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What we think
The PerfectRec laptop team Learn more
Updated January 10, 2024·
The Acer Swift 3 offers a better overall experience with more storage, higher RAM, a faster processor, and a higher quality IPS touchscreen display. Its battery also lasts significantly longer, which along with its lighter weight, makes it more portable. However, it is more expensive compared to the Acer Aspire 1. The Aspire 1, on the other hand, is much more affordable, but comes with less storage, lower RAM, a slower processor, and a basic TN display, which may not be as vivid or viewable from different angles. If budget is your main concern, the Aspire 1 is a good fit, but if you’re looking for better performance and features, invest in the Swift 3. 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 Aspire 1
- The Acer Aspire 1 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift 3.
Advantages of the Acer Swift 3
- Good for general use
- Good for engineering and design
- Good for software development
- Good for content creation
- Good overall build quality
- Very good portability
- Very good battery life
- Good keyboard
Key differences
General Use
5.8
7.7
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
200.0 nits
DISPLAY BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
6.0 Hours
BATTERY LIFE
12.0 Hours
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
7.5/10
PORTABILITY SCORE
8.9/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for general use, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 is equipped with a less powerful Intel Celeron processor and 4GB of RAM, which may struggle with multitasking and more demanding applications, making it a poor choice for general use; it also has a basic TN screen with limited viewing angles and color representation.
Gaming and AI
5.7
6.4
2.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
10.0/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift 3 is only fair for gaming and AI, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
The Acer Aspire 1 has a weaker GPU and a lower quality TN screen, making it poorer for gaming and 3D tasks compared to the Acer Swift 3, which is equipped with a higher-performing GPU and a higher quality IPS screen despite both having the same screen refresh rate.
Engineering and Design
5.5
7.2
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
2.3/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
2.4/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift 3 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
5.9
7.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift 3 is good for content creation, while the Acer Aspire 1 is poor.
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
6.1
7.6
3.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.1/10
4.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
6.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
7.0/10
The Acer Swift 3 is good for software development, while the Acer Aspire 1 is only fair.
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
5.2
6.8
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1080
TN
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
200.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
309.0 nits
The Acer Swift 3 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 1 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
If you prioritize a vivid and crisp display for daily tasks like browsing and watching videos, the Acer Swift 3's higher resolution and brightness outperform the Acer Aspire 1, offering more comfortable and visually pleasing use. For engineering and design where precise color representation is crucial, the Swift 3's superior color gamut coverage ensures more accurate color rendering, which is essential for professional creative work. However, for gaming and 3D applications where smooth motion is key, the Swift 3 falls short due to a lower refresh rate, whereas the Aspire 1 also isn't ideal for these demanding tasks due to similar shortcomings.
Battery
6.0 Hours
12.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 1 has 6 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift 3 has 12 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
Good
Very Good
15.6in
SIZE
14.0in
4.1 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.6in
The Acer Swift 3 has very good portability, while the Acer Aspire 1 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
5.5
7.4
The Acer Swift 3 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 1 has poor build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$215
$500
$100
$200
$300
$400
$500
$600
$700
$800
The Acer Aspire 1 has a price of $215 and the Acer Swift 3 costs $500.
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How the Acer Aspire 1 and the Acer Swift 3 compare to other laptops
Spec Comparison
 |  | |
| Acer Aspire 1 | Acer Swift 3 |
GENERAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | |||
$215 | $500 | ||
Release Date | |||
Release Date | October 1, 2022 | May 1, 2023 | |
Overall Dimensions | |||
Overall Dimensions | 14.3'' x 9.4'' x 0.78'' | 12.6'' x 8.3'' x 0.63'' | |
Weight | |||
Weight | 4.19 lbs | 2.76 lbs | |
INTERNAL | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Processor | |||
Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | Intel i5-1240P | |
Graphics | |||
Graphics | UHD Graphics | Iris Xe G7 | |
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | |||
Mux Switch / Advanced Optimus | No | No | |
RAM | |||
RAM | 4 GB | 16 GB | |
DDR Memory Version | |||
DDR Memory Version | 4 | 4 | |
BATTERY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Battery Life | |||
Battery Life | 6 Hours | 12 Hours | |
Battery Capacity | |||
Battery Capacity | 36.7 Wh | 56 Wh | |
SCREEN | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Diagonal Size | |||
Diagonal Size | 15.6" | 14" | |
Display Technology | |||
Display Technology | TN | IPS | |
Resolution | |||
Resolution | 1920 x 1080 | 1920 x 1080 | |
Refresh Rate | |||
Refresh Rate | 60Hz | 60Hz | |
Display Brightness | |||
Display Brightness | 200 nits | 309 nits | |
RELIABILITY, APPEARANCE & ACOUSTICS | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Build Quality Score | |||
Build Quality Score | 5.6/10 | 7.4/10 | |
Portability Score | |||
Portability Score | 7.5/10 | 8.9/10 | |
Gaming Laptop Appearance | |||
Gaming Laptop Appearance | No | No | |
Fan Noise Score | |||
Fan Noise Score | 10/10 | 8.8/10 | |
Keyboard Lighting Color | |||
Keyboard Lighting Color | N/A | White | |
Warranty Period | |||
Warranty Period | 1 year | 1 year | |
HARDWARE FEATURES | |||
|---|---|---|---|
Keyboard Quality Score | |||
Keyboard Quality Score | 6/10 | 7/10 | |
Speaker Quality Score | |||
Speaker Quality Score | 5.4/10 | 6.5/10 | |
Webcam | |||
Webcam | 720p | 1080p | |
Fingerprint Reader | |||
Fingerprint Reader | No | Yes | |
Backlit Keyboard | |||
Backlit Keyboard | No | Yes | |
Number Pad | |||
Number Pad | Yes | No | |
CONNECTIVITY | |||
|---|---|---|---|
USB Type-A | |||
USB Type-A | 3 | 2 | |
USB-C ports | |||
USB-C ports | 0 | 2 | |
USB-C Charging | |||
USB-C Charging | No | Yes | |
Display Outputs | |||
Display Outputs | 1 | 3 | |
Thunderbolt Version | |||
Thunderbolt Version | N/A | 4 | |
Shopping
Acer Aspire 1
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Dig into reviews and images
CNET
Joshua Goldman | May 2020
"There are no surprises and nothing's extraordinary here but this laptop's price. For those in need of an inexpensive Windows laptop for undemanding tasks, though, the Acer Aspire 1 offers just enough to get the basics done and a larger screen to do them on."
Acer Swift 3
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Dig into reviews and images
NotebookCheck
Sebastian Jentsch | February 2022
"With the Swift 3, Acer delivers a 14-inch laptop with a sleek, slim metal chassis. The latter is of high quality and sturdy enough for everyday use, which is a real plus point among the 700-Euro (~$798) models. A new feature is Thunderbolt 4 in the Type-C format for peripherals or even displays (DisplayPort via Type-C). Unfortunately, a card reader is still missing, and the RAM is completely onboard, so there are no upgrade options here. Acer's 14-incher is affordable, yet it does everything most would want from a truly mobile laptop: Long battery life, a great display, quality, sufficient ports, light weight, and low noise and heat emissions."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 1 or the Acer Swift 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.
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