Acer Swift Go 14 review: An affordable Intel Core Ultra debut

The Acer Swift Go 14 isn’t an extravagant laptop computer however, because the saying goes, it’s what inside that counts.

This reasonably priced mid-range machine packs Intel’s new Core Ultra 7 155H processor (aka Meteor Lake), which pairs a powerful core depend alongside improved Intel Arc built-in graphics. This new processor, which is made up of separate silicone tiles which were adhered collectively, is designed to be extra energy environment friendly by offloading duties to the GPU and NPU. It makes for a succesful mid-range laptop computer, although battery life nonetheless fails to impress. Let’s dive proper in.

Looking for extra choices? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best laptops obtainable proper now.

Acer Swift Go 14: Specs and options

Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H is the star of this present. It delivers a complete of 16 cores and 22 threads, a powerful depend for any laptop computer bought beneath $1,000. Intel’s built-in graphics is improved, too, leaping from Iris Xe to Intel Arc and gaining 32 extra execution items within the course of.

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• Memory: 16GB LPDDR5
• Graphics/GPU: Intel Arc built-in graphics
• Display: 1920×1200 IPS multi-touch show
• Storage: 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe stable state drive
• Webcam: 1440p QHD webcam 
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C, 2x USB-A, 1x HDMI 2.1, MicroSD card reader. 3.5mm audio jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 65 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 14.5 x 8.5 x .58
• Weight: 2.9 kilos
• MSRP: $999.99

The Acer Swift Go 14’s doesn’t skimp elsewhere, both. It has 16GB of RAM, a 1TB stable state drive, a 1440p webcam, and loads of ports. These options come alongside a value lower relative to the prior mannequin: it had an MSRP of $1,099 with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD whereas the brand new mannequin is simply $999.99 for a similar quantity of RAM and a 1TB SSD

Acer Swift Go 14: Design and construct high quality

The Acer Swift Go 14 is a launch platform for Intel’s 14th-gen Core processors, however you wouldn’t know that from trying on the laptop computer. It’s a easy, generic silver slate that lacks something to differentiate it from rivals or earlier Acer laptops. This little question contributes to the laptops modest $1,000 MSRP, but it surely’d be good to see a bit extra aptitude.

Looks might be deceiving, nevertheless, and on this case they masks a well-built machine. The show flexes barely when opened, but it surely’s not extreme, and the chassis’ decrease half feels inflexible. Some laptops, just like the Dell XPS 13 or Apple MacBook Air 13, are much more sturdy, however the Swift Go 14 is on par with mid-range options just like the Asus Vivobook 14X OLED.

The laptop computer’s standing in opposition to rivals improves due to a value lower. Past Swift Go 14 fashions carried an MSRP above $1,000 even for fashions with much less stable state storage, which put the Swift Go 14 uncomfortably near extra luxurious laptops just like the Lenovo Slim Pro 7. The Go 14 I obtained for assessment had an MSRP of simply $999.99 and an entry-level variant with Intel’s Core Ultra 5 125H begins at $799.99.

Acer’s 14-incher suggestions the scales at a mere 2.9 kilos—a hair lower than many mid-range 14-inch laptops—and measures simply .58 inches thick. It doesn’t really feel particularly svelte in-hand, maybe resulting from its boxy, angular design, but it surely’s sufficiently small to slot in most luggage designed for a 13-inch laptop computer and light-weight sufficient for handy on a regular basis carry to and from an workplace.

Acer Swift Go 14: Keyboard, trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

A spacious, centered keyboard stretches throughout the Acer Swift Go 14’s inside. The structure is massive and supplies good spacing between alphanumeric keys. Just a few modifier keys, like Shift and Caps Lock, are barely undersized, however no extra so than typical for a 14-inch laptop computer. 

Key really feel is a spotlight. The Acer Swift Go 14 stands out from rivals with a crisp, tactile keyboard with a agency and definitive bottoming motion. Key journey is prolonged, too, which makes high-speed contact typing extra comfy. It’s a superb expertise general, and one well-suited to customers who bang out a number of hundreds phrases every day. 

The numpad is absent, which is typical for a 14-inch laptop computer. Those who desire a 14-inch laptop computer with a numpad may think about Asus’ Vivobook or Zenbook line, each of which disguise a numpad within the touchpad. 

Acer’s touchpad is a mixture bag. It’s massive, responsive, and its texture differs from the encompassing palmrest. The touchpad can really feel cramped vertically, nevertheless, because it measures a hair greater than 5 inches vast however simply 3 inches deep. Just a few 14-inch laptops, just like the Razer Blade 14 and Asus Zenbook 14 Flip OLED, pack a bigger touchpad in the same footprint—although to be honest, these laptops are dearer. The Swift Go 14’s touchpad is okay for the value.

