Acer Swift 5 review: Late-2019 refresh makes this ultralight laptop better than ever
Source: Windows Central
Acer's Swift lineup of Ultrabooks has always been well-nigh delivering an ultraportable device for those on the go, merely the sacrifices needed to accomplish the thin blueprint turned many away. Heavy thermal throttling, poor battery life, odd port layout, and overall quality concerns were some of the major downsides of previous Swift v models. For the late-2019 model, however, Acer has made some notable changes that significantly affect the Ultrabook in a skilful way. Let'southward have a shut await at the refreshed Swift v to determine whether or not information technology'due south worth a purchase.
Belatedly-2019 refresh
Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T)
Bottom line: Acer's 14-inch Swift 5 has never been ameliorate, though the undeniably thin and light blueprint yet comes with some tradeoffs.
Pros
- Comfortable backlit keyboard and Precision touchpad
- Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth v, Thunderbolt 3 connectivity
- Slim bezel and anti-glare touch display
- Solid performance for everyday tasks
- Incredibly thin and lite
Cons
- Comes with bloatware
- Still some thermal throttling
- Fingerprint reader could be amend
Acer Swift 5 at a glance
Acer supplied Windows Key with a review unit of the Acer Swift 5. It is specifically the SF514-54T-76PY model, consummate with 10th Gen Intel Cadre i7-1065G7 processor (CPU), 8GB of LPDDR4 RAM, 512GB K.2 PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SSD), and 14-inch FHD touch brandish. This exact model retails for about $1,025, though you can get your hands on an Intel Core i5 model with otherwise similar specs starting at about $900.
Acer has made it relatively easy to remove the back cover and get at the SSD for future upgrades. This is a welcome feature, as models seem to send with a static SSD with no selection to configure from the mill. Unfortunately, RAM is soldered to the board with no mode to upgrade later buy.
A model with a defended NVIDIA MX250 graphics card (GPU) and 16GB of RAM is as well floating effectually somewhere in pre-release land. Acer'southward website currently only lists models with 8GB RAM and integrated graphics.
Here'due south a breakup of the exact hardware establish in our SF514-54T-76PY review model.
| Category | Spec |
|---|---|
| OS | Windows 10 Home |
| Processor | 10th Gen Intel Cadre i7-1065G7 4 cores Upward to 3.90GHz |
| RAM | 8GB LPDDR4 Soldered |
| Graphics | Integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics |
| Storage | 512GB Thousand.two PCIe NVMe SSD Kingston |
| Brandish | xiv inches 1920x1080 (FHD) Touch, IPS Anti-glare |
| Ports | Thunderbolt 3 USB-A 3.ane USB-A two.0 HDMI 3.5mm sound |
| Audio | Dual Stereo speakers Acer TrueHarmony |
| Wireless | Intel Wireless AX201 802.11ax MU-MIMO (2x2) Bluetooth 5.0 |
| Camera | Forepart-facing Hard disk drive |
| Security | Fingerprint reader Kensington lock slot |
| Keyboard | Backlit |
| Touchpad | Precision |
| Bombardment | 54Wh |
| Dimensions | 12.55 ten eight.29 x 0.59 inches (318.7mm x 210.5mm x 14.95mm) |
| Weight | 2.18 pounds (990g) |
What I loved virtually the Acer Swift 5
The first thing y'all'll discover about the refreshed Swift 5 is how thin and light information technology is, specially for a 14-inch device. It weighs just 2.18 pounds (0.99kg), making information technology 0.01 pounds (5g) lighter than even the LG gram 14Z990. If you're looking to buy the nigh portable 14-inch Ultrabook correct now, this is it. Information technology's even more impressive considering the Swift 5 includes a affect display. Coming off of using the Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Farthermost for a few weeks, it'due south often difficult to tell whether or not the Swift five made it into my bag.
That overall weight is accomplished by using a magnesium alloy for the chassis, as well equally plastic bezel effectually the display. It doesn't experience as durable equally a laptop using a standard chunk of aluminum — at that place is some flex in the hat and the main body — but other laptops with the aforementioned construction have stood up to years of abuse. If you lot're not using this laptop exterior of an office or home setting, immovability shouldn't really exist an consequence.
The Swift five's hinges have been tweaked to ameliorate menstruation with the balance of the laptop. You lot can no longer tilt the brandish back to sit flat with the rest of the chassis, just there'southward no longer the wide, visible chunk running beyond the middle of the device. The dual hinges, made to wait like a unmarried swivel thanks to a rounded cover, sit behind the brandish and act as a flake of a stand up to deliver a ameliorate typing angle when on a flat surface. The new design looks better and serves a secondary purpose.
Laptops this thin normally have to sacrifice some keyboard travel and overall condolement to fit the chassis. While the Swift five keys certainly don't have the deepest travel, I really didn't mind using it for all-day typing sessions. Information technology's peradventure a bit loud, merely the click is satisfying, and it has a soft feel when bottoming out. The three-phase backlight (off, bright, brighter) helps with working in the dark, and the usual Fn shortcuts are present.
