Acer Swift 3 vs Acer Aspire 5: Latest Comparison 2022. If you are looking for a powerful and efficient laptop, then you might be wondering which of these two laptops is the best option for you. In this article, Glitchmind will compare the Acer Swift 3 and the Acer Aspire 5 to help you decide which one is the better buy.
Acer Swift 3 vs Acer Aspire 5: Which is the best?
1. Acer Swift 3 vs Acer Aspire 5: Design
Style
Acer Aspire 5’s simple design would look great in any office setting. The plastic body looks like it has a silver anodized look, while the logo of Acer on the lid has a brushed metallic appearance. Although the bezels are thicker at the top and bottom than during normal usage, they are still not too intrusive.
Acer Swift 3 is a standard-looking laptop and should not be seen in professional work environments. The speakers are closer to the front feet, and the exhaust vents are located towards the bottom of the unit. There are three color options: Pure Silver (Aqua Blue) and Melon Pink (though the latter is only available in certain regions outside of North America).
Build Quality
The Acer Aspire 5 feels solid. Although the laptop’s body appears to be made of anodized aluminum, it is made from plastic that does not flex when you twist it or apply pressure to its surface. The screen and keyboard deck bend slightly but don’t feel fragile or vulnerable to breaking. The non-removable but extremely grippy feet help keep the laptop steady on a desk. The screen doesn’t align perfectly with the body after the closed lid.
Overall, the Acer Swift 3 feels solid. Except for the borders of the display, which are made of plastic, it’s mostly made from metal. The display and keyboard deck are flexible, but the laptop is almost completely closed. The construction is flawless.
Hinge
The hinge of the Acer Aspire 5 is good. The hinge fails the one-finger lift test because it is stiff. However, it has little to no play when the lid is open and remains stable regardless of how comprehensive the cover is. It can wobble a little when you type fast, but this isn’t enough to distract from everyday use.
It works well. The hinge feels good when you open and close the laptop. It’s also very stable, so typing is almost effortless. It’s a bit too difficult to open the computer using one finger.
Portability
The Acer Aspire5 laptop is very portable. It is lightweight and thin to fit in most standard-sized bags. It is compact enough to be carried around easily.
The Acer Swift 3 laptop is lightweight and portable. The power adapter can also be compactly carried in most bags.
Serviceability
Acer Aspire 5 laptop is straightforward to service. You will need to take out eleven Phillips screws to remove the bottom cover. You can then access the wireless adapter and RAM, and the SSD. The HDD upgrade kit allows you to install a 2.5-inch storage drive. This requires you to disconnect the I/O ribbon cable. Some people may not feel comfortable doing this. Acer offers an online tutorial. The Dell Inspiron 15 3000 (2020) is a better laptop for serviceability. Read also: Dell Inspiron 15 5585 AMD Ryzen 7 3700U Mobile Processor
Oddly, even though the laptop’s software states that there are two RAM slots available, only one is accessible. You can only replace the RAM module in an occupied space if you wish to upgrade it. The manufacturer’s warranty may be voided if you open the laptop to change the hardware.
It is fairly easy to service the Acer Swift 3. It is simple to access the internals. You only need to take out ten Philips screws. You can’t replace the memory, so make sure you get the right configuration when buying the laptop. The warranty may be voided if the laptop is opened or modified.
In The Box
Acer Aspire 5 laptop:
- Cord and power adapter for 65W
- HDD upgrade kit
- Documentation
Acer Swift 3 laptop:
- Cord and power adapter for 65W
- Documentation
2. Acer Swift 3 vs Acer Aspire 5: Display
Screen Specs
Acer Aspire 5’s 15.6 inches full HD screen is sharp enough for most people. Although the bezels are not distracting when viewing content or performing productivity tasks, the top bezel is significantly thicker. If you want a great screen, you should avoid the 1080p and 720p IPS options. They both have poorer picture quality.
Technically, the Acer Swift 3 has two display options: a 14-inch 1080p panel with a 16/9 aspect ratio (SF314-59 series or SF314-511 series) and a 13.5-inch 1440p+ panel having a 3/2 aspect ratio (SF313-53). We did not test the QHD 3:2 panel. We can only comment on its performance, except that it appears sharper because of its higher pixel density.
Although the display’s 1080p resolution may seem low to some people, text, and images still look sharp on this unit’s compact 14-inch screen. The top and side borders are not distracting and are very thin. However, the bottom bezel has Acer branding and is thicker.
