Acer Swift Go 14 evaluation: Lovely show, disappointing battery life

Worth When Reviewed

$1,099.99

Greatest Costs Immediately: Acer Swift Go 14

Acer’s Swift line is usually a go-to for customers trying to purchase a transportable laptop computer with stable efficiency at a low value. The brand new Acer Swift Go 14 doesn’t completely spoil that system, however the resolution to stay with Intel’s disappointing built-in graphics is an issue.

In search of extra choices? Take a look at PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops out there at the moment.

Acer Swift Go 14: Specs and options

The Acer Swift Go 14 leans closely on Intels’ Core i7-13700H processor. This 14-core chip is frequent in quite a lot of laptops however not often seen in a 14-inch laptop computer that’s priced at simply $1,100. 

• CPU: Intel Core i7-13700H
• Reminiscence: 16GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Iris Xe
• Show: 14-inch 2880 x 1800 OLED 90Hz
• Storage: 512GB PCIe Gen4 SSD
• Webcam: 1440p 
• Connectivity:  2x Thunderbolt 4/USB-C, 2x USB-A, MicroSD card reader, 3.5mm combo audio jack
• Networking: WiFi 6E, Bluetooth
• Biometrics: None
• Battery capability: 65 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.32 x 8.6 x .59
• Weight: 2.87 kilos
• MSRP: $1,099.99

Sadly, selecting this speedy processor leaves no room to offer discrete graphics, so Intel Iris Xe built-in graphics is the one alternative. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Design and construct high quality

Acer’s Swift Go 14 doesn’t stand out at a look. Its steel and plastic enclosure is clad in what’s fairly probably essentially the most generic shade of silver recognized to exist, and the chassis in any other case lacks design traits that may assist it stand out. There’s no practical issues with this design, however those that care in any respect in regards to the look of their laptop computer will discover little pleasure right here.

The laptop computer’s materials high quality is mundane. Acer opts to make use of steel alongside the show lid and inside however plastic on the undercarriage, which cheapens the texture of the laptop computer when it’s carried. It additionally permits minor chassis flex when the laptop computer is open. The steel show lid is quite inflexible, no less than, and permits minimal flex whereas opening or closing the laptop computer. Nonetheless, that is an space the Acer Swift Go 14 falls approach behind extra luxurious opponents just like the Apple MacBook Professional 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop 5.

Acer’s use of cheap supplies appears to repay in weight, although, because the Swift Go 14 ideas the scales at a feathery 2.87 kilos. It’s additionally a mere .59 inches thick and measures solely 12.32 inches broad. True to its identify, this laptop computer is simple to throw in a bag for journey and is mild sufficient to really feel nearly unnoticeable in a backpack. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Keyboard, trackpad

The Acer Swift Go 14 has a spacious keyboard with no numpad—unsurprising, as a 14-inch show usually doesn’t present sufficient room so as to add one. It’s a snug and acquainted structure with massive keys. Key really feel is enough: keys appear to have good journey however backside with a mushy really feel that doesn’t present an ideal tactile sensation. Nonetheless, I used the keyboard to kind a number of thousand phrases with out problem.

A fundamental white LED keyboard backlight is commonplace. After I say fundamental, I imply it—it has two brightness settings and that’s it. I would like a bigger variety of brightness settings and the next brightness at most.

Acer makes do with a surprisingly small touchpad that measures roughly 4 inches throughout and a couple of.5 inches deep. The touchpad’s floor is responsive however the restricted house could make multi-touch gestures really feel awkward. I additionally had a couple of issues with unintended inputs, an inconvenience I wouldn’t count on from a touchpad this small.

Acer Swift Go 14: Show, audio

The Acer Swift Go 14 has a 14-inch OLED show with 2880×1800 decision and a most refresh charge of 90Hz. It’s a crisp, sharp, fluid show that appears stunning in each scenario. It gives an successfully infinite distinction ratio due to its capability to ship an ideal lack of luminance in extraordinarily darkish scenes, but pairs that with a most brightness of as much as 440 nits, which is vibrant sufficient to be used in a sunlit room.

Shade efficiency is superb, as nicely. The show spans the complete sRGB and DCI-P3 coloration gamuts and gives sturdy coloration accuracy. This interprets to a vivid, saturated look in motion pictures and video games. It additionally gives advantages to content material creators who wish to work in a large coloration gamut.

HDR is supported and content material seems engaging, however the improve over SDR is usually marginal. That is because of the laptop computer’s brightness which, though glorious for an OLED laptop computer, just isn’t excessive sufficient to essentially ship a wallop in HDR motion pictures and video games. Mini-LED laptop computer shows are a superior alternative for HDR, however they’re solely present in a handful of way more costly laptops, such because the Razer Blade 16.

Movement readability is a spotlight. The show’s 90Hz refresh charge isn’t spectacular on paper however advantages from OLED’s low pixel response instances. This in flip reduces movement blur and gives good element in fast-moving scenes. That is most noticeable in PC video games, however I additionally discovered the advance noticeable whereas scrolling by way of internet pages or paperwork. 

The audio system aren’t as alluring because the show. They supply good quantity however are simply overwhelmed in music, motion pictures, and video games. Distortion creeps in from the low finish and muddies the mid-range which, at instances, sounds harsh and metallic. The audio system are high-quality for video calls or podcasts however in any other case fail to impress. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

Acer delivers a shock within the Swift Go 14’s webcam. It has a most decision of 2560×1440 and gives exceptional video high quality for a laptop computer webcam. Recorded video seems sharp and gives wealthy, real looking coloration. The picture will nonetheless be grainy in low mild, however no extra so than some other webcam.

