least.

Same Keys as Before

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It is not a perfect keyboard. We think that it could use a little more travel. The bottom out feels a little cushioned. We think that the keyboard feels a little mushy. While it is not hugely uncomfortable to type with the keyboard for long periods, we do think that a little more tactility would make it better.

Performance – The Power of Intel’s 12th Generation Core

The Acer Swift 3 OLED is technically a minor update of a 2022 product. You will not find Intel’s latest 13th generation Core processor lodged in the laptop. Instead, you get a 12th generation Core processor. Specifically, in our test unit, you get the Intel Core i7-12700H processor.

Multitasking & Productivity

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The Intel Core i7-12700H is a proven processor in its own rights. While it is not the most powerful mobile processor you can find currently, it is powerful enough for the Swift 3 OLED. The laptop does not come packing a discrete GPU though.

It comes with Intel’s Iris Xe, which should be enough for 4K video editing purposes even. It should make short work of Photoshop and Lightroom. As of writing though, we could not get Adobe’s Lightroom to work on the laptop, which is a shame. That also means we could not fully take advantage of the brilliant OLED display with 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut. They also claim DisplayHDR 500 certification with up to 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio, which should really reward content creators. At 2.8K (2,880 x 1,800 pixels) as well, it is not what you call an average display.

Still, if your aim is to get other things like emails and word processing done on the laptop, it will do the job just as well. The 16GB of RAM should be plenty enough for a ridiculous amount of open tab on your Google Chrome and to game with.

Entertainment & Gaming

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This is where the OLED display also comes into a class of its own. The Swift 3 OLED, in terms of internal hardware, should allow for very smooth and painless streaming experience on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video. Via the app, Netflix can technically scale up to 4K in streams, but it will remain at 1080p Full HD in this case. Amazon Prime only does Full HD on any PC hardware.

From time to time, you might want to play some games. This is no gaming laptop, so you do want to adjust your expectations a little in terms of gaming performance. Keep in mind also that there will be a lot of heat when you play games, on top of plenty of noise. We tried playing games like Two Point Campus, CS:GO, and Undertale on the laptop.

With Two Point Campus, you want to keep your graphics settings at the lowest (very low) for a smooth experience. On very high settings you barely get 20fps out of the game, but everything looks just that much better.

Undertale is that game that you can play on any PC, no matter the performance. You get 30fps, which is sort of the maximum the game goes to anyway. The OLED display does make the graphics pop a little more and makes the game just a little more enjoyable though, which is nice.

CS:GO on the other hand can hit up to 40fps at times. Most of the time, you are only getting up to 30fps though. It is playable, but you will not be competitive without a GPU. You want to expect some input delays on the Swift 3 OLED too. To get more performance, you can just push the resolution down a little.

Battery Life

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Acer quotes about 8 hours of battery life on the Acer Swift 3 OLED on their website. Inside, you can find a 57Wh Lithium-Ion battery. The charging adapter it comes with is rated at 100W, which is more than sufficient to charge the laptop. It is possible to use a 65W GaN charger with the Acer Swift 3 OLED.

In our use case, we have several Firefox and Microsoft Edge windows open with not more than 20 tabs open at the same time. At least two Microsoft Word windows are open most of the time. Screen brightness is usually at about 50% most of the time or less, it can get overly bright at 100%.

In our typical use case, we get nearly eight hours of battery life out of the Acer Swift 3 OLED. We are impressed enough with the battery life, though we think that it could use a slightly bigger battery to accommodate a full workday and a little more just in case you have extra work at the office and you forgot your charger at home.

Display & Audio

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This is really the part where the Swift 3 OLED shines. When you put the Swift 3 beside any other laptop in its class without OLED displays, you can immediately tell that this laptop is special.

Acer quotes 100% DCI-P3 colour gamut and 1,000,000:1 contrast ratio with DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. It refreshes at 90hz and it supposed to respond at 0.2ms, which is really near instant. You get 2.8K resolution on the 14-inch OLED panel, which is a lot of pixel for a laptop this size. It is even enough pixel for content creators to work with, especially if they specialize in working with photos.

