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Updated January 10, 2024·
Choose the Acer Swift Edge 16 if you value a higher-quality display and a lighter, more portable design. It also offers better battery life and an overall stronger performance for general use and engineering tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is more affordable and is better suited for gaming due to its dedicated gaming graphics card. It also provides room for additional storage and RAM upgrades, which might be useful for future expansion, although it is heavier and less portable. 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 Edge 16
- Very good for engineering and design
- Very good for content creation
- Very good overall display quality
- Very good portability
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
- Very good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
7.9
7.4
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
383.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
7.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
8.0 Hours
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
8.8/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for general use, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 is somewhat better.
PerfectRec’s General Use Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for general productivity, web browsing, streaming, video calls, and running a wide variety of apps and programs.
Engineering and Design
8.1
7.2
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers high processing power, more memory, and an exceptional OLED screen which is ideal for design accuracy and engineering workflows, but it is less suitable for activities that require a powerful dedicated GPU, like some 3D tasks. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, while also strong in CPU and adequate in RAM, sacrifices screen quality for a dedicated gaming-grade GPU, making it well-suited for GPU-intensive engineering simulations and tasks that require advanced graphics processing. Both laptops offer solid performance for engineering and design use but focus on different aspects of these tasks, with the Acer prioritizing screen quality and the Lenovo emphasizing GPU performance.
Content Creation
8.1
7.4
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Edge 16 is very good for content creation, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is good.
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
7.9
7.3
8.8/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.7/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift Edge 16 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
8.8
7.2
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
OLED
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
383.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
329.0 nits
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers a high-resolution display with bright and vivid colors, making it ideal for everyday tasks and professional design work where clarity and color accuracy are crucial. However, its lower refresh rate affects the gaming and 3D experience, where smoother motion is critical. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 provides an adequate display for everyday use and creative work, but its screen doesn't deliver the high refresh rates required for optimal gaming and 3D rendering.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has 7 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 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.
Portability
Very Good
Good
16.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
5.1 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.8in
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has very good portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Cost
$820
$549
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
$1,400
The Acer Swift Edge 16 has a price of $820 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 costs $549.
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Key similarities
Gaming and AI
6.7
6.5
4.0/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.2/10
3200 x 2000
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
120Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift Edge 16 offers superior gaming and 3D capabilities because of its higher-quality OLED screen and better GPU, despite a similar screen refresh rate to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3, which is held back by its lower-tier GPU and IPS display which doesn't match the color and contrast quality of OLED.
Build Quality
7.2
7.2
The Acer Swift Edge 16 and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 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 Edge 16 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Swift Edge 16 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$820 | $549 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | May 1, 2023 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.1'' x 9.7'' x 0.51'' | 14.2'' x 10.5'' x 0.86'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 2.73 lbs | 5.1 lbs | |
Width | |||
Width | 14.08" | 14.16" | |
Depth | |||
Depth | 9.68" | 10.49" | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | AMD Ryzen 7 7840U | AMD Ryzen 7 7735HS | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 16 GB | 8 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 5 | 5 | |
RAM Slots | |||
RAM Slots | 0 | 2 | |
Storage | |||
Storage | 1024 GB | 512 GB | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 7 Hours | 8 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 54 Wh | 60 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 16" | 15.6" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | OLED | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 3200 x 2000 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 120Hz | 120Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 383 nits | 329 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 7.2/10 | 7.2/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 8.9/10 | 7.1/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | Yes | |
Premium Business Laptop | |||
Premium Business Laptop | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 8/10 | 7/10 | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6.8/10 | 8/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 6.5/10 | 6.8/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 1080p | 720p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | Yes | No | |
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 | 1 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | Yes | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 3 | 2 | |
Thunderbolt Ports | |||
Thunderbolt Ports | 0 | 0 | |
Shopping
Acer Swift Edge 16
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Dig into reviews and images
PCWorld
Matthew S. Smith | October 2023
"The Acer Swift Edge 16 is a solid super thin-and-light that pairs a large, gorgeous 16-inch display with portable design that rivals the weight of LG’s superlight Gram 16. Remarkably, Acer achieves this at a lower price point without sacrificing performance. Boring design and disappointing battery life hold the laptop back from stardom, but its rivals frequently suffer in these areas, too. That makes the Swift Edge 16 an alluring value pick."
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Florian Glaser | October 2022
"The Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3 is one of the most powerful RTX 3050 Ti laptops. If you disregard the mediocre quality of the case in terms of the material and workmanship, Lenovo has created a successful budget gaming laptop with the IdeaPad Gaming. Thanks to high TDPs and constant performance development, the Core i5-12500H and GeForce RTX 3050 Ti are able to show their full power, while in contrast, the (mostly slower) competitors deliver a better battery life. However, hardly any of the alternative laptops are able to reach the image quality of the Gaming 3. Most of the competitors are left behind in terms of the color space and brightness."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Edge 16 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming 3
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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