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Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10)

Researched, not hands-on tested.How we review ›

all judged against laptops at a similar price

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10) scores 5.9/10 overall, ahead of the Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31 at 4.7/10.

The Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31 leads on battery life and linux support.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10) leads on performance, memory and storage and keyboard and build.

They score the same on display and ports.

The biggest difference is memory and storage, where the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10) scores 7/10 to the Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31's 2/10.

Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31

Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31

4.7/10verdict: skip

The Acer Swift Air 14 suits people who want a light, thin laptop that lasts through a long working day away from a socket. It fits browser, document, SSH and light development work better than heavy multitasking. Buyers who need lots of RAM or a lot of CPU headroom should look at other options.

Typically about £749.99 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10)

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10)

5.9/10verdict: good, not the best

The IdeaPad Slim 3x suits people who want a large-screen, long-running Windows laptop for office work, browser-based admin and light development. It also suits anyone who wants an optional OLED panel and a second SSD slot in a 15-inch body. It is a weaker fit if you need Thunderbolt-class ports or upgradeable memory.

Typically about £595 in the UK when we researched itCheck price at Amazon UK (opens in a new tab, affiliate link)

Affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Details

Scores, criterion by criterion

CriterionWeightAcer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10)
Performance25%4/106/10
Memory and storage20%2/107/10
Display15%5/105/10
Battery life15%9/107/10
Keyboard and build10%5/106/10
Ports10%5/105/10
Linux support5%4/102/10
Overall4.7/105.9/10

Specifications

SpecAcer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10)
CPUIntel Core 5 320, 6 cores (2 Performance, 4 low-power efficient cores)Qualcomm Snapdragon X X1-26-100, 8 cores, up to 3.0 GHz, 30MB cache, Hexagon NPU up to 45 TOPS
Memory8GB LPDDR5X standard, up to 16GB supported16 GB or 24 GB LPDDR5x, 8448 MHz, soldered to the system board
Storage512GB SSD256 GB, 512 GB or 1 TB PCIe M.2 2242 Gen4 SSD, plus a second 2242 slot supporting 512 GB or 1 TB
Display14-inch IPS WUXGA 1920 x 1200, 16:10, 120Hz, LED-backlit15.1-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) OLED, 16:10, 60 Hz, or 15.3-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10, 60 Hz, 300 nits; IPS also offered with on-cell touch
Battery70Wh 3-cell Li-ion with 100W USB-C adapter; Acer claims up to 19 hours video playback50 Wh or 60 Wh; Rapid Charge gives 2 hours in 15 minutes
Ports2 x Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, 1 x Type-A, 3.5mm headphone/audio jack; no RJ-45 EthernetRight: 1x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, 1x SD card reader, power button, One Key Recovery. Left: round DC port, 1x USB 3.2 Type-A Gen 1, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x USB 3.2 Type-C Gen 1 (DP 1.2, PD 3.0), combo audio jack
Weight1.19 kg; 313.99 x 222.65 x 12.99 mm1.5 kg (3.31 lb) starting, OLED with 60 Wh battery
Operating systemWindows 11 HomeWindows 11 Home or Pro

Strengths and weaknesses

Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31

  • + Trusted Reviews recorded 18h15m in a PCMark 10 video loop
  • + 1.19 kg aluminium body, 12.99 mm thick
  • + Two Thunderbolt 4 ports and a 100W USB-C charger
  • − 8GB RAM limits multitasking, per reviewers
  • − Only two performance cores in the CPU
  • − Reported lid and keyboard flex

Skip it if:

  • Developers who run VMs or many containers and need more than 8GB of RAM
  • Buyers who want a fingerprint reader or a sharper 2.5K or OLED screen
  • Anyone who needs built-in RJ-45 Ethernet
Read the full Acer Swift Air 14 SFA14-I31 review ›

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10)

  • + Owners praise the battery life
  • + Second M.2 2242 slot for extra storage
  • + Optional 2560 x 1600 OLED panel
  • − Owners complain about the display and speakers
  • − Memory is soldered to the board
  • − No Ethernet and only USB 3.2 Gen 1 USB-C

Skip it if:

  • Buyers who want upgradeable memory or many VMs
  • People who need Ethernet or fast USB-C or Thunderbolt-class ports
Read the full Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x (15", 10) review ›

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