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Acer Swift 14 (2023) Laptop Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Reviewed Apr 26, 2023 at 12:10 pm
Latest change: Writing modified May 10, 2024 at 09:05 am
Acer Swift 14 (2023) Picture
7.7
School
6.3
Gaming
7.5
Multimedia
8.2
Workstation
7.8
Business

The Acer Swift 14 (2023) is a 14-inch Windows ultraportable laptop. It's available with an Intel Core i5-13500H or Core i7-13700H CPU and up to 32GB of memory and 1TB of storage. You can configure it with an FHD + (1920 x 1200) or QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS display; both have a 60Hz refresh rate with no variable refresh rate support. Ports include two USB-As, two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4s, an HDMI 2.1, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. It has Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, a 1440p webcam, and a 56WH battery. There's a fingerprint sensor built into the power button for quick logins. You can see our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section below.

The Acer Swift lineup has changed slightly compared to previous generations. Acer no longer uses the Swift 3, Swift 5, and Swift 7 naming; instead, the lineup now consists of the Swift Go (14-inch and 16-inch), Swift 14, and Swift X 14. The Acer Swift 14 replaces the Swift 5.

Our Verdict

7.7 School

The Acer Swift 14 is good for school use. Its compact design makes it easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical school day. You can configure the laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can be a little tiring to type on over an extended period, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle nearly every type of workload; however, its integrated graphics perform poorly, so it isn't ideal for students in technical fields like 3D graphics.

Pros
  • Thin and light design.
  • Sharp, bright display.
  • Battery lasts a full day of light use.
  • CPU can handle demanding workloads.
  • Excellent 1440p webcam.
Cons
  • Doesn't handle reflections well.
  • Keyboard can be tiring to type on for an extended period.
  • Small touchpad.
6.3 Gaming

The Acer Swift 14 is mediocre for gaming. Although its Intel 13th Gen. CPU can handle demanding tasks like gaming, it's only available with integrated graphics, which aren't powerful enough to provide smooth gameplay in graphically intensive games. Also, you can only get this laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ 60Hz display, both of which have a slow response time with no variable refresh rate support to reduce screen tearing.

Pros
  • CPU can handle demanding workloads.
  • Excellent port selection includes Thunderbolt 4 support and HDMI 2.1.
  • Fast SSD.
  • Quiet fans under load.
Cons
  • No dedicated GPU.
  • Memory isn't user-upgradeable.
  • 60Hz display with slow response time.
  • No variable refresh rate to reduce screen tearing.
  • Keyboard can be tiring to type on for an extended period.
7.5 Multimedia

The Acer Swift 14 is good for media consumption. It's very portable, and its battery lasts over six hours of video playback, giving you plenty of time for a couple of full-length movies and TV show episodes. You can get this laptop with an FHD+ or QHD+ display; both displays look sharp and get bright enough to combat glare, but they aren't the best for dark room viewing, as their low contrast makes blacks look gray in dim settings. Unfortunately, although the speakers get very loud, they sound a tad tinny and lack bass.

Pros
  • Thin and light design.
  • Sharp, bright display.
  • Battery lasts over six hours of video playback.
Cons
  • Doesn't handle reflections well.
  • Blacks look gray in dim settings.
8.2 Workstation

The Acer Swift 14 is great for use as a workstation. It's available with Intel 13th Gen. CPUs, which are powerful enough to handle demanding tasks; however, because you can only configure the laptop with integrated graphics, it isn't suitable for anything that requires lots of graphical processing power. Also, its displays only have full sRGB coverage, so it isn't ideal if you need to edit photos or videos in Adobe RGB or DCI P3. On the upside, it has a fast SSD for quick file transfers and plenty of ports, including two Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI 2.1 port. The CPU throttles slightly under load, but thankfully, the fans are relatively quiet.