Acer Swift Go 14: Display, audio

IDG / Matthew Smith

Asus presents two show choices on the Swift Go 14: a 1920×1200 IPS touchscreen and a 2880×1800 OLED show. I obtained the previous, which is a disgrace, because the IPS show underperforms the OLED options now frequent in mid-range and high-end Windows laptops.

Contrast is the large subject. The 1920×1200 show performs properly for IPS with a most measured distinction of 1500:1, however that’s far in need of OLED’s near-infinite distinction. I instantly seen the distinction in darker content material, because the Swift Go 14’s display screen can’t show deep, inky scenes with convincing depth and element. Films are inclined to look flat and video games with a darker palette like Diablo IV can look murky.

And the IPS show underperforms elsewhere. Its shade gamut is extra slim than OLED rivals and its decision of 1920×1200 clearly underperforms subsequent to a 2880×1800 OLED different. The IPS show additionally lacks the HDR assist obtainable with OLED. Brightness is a tad greater than most OLED shows at 408 nits, however solely simply: most OLED laptops have a most SDR brightness between 350 and 400 nits.

The IPS show’s multi-touch display screen does present one benefit over the laptop computer’s OLED variant. It’s not a lot of a bonus, although, because the Swift Go 14 isn’t a 2-in-1 and doesn’t fold, twist, or detach for pill use. 

All of this appears to be like unhealthy for the Swift Go 14, but it surely’s mitigated by the obtainable OLED variant. The OLED mannequin with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H carries an similar $999.99 MSRP. It additionally equips similar reminiscence and storage (16GB of LPDDR5 RAM and a 1TB stable state drive). While I didn’t have the prospect to check the OLED panel within the Acer Swift Go 14, I reviewed a Swift Go 14 with an OLED panel earlier this year and located it to be the laptop computer’s standout characteristic. I like to recommend the OLED mannequin until you want a touchscreen.

Audio efficiency, alternatively, is similar for all Swift Go 14 fashions—and it’s not nice. The built-in audio system have satisfactory quantity however undergo a harsh, metallic presentation that turns into grating after a couple of minutes. External audio system or headphones are really useful when utilizing the laptop computer. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Webcam, microphone, biometrics

A 1440p webcam hides within the Acer Swift Go 14’s slim prime bezel. It supplies a pointy, crisp, clear picture with good shade copy and well-tuned publicity. The picture will look grainy in dim lighting, however no extra so than different webcams. I additionally don’t just like the webcam’s viewing angle, which is vast, however that’s simple to repair in software program and the webcam’s 1440p decision makes it attainable to crop the picture whereas sustaining sharpness. 

Microphone high quality can also be stable with good quantity and crisp, clear presentation that ought to assist colleagues and colleagues perceive you on a video name. Noise cancellation is modest, although, so background noise might creep in. 

A fingerprint reader on the Swift Go 14’s energy button supplies biometric authentication. It works properly although, like all fingerprint readers, it turns into unreliable in case your finger is even barely damp or soiled. Facial recognition login isn’t supported. 

Acer Swift Go 14: Connectivity

IDG / Matthew Smith

A pair of USB-C ports with DisplayPort Alternate Mode and USB Power Delivery line the Acer Swift Go 14’s left flank. They’re joined by two extra USB-A ports (one on all sides), HDMI 2.1, 3.5mm audio, and a microSD card reader. 

That’s extra ports than you’ll discover on many laptops bought in 2023. Asus’ Zenbook 14 OLED has one much less USB-A port, whereas Dell’s entry-level XPS 13 lacks USB-A. I admire Acer’s determination to retain a wholesome number of connectivity, and I feel most house owners gained’t really feel a necessity to make use of a dongle or adapter (until they need a wired Ethernet jack, which isn’t included).

Wireless connectivity is simply as strong. It consists of Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E, which is the most recent Wi-Fi commonplace. Both connections proved robust in my testing and the laptop computer’s Wi-Fi vary was spectacular, delivering usable Wi-Fi speeds even in my indifferent workplace (which is greater than 50 toes, and a number of other partitions, away from a router). 

Acer Swift Go 14: Performance

The Acer Swift Go 14 is a part of the primary volley of laptops to hit retailer cabinets with Intel’s new 14th-gen Core processors which, on this laptop computer, is represented by the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. It has six efficiency cores, eight environment friendly cores, and two “low-power” cores. That’s a complete of 16 cores and 22 threads. The most Turbo Boost is 4.8GHz. Acer pairs the Core Ultra 7 155H with 16GB of LPDDR5 reminiscence and a 1TB PCIe Gen4 NVMe stable state drive.

