Acer reveals refreshed Swift 3 laptops with AMD and Intel hardware

Acer’s Swift 3 lineup of laptops has been an attractive choice for anyone who likes a thin, light device since they were first released, and now two new models have been unveiled at CES 2020. The 13.5-inch version (SF313-52) features 10th Gen Intel hardware, while the 14-inch version (SF314-42) includes new AMD Ryzen 4000 Series hardware.

Focusing first on the Intel version, let’s take a look at the raw specifications.

Acer has switched things up with a 13.5-inch display with a 3:2 aspect ratio, a change that’s quite welcome. The new dimensions provide about 18% more screen real estate, which equals out to an 83.65% screen-to-body ratio. The IPS display has a 2256×1504 resolution to coincide with the aspect ratio, and it is expected to hit 100% of the sRGB color gamut for a vibrant picture.

Being part of Intel’s Project Athena, the Swift 3 hits certain targets that ensure long battery life, responsiveness, and Instant On (with Wake on Voice). Acer estimates about 16 hours from the 56Wh battery, but that number is generally inflated and we’ll have to do our own testing to see a more accurate number. It does feature fast-charge capabilities, which will deliver about four hours of battery life from just 30 minutes plugged in.

You can get the 13.5-inch Swift 3 with up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i7-1065G7 CPU, though there are Core i3 and Core i5 options available for those who don’t need as much power. Complementing the CPU is up to 16GB of LPDDR4X dual-channel RAM and up to a 1TB PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SSD).

Wi-Fi 6 compatibility is included here for blazing fast wireless speeds, and it’s sporting Thunderbolt 3, dual USB-A, HDMI, and 3.5mm audio ports despite the thin all-metal chassis. For a touch of added security through Windows Hello, a fingerprint reader is built into the palmrest.

The 13.5-inch Intel version of the Swift 3 is expected to be made available in North American markets March 2020, starting at $699. It will be available in the EMEA region January 2020 and China March 2020.

Now let’s take a look at the raw specs for the 14-inch AMD version of the Swift.

Acer has stuck with a 4:3 aspect ratio for the 14-inch display, which translates to a 1920×1080 (FHD) resolution. It has a slim bezel and there’s a 720p front-facing camera above the display. The display surround is plastic, but the rest of the laptop is a mix of aluminum and magnesium. It’s light at just 2.65 pounds (1.2kg), and it’s just more than half an inch thick for a sleek look.

The biggest feature of the AMD Swift 3 is the new 4000 Series Ryzen CPU. The Ryzen 7 4700U uses a 7nm process technology and Zen 2 core architecture for awesome performance, and it’s backed up with up to 16GB of dual-channel LPDDR4X RAM and up to a 512GB PCIe SSD.

Built into the palmrest is a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello, and users will be able to benefit from blazing fast Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. Like the 13.5-inch Intel version, and AMD counterpart will also support Wake on Voice that lets you communicate with Cortana even when the laptop is in Standby.

The 14-inch Acer Swift 3 is expected to go on sale in North America May 2020 starting at $599. Look for it in EMEA and China regions in March.