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Updated January 10, 2024·
If performance for engineering tasks is a priority and you prefer a higher resolution display, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s with its Intel i7 processor and higher screen resolution may suit you better. However, keep in mind it is slightly heavier and has been reported to have a lower battery life in typical use compared to the Acer Swift 3. The Swift 3 offers a balance of good general use performance and better battery life at a more budget-friendly price with an Intel i5 processor. Both laptops have a similar amount of storage and memory, are equipped with backlit keyboards, and have touchscreens, but neither is suitable for intensive gaming. If portability and longer battery usage are crucial for you, the Acer Swift 3 may be the better option. 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
- Very good battery life
Advantages of the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
- Good overall display quality
- Excellent portability
- Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8
7.2
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
309.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has a better screen than the Acer Swift 3 for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
For general use, both the Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s offer sufficient resolution and brightness, providing clear and vibrant displays that enhance everyday tasks like web browsing and document editing. Engineering and design professionals will appreciate the good color accuracy and range on both laptops, which support nuanced color work for projects requiring precise color representation. However, gamers and 3D designers might find the screen quality lacking due to the lower refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion and responsiveness during high-speed gaming or rendering.
Battery
12.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift 3 has 12 hours of battery life. The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s has 8 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.
Cost
$500
$1,000
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
$1,600
The Acer Swift 3 has a price of $500 and the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s costs $1,000.
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Key similarities
General Use
7.7
7.8
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
309.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
336.0 nits
12.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
8.9/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
9.0/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Acer Swift 3 are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift 3 and Lenovo ThinkBook 13s are good for general use due to their capable CPUs, ample RAM, high-quality IPS screens with touch capability, and solid battery life, which makes them handy for everyday tasks and multitasking. While the Acer Swift 3 offers slightly more portability and battery longevity, the ThinkBook 13s counters with a higher resolution and aspect ratio for better screen real estate and color coverage, making it more suitable for detailed visual work; both have comparable portability and perform well in heat management and operating noise.
Gaming and AI
6.3
6.4
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.3/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Acer Swift 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift 3's gaming and 3D capabilities are considered fair because it uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and a standard screen with a 60Hz refresh rate, which may limit performance and fluidity in demanding games or 3D applications. Similarly, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s is rated fair for gaming and 3D, despite having a higher resolution display, because it also uses an integrated Intel Iris Xe GPU and sports a 60Hz refresh rate, which doesn't cater well to high-performance gaming and advanced 3D tasks.
Engineering and Design
7.1
7.5
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.8/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Acer Swift 3 are both good for engineering and design.
The Acer Swift 3's combination of a solid CPU (Intel i5), sufficient RAM, and an integrated GPU that supports basic engineering and design tasks, along with a good quality IPS screen, makes it suitable for such workloads; however, the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s steps up the performance with a more powerful CPU (Intel i7), equally ample RAM, and a comparable GPU, alongside a higher resolution IPS display for more detailed visual work, although it may be slightly less portable due to its form factor. Both laptops have quality keyboards and manage heat and operation noise well, but bear in mind the ThinkBook might offer a higher screen quality and better speaker quality for multimedia tasks.
Content Creation
7.6
7.8
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Acer Swift 3 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
7.7
7.1/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
2560 x 1600
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.5/10
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s and Acer Swift 3 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.
Portability
Very Good
Excellent
14.0in
SIZE
13.3in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
2.9 lbs
0.6in
THICKNESS
0.5in
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Lenovo ThinkBook 13s to have excellent portability, while the Acer Swift 3 has very good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4
7.6
The Lenovo ThinkBook 13s 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 ThinkBook 13s compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift 3 | Lenovo ThinkBook 13s |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$500 | $1,000 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2022 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | 11.7'' x 8.3'' x 0.59'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.76 lbs | 2.9 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 12.6" | 11.7" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 8.3" | 8.3" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel i5-1240P | Intel i7-1260P | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 0 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 512 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 12 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 56 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 14" | 13.3" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | IPS | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 2560 x 1600 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 309 nits | 336 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.4/10 | 7.6/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 9.1/10 | |
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 | 8.4/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 7/10 | 7.5/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 8.8/10 | |
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 | 0 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 2 | 3 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | 4 | 4 | |
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 ThinkBook 13s
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Dig into reviews and images
The Verge
Monica Chin | July 2021
"The best thing about the ThinkBook 13S is that it’s a good deal. Business buyers looking for ThinkPad-level performance and software without ThinkPad pricing will probably find the ThinkBook a solid option. While nothing about it is really spectacular, it’s certainly unusual to see the ThinkBook’s screen resolution at a sub-$1,000 price, and its performance will be more than adequate for most office tasks. The generous port selection, 16:10 aspect ratio, physical webcam shutter, and clear audio are certainly icing on the cake."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift 3 or the Lenovo ThinkBook 13s
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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