Refresh Rate
Acer Aspire 5 supports a 60Hz refresh rate with no variable refresh rate technology such as NVIDIA G–SYNC and AMD FreeSync. This is normal for productivity-oriented laptops. The motion blur photo shows that the response time for fast-moving content is slow.
Acer Swift 3 features a 60Hz refresh rate, no VRR support, and a typical 60Hz refresh rate for productivity-focused laptops. It is slow to respond, which causes visible ghosting behind moving objects. This makes it less suitable for gaming or viewing fast-moving content.
Contrast
Acer Aspire 5 displays a reasonable contrast ratio, typical for most IPS panels. Blacks will still appear grayish-gray in the dark. The units can have a different contrast ratio.
Acer Swift 3 boasts a high contrast ratio. Although it isn’t as sharp as a VA panel or OLED panel, it is better than most IPS panels. It can make blacks appear grayish in the dark, but it’s not that bad. The individual units’ contrast ratios can differ.
Brightness
The Acer Aspire 5 is not bright enough to be used in bright environments. This limits where you can work comfortably. It can be used at night without straining your eyes and dims to a comfortable level for viewing in the dark.
The maximum screen brightness of the Acer Swift 3 is acceptable. Although it can be used in all lighting conditions, it’s not bright enough to avoid glare in sunny or well-lit environments. It is very dim at the lowest brightness setting. This makes it great for reading content in dark areas and reduces eye strain.
Reflections
Acer Aspire 5 is capable of good reflection handling. The matte screen is not bright enough to block direct reflections from bright rooms.
Refraction handling on the Acer Swift 3 is good. The matte coating protects against direct reflections but is not bright enough to mask glare.
Black Uniformity
Acer Aspire 5’s black uniformity is adequate, with moderate backlight bleed at the corners. This is only noticeable when you are viewing dark scenes in dark rooms. Black uniformity may vary among units.
The black uniformity of the Acer Swift 3 is excellent. There is very little clouding, and some IPS glow around the edges. These are only visible when you view dark scenes in dark rooms. Black uniformity may vary among units.
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Horizontal viewing angles are good on the Acer Aspire 5. It is not ideal for sharing content with others as the image dims rapidly when you move out of the center. It is essential to look at the screen from the center for the best image quality. If horizontal viewing angles are important, it is better to choose a variant that has an IPS panel.
Horizontal viewing angles are acceptable for the Acer Swift 3. Although the image appears darker and washed out to the sides, it is still usable for sharing content with others as long as accuracy is not an issue.
Vertical Viewing Angle
Vertical viewing angles on the Acer Aspire 5 laptop are sub-par. The screen’s color temperature drops as you move away from the center of the screen. As a result, the image becomes dimmed quickly. If you need an exact replication, you won’t be able to tilt the screen in any way. If you are concerned about vertical viewing angles, TN panels have poorer viewing angles and can even cause chroma to invert when viewed from below.
Vertical viewing angles are acceptable. The screen can be tilted to your liking, but the image will not appear to be accurate. It is best to view the screen straight for the best quality image.
Out-Of the-Box Color
Acer Aspire 5 displays poor color accuracy right out of the box. This is due to its narrow color gamut. The color temperature is slightly more relaxed than our 6500K target, so most colors are shifted to blue. It is highly inaccurate. Nearly all scenes appear brighter than they are. There may be variations in color accuracy between units.
Acer Swift 3’s color accuracy is good. Most color inaccuracies can be seen with the naked eye and are not noticeable. However, white balance is visible at higher brightness levels. It is slightly warmer than the 6500K target. However, it is not prominent enough to make a significant difference. Gamma seems not to follow the sRGB curve but a flat 2.1. This makes most scenes appear brighter, while dark backgrounds seem over-darkened. The units can differ in color accuracy.
Flicker
Acer Aspire 5 displays flicker-free, eliminating image duplication and reducing eye strain.
The backlight of the Acer Swift 3 is completely flicker-free. This helps to reduce eye strain.
3. Acer Aspire 5 vs Acer Swift 3: Interface
Keyboard
The Acer Aspire 5 laptop keyboard feels comfortable to use and doesn’t feel heavy even after prolonged periods. The keys are solid and have a high-quality, comfortable feel. In dark environments, the backlight makes it easy to use. If you work with numerical spreadsheets, the Numpad is an excellent option.
The keyboard on the Acer Swift 3 is decent. Although the keys are solid and require little force to activate, it can be tiring to type for extended periods because the spacing between the letters is too tight, and the travel distance is short. Getting used to the layout might take some time as there are multiple input options. You can activate the backlighting by pressing F8. However, there is only one brightness level, so you can’t toggle it on/off.
