When selecting between the Acer Swift 3 and the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14", consider how you'll use the laptop. If you need higher performance for activities like intensive engineering tasks, 3D modeling, or gaming, the Acer Swift 3 might justify its higher price. For lighter tasks such as browsing, streaming, or office applications, the Packard Bell Cloudbook could suffice at a more affordable price. The Acer Swift 3 also generally offers better build quality and battery life. However, for maximum portability, the Cloudbook is typically lighter and easier to carry around, which may outweigh the need for performance in everyday use. 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 battery life
Good keyboard
Advantages of the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14"
The Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
5.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
7.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
4.6/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.1/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 offers better performance for general use due to its more powerful Intel i5 processor and higher RAM capacity, which significantly enhances multitasking and productivity; it also has a superior screen quality with higher brightness and better color coverage, as well as a longer battery life compared to the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14". Meanwhile, the Cloudbook falls short mainly because of its less robust Intel Celeron processor and lower RAM, which may struggle with more demanding tasks, coupled with a dimmer display and shorter battery life, making it less suitable for prolonged and diverse general use.
Gaming and AI
6.3/10
5.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
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
8.7/10
The Acer Swift 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 offers decent gaming and 3D capabilities due to its more powerful Intel i5-1240P Iris Xe graphics, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" struggles with gaming and 3D because it uses the significantly less powerful Intel UHD Graphics 600 associated with the lower-end Intel Celeron N4020 processor.
Engineering and Design
7.1/10
5.5/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
The Acer Swift 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
The Acer Swift 3 is equipped with a significantly more robust CPU and GPU, and comes with more RAM and a higher-quality screen, which are very important for tasks in engineering and design. In contrast, the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has lower performance components, such as a basic CPU, lesser GPU, and less RAM, along with a lower quality screen, making it less suitable for the demands of such work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
5.9/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 is good for content creation, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
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
5.9/10
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.3/10
16.0 GB
RAM
4.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
4.6/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for software development, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" is poor.
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
5.8/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.1in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
200.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
If you prioritize a high-quality display for everyday tasks like browsing and watching videos, the Acer Swift 3's superior panel type, resolution, and brightness offer a clearer and more vibrant experience compared to the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14". For tasks requiring precise color representation, such as engineering and design work, the Acer's wider color gamuts ensure more accurate color production, making it the preferred choice over the Cloudbook. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, the Acer falls short due to its lower refresh rate, although it's still a step up from the Cloudbook but may not satisfy dedicated gamers or professionals working with fast-moving graphics.
Battery
12.0 Hours
7.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Packard Bell Cloudbook 14 has 7 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
14.1in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift 3 and Packard Bell Cloudbook 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
7.4/10
5.1/10
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$500
$350
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Packard Bell Cloudbook 14" costs $350.
"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."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Packard Bell Cloudbook 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.
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.
By the numbers
380
Laptops evaluated
48,640
Laptops stats compiled
13
Proprietary Laptops ratings developed
104,595
Recommendations made
22,663
Consumer hours saved
About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
CEO and Laptops Editor
Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Jason is a staff expert and software engineer that has been making laptop recommendations for 7 years and moderates one of the largest laptop subreddits.
Chandradeep Chowdhury
Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
Craig Russell
Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.