Colours really pop on the Acer Swift 3 OLED, thanks to the capabilities of OLED displays. Any images you can put on the display are super vivid and lifelike thanks to the highly accurate colour reproduction. Watching shows on Netflix, Prime Video, and even Disney+ is a joy on the Acer Swift 3 OLED. You hardly get colour fringing or ghosting on the OLED display. Thanks to the HDR capabilities, darker scenes on shows like ‘The Witcher’ still packs plenty of detail. ‘Our Universe’ looks immersive and impressive at the same time with superbly rich colours. In that sense, you can also enjoy YouTube videos with no issues.

The DTS certified speakers are a little on the less powerful end of the spectrum. You do not get a lot of low-end frequencies, which is quite expected since there is no proper subwoofer installed here. On the mid and high frequencies, there is some clarity but not a lot of details. It is not the most powerful nor detailed set of speakers in the world, but it works. It is good enough if you are just looking to watch movies or listen to music while you browse the internet or work. For production purposes, you are better off with a decent pair of earphones.

The Acer Swift 3 OLED – That OLED Though

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The Acer Swift 3 OLED starts at MYR 3,999. The one we have here will set you back MYR 1,000 more at retail (MYR 5,399 retail). You can get it at a massive discount via their online stores, but it is still a lot of money for a thin-and-light laptop without discrete GPU. The original Acer Swift 3 starts at MYR 3,599, which means you are paying the MYR 400 premium for a much better display.

The original Acer Swift 3 is not a bad laptop to begin with. There is no discrete GPU, but for a laptop that is supposed to do everything, everywhere, it is decent. The OLED upgrade highlights the high-resolution display aspect even more and made the laptop that much better to work with.

The OLED display with 16:10 aspect ratio helps with productivity. It is not a gamer product, but if you have enough for an eGPU, it might work. If not, watching movies on the OLED display is rather enjoyable. Provided, the speakers are not the best; it is and easy fix with a decent pair of headphones or Bluetooth enabled speakers. Even webpages with any form of designed visuals look really sharp on the display. The experience on the Swift 3 OLED might spoil you and your experience with other laptop displays in the future.

Is it worth the MYR 400 extra over the original Swift 3? We can safely say that the display experience is worth a little more than that. At MYR 3,999 though, we cannot call it budget friendly. If you go for the top-of-the-line option with a more capable Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, you are paying a premium of MYR 1,300 (MYR 5,399) over the Core i5 variant.

In that sense, we think you might be better off waiting for Acer’s latest Swift laptops that were launched during their CES 2023 keynote. At the same time, if you cannot wait for a few more months, we think that the Core i5 with 8GB RAM variant should be the better buy. You still get the gorgeous high-resolution OLED display, but with slightly less power. It is still enough power for you to get your photos edited, browse the internet, and watch movies comfortably.

Computers, News

[next@acer] Acer Introduces Swift 3 OLED

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Acer’s Swift lineup of thin and light laptops gets a much needed boost with OLED technology. The company announced an all new OLED edition of their mid-range offering, the Swift 3. The new Swift 3 OLED joins the stable of impressive thin and light offerings which have seen much success for both their features and price point.

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The Swift 3 OLED stands out due to its 14-inch WQXGA+ OLED display; a first in the laptop series. The display comes with a 2.8K resolution and comes with a 16:10 aspect ratio. It’s also got an impressive 92% screen-to-body ratio. The display is also one of the most colour accurate displays with 100% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. What’s more it’s also VESA DisplayHDR True Black 500 certified. It’s one of the most vibrant displays on an Acer laptop.

Intel’s latest 12 generation Core H-series processors power the experience on the Swift 3 OLED. The laptop is an Intel Evo Platform verified device. This means that it will be able to provide at least 10 hours of use on a single charge and supports instant wake from sleep. You’ll also be able to get over 4 hours of usage from a 30-minute charge. On the graphics end of things, the laptop will be relying on the integrated Intel Iris® Xe graphics which should be more than enough for basic photo editing and creative work.

