Acer this week introduced its new high-end 2-in-1 hybrid PCs that will be available later this year. The Acer Switch 5 will be aimed at users who require both portability and performance, and is based on Intel’s Core i5/i7 CPU while being paired with up to 8 GB of DRAM as well as up to 512 GB of solid-state storage.
To integrate a relatively powerful CPU while retaining moderate price, power consumption and long battery life, Acer had to give up a 4K display panel and a Thunderbolt 3 controller, which were key features of the Switch 5’s predecessor. In addition, Acer announced its new inexpensive Switch 3 convertible notebook that in many ways resembles its more advanced brother.
The Acer Switch 5 hybrid laptop is powered by on Intel’s 7th generation dual-core Core i5/i7 CPUs with a 15W TDP. Previously the company used various Core M (Skylake-Y) CPUs for such computers, but since Core i5/i7 offer considerably higher performance due to higher frequencies, Acer decided to switch to them. The manufacturer uses its fanless “Liquid Loop” cooling solution (based on either heatpipe or vapor chamber tech) to cool down the CPU.
Consequently the new PC is utterly quiet, just like its predecessors, the Acer Switch 12 S as well as the Switch Alpha. The new 2-in-1 can be equipped with up to 8GB of LPDDR3 memory, a 256 GB or a 512 GB PCIe 3.0 x2 SSD, a 802.11 ac Wi-Fi controller with 2×2 MU-MIMO technology, front- and back-facing cameras, a fingerprint reader, one USB 3.0 Type-A, and one USB 3.0 Type-C (5 Gbps) port, as well as a MicroSD card reader.
The Acer Switch 3 is an entry-level 2-in-1, which is positioned above the inexpensive Switch V10 and the Switch One 10 launched a year ago. With the Switch 3, Acer is no longer pursuing the low end of the market, which is why the system inherits a lot from its more expensive brother, the Switch 5 (such as design, configuration of ports, and so on).
The Switch 3 is based on Intel’s Kaby Lake Celeron and Pentium processors, with cooling provided by Acer’s fanless cooling solution. The device comes with up to 4 GB of LPDDR3, up to 128 GB of eMMC solid-state storage, front- and back-facing cameras, as well as dual-band MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi. The 2-in-1 also features a USB Type-C port, which is used for data transfer, video output and charging. The Switch 3 has a 12.2” IPS touchscreen with 1920×1200 resolution. As for dimensions and weight, the system is a bit thicker (9.95 mm), but a bit lighter (900 grams) than the Switch 5.
The Acer Switch 5 will hit the market in North America and EMEA in June starting at $799. The Acer Switch 3 will be available in Europe and the US in June for €499 and $399.