Pros
  • CPU can handle demanding workloads.
  • Excellent port selection includes Thunderbolt 4 support and HDMI 2.1.
  • Fast SSD.
  • Quiet fans under load.
Cons
  • No dedicated GPU.
  • Memory isn't user-upgradeable.
  • Keyboard can be tiring to type on for an extended period.
7.8 Business

The Acer Swift 14 is good for business use. It's a well-built laptop that's easy to carry around, and its battery lasts easily through a typical workday. The display looks sharp, provides just enough space for split-screen multitasking, and gets bright enough to combat glare. The keyboard feels tactile but can cause some fatigue over an extended period, and the touchpad is small but responsive. Its Intel 13th Gen. CPU performs well and can easily handle productivity tasks like text processing, spreadsheets, and presentations. It has an excellent 1440p webcam for video calls as well as a wide port selection that includes two Thunderbolt 4 and an HDMI 2.1 port. The display's reflection handling is sub-par, so it isn't ideal for use in well-lit rooms with bright light sources shining directly on the screen.

Pros
  • Thin and light design.
  • Sharp, bright display.
  • Battery lasts a full day of light use.
  • Excellent port selection includes Thunderbolt 4 support and HDMI 2.1.
  • Excellent 1440p webcam.
Cons
  • Doesn't handle reflections well.
  • Keyboard can be tiring to type on for an extended period.
  • Small touchpad.
  • 7.7 School
  • 6.3 Gaming
  • 7.5 Multimedia
  • 8.2 Workstation
  • 7.8 Business
  1. Updated May 10, 2024: Added mention of the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED (2023) as an alternative with a better touchpad.
  2. Updated Mar 05, 2024: Added mention of the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2023) as an alternative with an OLED display in the Contrast section.
  3. Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
  4. Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
  5. Updated Aug 29, 2023: Added mention of the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023) as an alternative with a discrete GPU in the GPU section.
  6. Updated Apr 26, 2023: Review published.
  7. Updated Apr 21, 2023: Early access published.
  8. Updated Apr 13, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
  9. Updated Apr 13, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  10. Updated Mar 24, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Acer Swift 14 (model SF14-71T-74RF) with a QHD display, an Intel Core i7-13700H CPU, 16GB of memory, and 1TB of storage. The display, CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the available options in the table below. Our review only applies to variants with a model number starting with 'SF14-71T'.

Screen
  • 14" IPS 1920 x 1200 60Hz Touchscreen
  • 14" IPS 2560 x 1600 60Hz Touchscreen
CPU
  • Intel Core i5-13500H (12 cores/16 threads, up to 4.7GHz, 18MB cache)
  • Intel Core i7-13700H (14 cores/20 threads, up to 5.0GHz, 24MB cache)
GPU
  • Intel Iris Xe (integrated)
Memory
  • 8GB LP-DDR5 4800MHz
  • 16GB LP-DDR5 4800MHz
  • 32GB LP-DDR5 4800MHz
Storage
  • 512GB PCIe Gen. 4 x4 NVMe SSD
  • 1TB PCIe Gen. 4 x4 NVMe SSD
Color
  • Green 

 You can see our unit's label here.

Compared To Other Laptops

The Acer Swift 14 is a great ultraportable laptop. It stands out for its sharp and bright display and outstanding performance. However, its keyboard and touchpad aren't as good as other laptops in its class.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops for college, the best business laptops, and the best laptops for programming.

HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2023)

The HP Pavilion Plus 14 (2023) and the Acer Swift 14 (2023) are both good 14-inch Windows laptops. The HP has a better keyboard and touchpad, and it's available with NVIDIA discrete GPUs for more graphically intensive workloads. Its OLED display provides a better viewing experience due to its superb contrast ratio, and while it doesn't get as bright as the Acer laptop's display, it does have better reflection handling. However, the Acer is much lighter, making it more portable, and its battery lasts much longer.

Acer Swift 3 14 (2022)

The Acer Swift 14 (2023) is slightly better than the Acer Swift 3 14 (2022) for most uses. The Swift 14 has longer battery life and faster Intel 13th Gen. CPUs. The two available displays on the Swift 14 get brighter to combat glare; however, neither is as sharp as the Swift 3 14's OLED display. The Swift 14's displays also have a lower contrast ratio, resulting in blacks that look gray in dim settings, and they only have full sRGB coverage, while the Swift 3 14's OLED panel has full DCI P3 and near-full Adobe RGB.

Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022)

The Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022) is better than the Acer Swift 14 (2023) for most uses. The MacBook Air feels more premium and well-made, and its battery lasts longer. It also provides a better user experience overall with a more comfortable keyboard, a larger and more responsive touchpad, and significantly better-sounding speakers. However, the Swift 14's Intel 13th Gen. CPUs are faster than Apple's M2 SoC. Additionally, it doesn't throttle as much as the MacBook Air under load. The Swift 14 has a wider port selection, and unlike the MacBook Air, it can output a video signal to multiple displays.