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Staying true to their Earthion platform, Acer has also incorporated ocean bound plastics in their new Swift 3 OLED. The track pad of the laptop is made of OceanGlass which is made from ocean bound plastics. The 1.4kg laptop is made of a slim 17.9mm thin aluminum chassis providing it with sturdiness and rigidity. Acer is also upping the ante with its cooling with a unique keyboard design with an inlet that helps dissipate up to 10% more heat. It’s also equipped with all the connectivity options that we’re accustomed to when it comes to Acer Swift Laptops including the latest WiFi 6E connectivity.

Pricing & Availability

The Swift 3 OLED will be available starting in May 2022 in China and in July 2022 for the rest of the world. It will cost RMB4,999 (MYR3,253.12) in China, USD$899.99 (MYR3,955.88) in North America, and EUR999 (MYR4,598.46) in Europe, Middle East and Africa.

Computers, News

Acer Launches the Swift 3 and Swift 5 – Next Generation Ultrabook for the Discerning Working-Class Malaysian

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The working environment and requirements today is vastly different from before. Especially in the conditions that we know today, the workspace has really shifted from the office, to home, or to anywhere else you are comfortable. Work has shifted from an office only affair to a remote situation. The key phrase here is “anywhere, anytime”.

But it is not just the working class that has shifted, the classrooms have shifted too. The classroom is not a location anymore. The progress has started since Google introduced their suite of Classroom and learning focused tools, to be fair. But with the conditions now, a classroom can be your own bedroom, or your kitchen, or your dining room, or even the café next door.

Your learning space and workspace is technically wherever you are comfortable with. But that also means that you can change your work environment as you please. If you have a large enough balcony, you can relax and work at the same time. Even at the pool side if you have one. You need to be portable though. That is why you need the ultra-portable Swift series from Acer.

The Acer Swift 5

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The Acer Swift 5 is still the symbol of power and portability in Acer’s stable of devices. It is still the same size and weight of the previous Acer Swift 5 for 2019. There are some differences here though.

The Acer Swift 5 for 2020 packs a one-piece glass protected 14-inch Full HD display up front with integrated bezel instead of the plastic bezel casing of the 2019 version. It is still a touch display too. We think that it looks very cool too, in its 2020 skin. Oh yes, there are some new colours too.

Visually then, the differences are subtle enough that you might not notice. Technically as well, the rest of the Swift 5 is no different from the 2019 version, including its keyboard. Most of the differences are kept within the lightweight 1.05kg body though.

You get a new 11th generation Intel Core processor up to a Core i7-1165G7. The Core i7 is paired to Intel’s latest Iris X Graphics. Technically, the Swift 5 should be able to handle 4K video processing smoothly enough with the combination of the processor and GPU. Just do not expect the Acer Swift 5 to destroy your table with the processing speed.

The Intel Evo platform notebook PC with the new processor allows the Acer Swift 5’s battery to last up to 15 hours on a single charge. The battery is a fast-charging one too, just so that you do not have to be stuck near a wall socket and enjoy the weather at your pool area or balcony.

The Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass covered display ensures that your display stays bacteria free and your fingers clean too when you interact with the touch screen. As we all know, touch screens can be very gross under the microscope. Of course, you will appreciate the 100% sRGB colour gamut too if you need to work with videos and photos.

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The Acer Swift 3

Source: Acer

If you need something a little more budget friendly you can get the Acer Swift 3. You do not get the touch screen of the Swift 5 mind you. It is also slightly heavier at 1.2kg, and at 15.95mm, thicker than the Swift 5.

You still get a beautiful IPS display with Full HD resolution though. Within the aluminium and magnesium body construction is still a powerful 11th generation Intel Core i7 (up to). With the powerful new CPU is an Intel Iris X Graphics integrated GPU that should be able to handle even light video editing. With 16GB of RAM (up to) and 512GB off SSD storage (up to), you should not be left wanting more in speed and power from a lightweight and ultra-portable package.