The Swift v is a smart blend of portability, bombardment life, and operation.
Acer made skilful utilise of infinite below the keyboard to include a rather sizeable Precision touchpad. It lends itself to like shooting fish in a barrel productivity, with sturdy presses and no expressionless spots. You can physically left- or right-click at the very top of the touchpad and withal have them register, which isn't every bit common as you might recollect. Down-firing stereo speakers are positioned on the left and right sides of the laptop. Similar many laptops this size, audio isn't exactly impressive. If you lot're in a busy spot, they likely won't get loud enough to hear clearly, but at to the lowest degree sound remains clear and costless of distortion.
Previous Swift 5 models had some funky port orientation that made connecting peripherals a flake of an event, but the late-2019 refresh has mostly fixed the issue. On the right side is a USB-A 2.0 port and 3.5mm audio jack, equally well as a Kensington lock slot to keep the laptop secure in a loftier-traffic office. The left side includes Thunderbolt 3, USB-A iii.1, HDMI, and a small barrel charging port. A microSD card reader like the LG gram includes would be nice, but for a laptop this sparse, information technology'south hard to complain nearly the selection. Especially considering you get Thunderbolt 3 for avant-garde docking solutions.
Source: Windows Central
The Swift 5'southward 14-inch FHD impact display is better than ever, hit 99% coverage of the sRGB color gamut and 77% of the AdobeRGB gamut. It's rather punchy, and contrast seems spot on. Bezel along the sides measures simply 3.97mm with a bit more thickness along the acme for the front end-facing HD webcam, just overall you lot're getting an 86.iv% screen-to-body ratio. It's a slick expect. I'm not really one to go in for impact function on a clamshell notebook, simply information technology's in that location for anyone who wants it. The display has a matte terminate that helps eliminate glare, which is a good affair due to the express brightness.
With power set to "better battery" and display brightness cranked up to just past the halfway signal, yous can look the 54Wh bombardment to concluding an eight-hour workday without needing a charge. This is without a dedicated NVIDIA MX250 GPU sucking up extra ability. If you lot are pushing performance with full brandish brightness and need to plug in, you lot tin can await to become almost five hours of battery life from a 30-minute charge.
Part of improving battery life comes from a larger bombardment, but the tenth Gen Intel "Ice Lake" CPUs also help. The Cadre i7-1065G7 inside performed admirably alongside 8GB of RAM (soldered) and a 512GB M.2 PCIe SSD (user-upgradeable). The Swift v had no problems keeping up with general office productivity piece of work, and the Intel Iris Plus integrated graphics — nigh the equivalent of an NVIDIA MX150 dedicated GPU — handled some editing. 10th Gen hardware likewise comes with the added bonus of Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5 connectivity, setting you up well for the future. The Swift five too wakes from sleep incredibly apace. You lot open the hat, and it'southward set up to go.
I ran some synthetic benchmarks to encounter how well Acer's Swift five measures up to other laptops we've recently reviewed.
CPU
Geekbench v.0 Benchmarks (Higher is improve)
| Device | CPU | Single core | Multi core |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T) | i7-1065G7 | 1,202 | 3,600 |
| Surface Pro seven | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,205 | 4,852 |
| Surface Laptop 3 xiii.v | Core i5-1035G7 | 1,177 | 4,413 |
| Surface Laptop 3 15 | Ryzen 5 | 769 | ii,720 |
| Dell XPS xiii two-in-ane 7390 | Core i7-1065G7 | 1,209 | iii,571 |
| Dell XPS fifteen 7590 | Core i9-9980HK | 1,176 | 7,624 |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | i7-8665U | 1,236 | 3,473 |
| Dynabook Tecra X50-F | i7-8665U | 1,241 | iii,043 |
| Dell Inspiron 13 7390 2-in-1 | i7-8565U | i,111 | 2,965 |
I too ran an OpenCL GPU examination with Geekbench v to see how well the integrated Intel Iris Plus Graphics performs. I got back a score of 9,954, which is correct around where it should sit down. To compare, Dell's XPS 13 2-in-1 (7390) with the aforementioned integrated graphics scored ten,406. You shouldn't consider the Swift v a gaming laptop, but y'all're going to get performance somewhere around what an NVIDIA MX150 has to offer.
PCMark
PCMark ten Limited
| Device | Score |
|---|---|
| Acer Swift five (SF514-54T) | 4,415 |
| Surface Pro vii (i5) | 3,992 |
| Surface Laptop three 15 (AMD) | 4,006 |
| Dell XPS xiii ii-in-1 (7390) | 4,427 |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | 3,881 |
| Dynabook Tecra X50-F | 4,128 |
| Dell Inspiron thirteen 7390 two-in-i | 3,764 |
| Dell XPS xv 7590 | 5,521 |
| Dell Precision 3541 | three,906 |
The PCMark 10 Express examination measures how well a laptop handles a number of common tasks. As you tin meet, the Swift 5 holds its own among far more than expensive options.