LG gram 14 (2023)

The LG gram 14 (2023) is better than the Acer Swift 14 (2023) for most uses. The LG has a better keyboard and touchpad, longer battery life, and a more compact and lightweight design. However, the Acer has a better 1440p webcam and is available with faster H-series CPUs. The Acer's display gets brighter, but its glossy finish doesn't handle reflections as well as the LG.

Acer Swift 3 14 (2020)

The Acer Swift 14 (2023) is better than the Acer Swift 3 14 (2020) for most uses. The Swift 14 is a more premium model with a sleeker design and sturdier build. It's available with faster Intel 13th Gen. H-series processors, a sharper and brighter QHD+ display, and a faster SSD. It also has a much better webcam and a wider port selection with the addition of a second USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 port and HDMI 2.1 support. However, the Swift 3 14's battery life is much better at over 13 hours of light use compared to the Swift 14's nine hours.

Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023)

The Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023) and the Acer Swift 14 (2023) are both great laptops. The main difference is that the Acer is better suited for CPU-intensive tasks because its Intel 13th Gen processor performs better, while the Lenovo is better for GPU-intensive tasks since it's available with an NVIDIA discrete GPU. The Lenovo has a better keyboard and touchpad, while the Acer has a better webcam and port selection. As for the display options, the Acer's displays get brighter to combat glare, but the Lenovo's displays have a higher refresh rate to provide a more responsive desktop experience.

Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022)

The Acer Swift 14 (2023) is slightly better than the Dell XPS 13 Plus (2022) for most uses. The Swift 14 is available with faster CPUs and doesn't lose as much performance as the Dell under load. It also has longer battery life and a much wider port selection. However, the XPS 13 Plus feels more premium and well-made, and it provides a better user experience with a more comfortable keyboard and larger haptic touchpad. Also, you can get the XPS 13 Plus with an OLED display. The OLED panel makes the XPS 13 Plus better for media consumption, and its full DCI P3 and Adobe RGB coverage means you can use it for color-critical work like photo and video editing. In contrast, the Swift 14's display only has full sRGB coverage.

Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022)

The Acer Swift 14 (2023) and the Microsoft Surface Laptop 5 (2022) are both Windows ultraportable laptops. The Surface Laptop 5 feels slightly more premium than the Swift 14, and it provides a better user experience overall with a more comfortable keyboard and a better touchpad. Also, it's available in a 15-inch size, giving you more screen real estate for multitasking. On the other hand, the Swift 14 is available with significantly faster H-series CPUs, and it doesn't throttle as much under load, making it suitable for more demanding tasks like programming.

MSI Prestige 14 Evo (2023)

The MSI Prestige 14 Evo (2023) and the Acer Swift 14 (2023) are both 14-inch laptops available with Intel 13th Gen H-series CPUs and are very similar overall. The Acer has a brighter, sharper display, a higher-resolution 1440p webcam, a wider port selection, and longer battery life. However, the MSI has a slightly better keyboard and touchpad.

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Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)

The Acer Swift 14 has a simple and sleek design. The bezels are incredibly thin, making the whole laptop feel more like a 13-inch than a 14-inch model. The finish is a dark olive green color with copper accents on the sides, although the green can look more like dark gray under some lighting. On the bottom, you can find the speakers near the front and air vents near the back. There are also air vents on the back of the laptop. The hinge design allows the bottom of the display to lift the back of the device when opened, providing better airflow. The keyboard's backlight is white, but the key legends are a darker yellow, matching the copper accents on the sides.

8.0
Design
Build Quality

The build quality is great. Its metal chassis feels high-quality and sturdy, exhibiting only a small amount of flex in the display and keyboard deck. However, it doesn't quite have the solidity and heftiness of more premium models like the Apple MacBook Air 13 (2022). The finish doesn't scratch or pick up fingerprints easily, and the feet feel solid and stick firmly to the bottom.

6.6
Design
Hinge
Range
135°
Stability
Good
One Finger Lift
No

The hinge is okay. It feels smooth when opening and closing the lid and is very stable. There's only a little wobble when moving the laptop or typing aggressively. Unfortunately, you can't open the lid with one hand because the laptop's base is too light.