Like the Swift 5, it comes with WiFi 6 technology too for an extra stable and speedy wireless internet connection in your home (if you have a WiFi 6 router). On top of that, it packs 11 hours of battery life and it even fast charges. No, that is not as long as the Acer Swift 5, but 11 hours is still more than a full workday, technically.

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Price and Availability

The Acer Swift 3 and Swift 5 is now available at Acer authorised resellers nationwide and Acer official online stores (including Lazada and Shopee). The Acer Swift 5 will be available in Mist Green colour option for now. The Acer Swift 5 will set you back from MYR 3,999.

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The Acer Swift 3 will be available in three colour options to really fit your personality. It is available in Pure Silver, Aqua Blue, and Melon Pink. The Core i7 variant is only available in Pure Silver colour option. The new Acer Swift 3 will set you back MYR 3,299 onward.

Source: Acer

Customers who purchase the Acer Swift 5, Swift 3 equipped with 11th Gen Intel® Core™ processors before 31 December 2020 will be entitled to redeem free gifts, including up to RM100 worth of Touch ‘n Go eWallet credit and personalized premium laptop sleeves. For more information on the products, you can visit Acer’s website.

Computers, Editorial, Reviews

Acer Swift 3 (AMD) Review – Productivity & Portability Made Unremarkably Affordable

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Thin and light and affordability don’t usually go hand in hand. However, Acer’s Swift 3 has always been one of the best value for money options when you’re looking at getting something affordable, thin and light. However, unlike previous years, the Swift 3 comes with an AMD Ryzen option which promises top notch performance while maintaining a lot of the features of the popular laptop.

We’re going to be asking the hard questions when it comes to the Swift 3 in this review – should you buy it? Is it worth your money? And does the Ryzen variant hold up to the hype AMD has built around their silicon offerings?

Design

Let’s start by taking a look at the overall design of the Swift 3. Overall, the design approach that Acer took to this laptop is more utilitarian compared to the rest of the Swift line up (barring the Swift 1). In fact, you’d be hard-pressed in finding any of the design finesse of the 5 or 7; which is, to be honest, expected at the price point that the Swift 3 sits at.

The laptop is a rectangular slab which tapers gradually from the hinge to the tip. That said, the larger, thicker back of the hinge area allows it a better, more stable footing when it is open. There were rarely times when the display ended up rocking back and forth on a rocky, uneven surface during the review period. The thickness also allows ample space for Acer to equip the Swift 3 with a full array of ports from HDMI to USB Type-C.

While this also means that the laptop lacks in design flair, it makes more utilitarian sense. Its ports are readily accessible while minimising its footprint. However, unlike its siblings, the Swift 3 is a whole lot heftier; coming in at 1.2kg. Yes, I did call 1.2kg hefty. Keep in mind, the rest of the Swift series come in at below 1kg. That said, Acer’s decision to have the Swift 3 in purple a touch of pizzaz that keeps the Swift 3 fresh. It’s also one of those colours that seems to grow on you.

Hardware

The Acer Swift 3 may be a little lacking on the design flair but it’s utilitarian approach to the thin and light has spurred the company to pack a formidable punch when it comes to the hardware. Coming with the Ryzen 5, the laptop is no slouch when it comes to performance. It clocks in a respectable 2.3Ghz with 6 cores for better multicore processing; enabling it to undertake more demanding tasks.

Specifications

Acer Swift 3 | SF314-42-R43GAs tested
Processor (clock)AMD Ryzen 5-4500U
Hexa-core
2.3 GHz
GPUAMD Radeon Vega 6 Graphics
Display14-inch Full HD
TFT LCD
1920×1080 pixels
Memory8GB LPDDR4 SDRAM
512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
Networking and ConnectionsWiFi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac/ax
Bluetooth 5.0
HDMI
1 USB 2.0 Type-A
1 USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A
1 USB 3.1 Gen 2 Type-C
3.5mm headphone jack
Battery3-cell Lithium Ion
11 Hours battery life (claimed)
Operating SystemWindows 10 Home 64-bit
MiscellaneousFingerprint Reader
Backlit Keyboard
Stereo Speakers
Microphone
DisplayPort over USB-C
USB-C charging 5 V; 3 A
DC-in port 19 V; 65 W

