The Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is a compact and light notebook that I have been able to test for the past few weeks.
It is designed for users who are looking for a balance between price, performance and portability, without being excellent at anything but outstanding at almost everything.
It has a 14-inch screen, 12th generation Intel Core processors and a 56 Wh battery. Here are the details:
Technical specifications
The Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 comes equipped with an Intel Core i5-1240P or i7-1260P processor, both with 4 performance cores, 8 efficiency cores, and 16 total threads. RAM is 16GB LPDDR4x, and storage is 1TB on a PCIe Gen4 SSD. The screen is 14 inches with Full HD resolution, 300 nits of brightness and 99.4% sRGB coverage.
Design
The design of the Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is quite simple and minimalist, but at the same time it is elegant and modern. The silver-gray aluminum casing gives it a premium look, and the clean lines and slim profile make it look quite attractive. It is a compact and lightweight notebook, weighing around 1.3 kilograms, making it easy to transport.
One of the things I liked best about the design is the 180-degree hinge, which allows you to open the screen completely for greater freedom of movement. It also features a USB-C port on both sides, making it easy to connect devices and charge. In addition, its size is perfect to be transported comfortably in a backpack or bag without taking up too much space.
However, one of the drawbacks of the design is the position of the speakers. These are located at the bottom of the laptop, which means that the sound is not projected directly towards the user, but downwards. This can be a problem if used on soft surfaces, such as a bed or sofa, as sound can be muffled by the fabric and result in a mediocre listening experience.
Another downside is that the USB-C ports don’t support Thunderbolt 4, which means you can’t connect high-speed external devices, like SSDs, at the highest possible speed. In addition, the laptop’s lid is easily scratched and dirty, which can be a problem if you want to keep it aesthetically pleasing in the long run.
keyboard and trackpad
The Acer Swift 3 SF314-512’s keyboard is comfortable to use, with well-spaced keys and satisfying travel. In addition, it has a backlight, which makes it easy to use in low light conditions. The trackpad is large and precise, making it easy to use and move the cursor precisely.
Screen
To make the most of it, you must have the latest version of ARC Control, from where we can define various variables, such as screen refresh or the possibility of removing the background during a videoconference.
The screen of the Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is a 14-inch IPS screen with a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a refresh rate of 60 Hz. Generally speaking, the screen is of good quality, with good color accuracy. and a wide viewing angle. However, there are some areas where it falls a bit short.
Firstly, the screen’s maximum brightness is only 300 nits, which means it can be a bit difficult to see in bright conditions. If you plan to use the laptop outdoors or in brightly lit environments, you may have trouble seeing the screen well. On the other hand, the panel is matte, which means there won’t be any distracting reflections, which is a huge plus for those who work in areas with a lot of ambient light.
As for color coverage, the Swift 3 SF314-512’s screen covers 99.4% of the sRGB color space, which is excellent for a laptop in this price range. However, AdobeRGB and DCI-P3 coverage is more limited, at just 70.5% and 73.1%, respectively. While this isn’t a huge concern for most users, those who work with multimedia content or need a display with a wider color gamut may prefer to look at an option with wider color coverage.
Contrast-wise, the display has a 1718:1 contrast ratio, which means blacks are very dark and whites are very bright. Also, screen uniformity is excellent, with no bright or dark spots anywhere on the screen.
Overall, the Acer Swift 3 SF314-512’s screen is of good quality and is adequate for most everyday tasks, from browsing the Internet to watching movies and working on documents.
Performance
We can use the ARC Control panel to see the performance details, as shown in the screenshots below.
The unit we tested features an Intel Alder Lake Core i5-1240P processor, 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM, and a 1TB PCIe Gen4 SSD storage drive. In daily use and long loads, performance is impressive, and the GPU does not disappoint on a day-to-day basis for image editing or video processing tasks.
While this laptop is not designed specifically for gaming, it can still handle light and old games with no problem. I was able to run games like Counter-Strike: Global Offensive with no issues, but don’t expect to play modern games at high frame rates with this laptop, that’s not what it’s for.
If we use the information from userbenchmark it is clear that my impression is not subjective:
Comparison with other models
In the $1,000 laptop segment, there are plenty of options available today. The Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is a good choice for those looking for a compact and lightweight laptop for everyday use. However, there are options that offer superior OLED screens, brighter IPS screens, 16:10 aspect ratios, and a combination of these features. Therefore, Acer should offer the option of a better panel for this series.
user experience
The user experience of the Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is generally very satisfactory. This is a compact and lightweight laptop, easy to take with you anywhere, with an elegant and simple design, which meets the needs of any user looking for a device to work and perform everyday tasks.
The keyboard and trackpad are very comfortable and precise, allowing for fluid typing and smooth system navigation. In addition, the screen is bright enough and with good image quality to work indoors, although outdoors in bright conditions it can be a bit difficult.
As for the hardware, the Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is quite powerful thanks to its Intel Alder Lake Core i5-1240P processor and 16 GB of RAM, which allows it to run various applications and programs without problem. Storage is more than enough with a 1TB PCIe gen4 SSD hard drive, although if you need more space you can easily expand it.
When it comes to performance, the Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 performs quite well, although its forte is not gaming, since it does not have a dedicated graphics card and the integrated GPU is not as powerful as other options on the market. However, if you’re looking for a work laptop, this is an excellent choice.
The battery, with a capacity of 56 Wh, is not the largest on the market, but it is enough to last several hours with moderate use. In addition, the new fast charge allows you to recharge the battery in a short time.
Pros and cons
Among its advantages, we cannot forget:
– Lightweight and compact design
– Good selection of ports and connectivity
– Comfortable and backlit keyboard
– Good performance in daily tasks
– Low noise levels at full load
– Quality screen, with good color accuracy and good viewing angles
– Efficient ventilation, allowing good sustained performance without overheating
What could improve:
– Battery life could be better, especially for more demanding tasks
– The sound quality of the speakers could be better
– The maximum screen brightness could be better, especially for outdoor use
– No OLED display option
– No 16:10 screen option
– The edges of the screen are relatively thick
Price
The Acer Swift 3 SF314-512 is available for 1199 euros in various stores. You can see it in detail at acer.com.