Acer Spin 3 review: Some excellent features but sits in a competitive budget market
Source: Windows Central
The Acer Spin iii (SP314-54N) is a budget convertible laptop that packs in some interesting features, like a born active pen, Wi-Fi 6, Thunderbolt three, and excellent speakers. Information technology'south well inside the budget range, and that means some less-bonny features help go along the price down. I've been using it for the terminal week to encounter what information technology's all nearly and whether or not it's worth a buy.
Budget Convertible With Active Pen
Acer Spin three (SP314-54N)
Bottom line: Acer's Spin three is a depression-price convertible with a built-in agile pen for inking. Information technology has some attractive features, like top-firing audio, Wi-Fi 6, and plenty of ports, though the budget laptop marketplace has get quite competitive. Without a strong case for battery life or performance, y'all might find the Spin three isn't quite equally cracking a deal as it once was.
Pros
- Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0
- Very attractive price
- Built-in active pen for Windows Ink
- Lots of ports including Thunderbolt 3
- Excellent audio and clear webcam
Cons
- Creaky chassis
- Faces tough contest
- Underwhelming brandish
- Between 5 and six hours of battery
Specifications and pricing
Acer Spin 3 at a glance
Source: Windows Key
Acer supplied Windows Central with a review unit of measurement of the refreshed Acer Spin 3 with model number SP314-54N. It's packed with a 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 processor (CPU) with four cores, it has 8GB of soldered LPDDR4 RAM, and it has a 256GB Yard.two NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) that can exist upgraded after purchase. The 14-inch touch on brandish has a standard 1920x1080 (FHD) resolution with a 16:ix aspect ratio.
This exact model can be purchased at Costco for near $650, though you'll find a ameliorate deal at Walmart. In that location you can discover a model with more powerful Cadre i7-1065G7 and double the storage at 512GB for about $699.
Along with the Core i5-1035G1 CPU, Acer seems to also offer Spin 3 models with the Core i5-1035G4 CPU. The G4 has a slightly higher base and heave clock speed and includes more powerful Intel Iris Plus graphics rather than Intel UHD graphics. A Spin 3 with i5-1035G4 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD costs about $800 at Amazon.
The Core i7-1065G7 model from Walmart also includes Intel Iris Plus Graphics, and it's a far ameliorate deal. Unless yous absolutely need to save the extra $49, it'due south going to land you the virtually value. There'southward a huge performance deviation between the Core i5-1035G1 and Core i7-1065G7.
In whatever case, the following are the exact specifications found in the review model sent past Acer.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows x Home |
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-1035G1 Four cores 1.0GHz base of operations clock Up to three.60GHz |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4 Soldered |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
| Storage | 256GB 1000.two NVMe SSD Upgradeable |
| Brandish | fourteen inches 1920x1080 (FHD) 16:9 aspect ratio Touch, glossy IPS |
| Active pen | Included |
| Ports | Thunderbolt three Two USB-A three.2 HDMI 2.0 microSD card reader 3.5mm audio |
| Audio | Elevation-firing stereo speaker DTS Audio Acer TrueHarmony |
| Wireless | Intel Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11ax Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Photographic camera | Front-facing 720p |
| Security | Kensington lock slot Fingerprint reader |
| Battery | 48Wh |
| Dimensions | 12.8 10 9.06 10 0.67 inches (325mm x 230mm x 16.9mm) |
| Weight | 3.31 pounds (one.5kg) |
Excellent audio and plenty of ports
Acer Spin 3 blueprint and features
The convertible Acer Spin 3 has a chassis with the aforementioned silver finish as its Swift iii counterpart, though the main portion seems to be made up of ABS plastic rather than a magnesium alloy. There'southward quite a bit of flex in the Spin 3's trunk, and it does creak a fleck if you pick it up with one manus. Compared to the previous generation, it's been thinned down and weighs less. Information technology's also advertised as having hinges that elevate the keyboard deck when the display is open; this is true, only it's a minimal amount. The hinges are firm and smoothly let the laptop to convert into tent, stand, and tablet modes.
