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What we think
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Updated January 10, 2024·
If you value longer battery life and touch capabilities, the Acer Swift 3 might be the better choice. It also has a larger storage capacity and more RAM, which means better performance for general use and multitasking. However, if you prefer a slightly more portable laptop, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is lighter, but it comes with less storage and RAM, thus it may not perform as well with demanding tasks. Neither laptop is suitable for intensive gaming, and both have similar screen sizes and quality. Keep in mind, performance for 3D rendering, machine learning, or engineering might be adequate but not top-tier for either device. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good overall build quality
- Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
- The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
General Use
7.7
6.9
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.2/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 has a more powerful CPU and double the RAM of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14", which means it will perform better with multiple applications open and more intensive tasks. The Acer also boasts a higher-quality screen, with better color accuracy and contrast, contributing to a more visually pleasing experience, while the Lenovo falls short in screen color performance, which is essential for enjoying multimedia content or editing tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1
6.1
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 is preferred for engineering and design due to its more powerful Intel i5-1240P CPU, double the RAM, and superior integrated Iris Xe graphics, facilitating smoother multitasking and graphic-intensive tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers lesser performance with its AMD Ryzen 5 5500U CPU and Vega 7 graphics, and half the RAM, which makes it adequate but not optimal for demanding engineering software or complex design work.
Content Creation
7.6
7.1
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for content creation, though the Acer Swift 3 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.6
7.1
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift 3 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
Screen Quality
6.8
6.4
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
313.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 3 delivers vibrant and sharper visuals due to its higher resolution and panel technology, which enhances user experience for both general use and detailed engineering work where clarity is paramount. Its color accuracy and range are suitable for engineering and design tasks, but for gaming and 3D applications, it falls short because it lacks a high refresh rate, which is crucial for smooth motion and responsiveness. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" offers adequate screen resolution and panel type for everyday tasks and non-intensive design work, but similar to the Swift 3, it doesn't meet the high refresh rate demands of immersive gaming and 3D modeling.
Battery
12.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has 10 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Very Good
Very Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.0in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.1 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" both have very good portability, though the Acer Swift 3 has somewhat better portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
6.5
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.0
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
9.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Cost
$500
$490
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" costs $490.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $490 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | October 1, 2021 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 12.8'' x 8.5'' x 0.78'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 3.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 12.76" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 5 5500U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 1 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 256 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 10 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 45 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 313 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 8.3/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8.8/10 | 9.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | No | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 1 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | N/A | |
Shopping
Acer Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marvin Gollor | February 2023
"The low-priced IdeaPad 3 14 delivers on core functionality. Lenovo's IdeaPad 3 14 meets all the basic requirements for an inexpensive office laptop. The matte IPS display is bright enough, the performance is high for the class, and the input devices are rock solid. In addition, the mostly quiet operation including the useful performance modes, cool surface temperatures, easy maintainability as well as expandable working and mass storage all contribute to the IdeaPad 3 14's value proposition."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 14"
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
About Lenovo
Lenovo is a Chinese technology company, and one of the largest personal computer vendor. They are well known for a variety of technology products, including laptops. Their consumer series include their entry level IdeaPad and LOQ series and mid-to-high-end Yoga and Legion series. On the business-oriented side, their series include their entry-level ThinkBook series and mid-to-high-end ThinkPad series. Lenovo laptops offer strong performance for reasonable prices, and are often on sale.
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