Touchpad
The Acer Aspire 5 speakers are suitable. It lacks bass like most laptop speakers. The sound is more treble-y than usual. The high peaks in the middle range and low treble can cause vocal overtones. The speakers can get very loud at maximum volume, and there is minimal compression, so the content sounds rich and varied.
The Acer Swift 3 speakers are excellent. They are loud and have minimal compression at maximum volume. Overall, they sound pretty neutral. They have minimal bass, just like other laptop speakers. The low-treble dip can cause vocals and lead instrument sounds to communicate muddled or lacking in clarity.
Webcam and Microphone
The microphone and webcam of the Acer Aspire 5 are good. Although the video quality and colors are reasonable, some noise and small details are lost due to compression artifacts. Although there is some background noise, the audio sounds clear, and the voices can be clearly understood.
Acer Swift 3’s webcam is not good. The image is too dark and underexposed. There’s also noise in the darker parts. The microphone is too loud, creating distortion and background noises.
4. Acer Aspire 5 vs Acer Swift 3: Connectivity
Ports
There are several ports on the Acer Aspire 5. Three USB-A ports are available. Two support USB 3.2 Gen 1 (up to 5Gbps), and the third supports USB 2.0 (up to 480Mbps). One USB-C 3.2Gen 1 port is available, but it can’t be used to charge your laptop or output video. HDMI 2.0 can output 4k 60Hz to external monitors, while the Ethernet supports up to 1Gbps. On the right side, you will find a Kensington security lock.
Acer Swift 3 offers a wide range of ports. The USB-C port can charge, video output, Thunderbolt 4, and USB 3.2 Gen 2 (up to 10Gbps data transfer speed). The USB-A port on the left is USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5Gbps) and can charge other devices even if the laptop is turned off. However, the USB-A port on the right is USB 2.0 (up to 480Mbps). Acer released a new Swift 3 model (SF314-511 series), which has a USB 3.2Gen 1 port rather than the USB 2.0. On the right side, you will find a Kensington lock.
Wireless Communication
The wireless adapter for the Acer Aspire 5 is an Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201, while the Ethernet controller a Realtek PCIe GbE gigabit.
The wireless adapter for the Acer Swift 3 is an Intel Wi Fi 6 AX201.
5. Configuration
CPU
The Acer Aspire 5 A515 was tested with a quad-core Intel Core i5-1035G1. You can also get it with the faster quad-core or dual-core i3-1005G1 processors. Hyperthreading is a feature of all Intel processors. It allows multiple processes to run on one core, which results in better multi-thread performance than processors that do not have hyperthreading. There are several AMD variants. The quad-core Ryzen3 4300U is the slowest, while the Ryzen5 4500U is midrange and the Ryzen7 4700U is the fastest. The Ryzen processors do not have simultaneous multithreading enabled, AMD’s hyperthreading implementation. However, they perform better in multi-thread workloads than their Intel counterparts. This laptop’s Ryzen 7 CPUs are the most efficient of all available processors.
The Acer Aspire 5 and Ryzen 3 CPUs are sufficient for web-based tasks and light productivity. However, if you are prone to multitasking or have many tabs open, the Intel i5 or Ryzen 5 models will be more suitable. The Intel Core i7 and Ryzen 7 models can handle heavy workloads like 3D rendering and video editing, but with a dedicated GPU for graphically-intensive tasks, you’ll still get better performance.
Our Acer Swift 3 has the Intel Core i5-1135G7 as the base CPU. There is only one option, the Intel Core i7-1165G7. Both are 4-core, 8 thread processors designed for small and lightweight laptops. The main differences between the two processors are the higher clock speeds and larger L3 cache of the i7-1165G7. Although the i7-1165G7 is faster and will provide a more responsive experience, it will likely offer a lower performance. The benchmarks show that the i5-1135G7 outperforms the HP ENVY 360’s i7-1165G7 by a wide margin in many tests. The i5-1135G7 in the laptop runs at higher power and doesn’t suffer as much from thermal throttling as the HP.
Both CPUs can handle general productivity tasks such as text formatting, web browsing, media playback, and similar jobs. These CPUs can handle heavier tasks like photo editing and compiling code, but you will likely experience occasional stutters. Some games can be played, but it is best to use the lowest possible graphical settings to have a smooth experience.