The Acer Spin three excels at delivering quality audio from dual top-firing speakers.
Port selection is fantabulous, especially with the addition of Thunderbolt 3. This gives you more options for connecting powerful Thunderbolt 3 docking stations, and you tin charge with a USB-C adapter if you leave the Acer-supplied barrel adapter behind. Other than Thunderbolt iii, the Spin 3 has HDMI 2.0, two USB-A 3.2, a 3.5mm sound jack, and a microSD bill of fare reader for adding some removable storage. It's a mix of ports that should be enough for coincidental productivity use or media consumption.
Source: Windows Key
Above the keyboard forth the top border of the laptop is a pair of stereo speakers with DTS Audio. I was pleasantly surprised at the sound quality these speakers offer. Audio gets quite loud, information technology doesn't misconstrue, and information technology has a bit of bass to add together more depth. Half the speaker grille is angled down to keep it from being completely deadened if you happen to exist using the laptop in stand mode. The laptop too includes dual far-field microphones with Acer's PurifiedVoice tech, helping selection up the right sounds in a conference call.
To create a quality trifecta, yous need a webcam that doesn't brand you want to blench. Luckily, the Spin three's front-facing 720p photographic camera does the job well. The picture is clear, and it can bargain well with bright light behind the subject. The only thing missing here is a webcam shutter or killswitch like we're seeing on a lot of modern laptops.
Source: Windows Central
Acer'due south included keyboard here has good travel and eventually becomes comfortable to utilize, but its small chiclet keys volition no incertitude exist unappealing to some. Information technology looks dated compared to the keyboards in comparable laptops, with large keycaps and a board that stretches from edge to edge. Keys are black and stand out well against the silver groundwork, though the backlight has one stage and doesn't touch the lettering when enabled.
The Precision touchpad is perfectly usable, with a house click and smooth pointing. No issues there. A fingerprint reader resides in the upper left corner, giving you the option to sign in to your laptop through Windows Hello. It works promptly and without result. The only thing to keep in heed is that accidentally touching it while pointing normally volition require you to remove your finger from the touchpad and set it down once more to resume pointing.
Another improver to this refreshed Spin 3 is Wi-Fi vi connectivity. With a compatible Wi-Fi 6 router, you should see improved transfer speeds. Information technology's a prissy addition to set it up well for the futurity. Also included is Bluetooth 5.0 for connecting your wireless accessories.
Built-in active pen
Acer Spin 3 brandish and inking
We've had several budget-focused laptops come through lately for review, and it's clear that a lot of manufacturers yet skimp on the display to keep the cost downwards. The Spin 3's glossy IPS touch brandish hits just 62% sRGB, 47% AdobeRGB, and 46% DCI-P3 color reproduction. Contrast is decent, so the display doesn't look washed out, but information technology's still non going to concur up for a lot of photo editing work or similar tasks. It also manages about 289 nits brightness, which, combined with the glossy finish, causes issues when working in a well-lit infinite.
At 14 inches, information technology'due south a dainty option for anyone who finds xiii inches a bit too pocket-size and xv inches a flake too big, though with pretty chunky bezel forth the top and lesser information technology's not exactly breaking whatever records like the XPS xv 9500. At least there's plenty of space to take hold of onto when using the laptop in tablet manner.
Glare is tough to contend with, fifty-fifty on a cloudy day. Source: Windows Central
To compare, the similarly-priced HP Green-eyed x360 has a xiii.3-inch affect display with 97% sRGB, 72% AdobeRGB, and 76% DCI-P3 colour reproduction, too as brightness up to about 326 nits. If colour and brightness are summit of your list and you don't listen the smaller 13-inch size, HP's convertible should no doubt be more attractive.
