The Acer Swift Go 14 is pricier but offers stronger performance with better battery life and a higher quality display compared to the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3. If top performance and sharp visuals are crucial for tasks like engineering or 3D work, the Acer is a superior choice. Despite being heavier, the Acer still presents good portability and a backlit keyboard, which may enhance your experience in various settings. However, if budget is a key concern and you primarily focus on general use like web browsing or document editing, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 will save you money and still deliver adequate performance. Keep in mind, Lenovo's larger screen size may affect portability but could provide a more comfortable viewing experience, especially for media consumption. 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 Go 14
Good for engineering and design
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good keyboard
Advantages of the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3
Very good battery life
Key differences
General Use
7.7/10
7.0/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
300.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
8.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
10.0 Hours
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
9.0/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
7.9/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for general use, though the Acer Swift Go 14 is somewhat better.
The Acer Swift Go 14 outperforms the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 in general use due to its superior processor, double the RAM, and a higher-quality screen, which contribute to better multitasking, faster performance, and more vibrant visuals, respectively; additionally, the Swift Go has a backlit keyboard and a longer battery life, more suitable for work on the go. The IdeaPad Slim 3, however, is praised for its excellent heat management and lower operating noise, which might make it a quieter and more comfortable choice for extended use, though its performance and screen quality are not on par with the Swift Go.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
6.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
The Acer Swift Go 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is only fair.
The Acer Swift Go 14 stands out for engineering and design use mainly due to its superior CPU (Intel i7) and higher RAM capacity, which are vital for demanding tasks, along with a more capable GPU (Iris Xe) and a higher quality screen that offers better color accuracy and brightness. On the other hand, the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3, with a less powerful AMD Ryzen 3 CPU and half the RAM, a less robust GPU (Vega 6), and a screen with lower color space coverage, is only rated as fair for similar tasks, though it boasts a larger screen and slightly longer battery life for more casual use.
Software Development
7.6/10
7.1/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
6.5/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 are both good for software development, though the Acer Swift Go 14 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
6.8/10
6.4/10
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
281.0 nits
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a better screen than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 for general use, engineering and design, software development, and content creation.
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a screen that offers crisp images and vibrant colors suitable for engineering and design tasks due to its wider color coverage, but it lacks the high refresh rate desired for smooth visuals in gaming and 3D applications. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 provides an adequate display for everyday tasks and basic engineering work, but its color range and screen attributes don't stand out for specialized design needs or high-end gaming experiences. Both laptops may not satisfy serious gamers or professional designers due to their screen limitations, but they can handle general use and basic design work adequately.
Battery
8.0 Hours
10.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has 10 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
Excellent
Good
14.0in
SIZE
15.6in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
3.5 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift Go 14 has excellent portability, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
6.5/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 has good build quality, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$793
$390
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a price of $793 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 costs $390.
Although they have very similar scores, PerfectRec considers Acer Swift Go 14 to be only fair for gaming and AI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 is poor.
The Acer Swift Go 14 has an Intel CPU with an integrated Iris Xe GPU and a 60Hz 14-inch display, which is decent for gaming and 3D applications but not top-tier, chiefly due to the limitations of integrated graphics and standard screen refresh rate.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.2/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
3.6/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
16.0 GB
RAM
8.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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.
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How the Acer Swift Go 14 and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Swift Go 14 is a surprising machine. Its performance, display, and battery life leave little to be desired from a device at this price. You might think it’d be cheaper given the “Go” in the name, or thinner given its close competition with thin-and-light laptops, but it manages to strike a decent enough balance between its capabilities and hardware to really stand out as an exceptional value."
Olivier Martin, Ryan Lim, and John Peroramas | May 2023
"The Lenovo IdeaPad 3i is decent for use as a workstation. Its Intel CPU and integrated graphics can only handle light productivity tasks, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You also can't do any color-critical work because the available displays have a narrow color gamut. It has a good port selection, but its USB-C lacks Thunderbolt 4 support. On the upside, it has a comfortable keyboard and doesn't get hot or loud under load."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Go 14 or the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 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.
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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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.
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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.
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