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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 offers better battery life and is more portable when compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15", making it a good choice for those frequently on the move. The Swift also has more RAM, which can improve performance for multitasking and more demanding applications. On the other hand, the IdeaPad has a larger screen and may be less expensive, but it's heavier, which is a consideration if you plan to carry the laptop often. Neither laptop is ideal for intensive gaming, 3D rendering, or machine learning, but both can handle general use and moderate engineering tasks. The right choice will depend on your specific needs for portability, screen size, performance, and budget. 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 engineering and design
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15"
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
6.5
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
When choosing between the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15", consider that the Acer offers a brighter, higher resolution display, enhancing clarity and detail for general use and for detail-oriented work like engineering. The Acer also has better color accuracy, crucial for design professionals needing precise color rendition for projects involving digital media. However, neither model is ideal for gaming or 3D applications, as they lack high refresh rates, crucial for smooth visuals in fast-paced scenarios.
Portability
Very Good
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$500
$690
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" costs $690.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.4
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
341.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
11.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.8/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 is favored for general use due to its balance of a potent CPU, sufficient RAM, and robust battery life accompanied by a lightweight design for easy portability, but with a smaller screen size. Conversely, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 offers a larger display and similar CPU power, making it suitable for productivity tasks, though it is heavier and has slightly less battery longevity.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.2
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
7.5/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both only fair for gaming and AI.
Both the Acer Swift 3 with an Intel i5-1240P Iris Xe GPU and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 with an AMD Ryzen 7 5825U Vega 8 GPU are considered fair for gaming and 3D because they both have integrated graphics which are less powerful than dedicated gaming GPUs, and they offer standard screen refresh rates of 60Hz which are adequate for basic gaming but not optimal for high-frame-rate experiences. The CPU and screen quality of both laptops are decent, contributing positively but not significantly altering their suitability for higher-end gaming and 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1
6.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift 3 to be good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" is only fair.
The Acer Swift 3 outshines the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 for engineering and design use due to a superior main CPU, which is crucial for such tasks, and more RAM, facilitating smoother multitasking and complex operations. Additionally, the Acer's screen has higher color accuracy, which is particularly beneficial for design work, although the Lenovo offers a slightly larger display and battery capacity, the Acer's stronger core specifications make it more suited for the demands of engineering and design software.
Content Creation
7.6
7.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
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 5 15" are both good for content creation.
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
7.3
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
6.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" are both good for software development.
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.
Battery
12.0 Hours
11.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" has 11 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.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" and Acer Swift 3 both have good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
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How the Acer Swift 3 and the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Lenovo IdeaPad 5 15" |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $690 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | August 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 14'' x 9.2'' x 0.67'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 4.08 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 14.01" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 9.18" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | AMD Ryzen 7 5825U | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 11 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 57 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 15.6" | |
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 | 341 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.8/10 | |
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 | 7.5/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | Yes | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | No | Yes | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
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 5 15"
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Marcus Schwarten | August 2021
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is convincing due to its long battery life. The device scores points especially with its large battery and long battery runtimes combined with its low consumption. The CPU and GPU perform in the test as one would expect, and in line with what was familiar from the somewhat smaller 14-inch sister model, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 14."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 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.
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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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