One thing the Spin three does have going for is a built-in active pen in the slim pencil form. Based on Wacom AES 1.0 tech, it delivers iv,096 levels of force per unit area sensitivity and two customizable buttons. Inking is actually quite polish, and anyone who wants to jot downwardly some notes or make a quick sketch should find information technology satisfactory. And, of course, it's e'er charged and in the aforementioned identify when you lot need it cheers to the silo.
Naught exceptional
Acer Spin 3 operation and bombardment
Source: Windows Central
The Spin iii seems like a perfect candidate to take reward of AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs for their performance, efficiency, and price; alas, it's using Intel'due south 10th Gen "Ice Lake" chips. The review model with Core i5-1035G1 has four cores and employs integrated Intel UHD graphics. There'due south also a model with Core i5-1035G4 with Intel Iris Plus graphics if you need a bit of extra graphical oomph, plus a Core i7-1065G7 option for overall better performance (though nevertheless four cores).
I used the Spin 3 for general productivity piece of work, and while it failed to compare to something like Lenovo's xiv-inch IdeaPad Flex 5 14 with AMD Ryzen 5 4500U CPU, it still put up a good fight. You shouldn't have issues dealing with heavy web browsing, video streaming, light photo editing, and calorie-free (low-cal) gaming. A unmarried fan manages to keep the laptop relatively cool nether load.
Cheque out the following benchmarks to come across precisely how the Spin iii stacks up against other laptops we've recently reviewed.
Geekbench 5
Geekbench 5.0 (CPU) (Higher is better)
| Device | CPU | Single cadre | Multi core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Spin iii (SP314-54N) | i5-1035G1 | one,185 | iii,524 |
| HP ENVY x360 | Ryzen 5 4500U | i,100 | 4,564 |
| Acer Swift three | Ryzen 7 4700U | 1,131 | 4,860 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex five 14 | Ryzen v 4500U | ane,087 | iv,570 |
| Surface Laptop 3 fifteen | Ryzen 5 3580U | 769 | two,720 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | i5-10210U | 1,069 | 3,754 |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | i3-10110U | one,015 | 2,111 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 14 | i5-10210U | one,094 | 3,767 |
| Samsung Galaxy Volume Flex | i7-1065G7 | 1,317 | four,780 |
| Dell XPS thirteen (9300) | i7-1065G7 | one,284 | four,848 |
| Surface Laptop three fifteen | i7-1065G7 | 1,336 | four,893 |
| HP Elite Dragonfly | i7-8665U | 1,125 | 2,942 |
| Surface Laptop 3 13.5 | i5-1035G7 | 1,177 | four,413 |
| HP Spectre x360 thirteen | i7-1065G7 | i,006 | 3,402 |
| Surface Pro X | SQ1 | 725 | ii,819 |
| Galaxy Volume South | SD 8cx | 685 | 2,681 |
Standard operation here from the Intel Cadre i5-1035G1 CPU. 10th Gen Intel CPUs will generally outperform Ryzen equivalents in a single-core collision, though multi-core scores generally always favor AMD thanks to two extra cores. Both the HP Green-eyed x360 and Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 xiv with Ryzen 5 4500U, for example, will deliver considerably more than power. Yous'll also go far better graphics functioning from Ryzen 4000 fries, thank you to Vega.
PCMark
PCMark 10
| Device | Score |
|---|---|
| Acer Spin 3 (SP314-54N) | three,674 |
| HP ENVY x360 | 4,755 |
| Acer Swift three | iv,861 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 | iv,759 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 (AMD) | iv,006 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 14 | 3,202 |
| Surface Volume 3 15 | iv,393 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | iv,899 |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | 4,008 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 | 4,941 |
| Samsung Milky way Book Flex | iii,924 |
| Dell XPS xiii (9300) | 4,524 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 (Intel) | 4,604 |
| Dell XPS 13 2-in-1 | iv,554 |
| HP Spectre x360 13 | 4,261 |
| HP Elite Dragonfly | 3,716 |
| LG gram 17 | 4,157 |
| Surface Pro 7 (i5) | iii,992 |
The 3 laptops we've recently reviewed with AMD Ryzen chips admittedly trounce the Spin 3 in the PCMark ten criterion. This is a measure of how well all laptop components piece of work together to perform several regular productivity tasks; if you're banking on heavy multitasking, you'll no dubiousness want to opt for a Spin 3 with upgraded Core i5-1035G4 or Cadre i7-1065G7 if non a upkeep laptop with AMD Ryzen.