Cinebench
Cinebench (R20) (Higher is better)
| Device | CPU | Range |
|---|---|---|
| Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T) | Core i7-1065G7 | i,361 to 1,400 |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | Core i7-8665U | 1,242 to ane,313 |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | Xeon E-2276M | ii,686 to 2,701 |
| Surface Laptop iii 13.5 | Core i5-1035G4 | 1,584 to 1,606 |
| Surface Laptop iii fifteen | Core i7-1065G7 | one,703 to 1,745 |
Running Cinebench R20 repeatedly can determine how well a laptop stands up to sustained load.
SSD
CrystalDiskMark (College is better)
| Device | Read | Write |
|---|---|---|
| Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T) | 1,641 MB/s | ane,025 MB/southward |
| Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Extreme (Gen 2) | 3,416 MB/s | 3,016 MB/due south |
| Dynabook Portégé X30-F | 529 MB/s | 348 MB/s |
| Dynabook Tecra X50-F | 3,400 MB/s | 1,952 MB/due south |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P53 | 3,567.23 MB/southward | 2,813.25 MB/south |
| Lenovo ThinkPad P52 | 3,120 MB/s | 1,551.5 MB/southward |
| Dell XPS fifteen 7590 | three,000 MB/s | 2,796 MB/s |
| MSI PS63 Modern | 3,300 MB/s | ane,875 MB/due south |
Acer includes a mid-range Kingston Grand.ii PCIe SSD in the Swift 5. It puts upward respectable numbers, but it could be way faster. Luckily, yous tin upgrade easily afterwards buy. I too ran the PCMark x data bulldoze benchmark and got back a score of 888. To compare, a Samsung PM981 scores somewhere around the 2,000 marker.
The ultra-thin chassis of the Swift 5 and the placidity internal fan means it's best cut out for bursts of performance rather than a sustained load from, say, gaming. A stress test revealed some small-scale thermal throttling with full CPU usage, but only after almost four minutes of a 100% load. This is an farthermost case, and the Swift 5 did perform admirably during everyday usage. It'due south a laptop meant for productivity piece of work on the go, and using it that way should not cause any frustration.
What I disliked almost Acer's Swift 5
Source: Windows Central
The Swift 5 has really never looked better than in this tardily-2019 version, only there are nonetheless some downsides to note other than the lite throttling mentioned above. The fingerprint reader — the narrow type that looks more than similar it should require a swipe — is finicky. If yous don't go your finger jammed right down into the space it will probable not read properly. It'due south an badgerer that y'all'll accept to alive with every time you open the laptop, at least if you want to take reward of Windows Hi.
One other annoyance is the presence of bloatware. Booting upward a brand new PC only to meet Norton Antivirus popups letting you know you need to have action now is not fun, and neither are the myriad apps that you'll want to uninstall immediately. The Swift 5 is no incertitude fabricated more toll-effective due to the extra software, but it's a hurting.
Should y'all purchase Acer'due south Swift five?
Source: Windows Central
The refreshed Acer Swift 5 stands out equally a lightweight, placidity Ultrabook with a respectable performance for most people. 10th Gen Intel Core i5 or Cadre i7 CPU options deliver considerable power, and the option to add an NVIDIA MX250 dedicated GPU can assist with some specialized work. At that place is some thermal throttling under extreme cases, but for everyday work, the laptop remains cool and gear up for whatever you lot throw its way.
The focus on productivity work doesn't pan without a functional keyboard and touchpad. The Swift 5 delivers on both accounts, and those who type all day should quickly go used to what Acer has here. Ports also contribute to productivity, and the selection offers relatively easy docking, display, and accessory connectivity. Wi-Fi vi sets it up well for the future, and an upgradeable SSD helps with storage concerns.
The addition of bloatware is an annoyance, but at least it's something you tin can take care of yourself. The fingerprint reader, on the other hand, is finicky no matter how you handle it. Battery life should final through a workday on a charge, and the touch on display offers expert color and contrast. It could exist brighter, only the matte finish helps cutting down on glare.
The Swift 5 is a laptop that I'd recommend to anyone who wants to travel light. The pros far outweigh the cons, and while it'south not a perfect device, it's certainly a laptop that's moving in the right direction.
Belatedly-2019 refresh
Acer Swift 5 (SF514-54T)
As light as they come up
Acer's Swift 5 refresh boosts performance and battery life while remaining incredibly sparse and light. If you lot're searching for an ultraportable xiv-inch Ultrabook, this should brand a groovy choice.
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UH OH
An internet connectedness volition before long exist required when setting up Windows 11 Pro
Microsoft has announced that afterward this year, users will be required to connect to the cyberspace and sign-in with a Microsoft Account during the out of box setup experience on Windows 11 Pro. Microsoft has already been enforcing this requirement on Windows 11 Home since launch terminal October, and Windows 11 Pro is now expected to follow adjust soon.
Source: https://www.windowscentral.com/acer-swift-5-review
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