8.5
Design
Portability
Size
14"
Thickness
0.8" (2.1 cm)
Width
12.2" (31.0 cm)
Depth
8.7" (22.0 cm)
Volume
87.4 in³ (1,432.2 cm³)
Weight
2.8 lbs (1.3 kg)
Charger Size
9.5 in³ (155.8 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.8 lbs (0.4 kg)

The Acer Swift laptop and its power adapter are very compact and lightweight.

6.0
Design
Serviceability
Ease Of Access
7.0
RAM Slots
0
Storage Slots
1
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
Yes

The serviceability is mediocre. Accessing the internals is relatively straightforward; you have to remove eleven T5 Torx screws and undo a couple of clips. The replaceable parts are easily accessible once you remove the bottom panel. Unfortunately, the memory isn't user-upgradeable, and there's only one storage slot.

You can see the user's manual here.

Design
In The Box

  • Acer Swift 14 laptop
  • 100W USB-C power adapter and cord
  • Documentation

Display
Display
Screen Specs
Resolution
2560 x 1600
Aspect Ratio
16:10
Pixel Density
216 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
Touch Screen
Yes
Screen-To-Body Ratio
90%

The Acer Swift laptop is available with the following displays:

  • 14" IPS 1920 x 1200 60Hz Touchscreen
  • 14" IPS 2560 x 1600 60Hz Touchscreen

Both displays look very sharp and provide just enough room for split-screen multitasking. The QHD+ (2560 x 1600) looks a tad sharper, but the difference isn't immediately noticeable at normal viewing distances. The 16:10 aspect ratio gives you slightly more vertical room than a standard 16:9 screen, which is great for productivity, as you don't have to scroll as much when reading a document or website.

5.9
Display
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
60 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No

This laptop is only available with 60Hz displays. The QHD+ panel has a slow response time causing noticeable ghosting, so it isn't ideal for viewing fast-moving content and gaming. The FHD+ (1920 x 1200) panel will likely perform similarly.

8.0
Display
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,739 : 1

The contrast ratio is great for an IPS panel, but it's still relatively low compared to other display technologies like VA and OLED. Blacks look gray in dim settings. The FHD+ display likely has a similar contrast ratio. If you want a similar productivity laptop with an OLED display, check out the ASUS Zenbook 14 OLED (2024).

8.5
Display
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
474 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
18 cd/m²

The QHD+ display gets very bright, enough to provide good visibility outdoors in broad daylight. It also gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, which is great for dark room viewing as it causes less eye strain. The FHD+ display will likely perform similarly.

5.5
Display
Reflections
Screen Finish
Glossy
Total Reflections
6.96%
Indirect Reflections
0.69%
Calculated Direct Reflections
6.28%

The reflection handling is sub-par. Its glossy finish doesn't do much to reduce the intensity of bright reflections. It's best to avoid having light sources directly behind you, like a lamp or open window during the day. The reflections make it hard to see dark-color content and are visible even when viewing light-color content with the display at maximum brightness.

6.1
Display
Black Uniformity
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
1.960%

The display's black uniformity is mediocre. There's clouding in a few places, and some backlight bleed around the corners of the screen. These issues are only visible when viewing dark content in a dim setting, though.

6.4
Display
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
23°
Color Washout From Right
24°
Color Shift From Left
25°
Color Shift From Right
37°
Brightness Loss From Left
25°
Brightness Loss From Right
27°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
26°
Gamma Shift From Right
29°

The horizontal viewing angle is passable. The image dims and washes out fairly quickly as you move to the side. You need to be more or less in front of the screen to see an accurate image.

6.3
Display
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
24°
Color Washout From Above
23°
Color Shift From Below
34°
Color Shift From Above
26°
Brightness Loss From Below
28°
Brightness Loss From Above
27°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
25°
Gamma Shift From Above
23°

The vertical viewing angle is passable. Like the horizontal viewing angle, the image dims and washes out when viewing the display from above or below. You need to look at the screen almost straight on to get an accurate image, which can be hard in places where you don't have much space to tilt the screen, like a bus or airplane.

