Students, working professionals, and creators content creators in the market for a laptop offering efficient computing performance, the capability to handle AI workloads, and immersive experiences within a thin-and-light laptop form factor, can check out Acer’s new AI-ready Acer Swift GO 14 powered by Intel’s Core Ultra processors, Intel Arc graphics processing unit (GPU), as well as Intel AI Boost which is Intel’s new integrated neural processing unit (NPU). This laptop design doesn’t feature any cheap or nasty plastics in its construction, as the classy and sturdy feeling aluminum chassis of the Acer Swift GO 14 tips the notebook PC scales at a weight of 1.32 kg and measures in at just 14.9 mm thin.
This thin and light, portable notebook PC runs Windows 11 Home and boasts a 14″ 2.8k (non-touch) OLED SlimBezel display that not only features gorgeous, sumptuous colours but actually covers 100% of the Adobe and DCI-P3 colour gammits, allowing for supreme colour accuracy. It is paired with speakers that sound clear at the loudest volumes without any hint of tinniness.
Equally impressive is the performance from under the metallic hood courtesy of Intel’s Core Ultra 7 155H processor, Intel Arc GPU, a whopping 32 GB of RAM, and 1TB (1000 GB) SSD. This allows for snappy and smooth performance within Windows 11, even whilst multitasking. The fans also remain relatively quiet on this laptop, whilst the efficient Core Ultra 7 CPU and 65Wh Lithium-Ion battery deliver an impressive ten-hour battery life for us on test but up to 12.5 hours in theory according to Acer, which may be possible during more casual usage cases. Whether you are streaming your favourite series, researching and typing up assignments or your thesis, or taking a job interview via Microsoft Teams, you will not have to reach for the charging brick as often as in the past on Intel-powered notebook PCs.
Speaking of videoconferencing and online meetings, the Swift GO 14’s 1440p QHD webcam (can be deactivated via a physical switch) is more responsive and requires less power from the device thanks to AI-supported technology: Acer PurifiedVoice technology is there to remove unwanted background noises whilst Acer PurifiedView allows this laptop to showcase the best on-screen appearances, by enabling background blur, automatic framing, and gaze correction. When the use of the laptop’s camera or microphone is detected, the new Acer QuickPanel feature instinctively pops up to allow swift and easy configuration of the videoconferencing solutions. This really works a treat and for us is the most useful aspect to AI capabilities. Furthermore, Copilot is also there to assist you to summarize a web page, compose an email, change PC settings, or generate an image, along with other exciting AI capabilities made available in apps including Paint, Snipping Tool, Photos.
Also onboard the Swift GO 14 is essential connectivity ports including two USB Type-C, HDMI 2.1, and a MicroSD slot are also present, while Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Intel Bluetooth LE Audio deliver high-quality wireless network and audio connections. Moreover, the typing experience is pretty comfortable whilst the trackpad is large with a smooth action and a trick up its sleeve. It not only features illuminated Swift branding but also reveals illuminated control buttons that are context/app aware i.e. whilst watching YouTube videos or listening to music you get controls for skipping tracks, volume up and down, mute, or view fullscreen for instance. This works well and is quite handy when consuming media.
All of this style, capabilities, and performance does come at a price though, namely around R30k from local retailers such as Incredible Connection. For that price, you can also check out offerings such as ASUS’s Vivobook S15 S5507 OLED laptop/Copilot+ PC, or Dell’s Inspiron 7440 Plus that is also powered by Intel’s Ultra 7-155H, and comes with 32GB of RAM and 1TB SSD storage. The Acer Swift GO 14 though does bring a lot of spec bang and quality design to the table though and is definately worth considering for your laptop buy shortlist.