GPU
The dedicated GPU for our Acer Aspire 5 A515 is an NVIDIA GeForce X350. Although it isn’t capable of running AAA titles at high settings smoothly, this entry-level graphics card is still better than integrated graphics. Although it only has 2GB of dedicated video RAM, the card can access up to 4GB of shared memory. The system automatically assigns this. The AMD variants can be purchased with a Radeon RX640 2GB dedicated Radeon RX640 2GB. This performs significantly worse according to most online benchmarks.
Intel claims that the Core i5-1135G7 is the same as the Core i7-1165G7, but the Core i5-1135G7 boasts 80 execution units while the Core i7-1165G7 boasts 96. They run at the same clock speed. Although the i7-1165G7 is faster, it’s not a huge difference. The i7-1165G7 will likely deliver a few frames per second more in games than the i5-1135G7.
RAM
There are variants of Acer Aspire5 A515 with 4GB or 32GB RAM. However, Acer does not officially sell models with more than 16GB. The model we have with 8GB RAM is great for light multitasking. However, if you have multiple browser tabs open at once or are using various apps, 16GB will make your experience much smoother. While models with 4GB will be sufficient to do light web browsing and watch movies, you won’t have the ability to run any intensive programs.
Acer Swift 3 comes with either 8GB or 16GB RAM. However, the Intel Core i7-1165G7 models can only get the 16GB. For most tasks, 8GB is sufficient. However, it may be worthwhile to increase the RAM to 16GB if many tabs are open or multiple applications. The system runs in single-channel mode, which means only one memory module. There is no second slot for adding more memory or changing the configuration to a dual channel. As it offers greater bandwidth, a dual-channel memory configuration may improve performance for some applications.
Storage
Acer Aspire 5 A515 includes a 128, 256, or 512GB NVMe SSD. If you are storing many media files locally, 128GB is sufficient. To significantly increase your internal storage, you can also use the included kit to install a 2.5-inch storage drive.
There are two storage options: 256GB or 512GB. The storage options are both sufficient for most users. If you require more space, an authorized user can easily replace the drive. A 1TB option is available on the Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 Series (with a 3×2 QHD display).
6. Performance
Acer Swift 3
We are pleased to report that the Acer Swift 3 has undergone a series of benchmark tests, including one for its GPU, CPU, and battery.
The Swift 3 is an excellent choice for video playback and general usage. The Swift 3 was able to run Google Chrome, notoriously resource-intensive, with over two dozen tabs open smoothly even though one account was running a Udemy course while another was active on Slack.
Although the system did seem to have some issues when it tried to run multiple advertising-heavy tabs at once, this is a common problem across all systems and not just one Acer laptop.
The Acer Swift 3 2020 handled light gaming through Steam well and maintained a steady frame rate through the middle of Stellaris. But when the end-game crisis occurs and the Intel UHD GPU is trying to track 200+ Corvettes and destroyers weaving among a few dozen capital ships firing lasers and fusion bombs, the fans will kick in, and you’ll notice a drop in responsiveness.
The Swift 3 created multimedia content quite well, even though it only had 8GB RAM. It was easy to load Photoshop and do basic photo editing with about a dozen open files.
Acer Aspire 5
The Aspire 5 has a 1-GHz Intel Core i5-1035G1 CPU, 8GB RAM, a 256GB NVMe SSD, and an Intel UHD Graphics GPU. It can handle all your emails, YouTube videos, documents, and school work.
Unfortunately, the Aspire 5 did not perform well in our lab tests, which began with Geekbench 2.0, an overall performance benchmark. The average score for mainstream laptops is 3,452, which was 2,744. The Asus VivoBook with its Core i5-10210U processor scored 3,560, while the Lenovo Yoga C740 with its Core i5-10210U processor scored 3,878.
During the Handbrake video-editing test, our review unit surpassed the average mainstream laptop (22:21). It took 21 minutes and 55 seconds to transcode a 4K video into 1080p. The Yoga C740 (20.42) and VivoBook (17.22) were better. The File Transfer test showed that the Aspire 5 took 14 seconds for 5GB of mixed media files to be duplicated, resulting in a 369.4 megabytes per sec transfer speed. The VivoBook (512GB SSD) hit 408 MBps, while the Lenovo Yoga C740 (528GB SSD) was faster with an 848.2MBps transfer rate.
The Aspire 5 has an Intel integrated GPU. I don’t recommend it for intense gaming. Our unit achieved eight frames per second in the Sid Meier Civilization VI: Gathering Storm test (1080p), which was identical to the Yoga C740. Although the Vivobook was the fastest, it still reached 11 frames per second. This is well below the 14-fps average for mainstream laptops.
