Acer Swift Go 14 evaluation:
The Acer Swift Go 14 is a status transportable laptop computer that prices barely lower than many of the competitors.
It’s kind of just like the laptop computer I assume impressed its identify in that sense, the Microsoft Floor Go laptop computer. Nevertheless, this type of machine is nothing really new for the Acer Swift sequence.
You have been capable of finding laptops with an analogous modus operandi for years within the Swift 3. However not like the old-old days, the Swift Go 14’s specs go genuinely excessive, together with an 1800p OLED show that is reviewed right here.
The problems? It is not probably the most gorgeous ultraportable in its class, and the plastic touchpad appears merely misplaced within the higher-end Swift Go 14. Hold studying for the total evaluation.
Acer Swift Go 14
The success of the Swift Go 14 is in utilizing a high-performance processor prepared for demanding jobs, and but not making a laptop computer that weighs lots or has brief battery life. Nevertheless, a couple of elements stick out as mid-tier at finest, particularly when purchasing for the higher-spec fashions.
- Highly effective CPU efficiency
- All-day battery life (for indoors work, not less than)
- Nice portability
- Color-rich OLED display screen
- Touchpad and keyboard high quality are behind the pack
- Boring design
- Bass-free audio system
Design
- Steel casing
- 1.25kg weight
- A largely non show-off design
The Acer Swift Go 14 pricing begins from $799/£699 and goes as much as $1050/£999, relying in your configuration. It is prepared to go high-end, however at its coronary heart this can be a smart and sensible laptop computer somewhat than a luxurious show-off.
It does not look massively completely different to a few of Acer’s funds fashions. However maybe that claims extra in regards to the touches of sophistication the corporate manages to suit into laptops just like the ultra-budget Swift 1.
The Swift 14 Go has an aluminium casing. Not one of the important physique panels are plastic, and this laptop computer is made for espresso shop-hopping portability. It weighs a shade underneath the class common at 1.25kg, and is reasonably slim at 14.95mm thick. Keyboard plate rigidity is great and the display screen is fairly stiff for one with no large pane of show glass to stabilise it.
This is the place I come to the primary of the much less high-end wanting elements of the Acer Swift Go 14. It has a plastic display screen, which helps decrease weight, but additionally means there is a raised plastic border across the show itself. All of those borders are slim. However a few of you could considerably desire the looks of end-to-end show glass.
The Acer Swift Go 14 additionally lacks the luxurious laptop computer trait of with the ability to open the lid from closed with a single finger. As an alternative you get a dependable bog-standard hinge that solely opens to across the 130-degree norm, however does not wobble about when you work with the laptop computer in your knees whereas out and about.
Show
- As much as a 1800p OLED
- Excessive color protection
- Non-touch show (in evaluation mannequin)
A few of these display screen observations should not going to use to the Swift Go 14 model you could be eyeing up. There are three shows on supply, relying on the place you reside. Two IPS LCDs, with and with out contact, and what’s being examined right here – so do be careful for that.
That is the Large Mac, a 1800p 14in OLED. It is one of the crucial vibrant laptop computer screens I’ve ever reviewed, and because it’s an OLED you naturally get just about flawless distinction. Having written a few of this write-up out within the blazing solar on the native park, I can affirm it will get fairly brilliant. Not MacBook Professional miniLED display screen brilliant, however comparable with the opposite OLED shows present in much more costly laptops in 2023.
It might maybe look barely higher with a glass show floor as an alternative of a plastic one. However in most conditions the distinction is not that noticeable because the show remains to be shiny.
The true potential disadvantage right here is the dearth of contact and stylus help. If you happen to want both of these, look elsewhere – even on the lower-end touch-capable IPS Swift Go 14.
Keyboard and touchpad
- Weak plastic touchpad
- OK keyboard
- 2-stage backlight
The keyboard and touchpad are the areas during which the Acer Swift Go 14 does not fairly match as much as the requirements of my favorite ultraportables. And the pad is the principle sticking level.
Acer’s Swift Go 14 keyboard is okay however nothing particular. It has mid-tier motion, an enthusiastically springy really feel and is neither notably darkish or brilliant. Within the first couple of minutes I did not prefer it that a lot, however over the times and 1000’s of typed phrases – yep I can dwell with this simply wonderful. It additionally has a fundamental 2-level white key backlight.
The Acer Swift Go 14 touchpad is OK to place in a laptop computer promoting in direction of the decrease finish of the this household’s worth vary – as talked about, fashions begin at $799/£699. However this pad is a slab of plastic, and I anticipate glass once you may find yourself paying $1050/£1000+.