7.0
Display
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
Avg. White Balance dE
3.38
Avg. Gamma
2.06
Avg. Color dE
3.4
Avg. Color Temperature
6,385 K

The display accuracy is decent out of the box. Most color and white balance inaccuracies are minor. The default color profile targets a slightly wider color space than pure sRGB, oversaturating greens and reds. The color temperature is warmer than the standard 6500K target, although the difference is too small to be noticeable. The gamma doesn't follow the sRGB curve; most scenes look too bright, while dark scenes look too dark.

9.0
Display
Color Gamut
sRGB xy
117.73%
sRGB uv
116.38%
Adobe RGB xy
83.35%
Adobe RGB uv
92.29%
DCI P3 xy
86.43%
DCI P3 uv
91.43%
Rec. 2020 xy
62.25%
Rec. 2020 uv
67.53%

The QHD+ panel's color gamut is outstanding. It has full sRGB coverage, the color space used in most content. Its Adobe RGB and DCI P3 coverage is excellent but isn't enough for professional print photography or viewing and producing HDR content. The FHD+ display's color gamut is likely similar.

10
Display
Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
Flicker Active Below
0%

The backlight is entirely flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain.

Interface
7.3
Interface
Keyboard
Typing Quality
7.0
Numpad
No
Backlighting
Adjustable
Operating Force
68 gf
Actuation Force
34 gf
Pre-Travel
0.90 mm
Total Travel
1.34 mm

The Acer Swift 14 laptop has a decent keyboard. The layout is fairly standard and doesn't take long to get used to, although the spacing feels a little tight. The keycap material is okay; it doesn't feel particularly premium or cheap. The keys are stable and feel tactile; however, they require a fair amount of force to actuate, which can be tiring over an extended period. Also, you may find the travel too short, especially if you're used to mechanical keyboards. Typing noise is relatively low and isn't bothersome in quiet settings.

7.1
Interface
Touchpad
Tracking Quality
7.5
Size
10.6 in² (68.7 cm²)
Material
Plastic
Dedicated Buttons
No

The touchpad is decent. It feels smooth and tracks all movements and gestures well. However, its small size makes actions like dragging and dropping over a long distance hard. There are no issues with palm rejection. The clicking mechanism feels relatively satisfying but is loud, and you can only click in the bottom portion of the touchpad. Check out the ASUS Zenbook 14X OLED UX3404 (2023) if you want a similar laptop with a better touchpad.

6.3
Interface
Speakers
Max Volume
80 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
7.6 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
-0.7
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
421 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
18 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
0.7 dB

The speakers are passable. Though clear, they sound slightly tinny, with no bass at all. They aren't sibilant, but the treble is a little sharp and can be fatiguing over time. On the upside, they get very loud with minimal dynamic compression artifacts at max volume.

8.7
Interface
Webcam & Microphone
Video Quality
9.0
Resolution
1440p
Position
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
Face Unlock
No

The Acer Swift's webcam is excellent. The image looks detailed and well-exposed, with natural-looking colors. The only complaint is that there's a little bit of noise in the darker areas. Voices come across loud and clear over the microphone with almost no background noise.

Connectivity
8.5
Connectivity
Ports
USB-A Ports
2
USB-C Ports
2
Thunderbolt
Thunderbolt 4
USB-C Charging
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
HDMI
2.1
DisplayPort
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
No
Ethernet
No
Proprietary Port
No
Security Lock
Yes

The Acer Swift's port selection is excellent. The two USB-A ports support USB 3.2 Gen. 1 data transfer speed (up to 5 Gbps). You can use the left USB-A port to charge a mobile device even when the laptop is in sleep mode. Both USB-Cs support Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gbps data transfer speed and two 4k displays at 60Hz) and can charge mobile devices at a maximum power output of 15W.

Connectivity
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.3

The wireless adapter is an Intel Killer Wi-Fi AX1675i. Wi-Fi 6E has faster speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference than previous Wi-Fi standards. However, you need a router that supports Wi-Fi 6E to benefit from these features.