Cinebench
Cinebench (R20) (Higher is better)
| Device | CPU | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Acer Spin three (SP314-54N) | Cadre i5-1035G1 | ane,329 to 1,479 |
| HP ENVY x360 | Ryzen 5 4500U | 2,053 to 2,100 |
| Acer Swift 3 | Ryzen 7 4700U | ii,391 to 2,428 |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex v xiv | Ryzen 5 4500U | 2,388 to 2,397 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | Core i5-10210U | 1,137 to one,442 |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | Core i3-10110U | 924 to 929 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 15 | Core i7-10510U | 1,415 to 1,613 |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 14 | Cadre i5-10210U | 1,450 to 1,535 |
| LG gram 17 | Core i7-1065G7 | i,079 to 1,199 |
| Acer Swift v (SF514-54T) | Core i7-1065G7 | ane,361 to 1,400 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Xeon E-2276M | 2,686 to ii,701 |
| Surface Laptop 3 xiii.5 | Core i5-1035G4 | 1,584 to ane,606 |
| Surface Laptop iii 15 | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,703 to one,745 |
Running the Cinebench R20 render examination multiple times in a row tin can show how well a laptop deals with estrus and thermal throttling. The single fan seems to do a expert job, equally evidenced by these results. The laptop heats upwards, but doesn't become anywhere near an alarming temperature.
SSD
CrystalDiskMark (Higher is meliorate)
| Device | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| Acer Spin three (SP314-54N) | 1,630 MB/s | 885 MB/southward |
| HP ENVY x360 | ane,530 MB/s | 864 MB/s |
| Acer Swift three | two,161.99 MB/s | 1,214.84 MB/s |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 14 | ii,199.10 MB/s | 1,017.07 MB/south |
| Lenovo IdeaPad Flex xiv | iii,405 MB/southward | one,512 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad L13 Yoga | 3,188.82 MB/s | 1,685.61 MB/southward |
| Lenovo Yoga C640 | ane,906.78 MB/southward | 970.69 MB/s |
| Samsung Galaxy Book Flex | 3,376 MB/s | two,983 MB/s |
| Dell XPS 13 (9300) | 3,000 MB/due south | 1,217 MB/south |
| HP Spectre x360 (Optane) | 2,092 MB/southward | 515 MB/s |
| Dell XPS xiii ii-in-1 | 2,400 MB/s | 1,228 MB/s |
| HP Elite Dragonfly (Optane) | 2,124 MB/s | 548 MB/s |
| Lenovo Yoga C740 | iii,408 MB/south | 2,982 MB/s |
| LG gram 17 (2020) | 3,477 MB/s | 2,900 MB/southward |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 | 2,028 MB/s | 806 MB/s |
| Surface Laptop 3 13.5 | 2,338 MB/south | one,583 MB/southward |
| Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T) | ane,641 MB/s | 1,025 MB/s |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen ii) | 3,416 MB/s | three,016 MB/southward |
Decent scores here from the M.2 NVMe SSD, specially for a upkeep laptop. No worry nigh dealing with a boring SATA drive, and it's upgradeable subsequently purchase. There too seems to exist a 2nd K.two slot inside if you'd similar to go along the stock Kingston drive and add a secondary storage solution.
