Acer Swift 5 overview: Modern and fashionable ultraportable harm by a foul touchpad

Greatest Costs At present: Acer Swift 5 (2022)

Can a lamentable touchpad damage what’s an in any other case well-rounded laptop computer? That’s the massive query with the Acer Swift 5, a 14-inch ultraportable with a modern design and a roomy, hi-res show powered fashionable parts. Sadly, the touchpad is undersized with a horrible click on mechanism that sours the deal.

That mentioned, touchpad apart, the Swift 5 has rather a lot going for it. It packs in a 14-inch show with a tall 16:10 side ratio inside a modern, all-metal enclosure and weighs lower than three kilos. Inside, the system boasts a Twelfth-gen Intel Core i7 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a spacious 1TB SSD. The laptop computer delivers the robust efficiency and lengthy battery life that enterprise execs want together with the excessive fashion and portability they crave. That touchpad, although.

Specs

Our Acer Swift 5 take a look at system (mannequin SF514-56T-797T) is promoting for $1,499.99 direct from Acer and options the next specs: 

• CPU:  Intel Core i7-1260P
• Reminiscence: 16GB
• Graphics: Intel Iris Xe
• Storage: 1TB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD
• Show: 14-inch, 2560×1600 IPS contact
• Webcam: 1080p
• Connectivity: 2 x USB-C with Thunderbolt 4, 2 x USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A, HDMI 2.1, combo audio jack. 
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capability: 59.5 Watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.2 x 8.4 x 0.59 inches
• Measured weight: 2.8 kilos (laptop computer), 0.4 kilos (AC adapter)
• Value: $1,499.99

Tall show, horrible touchpad

Together with the transfer to Twelfth-gen Intel Core processors, this up to date Swift 5 mannequin additionally expands the 14-inch show. It’s nonetheless a 14-inch panel as earlier fashions, but it surely trades the widescreen 16:9 side ratio for a 16:10 display screen. This may increasingly not sound like an enormous deal, but it surely makes the 14-inch show really feel roomier as a result of you’ve gotten extra room from high to backside. The taller show means you may learn extra strains of an online web page or doc or view extra rows in an Excel sheet with out scrolling.

Together with the brand new side ratio comes a bounce in decision. Earlier variations provided a regular full HD decision, however this new Swift 5 boasts a 2560×1600 decision that leads to an extremely sharp image. It’s additionally very brilliant. Acer charges the panel at 425 nits, and my testing confirmed even brighter than that at simply over 500 nits. Though the Swift 5 is just not a 2-in-1 convertible, the show does characteristic contact help, which you will recognize after utilizing the touchpad.

Okay, let’s speak in regards to the touchpad. For starters, it feels a bit cramped. Given the compact design of the laptop computer, Acer couldn’t make it an excessive amount of bigger, however there may be nonetheless some room above the touchpad and a bit under it to increase its dimensions. The a lot greater flaw, nevertheless, is its click on mechanism. It’s terrible. The touchpad floor feels free. However not so free that there’s something incorrect with our overview unit that’s unlikely to point out up on others. No, the floor is free when clicked in order that it’s essential to press by way of a false click on to get to the precise click on. It’s only a horrible expertise. The deep journey with the false click on earlier than arriving on the precise click on makes a easy click on really feel like a chore. You’ll discover utilizing the contact show or an exterior mouse to be higher enter choices than the kludgy touchpad.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

There aren’t any such points with the keyboard. Its keys really feel agency and snappy, and there aren’t any shortened keys. The up- and down-arrow keys are half-height, however that’s common. The remainder of the keys are full measurement and situated the place you anticipate them to be. I used to be instantly comfy typing on the Swift 5, however the gold lettering doesn’t present the perfect distinction in opposition to the darkish grey keys. The 2-level backlight helps considerably in darkened circumstances, however the glare of the show in opposition to the keys can wash out the lettering and make it tough to see which secret is which.

Acer sells two shade variations of the Swift 5; the laptop computer is available in what the corporate calls Mist Inexperienced or Steam Blue. We acquired the inexperienced shade, but it surely appears to be like extra like darkish grey than the rest. Solely in sure gentle do you see a touch of inexperienced. The sides, Acer logos, and aforementioned key symbols are gold. Whereas I want the important thing symbols have been white for higher distinction, I just like the gold accents elsewhere. The colour distinction appears to be like cool as does the distinction in finishes. The inexperienced/grey surfaces characteristic a matte end whereas the gold accents are extra reflective. It provides as much as a sharp-looking laptop computer and one which stands out from the gray-and-chrome pack with out wanting garish.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

The aluminum chassis feels sturdy. There is no such thing as a flex within the lid or the keyboard deck and solely a small quantity of flex on the underside panel. The Swift 5 feels rugged sufficient to face as much as the trials of each day enterprise journey.

The Swift 5 weighs 2.8 kilos, which makes it extremely moveable however removed from the lightest 14-inch ultraportable. The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 additionally has a 14-inch 16:10 display screen and weighs almost half a pound much less at 2.4 kilos. And the earlier Swift 5 with the older 14-inch 16:9 show weighs solely 2.3 kilos.