This use of plastic in touchpads is one thing of an Acer 2023 development. You will additionally discover one within the even pricier Acer Swift Edge. Why? It appears to be a part of Acer’s push to make use of extra recycled supplies, as a result of it calls the pad OceanGlass. It is one other phrase for recycled plastic.
A cynical take is that Acer is dressing up value financial savings as eco advertising and marketing. However it does not really make a lot of a fuss about OceanGlass within the Swift 14 Go’s product web page.
It is tackier, squeaker than glass, and feels much less substantial. Its mechanical clicker can be fairly brilliant. Nevertheless, it not less than features completely nicely, and whereas small all the floor is clickable. Mechanical pads are sometimes laborious to “click on” in in direction of their prime. Not so right here.
Efficiency
- Excessive efficiency processor
- No devoted graphics card
- Noticeable fan noise underneath stress
One other class, one other caveat. Identical to final yr’s Swift 3 sequence, the Acer Swift Go 14 are a various bunch, with CPU choices starting from the AMD Ryzen 5 7520U proper as much as what’s examined right here, the Intel Core i7-13700H.
Storage is what brings them collectively. As seen in another latest mid-tier Acers, 512GB is the minimal storage you may discover within the Swift Go 14. That is double what you get within the base MacBook Air. And in contrast to Apple and Microsoft, Acer’s improve prices are completely affordable.
512GB goes to go a good distance so long as you do not plan on modifying video or taking part in video games that take up dozens of gigabytes. You are going to have restricted luck with the latter anyway, because the Acer Swift Go 14 solely has the Intel Xe graphics chipsets constructed into the central processor.
For different stuff you are golden, although. The Core i7-13700H is a part of Intel’s efficiency laptop computer vary, the type of CPU you may discover in a a lot heavier and thicker laptop computer.
In fact, a laptop computer like that’s going to have the ability to push the processor tougher, for longer. However would I take advantage of the Swift 14 Go for video modifying? Positive, notably the 16GB RAM model examined right here.
Below regular workloads – phrase processing, electronic mail, a little bit of looking – the Swift Go 14 is completely silent. Nevertheless, as is the norm for this class you do pay for the skinny, low-weight design with the marginally annoying higher-pitch fan tone, heard everytime you put the factor underneath actual stress.
Battery life and options
- Nearly 10 hours of sunshine use
- Pretty superior 1440p webcam
- Helpful array of connections
A slim laptop computer like this with a performance-led processor normally units off alarm bells. Again within the day you would not have anticipated the typical Intel H-series laptop computer battery to final way more than 5 hours.
Fortunately, the Acer Swift Go 14 does a lot better than that. It may well last as long as 9 hours and 40 minutes, comfortably over the basic 8-hour “all day” use.
Nevertheless, when working exterior with the show blasting at most brightness, you possibly can anticipate the Swift to final nearer to 5 hours 20 minutes.
The Swift Go 14’s webcam is one other curiosity. I’ve seen a great deal of laptop computer ranges swap from 720p cams to Full HD ones over the past 12 months or so, however the Swift has a fair higher-res choice, at 2560 x 1440 decision digital camera.
Whereas this does not resolve conventional webcam issues like bad-looking color in indoors lighting and dangerous dynamic vary, it does successfully allow a system-level characteristic referred to as Computerized Framing. Just like the webcam of some sensible audio system or Insta360’s motion cameras, this crops into the digital camera view to centre the picture in your face. It is a neat idea, however does imply you don’t use the entire subject of view when aiming for that basic webcam look.
The Acer Swift Go 14 additionally feels able to roll with work in different methods too. Its connectivity is, by 2023 requirements, beneficiant and various. You get two Thunderbolt 4 USBs (USB4 in AMD CPU fashions), two USB-A 4.2s, a microSD slot and an HDMI 2.1, prepared for the newest TVs.
Take that, MacBooks. They may deal with film playback immediately from the laptop computer display screen itself higher than the Acer Swift Go 14, although, as this laptop computer doesn’t have nice audio system. Most quantity is okay, however even after twiddling with the Nahimic sound modes on supply, none can conjure a remotely persuasive approximation of actual bass.
Verdict
The Acer Swift 14 Go could also be a part of a brand new sub-series, however that is basic Acer design, in a largely constructive sense.
For smart cash you will get a significantly performant, transportable and decent-looking laptop computer that may final by way of a full day of labor. And Acer does not cost obscene quantities if you wish to bump up the spec, as Microsoft does for its personal in any other case beautiful Laptop computer Go line.
A couple of points come up once you get to the higher-end fashions, as examined right here, the place a few of the concessions to worth begin to stick out, just like the plastic touchpad and bland design. I might have appreciated to see higher.