Features

While the Swift 3 may not be as feature packed as it’s siblings, the laptop comes with features that make sense and fit the utilitarian and functional approach that Acer has taken for it. The laptop comes with a full array of ports including a USB-C, a USB-A with support for USB2.0, a USB-A with support for USB3.1, an HDMI port and even a 3.5mm headphone jack which its competition seems to be missing. The full array of ports should ensure that users are well equipped to handle any connectivity hurdles that may come their way. However, like most laptops nowadays, the Swift 3 is powerless when it comes face to face with a dreaded VGA port; you will be resigned to the dongle life for VGA. In addition, the laptop also doesn’t come with an SD card reader.

Ports aside, the Swift 3 does have many other features. However, it does come with WiFi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity.  The former allows the laptop to take advantage of the faster 802.11ax WiFi bandwidth which gives it an edge over other laptops in a similar price range. That said, not many networks use WiFi 6 just yet – but getting ready for the future is always a plus now, isn’t it. Bluetooth 5.0 allows you take advantage of wireless earbuds and other peripherals without sacrificing too much battery life.

However, the biggest advantage that the laptop over its competitors is the fact that it’s lightweight. The Swift 3 is definitely a contender for one of the lightest laptops in its price range. Coming in at slightly over 1kg, it will definitely be one of the go-to laptops for people looking for one which they can easily take on the go without worrying about overloading the bag or breaking your back from carrying it around.

Performance

Since the Swift 3 is so utilitarian and focused on keeping you productive, it comes as no surprise that Acer has chosen to offer an Ryzen 5-4500U processor option in the Swift 3. AMD’s new processors have outperformed its competition in benchmarks consistently over the past few years since the release of AMD’s Zen architecture. The same holds true for AMD’s mobile processors which is being used here in the Swift 3. However, benchmarks are only part of the story, we’re focusing on the overall user experience when it comes to using the laptop.

The Swift 3 is definitely a capable power house when it comes to everyday tasks. Word processing, working with PowerPoint and even large excel files are definitely not a problem for the laptop. What did stand out was the laptop’s ability to edit 1080p video in Adobe Premiere with ease. In fact, it could even handle 4K video editing with limited overlays and additions. However, if you’re going to be doing massive video editing this isn’t the laptop for you. The Ryzen 5 is good, but it is let down by the limited RAM and lack of graphics processor in the laptop.

This was made pretty clear when we tried to game on the Swift 3. On older games, it was able to handle settings at medium. It ploughed through Diablo 3 without much noise but when it came to games like Overwatch or even No Straight Roads, the laptop ran a little hot and had quite a lot of stuttering and screen tearing to keep up. It could hardly keep 30fps even with low settings. This isn’t really surprising for us as the gaming capabilities of the laptop are severely limited even though there is the built in Radeon Vega 6 graphics. The laptop also performs well with multimedia. However, the audio experience on the laptop could use some polish as the speakers sound tinny and distorted when the volume is pushed. However, at lower volumes, the audio lacks body and is, to be frank, incredibly soft. You only start hearing it audibly after the indicator passes the 40% mark in Windows.

That said, the laptop isn’t really built for gaming. In fact, it’s built for productivity on the go and the Swift 3 comes with ample battery life. Acer claims 11 hours of battery life on the Swift 3. During our time with the laptop, we easily got about 13 hours of active use time. On standby, the laptop was able to last well over a day. In fact, when we opened it about 8 hours later, the laptop had slightly more than 40% battery remaining. Even editing 1080p video on battery, the Swift 3 lasted about 3-4 hours before it needed to be plugged in.

Display

When it comes to the display of the Swift 3, it has a pretty good one for it’s price point. It comes with a 13.5-inch, 1080p Full HD display which is more than enough for a laptop of its size. The screen is crisp and the colour is relatively accurate. While it doesn’t have a touch display like the Swift 5, the screen fulfils its purpose. It allows you enough display real estate to get things done without straining your eyes too much.