Microphone high quality is powerful, too, due to a dual-array microphone with noise cancellation. Recorded audio sounds tinny and hole however stays crisp and delivers good quantity. It’s an excellent match for video conferences. 

Biometric login is absent from the Swift Go 14. That’s a bit disappointing, however not stunning at this value level.

Acer Swift Go 14: Connectivity

The laptop computer’s bodily connectivity contains two Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports. Each assist Energy Supply, so each can be utilized to cost the laptop computer or join with both the included 100 watt energy adapter or a third-party energy brick.

A pair of USB-A ports, a MicroSD card reader, and three.5mm combo audio jack spherical out the bodily connectivity. It’s an excellent array of choices that covers each fashionable and legacy units.

Wi-fi connectivity is supplied by Intel Killer Wi-Fi AX1675 with assist for Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2. That is good wi-fi connectivity that covers the most recent requirements (technically, Bluetooth 5.3 is now out there, but it surely’s a really modest replace). Wi-Fi efficiency was sturdy in testing, because the laptop computer could make full use of Gigabit Web speeds when close to a excessive efficiency router. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Efficiency

Need processor efficiency? The Acer Swift Go 14 has you lined. Whereas the entry-level variant has Intel’s Core i7-1355U, the mannequin I examined was outfitted with Intel’s extra highly effective Core i7-13700H. It is a 14-core processor (with six efficiency cores and eight environment friendly core) that may hit a most clock velocity of 5GHz. Acer pairs this configuration with 16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 512GB PCIe Gen 4 stable state drive. 

PCMark 10, a basic system efficiency benchmark, reviews a good rating of 6,118. That is technically the third-best rating on this benchmark, however the vary of outcomes is pretty tight, making it exhausting to report any agency outcomes from this benchmark alone (besides, maybe, that the Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 5’s older Twelfth-gen Intel {hardware} exhibits its age).

Subsequent up is Cinebench R15, a benchmark that focuses completely on CPU efficiency. It reviews a really sturdy rating of 1,994, which is the most effective of any laptop computer on this aggressive set. The vary of outcomes stays tight however, on this benchmark, each Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 5 and Lenovo Yoga 9i begin to lag the pack. 

The outcomes are extra even than Handbrake, a video encoding check, however right here the Acer Swift Go 14 begins to interrupt away from the pack. It’s roughly 15 p.c faster than the Lenovo Slim 7 Pro, the next-quickest laptop computer on this aggressive set. 

The benchmarks now flip in direction of the GPU, which is an issue for Acer’s Swift Go 14. It neglects discrete graphics and as a substitute depends on Intel Iris Xe built-in graphics. 

3DMark Time Spy exhibits the outcomes, and so they’re not fairly. The Acer falls approach behind the Lenovo Slim 7 Professional, a laptop computer that features Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics. It additionally fails to match the HP Dragonfly Pro, which depends on Radeon built-in graphics supplied by the Ryzen 7736U processor. 

I nonetheless gave the Swift 14 Go a shot with Shadows of the Tomb Raider, a sport that represents  the most effective visuals from cross-platform video games within the PlayStation 4 and Xbox One X era. It delivered a mean of simply 22 frames per second at 1080p element and Highest settings. The sport is playable at Low settings, however solely simply, averaging 31 frames per second—and the framerate can nonetheless dip beneath 30 FPS in gameplay. 

Acer clearly leans into processor efficiency with the Swift Go 14. I don’t assume that wager pays off. The issue is straightforward: AMD’s new Ryzen 7000-series processors are sometimes extraordinarily aggressive with Intel processors but additionally, of their finest incarnations, additionally present superior built-in graphics. The Intel Core i7-13700H retains a slight edge in strictly CPU-reliant duties, however the margin of its victor just isn’t sufficient to offset the comparatively lackluster efficiency of Intel Iris Xe. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Battery life

The Acer Swift 14 Go packs a modest 65 watt-hour battery. That’s not massive for a contemporary laptop computer with an Intel Core i7-13700H processor, and it exhibits.

I recorded eight hours and 40 minutes of battery life in a typical check loop by way of a 4K file of the brief movie Tears of Metal. That’s a usable consequence, to make certain, however one which falls behind many aggressive laptops. The Lenovo Slim 7 Professional is a specific standout, because it managed to attain superior battery life in exams regardless of the inclusion of Nvidia RTX 3050 graphics.

Acer Swift Go 14: Must you purchase it?

The brand new Acer Swift Go 14 bets all the pieces on the efficiency of Intel’s Core i7-13700H. That wager doesn’t repay.

It’s true that Intel’s Core i7-13700H can ship superior efficiency in CPU-intensive duties. This, nonetheless, requires a sacrifice in graphics efficiency most potential house owners gained’t discover interesting. The Swift Go 14 additionally struggles to ship on battery life regardless of the shortage of discrete graphics, which is an issue for a skinny, mild laptop computer. Acer’s cheap base MSRP of $1,099.99 helps to forgive these flaws, but it surely’s finally not sufficient to make the Swift Go 14 stand out from a crowded discipline of comparable laptops.