When deciding between the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15", if you prioritize performance and are willing to pay more, the Acer Swift 3 is a better choice as it offers a more powerful Intel i5 processor, twice the storage, and twice the memory. It also has better graphics, a higher-resolution screen, and is more portable due to its lighter weight and smaller size. However, if you prefer to save money and mostly perform basic tasks, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" with its Intel i3 processor and adequate memory, may suffice. Keep in mind, its screen quality is lower and it is heavier, which might make it less ideal for frequent travelers. 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 for software development
Good for content creation
Good overall build quality
Very good portability
Very good battery life
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
6.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
5.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3, with its superior processor, double the RAM, and a higher-resolution IPS screen, offers better performance and image quality for general use, while also being lighter and boasting longer battery life for greater portability. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 has a basic processor, less RAM, a lower-resolution TN screen, contributing to a fair user experience, although it has the advantage of a quieter operation and efficient heat management.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
5.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
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 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 provides a better experience for gaming and 3D applications due to its more powerful Iris Xe graphics compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" which has a less capable Intel UHD Xe G4 graphics. Both laptops have the same screen refresh rate, but the Acer's stronger GPU and higher tier CPU contribute to its advantage for these tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
5.8/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
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 15" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 is better suited for engineering and design due to its more powerful i5 processor, higher amount of RAM, and superior integrated Iris Xe graphics, alongside a higher-resolution IPS display, which offers better screen quality. In comparison, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 comes with a less powerful i3 processor, less RAM, lower-tier integrated graphics, and a lower-resolution TN display, which collectively make it less proficient at handling the demands of engineering and design software.
Content Creation
7.6/10
6.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
The Acer Swift 3 is good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
7.6/10
6.3/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for software development, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" is only fair.
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
6.8/10
5.2/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1366 x 768
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
TN
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
220.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift 3 features a display that offers clear visuals and vibrant colors important for engineering and design tasks that rely on precise color reproduction, but it lacks the high refresh rate desired for smooth gaming and 3D rendering. In contrast, the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has a display that may not provide the sharpness and brightness needed for satisfying general use, nor does it cover the wide color gamuts essential for accurate design work. Additionally, the IdeaPad's lower quality screen is not equipped for the demands of 3D applications, where fluid motion and finer resolution have a significant impact on the user experience.
Battery
12.0 Hours
5.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has 5 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
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$360
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15" costs $360.
"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."
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3 is an enduring office notebook with a powerful Ryzen APU. Lenovo's office all-rounder easily handles office and internet applications as well as modest games - the Ryzen 5 5625U APU and 16 GB of RAM make this possible. The CPU and GPU can work at consistently high clock rates. The emission values are okay, but the noise emissions should be lower under medium to full load. The relatively light notebook (approx. 1.6 kg) achieves practical battery runtimes of about 10 to 11 hours."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 3 15"
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.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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