The display is also near bezel-less. There is about 1-3mm of bezel on either side of the display with about 5mm on the top and bottom. The slim bezels allowed for a pretty immersive visual experience. You don’t have much pulling you out of your work or multimedia.

An unremarkably affordable laptop that does only slightly more than the basics

Overall, the Swift 3 is an unremarkable device. It’s not a jack of all trades, but it’s a thin and light laptop for those on a budget. It packs as much performance it for the price point it’s at. That said, it is a device geared for productivity and it does deliver on its promise of keeping you productive on the go. In fact, I would say it excels in it given the extra feats it accomplished. Editing 1080p video on the Swift 5 was also a feat, to see the Swift 3 able to do it without much problem is a definite plus. However, we also have to keep in mind that the Swift 3 is playing in an arena which is quickly getting crowded with similarly spec’d devices. It needs to find a way to stand out from the crowd; and, in all honesty, if it boils down to the brand, Acer is looking at an uphill battle with the Swift 3. That said, the AMD powered Swift 3 holds a peg above the competition with its performance right now – whether this holds true in the near future; we’ll have to see. All-in-all, the Swift 3 delivers on all its promises and excels further than its competition on certain fronts. However, when considering this device, it would be prudent to see if other, more powerful devices with a dedicated graphics card could serve you better. That said, if you’re looking for a slim and light productivity machine for everyday tasks, you don’t have to look further for a package that’s both affordable and give you some really good value for the money you invest in it.

Computers, News

Acer Spinning Swiftly – Introducing the New Spin 3 and Swift 3

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Acer in 2019 impressed with the ultra-thin, ultra-light Swift 7. Even the Swift 5 became a fan favourite with plenty of power on offer and even more value to give. Our favourite in their line-up was also the Swift 5, to be honest. It was a perfect workhorse for the likes of us.

This year, they kick it off with updating two line-ups. They kick off with the Acer Spin 3 and the Acer Swift 3.

We start with the Spin 3 first. The Spin series is Acer’s answer two Lenovo’s very popular and very highly rated Yoga series. The Spin is Acer’s two-in-one line up, in short.

The Acer Spin 3

The new Acer Spin 3 has a new look and body to match its new internals. Not only is it more powerful, it is lighter too at 1.5kg. Yes, more powerful from the latest 10th Generation Intel Ice Lake Core processors. You get to choose between a Core i5 or a Core i3, no Core i7 option here. But they are the entry level class 2-in-1 type notebooks for Acer anyway.

Source: Acer

Both does not feature a discrete GPU, but Intel’s Iris Plus Graphics is a big improvement over the older Intel HD Graphics integrated GPU. Iris Plus Graphics also allows you get working on Adobe’s Photoshop and Premiere Pro averagely at least.

You can opt for up to 8GB in RAM. Of course, if that is not enough, you should be able to open it up and add more yourself. The Intel Core i3 model only comes with a 4GB RAM, which most likely is not enough.

The 14-incher is slightly smaller than before with a tinier bezel around the Full HD display. Like before though, you still get a stylus packed in with the notebook PC. Like before too, there is a dock for the stylus so that you do not lose it.

Speaking of stylus though, the touch screen is WACOM digitised. They are the best in touch screen and digital drawing industry. On the Acer Spin 3, you get up to 4096 pressure levels thanks to the WACOM developed digitiser. You can draw with your fingers too, but why do that when you have a nice stylus?

Source: Acer

Technically on the Acer Spin 3, there are about four speakers on the device. Acer says that there are always two speakers that will face you for better audio projection. We believe them on that front of course. They also included Acer’s very own True Harmony technology and tuning for a premium audio experience.

With all that power packed in the Acer Spin 3, Acer quotes a battery life of up to 13-hours in a typical case. Considering modern battery life – that is a pretty decent battery life to boot. If you run out of battery life on the Acer Spin 3 though, the notebook PC is a quick charging one. You get 90 minutes of run time out of 15 seconds in charging.

