The Acer Swift SF314-59-551Z looks big in a sleek body weighing just 1.2kg. Inside, we find a state-of-the-art processor, the Core i5-1165G7 Gen11 associated with 8 GB of RAM and fast 512 GB SSD storage, a high-performance package capable of meeting a large number of profiles in the frame of common use with a little creation and play. The frame is solid and well assembled around a matte Full HD IPS screen, the battery life flirts with 10 hours and the amenities are not lacking: retro keyboard illuminated, fingerprint reader and Thunderbolt 4. Some might blame it for its slightly dark screen though.
Specifications of the Acer Swift 3 SF314-59-551Z
Screen (s) | 14 “Full HD IPS LED ComfyView with thin edges (1920×1080, anti-glare) |
Processor | Intel Core i5-1135G7 Tiger Lake (2.4 GHz, 4 cores) |
RAM installed | 8 GB LPDDR4X (soldered) |
Graphic card | Intel Iris Xe Graphics |
Storage | 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD |
Connectivity | 1 USB 2.0 1 USB 3.2 1 USB 4 Type-C Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 1.4 |
Network | Wi-Fi ax (2×2), Bluetooth 5.0 |
Backlit Keyboard | Yes |
Numeric keypad | – |
Windows Hello | Yes, via fingerprint reader |
Audio system | 2 Dolby Home Theater speakers |
Operating system | Windows 10 Home 64-bit |
battery life announced / Battery | 10 hours / Li-ion 3 cells 56Whr |
Weight / Dimensions (mm) | 1.2 Kg / 323 x 219 x 15.95 |
Chassis, connectors, screen of the Acer Swift SF314-59-551Z
No doubt, we are dealing with a Swift. Acer maintains the series identity with a sober and uniform silver aesthetic around a pressure- and scuff – resistant aluminum-magnesium alloy case that is lightweight at the same time. Acer ditches all aesthetic frills like its shiny chamfered edges to return to a more understated (let’s not say ordinary) look.
A visible effort has been made on the format and on the weight of the ultrabook compared to the previous generation (SF314-58) since the Acer Swift 3 SF314-59-551Z weighs only 1.19 kg on the scale (against 1.6 kg for the SF314-58) and gain 2 mm in thickness with 16 mm, as well as in depth. These are particularly compact measurements that offer a great mobile propensity to the ultrabook and which allow you to take advantage of a rather convincing borderless screen.
The keyboard is backlit in white, making it easier to type in a dark environment. Although in our experience, the effect will be the opposite in bright light on the silver keys.
Then let’s talk about the screen which is highlighted by rather thin side borders (thicker at the top and bottom). It provides a dense Full HD definition (1920 x 1080 px) which allows you to get the best of High Definition content while the IPS panel promotes immersion with a perfectly readable display whatever the angle of approach and a balanced colorimetry. Good news, it is based on a ComfyView matte panel , a plus if you have to work outdoors or travel by train for example. Note that the screen is not very bright (approximately 230nits).
For its part, the connection receives a slight cut. There are no longer four but now three USB ports including a USB 2.0 on the right edge (for the mouse), a USB 3.2 port and a versatile USB Type-C which, with the new generation of Tiger Lake processor, is upgraded to the version. USB 4 with Thunderbolt 4 . There is also an HDMI output and a biometric reader (under the keyboard, on the right) to secure your data and authenticate you to your session with a simple touch of your finger, but the SD card reader has disappeared. The connection modules are state-of-the-art with Wifi 6 (802.11AX) and Bluetooth 5.0.
Performance, battery life of the Acer Swift 3 SF314-59-551Z
Inside this Acer Swift 3 SF314-59-551Z, we find a Core i5-1135G7 processor11th generation Tiger Lake. This processor benefits from a higher TDP (28W) where its predecessors, the Core i5-1035G4 and the Core i5-10210U are satisfied with a TDP of 15W. This leads to a fairly visible increase in performance on advanced software (Lightroom, Capture One Pro, Davinci Resolve, 7Zip, etc.), a little less on basic everyday tasks (Office, surfing the Web, streaming …) . We understand, these tasks in question are perfectly taken care of by the ultrabook, but since these are missions that only commit very few resources, the difference between the generations is not noticeable. And then keep in mind that we still have a low consumption Core i5 in front of it, so nothing to provide intensive performance in creation as non-low consumption processors (-H) would.8 GB RAM is the minimum currently for multitasking, knowing that the RAM is soldered so take your needs into account.
More interestingly, the new integrated graphics chip Iris Xe . Thanks to it, Intel is back in the race against AMD but also and above all against small NVIDIA graphics cards such as the GeForce MX250 or the GeForce MX350. The performances of the Iris Plus G7 of the Gen10 (Ice Lake) are exceeded by a good length. So, with the Iris Xe, you should be able to play many games at 1080p under good conditions and work on fairly graphics-intensive tasks (Lightroom) without delay. Another benefit of having a faster graphics chip integrated into the processor is that it simplifies the design of the ventilation system and therefore causes less noise and heat than in a configuration with a dedicated graphics card.
For its part, the storage is entrusted to a 512 GB M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD which will bring a welcome dose of responsiveness to the system. Compared to a standard mechanical hard drive, is is quieter, more robust and energy efficient, and allows Windows to achieve remarkable smoothness with short load times and zero latency execution. What’s more, its capacity is nothing short of ridiculous and can accommodate a good chunk of your game library although some may not find it sufficient.
Last important point for nomads, the Acer Swift 3 SF314-59-551Z is ready for mobility thanks to its 56Whr battery which allows nearly 10 hours of battery life in current use with active WiFi. This is ideal for working a whole day without worrying about the proximity of a power outlet.
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