In Swift 3 SF315-41, Ryzen meets laptop. Indeed, Acer has now come up with Acer Swift 3 powered by Ryzen mobile. AMD faced a tough run in the laptop space over the last two years. However, with the release of Ryzen in 2017, they are looking forward to turning their fortunes around. But a significant part of that will be having their partners package Ryzen into laptops that are of superior quality.Â
Therefore, this is where Acer steps in. The Swift 3 SF315-41 happens to be a 15.6-inch version with the top-end AMD Ryzen mobile processors in the Ryzen 7 2700U. Indeed, AMD Ryzen 7 2700U is a quad-core processor which comes with eight threads. In fact, it offers a base frequency of 2.2 GHz with a boost frequency of 3.8 GHz. It holds up dual-channel DDR4-2400. In fact, the fascinating feature is possibly the Radeon RX Vega 10 graphics. Indeed, the GPU offers 10 GPU cores and a boost frequency of 1300 MHz.Â
Acer’s top model of AMD based Swift 3 offers adequate connectivity in the USB-C port (Gen 1 – 5 Gbps). Also, it offers two USB 3.0 ports and a USB 2.0 port. In fact, it also provides an HDMI output with HDCP, and a SD card reader. Therefore, Swift 3 SF315-41 comes with a remarkable amount of connections on a laptop.Â
While the 8 GB of RAM might appear a bit low, for this mid-range level of notebook, it’s evidently enough. Indeed, Acer also presents a fingerprint reader with Windows Hello support. Also, it offers Wi-Fi based on the Qualcomm Atheros QCA6174A, which is a 2×2:2 802.11ac wireless NIC with MU-MIMO support and Bluetooth 4.2
Design
The Swift 3 SF315-41 presents an all-aluminium exterior with a brushed finish. If we compare it to any plastic model, it delivers significantly better looks. In fact, it offers that cool-to-the-touch metal feel that is always luxurious. Opening the lid flaunts the 15.6-inch display.Â
The keyboard is just too constricted. However, Acer has offered backlighting to this model, which is great to see. Sadly, if you are just using the trackpad, then the backlight will shut off. Indeed, the keys do not offer much travel and the keys themselves are slippery to an extent. Thus, it is a bit of a challenge to touch-type on this notebook.Â
The size of the trackpad is generous. It offers Microsoft Precision drivers, and has a nice smooth finish. Thus, the Swift 3 SF315-41 comes with plenty of inputs, a smart looking aluminum finish. To make your life easier, it features comforts like a fingerprint reader.Â
Performance
Cinebench is a thorough CPU test. In this test, higher IPC, higher frequencies, and more cores are the main factors that guarantee a strong result. Indeed, the four cores and eight threads enable the multithreaded results to be great on Swift 3 SF315-41. It also guarantees decent performance from the GPU. Thus, you can play games on integrated graphics with quite a bit of success.Â
Display
Acer has equipped the Swift 3 SF315-41 with a 1920×1080 IPS display. Indeed, the display features a Corning Gorilla Glass cover. However, there is no touch. In terms of overall brightness, the Acer does not come close to other laptops at just 260 nits. Therefore, outdoor usage, particularly with the glass over the display, is going to be a challenge. However, the black levels are great. Thus, the contrast ratio is very remarkable. The display drops down to 20 nits, which is still rather bright, but would be fine in a dim room.Â
Other details
In spite of being a larger form factor device, the Acer Swift 3 only has a 48 Wh battery, which is rather small by contemporary standards. Acer furnishes the Swift 3 with a 45-Watt AC Adapter. When the CPU and GPU integrated have a TDP of just 15 Watts, this is going to be sufficient to charge the laptop while working at the same time.
The Swift 3 SF315-41 stays cool under all circumstances, and never gets loud. Indeed, the system never gets excessively hot even when gaming. In fact, after an extended session, the CPU doesn’t even get to 80° C. The sound level of the fan never gets too loud.Â
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