Of course, a modern notebook PC has to have modern peripherals to keep you connected. WiFi 6 capabilities is a given of course. This has two antennas to keep connections stable and strong though. It has all the right ports as well, including a Thunderbolt 3 port to power another monitor if need be. If not, this can be your biggest power bank in the world. It can charge your devices even with the power turned off; not something plenty of notebook PCs can do actually.

  • Source: Acer
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The Acer Spin 3 is available now starting from MYR 2,799 (Intel Core i3 variant) and MYR 3,299 (Intel Core i5 variant). Both are only available in Silver colour. Silver is still a premium looking colour though. If you are spending on the more powerful Core i5 variant, stocks are available now. For the Core i3 variant, Acer says that the stocks are arriving and will be shipped out as soon as it is available later this month. You can visit Acer’s webstore to purchase one, or their online marketplace partners for more information.

Acer Swift 3 in Two Flavours

One of the most popular series in Acer’s line-up must be the Acer Swift series. The Swift series is Acer’s thin and light offering that caters to all kinds of users. The Swift 3 caters to the mid-range market that is looking for something that will not break the bank yet practical and powerful enough to work on all kinds of projects.

Source: Acer

That has been the Swift 3 and it is the Swift 3 still now. The new Swift 3 comes in either an Intel guise or an AMD guise though, for your discerning choice. To make things easier for you, the cheaper one is the AMD variant.

We will start with the AMD variant with that. It comes with a Ryzen 4000 Mobile series that was just announced not too long ago by AMD. Specifically you get an AMD Ryzen 5 4500U CPU with eight cores and 16 threads. Yes, quite a powerful chipset for your money. You get up to 8GB of RAM. Unfortunately you cannot upgrade or add additional RAM sticks into the PC, so you have to make do.

Still, at least you are getting a powerful AMD Radeon Graphics GPU to work with. That should make games like DOTA 2 a breeze to play. That should also make some Adobe Premiere Pro and Photoshop work pretty nicely on board.

Source: Acer

From that powerful processor you get about 11 hours of battery life. That may not sound like a lot of time to work on the PC, but it is enough to at least last you a whole day in the office or campus, if you are a student. As if the PC is not fast enough you get 512GB in SSD storage too, out of the 14-incher.

There are two Intel variants for the Acer Swift 3. There is the more powerful Intel Core i7 (10th Gen) and an Intel Core i5 variant. On the Swift 3 that comes with Intel’s 10th Generation Core i7-1065G7 CPU, you are getting an NVIDIA GeForce MX250 discrete GPU. This makes it the most powerful Notebook PC that is recently announced by Acer.

The 14-incher also comes with up to 16GB of LPDDR4X RAM for maximum performance with a 512GB SSD storage. All this is packed in a package that is slightly under 1.2kg and can last up to 16-hours on a single charge. If you are a workaholic, this can last you through a workday in the office and more outside the office. Keep it charged, you can go all night without a charger to prepare that beautiful slideshow for your latest project. We are not responsible for your all-nighter, nor do we encourage that. We encourage a balanced and healthy work-life separation and balance.

  • Source: Acer
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In a more budget friendly guise is the Acer Swift 3 with Intel’s Core i3-1035G1 CPU. You do not get a discrete GPU with this, you make do with Intel’s trusty UHD Graphics GPU. It is not as terrible as we put it. It still works nicely with Adobe Photoshop especially with 8GB of onboard RAM. It is also fast enough with 512GB of SSD on board. Of course with Intel, you get Thunderbolt on the USB Type-C ports.

  • Source: Acer
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All the available Acer Swift 3 are now available via Acer’s webstore or their retail partners. There are some limited colour options to each variant though. If you are planning to get the top-of-the-line Acer Swift 3 with Intel’s Core i7 and MX250 that sets you back MYR 4,299, you only can get it in Glacier Blue. Not a bad colour, quite funky. For the Intel Core i5 variant, setting you back MYR 3,099 you get to choose between Steel Grey, Millenial Pink, and Glacier Blue. The Swift 3 with AMD’s Ryzen 5 will set you back MYR 2,599 and comes in either Pure Silver, and Mauve Purple.