Acer Swift 3vsLenovo IdeaPad 5

We compare these two popular phones to help you decide which one fits your needs and budget better.

Acer
Acer Swift 3
Swift 3

Quick Stats

The Acer Swift 3's performance is solid but not exceptional, mainly due to inconsistent gaming boosts.
The Acer Swift 3's build feels like a compromise between price and quality, lacking premium feel overall.
The Acer Swift 3's stunning display with vibrant colors and crisp text rendering is its major highlight.
The Acer Swift 3 boasts impressive features, including sleek design, long battery life, and Intel Core processors prominently.
Lenovo
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
IdeaPad 5

Quick Stats

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 delivers impressive everyday performance with its powerful Intel Core i5-1235U CPU and MX 550 GPU.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 boasts impressive build quality, with sleek metal finish and sturdy design despite hinge concerns.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 has a suitable FHD display with 65% sRGB color coverage at an affordable price point.
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 boasts a sleek aluminum finish, good keyboard, and clicky trackpad as its main features.
Key Differences

No significant specification differences found between these devices.

Rank
Acer Swift 3
#751
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
Winner
#748
Scores by Category
Rankings
Connectivity
Acer Swift 3
#423
Winner
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
#541
Display
Acer Swift 3
#555
Winner
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
#732
Performance
Acer Swift 3
#717
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
#691
Winner
Build
Acer Swift 3
#362
Winner
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
#692
Features
Acer Swift 3
#165
Winner
Lenovo IdeaPad 5
#518

Note: Lower rank number indicates a better position in category.

Specifications Comparison
Specification
Acer Acer Swift 3
Lenovo Lenovo IdeaPad 5
up to 16GB
up to 40GB
up to 2000GB SSD
up to 4000GB SSD + up to 2000GB HDD
Intel Core i7-11370H
Intel Core i3-1005G1
Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (96EU)
NVIDIA GeForce MX450 (GDDR6, 25W / 28.5W)
1x M.2 PCIe 4.0 x4 See photo
1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 See photo

Note: Highlighted specifications show differences between the two devices.

Pros and Cons

Acer Swift 3

Strengths

The Swift 3 has a great screen, which actually makes quite a big difference I found.
The three by two aspect ratio is preferred over the standard aspect ratio of other laptops.
Light gaming is still possible on the regular Iris Xc graphics.
The materials and design of the Swift 3 are suitable for laptops in the £700-£800 range.
The battery life of both the Swift 3 and Swift 3X lasted the exact same time around 7 and a half hours, which is pretty average.

Weaknesses

Considering how much they cost, the materials and design start to feel a little bit cheap.
The top-end 3x has the same average 1080p screen as the base Swift 3, which costs about half the price from this £1100 asking price.
The webcam quality is not fantastic, it's quite noisy and the colors are a bit too saturated.
Sound quality was pretty weak on both machines, with tinny vocals and music and almost non-existent bass.
When you consider the top-end 3x has the same screen as the base Swift 3, which costs about half the price, it's hard to swallow the £1100 asking price.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5

Strengths

The laptop has a good build quality and a sturdy hinge, deserving a 9 out of 10 score at this price range.
It has a great display with 65% sRGB color coverage which is perfect for students or those who just want to check emails and type something on the laptop.
Performance-wise, it's powered by Intel Core i5 1235U CPU with MX 550 GPU from m video, making it suitable for business or work laptops and can perform well enough for a business laptop.
It has good battery life, getting around 6-7 hours of battery life which is sufficient for daily use.
The webcam quality is also impressive, having a 1080p resolution at this price range, with a nice blocker for added privacy.

Weaknesses

One concern about the hinge is that if you open your laptop by holding it on both sides of the screen, you may damage the hinge too easily.
It only has one point hinge instead of two, which can make it last less than other laptops.
The port selection could be improved, as some users might find it lacking in terms of USB ports or other connectivity options.
The speakers are good but not powerful enough to play music or watch videos without an external speaker.
It doesn't have a glass trackpad, which is a minor drawback considering the price point.
Read Full Reviews

Acer Swift 3

The Acer Swift 3 and Swift 3X are two laptops that promise impressive performance and sleek designs, but can they deliver? The Swift 3 boasts a spacious three-by-two aspect ratio screen, while the Swift 3X takes it up a notch with Intel's Iris Xe Max graphics. But is the added expense worth it? Does the Swift 3X's superior gaming capabilities justify its higher price tag? In this review, we'll put these laptops to the test and see which one comes out on top.

Lenovo IdeaPad 5

The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 is often hailed as the "king of budget laptops." Priced around $500-$600, this laptop impresses with its impressive build quality and performance. The all-metal finish is particularly noteworthy in this price range. With a good keyboard, trackpad, and decent display, the IdeaPad 5 checks many boxes for those seeking an affordable laptop without sacrificing much. This review will delve into the laptop's strengths and weaknesses to determine if it truly lives up to its budget-friendly billing.

Need help choosing?

Read our detailed reviews to understand which device is better for your specific needs and budget.

Read Acer Swift 3 ReviewRead Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Review

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