IDG / Matthew Smith

PCMark 10 leads with a wholesome rating of 6,362. This is a holistic system benchmark, which suggests it’s impacted by reminiscence, storage, and graphics efficiency. That’s why the Lenovo Slim Pro 9i, which has an RTX 4050, exceeds the pack. The Swift Go 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 155h beats the mannequin with an Intel Core i7-13700H by a pair hundred factors.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Next up is Cinebench R20, a closely multithreaded, short-duration take a look at. Here the Swift Go 14 manages a rating of 4,943, which places the system forward of some equally priced laptops just like the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED. 

I needed to substitute the older Acer Swift Go 16 with the Intel Core i7-13700H on this graph and it lands forward of the brand new Core Ultra 7 155H. That goes to point out how extra thermal headroom can overcome the advantages of newer silicon. Still, the Swift Go 14’s efficiency on this benchmark is stable for a modestly priced 14-inch machine.

IDG / Matthew Smith

Handbrake is a closely multithread, long-duration take a look at, and it doesn’t paint the Swift Go 14 or Core Ultra 7 155H in the very best gentle. The new laptop computer scores barely behind the older machine with Intel Core i7-13700H processor. 

With that stated, the Swift Go 14 is the second-quickest laptop computer on this discipline of smaller, extra moveable laptops, which is nice information for its general efficiency worth. You can discover a quicker laptop computer, but it surely’s more likely to be bigger or dearer.

IDG / Matthew Smith

The Intel Core Ultra 7 155H’s built-in graphics resolution is value at the very least as a lot consideration as its CPU core depend and clock speeds. It ditches the older Intel Iris Xe {hardware} for an Intel Arc built-in graphics resolution with 128 execution items (up from 96 in Iris Xe’s prime 13th-gen Core configuration).

3DMark Time Spy makes the advance plain. Acer’s Swift Go 14 was propelled to a rating of 3,465, a outcome that beats the outdated Swift Go 14 with Intel Xe graphics by roughly 1,500 factors. In reality, it’s simply 500 factors behind some laptops with Nvidia’s RTX 3050. 

Gamers shouldn’t get too excited, although. Arc built-in graphics delivered much less spectacular ends in Shadow of the Tomb Raider, which averaged 33 frames per second at 1080p and low element. Cyberpunk 2077, in the meantime, achieved a median of 41 FPS at 720p and the Low element preset. Most 3D video games are playable on the Acer Swift Go 14, however demanding titles require vital cuts to texture high quality and, in some circumstances, decision. 

So, what’s the decision on Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H (and the Swift Go 14)? It’s good, particularly for a laptop computer on this value vary, but it surely doesn’t essentially change what you possibly can anticipate from a transportable mid-range laptop computer. Home workplace productiveness isn’t an issue, content material creation is feasible, and older 3D video games ought to run with out subject (as long as Arc’s drivers don’t journey you up). But these seeking to deal with heavier duties like 4K video modifying or AAA video games, might want to purchase a dearer, extra succesful machine.

Acer Swift Go 14: Battery life

The new Acer Swift Go 14 with Intel Core Ultra 155H has the identical 65-watt hour battery discovered within the prior Swift Go 14 with a Core i7-13700H processor. That supplies an ideal alternative to straight evaluate the battery lifetime of Intel’s new silicon.

IDG / Matthew Smith

There’s excellent news and unhealthy information. Intel’s Core 7 Ultra 155H does appear to be extra environment friendly, as the brand new Swift Go 14 endures our battery take a look at (which loops a 4K file of the brief movie Tears of Steel) for almost a half-hour longer than the older mannequin with Core i7-13700H processor.  

It’s nonetheless not an ideal outcome, although, and falls behind different laptops. The Swift Go 14 can endure a full eight-hour workday, however solely in much less demanding workloads. Those who run demanding purposes might want to hold an in depth eye on battery life gauge.

The Swift Go 14 ships with a 100-watt USB-C energy brick that’s a bit bigger than the 95-watt or 65-watt energy bricks discovered alongside options just like the Dell XPS 13 and Asus Vivobook 14X OLED. I used to be interested by what this meant for Core Ultra 7 155H’s energy draw, so I hooked it as much as a Kill-A-Watt meter and noticed energy draw whereas working Cinebench R20. I discovered the laptop computer initially consumed roughly 90 watts of energy earlier than dropping again to about 52 watts.

Acer Swift Go 14: Should you purchase it?

The Acer Swift Go 14 with Intel Core Ultra 7 155H is a reliable and well-rounded laptop computer bought at an reasonably priced value. Its uninteresting design is made up for with robust connectivity, a pleasing keyboard, and helpful extras like a 1440p webcam. Intel’s 14th-gen processor doesn’t vastly outperform the 13th-gen {hardware} however stays robust in multicore exams and comes paired with improved built-in graphics, although battery life stays an issue. The Go 14’s general efficiency, alongside a value lower from Acer, makes it a good selection for these seeking to purchase a transportable but speedy laptop computer at a sub-$1,000 value.