With a 48Wh bombardment, the Spin iii manages between 5 and half-dozen hours on a single charge when going near standard productivity tasks. Testing with PCMark x's Modern Role battery rundown, I got back five hours and 43 minutes of life. That'due south disappointing, and it ways you lot'll need to carry the AC adapter with you to the function. The skillful news is that the bombardment simply loses about 2% battery life overnight, and it will charge to full in only almost an 60 minutes.
A tough marketplace
Acer Spin 3 compared to the competition
Source: Windows Key
There are several laptops that come to heed when thinking near the competition, all within the same price range. If you prefer a non-convertible laptop and still want something from Acer, the Swift 3 lands you a fourteen-inch display and a far more powerful AMD Ryzen vii 4700U with viii cores and integrated Vega seven graphics.
If you prefer a 13-inch convertible that's around the same price but packed with a ton more than premium features and a much more svelte design, the HP Envy x360 13 only picked up a Windows Primal Best Award. It, too, uses AMD Ryzen 4000 mobile CPUs to deliver potent performance, though it lacks Thunderbolt iii, and Wi-Fi vi comes at a $twoscore premium. Its speakers also won't measure up to the Spin 3.
There'southward likewise the convertible Lenovo IdeaPad Flex five 14 that has a similarly disappointing fourteen-inch display. It does, however, get a solid boost to operation from AMD Ryzen, and battery life is better. It lacks Wi-Fi six and Thunderbolt three.
And if you make up one's mind to add a bit more money to your laptop fund, be sure to check out our overall picks for the best Windows laptops available now, including plenty of convertible options.
Should you buy the Acer Spin iii?
Source: Windows Cardinal
Who it'south for
- If y'all want a upkeep convertible with built-in pen
- If you want to spend $650
- If you want quality audio and webcam
- If you want to tackle general productivity work
Who it isn't for
- If yous want a brilliant display with good color reproduction
- If you dislike small chiclet keys
- If you lot desire a gaming laptop
- If y'all want bombardment to concluding a full eight hours
Like most upkeep laptops, the Acer Spin 3 isn't without its share of downsides. The brandish has poor color reproduction and suffers in a well-lit room due to the sleeky finish, the keyboard might be divisive due to the small chiclet keys, and bombardment life could be a lot better. There's also the thing of Intel'due south tenth Gen "Ice Lake" CPUs falling short of AMD Ryzen 4000 in terms of raw performance, efficiency, and integrated graphics.
Despite its shortfalls, the Spin three is going to make the shortlist for a lot of value seekers due to the included active pen built right into the chassis, the bevy of ports (including Thunderbolt 3), excellent audio, Wi-Fi 6, and above-average webcam. It'southward certainly a laptop that excels in those areas. All this tin be had for as low every bit about $650, though the best deal you'll detect (Cadre i7, 512GB SSD) is for about $699. The Spin iii comes with a laptop sleeve to give a little boost to value.
Budget Convertible With Agile Pen
Acer Spin iii
14-inch convertible at a great price
The Acer Spin three does take its off-white share of drawbacks, only the robust audio, clear webcam, port selection, and built-in active pen all make the upkeep price a lot more than intriguing.
We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. Learn more.
Demystify the ring
How to approach a Souls game similar Elden Band for absolute beginners
Elden Ring is quite tough, simply it's not unfair. If you're finding yourself wishing y'all could get into these types of games, I'thou hither to tell you that you tin can, as someone who only did and so relatively recently. I'k not a pro gamer by any means, even so I discover myself enamored with Elden Band'due south magical earth. You can exist besides.
New build!
New Windows 11 preview build brings improved taskbar for touch users
It's time for another Windows xi preview build, and this week is another big one. Today's build is 22563 and features even more taskbar improvements, this time for tablet users. Microsoft is introducing a new machine-hide Taskbar interface that'southward similar to the impact-get-go taskbar that was outset introduced on Windows 10X and the Surface Neo.
Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/acer-spin-3-review
Posted by: evanshiscia.blogspot.com
0 Response to "Acer Spin 3 review: Some excellent features but sits in a competitive budget market"
Post a Comment