Configuration
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Intel
Model
Core i7-13700H
Core Count
14
Thread Count
20

The Acer Swift laptop is available with the following CPUs:

  • Intel Core i5-13500H (12 cores/16 threads, up to 4.7GHz, 18MB cache)
  • Intel Core i7-13700H (14 cores/20 threads, up to 5.0GHz, 24MB cache)

Both CPUs are high-performance processors typically found in gaming laptops and mobile workstations. They can handle light productivity tasks as well as demanding workloads like video editing, 3D graphics, and gaming. They both have a hybrid design with a mix of performance and efficiency cores. The Core i5 has four performance and eight efficiency cores, while the Core i7 has six performance and eight efficiency cores. The Core i7 is faster than the Core i5 and the best option for professionals with strict deadlines, as it can complete tasks faster and provide a smoother experience in intensive applications.

Configuration
GPU
Brand
Intel
Model
Iris Xe Graphics G7
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A

The Acer Swift 14 laptop is only available with Intel Iris Xe graphics. This integrated GPU can only handle light tasks like web browsing and video playback, not demanding workloads like video editing or 3D graphics. You can play some older or puzzle-like games, but you'll likely have to play with low settings to get smooth gameplay. If you need a thin, light laptop with a discrete GPU, check out the Lenovo Slim Pro 7 14 (2023).

Configuration
RAM
Capacity
16 GB
Modules
8 (Soldered)
Type
LP-DDR5
Speed
4,800 MHz

You can configure this laptop with 8GB, 16GB, or 32GB of memory. The RAM modules are soldered onto the motherboard and aren't user-replaceable.

Configuration
Storage
Advertised Capacity
1,000 GB
Usable Capacity
970 GB
Drive 1
Micron MTFDKBA1T0TFH
Drive 1 Type SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type No 2nd Drive

You can configure this laptop with 512GB or 1TB of storage. The SSD is user-replaceable; the slot supports an M.2 2280 PCIe Gen. 4 NVMe SSD.

Performance
9.2
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
CPU Single-Thread
1,836 points
CPU Multi-Thread
11,321 points
GPU Compute
20,785 points

The Acer Swift has an outstanding overall score in the Geekbench 5 benchmarks. The Intel Core i7-13700H has exceptional single- and multi-thread performance, making it suitable for nearly every type of workload, including demanding tasks like 3D graphics and video editing. The Core i5-13500H is slower but still fast enough to handle intensive tasks. Unfortunately, the Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU performs poorly and isn't suitable for demanding jobs.

9.9
Performance
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
Single-Thread
1,850 points
Multi-Thread
13,434 points

The Acer Swift performs exceptionally well in the Cinebench R23 benchmarks, making it suitable for 3D graphics rendering and other related workloads. The Core i5-13500H is slower but still adequate for professional-level work.

8.4
Performance
Blender (3D Rendering)
CPU Render Time
3.3 min
GPU Render Time
N/A
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A

The performance in Blender is great; however, if you need to render images professionally, it's best to get a laptop with a discrete GPU. Even an entry-level GPU, like an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650, can render images much faster than the CPU, saving you time.

5.8
Performance
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
Overall Score
22,405

The Acer Swift performs poorly in the Basemark GPU benchmark. Intel's Iris Xe isn't bad for integrated graphics, but it still isn't fast enough to provide smooth gameplay in graphically demanding games. It can only handle simple, puzzle-like games or older titles at 1080p, and even then, you'll have to play at a lower resolution or with low graphics settings to get playable frame rates.

9.6
Performance
Storage Drive Performance
Sequential Write Speed
2,079.5 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
3,840.4 MB/s
Random Write Speed
140.3 MB/s
Random Read Speed
65.3 MB/s

The SSD's performance is outstanding. Its fast read and write speeds allow the system to quickly boot up, launch apps, and transfer files.

7.1
Performance
Battery
Capacity
56 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
9.1 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
6.5 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
1.4 hrs
Charge Time
2.4 hrs

The Acer Swift's battery life is decent. You can get through a typical work or school day on a full charge, but it's close, so depending on your usage, you may have to plug it in for a quick charge. Models with an FHD+ display will have slightly longer battery life.

2.5
Performance
Borderlands 3
Avg. FPS
15 fps
1% Low
8 fps
0.1% Low
3 fps
1% Low Delta
54 ms
0.1% Low Delta
226 ms
Avg. FPS On Very Low
35 fps

Borderlands 3 isn't playable on the Acer Swift. The gameplay is extremely choppy, even with low settings. The Intel Iris Xe integrated GPU can't handle such a graphically demanding game. You can expect the same performance in other similar titles.