Zoom calls and video conferences have change into a bigger a part of work life, and laptop computer webcams are bettering because of this. You possibly can rely the Swift 5 among the many laptops following this development, buying and selling within the earlier normal 720p digital camera for a 1080p digital camera. The Swift 5’s webcam will make you look sharp to your video convention attendees. The picture it produces is freed from noise whereas exhibiting correct colours and pores and skin tones. One draw back to the webcam? It lacks a privateness shutter.

Sadly, the Swift 5 makes no positive aspects with audio output. It options a regular set of stereo audio system that produce usually tinny laptop computer sound. The audio system may need sounded a bit absolutely in the event that they fired upward, however on the Swift 5 they fireplace downward, which doesn’t assist their sound.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

With each USB Kind-C and -A ports and an HDMI port, the Swift 5 won’t require you to journey with an adapter. It encompasses a pair of USB-C ports and a pair of USB 3.2 Gen 1 Kind-A ports. The Kind-A ports are cut up with one on either side, letting you plug your mouse into your most well-liked facet. The USB-C ports are each situated on the left facet, which isn’t all the time the perfect facet if the closest energy outlet to you is to your proper. On the plus facet, each USB-C ports supply Thunderbolt 4 help for quick 40Gbps information transfers and DisplayPort connectivity. 

Acer Swift 5 efficiency

Our Acer Swift 5 take a look at system options an Intel Core i7-1260P processor, 16GB of RAM, built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics, and a 1TB SSD. The Core i7-1260P is a member of Intel’s Alder Lake-P sequence of 28-watt cell chips. The Core i7-1260P options Intel’s new hybrid structure with efficiency and effectivity cores; it has 4 efficiency cores, eight effectivity cores, and a complete of 16 processing threads.

To get a way of the XPS 15 9520’s efficiency, we in contrast its benchmark outcomes to these of different ultraportables together with the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Professional 360, which options the identical Core i7-1260P chip because the Swift 5. Two laptops, the Acer Swift 3X and Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 9, characteristic Eleventh-gen Core i7 chips, whereas the remaining pair within the Dell Inspiron 14 7000 and Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon characteristic AMD Ryzen 7 5000-series CPUs. All depend on built-in graphics.

Our first benchmark is PCMark 10, which measures efficiency on on a regular basis computing work together with workplace productiveness duties, internet shopping, and video chats. AMD-based laptops have had the sting on PCMark for the previous 12 months or so, however Intel’s new technology of Core processors have closed the hole. The AMD-based Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7 Carbon is tops amongst this group, however the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Professional 360 and the Acer Swift 5 are nipping at its heels whereas additionally edging the AMD-based Dell Inspiron 14 7000. The pair of Eleventh-gen Core i7-based laptops completed behind the pack.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Our HandBrake benchmark checks how a laptop computer is ready to deal with crushing CPU masses over a prolonged interval—on this case, transcoding a 30GB MKV file to a format appropriate for Android tablets utilizing HandBrake, the free video encoding utility. The Swift 5 took high honors on our HandBrake take a look at, with the AMD-based programs trailing behind and the 2 Eleventh-gen Intel laptops mentioning the rear.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Subsequent up is Cinebench, one other CPU-intensive take a look at however one which renders a posh 2D scene over a brief time period. The Swift 5 proved it’s pretty much as good a sprinter as marathoner, ending first on each the multi-threaded and single threaded checks.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Not one of the laptops right here can be confused with a gaming laptop computer, but it surely’s notable that the Swift 5 and the Samsung Galaxy Book2 Professional 360 high the charts. It reveals the strides Intel has made with its built-in GPU with its Twelfth technology of Core processors, additional widening the hole between Intel Iris Xe graphics and AMD’s built-in Radeon graphics.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

To check a laptop computer’s battery life, we loop a 4K video utilizing Home windows 11’s Films & TV app, with the laptop computer set to Airplane mode and earbuds plugged in. We set the display screen brightness at a comparatively brilliant 250 nits to 260 nits, which is an efficient brightness for watching a film in an workplace with the lights on. The Swift 5 ran for 13 hours on the take a look at, which is spectacular in its personal proper and much more so whenever you think about its excessive decision show that consumes extra battery assets than a Full HD show would.

IDG / Matthew Elliott

Touchpad prevents stronger advice

Between its modern and durable all-metal design, roomy 14-inch show and sub-three-pound weight, robust Twelfth-gen Core i7-led efficiency and lengthy battery life, the Acer Swift 5 is an ultraportable not with out its charms. That is one laptop computer, nevertheless, that you just must get your arms on earlier than buying. The touchpad is undersized and has one of many worst click on mechanisms this reviewer has ever encountered. Maybe the false-click-before-you-get-to-the-real-click response gained’t hassle you as a lot because it did me, however the horrible touchpad prevents me from making a robust advice. As an alternative, I’d counsel you to test it out before you purchase it. As a result of should you just like the touchpad (or simply don’t hate it), then the possibilities are good that you just’ll love the Swift 5.