Acer Swift 3X (14-inch, 2021)

Great performance for an Intel Core i5 laptop ; Practical matte screen ; Solid battery life

Intel Xe Max GPU isn’t that great for gaming ; Build quality is lesser than competitors ; Fairly poor touchpad

Strong performance ; Excellent battery life ; Aesthetic is attractive ; Well-rounded port selection

Display is underwhelming ; Build quality doesn't meet premium standards ; Poor gaming performance

Light and compact ; Long battery life ; Great screen ; Responsive fingerprint reader

Trackpad not very accurate or central ; Just one USB-C port ; Thin-sounding speakers

The Acer Swift 3x is proof you don’t have to shell out a ton of cash to get a fantastic laptop with a whole lot of features to boot. The others have all the fame, this 14-inch offering from Acer might just be the underdog that will give them a good run...

Good price for the specs it offers ; Just over three pounds ; Nice matte screen ; Surprisingly good battery life

Feels a bit flimsy ; Comes with a bunch of bloatware ; 16:9 ; Finnicky touchpad

Acer’s Swift 3X is a portable laptop powered by Intel’s Iris Xe Max graphics. It’s a step above integrated graphics and a step below good discrete GPUs, putting it in an odd spot for a very specific audience.

Matte screen with exceptional quality ; Long battery life ; Excellent computing performance ; Good value

Only one USB-C port ; No touch screen and clumsy touchpad ; Noticeable keyboard flex ; Frequent fan noise ; Significant bloatware

With a capable Core i7 CPU, Intel's new discrete graphics, and a brilliant full HD screen that shrugs off glare from ambient light, Acer's Swift 3X is an ambitious ultraportable laptop that would be stellar if not for a few design missteps.

Intel Xe Max has great performance in Deep Link creative apps ; Very thin, lightweight, and affordable for a creation-focused laptop ; Thunderbolt 4 port offers advanced display and storage options

A surprising amount of bloatware, and some spawn pop-up ads ; An SD card reader and a more color-accurate display would be nice ; Intel Deep Link technology is still in infancy, with hit-or-miss app and feature support

Enough bloatware-busting. It’s time to see how the Acer Swift 3X handles.

Competition-beating performance ; Ultra-fast SSD ; Speedy video transcoding ; Sweet color options ; Great multitasking muscle ; Decent graphics prowess

Quiet speakers ; Dim display ; Battery life could be better

The Acer Swift 3x is a zippy machine for impatient content creators who want a fast-performing laptop that can handle light photo and video editing; it’s a shame about the battery life, though.

Slim and light design ; Intel's first discrete graphics brings potential - without giant cost ; Has Thunderbolt 4 speed (USB-C)

Plastic trackpad ; So-so display in brightness and colour terms ; Plasticky screen bezel surround ; Overall build isn't the best

This 'X' version might see the Swift 3 break free from its once budget shackles - but while its innards, with Intel's Iris Xe Max discrete graphics, are a step ahead, the overall build quality is still missing a trick. Still, there's a lot of potential...

Good build quality ; Solid performance ; Very bright display ; Thunderbolt 4 support ; Full-sized ports ; Decent battery life

No SD card slot ; Speakers don’t get loud enough ; Small keyboard keys ; Trackpad can be finicky

The

+ Good build quality ; + Hinge gives slight lift for better aiflow ; + Thunderbolt 4 ; + USB-C PD charging as an alternative solution ; + RAM and storage configuration is perfect to start off with ; + Easy to bring around ; + Fingerprint scanner works...

- Display is a little dim ; - Speakers are subpar ; - No touchscreen support ; - No SD card reader ; - A little pricey

The Acer Swift 3X is a solid choice if you want an ultraportable productivity laptop with Thunderbolt 4 included.