Review: Acer Swift 3

Conclusion

AMD's re-emergence as a serious player in the desktop and laptop marketplace has given system integrators good reason to update their product range with a number of models outfitted with Ryzen CPUs.

In the laptop space, Acer is quick out of the gate with Swift 3, a 15.6in machine that offers something a little different to the usual Intel fare by way of a Ryzen 5 2500U processor. The quad-core, octo-thread chip excels in multi-threaded workloads and, though single-thread performance is off the pace, is bolstered by the class-leading Vega IGP.

Mobile Ryzen has potential, and Acer's implementation gets most of the essentials right. Dual-channel DDR4 memory does a decent job of servicing the AMD chip, the keyboard and trackpad are both enjoyable, there's a decent selection of I/O ports, and the current £700 price tag is competitive.

Ryzen is a welcome return to form for AMD and its arrival has ultimately galvanised the competition. Intel's latest quad-core solutions offer stern competition, Nvidia continues to serve as the go-to provider for dedicated GPUs, and there isn't likely to be a great deal between, say, a Core i5 and GeForce MX150 combination, compared to a solitary Ryzen 5.

Implementation is going to be the key differentiator, and though Swift 3 does a reasonable job of showcasing mobile Ryzen 5, the below-average display, disappointing battery life and unwanted bloatware leave room for improvement.

Bottom line: Swift 3 isn't the perfect showcase of Ryzen's potential, but it's a safe start and after years in the laptop wilderness, it is good to see AMD back competing.

HEXUS.where2buy

The Acer Swift 3 laptop with AMD Ryzen 5 2500U processor is available to purchase from Currys.

HEXUS.right2reply

At HEXUS, we invite the companies whose products we test to comment on our articles. If any company representatives for the products reviewed choose to respond, we'll publish their commentary here verbatim.