5.2
Performance
Civilization VI
Avg. FPS
25 fps
1% Low
18 fps
0.1% Low
17 fps
1% Low Delta
17 ms
0.1% Low Delta
18 ms
Avg. FPS On Minimum
88 fps
Avg. Turn Time
7.36 s

Civilization VI is a little choppy at 1080p with high settings because the average frame rate is too low, but you can get much smoother gameplay if you lower a couple of graphical settings. The average turn time is decent and within the expected range for an Intel 13th Gen. H-series processor. The turn time is likely longer on a model with a Core i5, albeit only marginally.

5.7
Performance
Counter-Strike: Global Offensive
Avg. FPS
62 fps
1% Low
28 fps
0.1% Low
22 fps
1% Low Delta
20 ms
0.1% Low Delta
29 ms
Avg. FPS On Low
104 fps

CS:GO runs poorly at 1080p with high settings. Although the average frame rate is good, the game stutters a lot due to frame drops. It runs more smoothly with low settings, but there are still noticeable stutters. The Core i5 will perform slightly worse.

4.1
Performance
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Avg. FPS
23 fps
1% Low
16 fps
0.1% Low
9 fps
1% Low Delta
18 ms
0.1% Low Delta
66 ms
Avg. FPS On Lowest
25 fps

Shadow of the Tomb Raider isn't playable at 1080p with high settings. The gameplay is choppy, even with low graphical settings. You have to lower the resolution to 720p to get playable frame rates in this and other similarly demanding games.

7.5
Performance
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temp While Idle
24 °C (76 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
47 °C (117 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
Fan Noise Under Load
42.0 dBA
Power & Fan Control App
No

The Acer Swift has good thermal and noise handling. The keyboard is cool at idle, and the fans are completely silent. The keyboard gets much hotter under load, but it doesn't cause any discomfort as the hot spots are closer to the top of the deck, away from where most people rest their hands. As for the fans, although they're audible at full speed, the noise isn't annoying.

8.4
Performance
Performance Over Time
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
85 °C
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
10% loss
GPU Temp (Heaven)
89 °C
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
0% loss

The Acer Swift's performance over time is great. Only the CPU throttles under load. The performance loss is small but still noticeable, especially in long, sustained workloads.

Additional Features And Software
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Windows 11
Additional Software
Yes

The Acer Swift 14 comes with many pre-installed applications, including:

  • Acer documents: PDF containing regulatory information and safety guide.
  • Acer Jumpstart: Link to Acer's website.
  • Acer Legal Information: Link to legal notice on Acer's website.
  • Acer Product Registration: Lets you register your laptop for warranty purposes.
  • Amazon: Link to Amazon website.
  • Booking.com: Link to Booking.com website.
  • Care Center: Lets you check for system issues, update firmware and drivers, clean unnecessary files, and backup data.
  • Dropbox promotion: Ad for Dropbox file-hosting service.
  • DTS Audio Processing: Lets you change the sound profile and EQ settings.
  • Evernote: Note-taking application.
  • ExpressVPN: Link to ExpressVPN virtual private network service website.
  • Forge of Empires: Strategy game.
  • Hearts Deluxe: Card game.
  • Intel Graphics Command Center: Lets you change the display's color profile and video processing settings.
  • Intel Optane Memory and Storage Management: Lets you set up multiple drives in a RAID array and optimize the SSD's performance.
  • Intel Unison: Lets you connect your smartphone to the laptop, allowing you to send and receive messages, view photos on your smartphone, and transfer files, similar to the MyPhone app.
  • Killer Intelligence Center: Lets you manage network settings and traffic.
  • McAfee: Antivirus software.
  • Planet9: Link to Planet9 esports social platform website.
  • Quick Access: Lets you turn on/off Bluelight reduction, change performance mode, and manage USB charging behavior.
  • Solitaire and Casual Games: Collection of casual games like Solitaire, FreeCell, Sudoku, Mahjong, Jigsaw, and more.
  • Spotify: App for the music streaming service.
  • User Experience Improvement Program: Lets you provide feedback to Acer about the laptop.

Additional Features And Software
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
Touch Pen
No
Secondary Display
No
Biometrics
Fingerprint Sensor

The Acer Swift has a fingerprint sensor built into the power button. You can use it to log into Windows, authorize Windows Store purchases, and auto-fill saved passwords on supported websites.