Acer Swift 14 AI (AMD) review: balanced performance and battery longevity

      Acer Swift AI 14 (AMD)

      MSRP: $1,200.00

      “The Acer Swift 14 AI emphasizes performance over battery life, unlike many other recent 14-inch laptops. However, it still performs well in both aspects.”

      Pros

      - Rapid productivity performance

      - Excellent battery life

      - High-quality IPS display

      - Robust build quality

      - Appealing sale price

      Cons

      - Slightly bulky

      - Touchpad is purely mechanical

      Occasionally, I review two similar laptops that mainly differ in their chipsets. I previously assessed the Acer Swift 14 AI featuring the Intel Lunar Lake chipset and praised its remarkable battery life, and now I have the AMD variant promising greater speed with the AMD Ryzen AI 9 chipset. While they aren't identical, they are similarly priced and of comparable size. The decision between them hinges on whether you prioritize battery life or performance. The AMD version of the Swift 14 AI will likely satisfy those seeking a speedier device while still providing commendable battery durability.

      Specifications and Configuration

      Acer Swift 14 AI

      Dimensions: 12.3 x 8.8 x 0.67-0.74 inches

      Weight: 3.0 pounds

      Display: 14.0-inch 16:10 FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS, 60Hz

      CPU: AMD Ryzen AI 9 365

      GPU: Radeon Graphics 880M

      Memory: 16GB or 32GB

      Storage: 1TB M.2 NVMe SSD

      Ports: 2 x USB4, 2 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1 x HDMI 2.1, 1 x 3.5mm headphone jack

      Camera: 1440p

      Wi-Fi: Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

      Battery: 75 watt-hour

      Operating system: Windows 11

      Price: $1,000+

      Acer provides two versions of the Swift 14 AI, both utilizing the AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 chipset and a 14.0-inch FHD+ (1920 x 1200) IPS display. The base model priced at $1,200 (currently on sale for $1,000) includes 16GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD. Upgrading to 32GB of RAM increases the price to $1,300. This puts the Swift 14 AI at the edge of the premium market. There are solid laptops available for less than $1,000, especially those with Qualcomm Snapdragon X processors. Depending on promotions, other laptops with similar AMD chipsets can also be found at comparable prices, like the HP OmniBook Ultra 14, which is currently on sale for $900 with a 512GB SSD and a higher-resolution 2.2K IPS display.

      Design

      Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

      It’s uncommon to review a laptop today that doesn’t feature a minimalist design. The Swift 14 AI has a sleek all-metal silver chassis devoid of excessive embellishment. It is visually appealing, with a smooth edge along the side and a more angular rear edge, though it does not stand out. It's not the most aesthetically pleasing laptop I've encountered, but it meets acceptable standards. The OmniBook Ultra 14 and the MacBook Air M3 appear more attractive, but this is not a major drawback.

      The Swift 14 AI is well-constructed, with only a slight flex in the lid under significant pressure, a commonality shared with the MacBook Air. The keyboard and chassis exhibit durability, and there are no concerns about the laptop's robustness.

      In terms of dimensions, the display bezels are thin enough, keeping the laptop's width and depth reasonable. Acer has incorporated a reverse notch for the webcam and other components, similar to Lenovo’s designs, which helps minimize the top bezel. The AMD variant is thicker than the Intel option, likely to enhance airflow for the high-performance chipset. Weighing 3.0 pounds, the Swift 14 AI is average for 14-inch laptops.

      Keyboard and Touchpad

      Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

      The keyboard for the AMD model differs slightly from the Intel version, featuring standard island keys that are a bit smaller with increased spacing. I preferred the other keyboard, mainly due to lighter and more responsive switches. While adequate, this keyboard ranks lower than the best options, like Apple’s Magic Keyboard and HP's OmniBook keyboards.

      The mechanical touchpad functions well, providing decisive and relatively quiet clicks. It has an unusual LED indicator in the upper-right corner, intended to illuminate when AI features are active, but I did not observe it working. The display is touch-enabled, which is a preferred feature.

      Connectivity and Webcam

      The laptop offers ample connectivity options, including a mix of modern and legacy ports. Being an AMD laptop, it includes USB4 instead of Intel's Thunderbolt 4