Acer wants to score points with its new AI notebook with a convincing price-performance ratio. For around €1,200 (RRP), the Acer Swift 14 AI comes with the latest Intel Core Ultra 5 226V chip, a high-resolution OLED display and an attractive notebook in a compact form. Our test.
Technical data
| The product | Swift 14 AI |
| Processor | Intel Core Ultra 5 226V (8 cores, 2.1 – 4.5 GHz); |
| Graphics performance | Intel Arc Graphics 130V |
| Display | 14 inch OLED; 2,880 x 1,800; 90 Hz |
| Storage space | 512 GB PCIe 4.0 installed |
| Memory | 16 GB DDR5 RAM |
| Keyboard | Chiclet; with white illumination |
| Operating system | Windows 11 Home |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Dimensions (W x D x H) | 312.14 mm x 221.2 mm x 16 mm |
| Weight | 1,261 grams (without power adapter) |
| Battery capacity | 65 Wh |
| Price | € 999.00 * |
Acer Swift 14 AI review: Stylish design and good build quality
- Chic design, impeccable workmanship
- Pleasantly compact and light
- Permanently installed RAM; only one M.2 slot
Acer offers the Swift 14 AI in both a light grey (Steel Grey) and a bluish (Steam Blue) color scheme. Our test model also uses the latter, although the color looks rather dark gray on closer inspection. In combination with the blue accents, which can be seen depending on the incidence of light, this creates an absolutely harmonious look.
But that’s not all: The notebook, which weighs around 1.28 kg, doesn’t make any mistakes in terms of build quality either and scores with high-quality materials and a robust casing that doesn’t give way under pressure.
With dimensions of 312.14 mm x 221.2 mm x 15.95 mm, it is also pleasantly handy and perfect for mobile use. Although there are certainly more compact 14-inch notebooks and even thinner models, the Acer is still ideal for use on the move.
The hinges make an extremely high-quality impression and the display hardly wobbles at all. It is also practical that the laptop can be opened a full 180° with the help of the hinges. This is a rarity, as it allows you to lay the laptop completely flat on a surface.
The base of the housing can be opened for maintenance using 10 Torx screws. However, this is not really necessary, because while the M.2 2280 SSD can be swapped out (although there is only one slot), the RAM is unfortunately permanently installed.
Features and connections
- only 512 GB memory; 16 GB RAM
- current Intel Core Ulta 5 226V
- modern standards; decent speakers
Speaking of the M2.SSD: Acer only gives the notebook 512 GB of storage space, but at least in the PCIe Gen 4 standard. Nevertheless, in terms of mass storage for the year 2025 or 2024, this is a bit meager. There is also 16 GB of LPDDR5X RAM, which – as already mentioned – is permanently installed. So that’s all there is.
Instead, the manufacturer equips the notebook with the latest mid-range processor from Intel, namely the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V. The Lunar Lake chip combines 8 cores with 8 threads and clock speeds of 2.1 GHz to 4.5 GHz. It also promises outstanding energy efficiency, not least thanks to 3 nm production.
This is of course accompanied by the Intel Arc Graphics 130V iGPU, which promises more FPS when gaming compared to its predecessor in the form of the Intel Iris Xe. The Acer Swift 14 AI is strongly positioned in terms of connectivity standards: In addition to Intel Killer Wi-Fi 7, there is Bluetooth 5.4 – top!
In terms of biometrics, you’ll find a fingerprint sensor in the power button and the option to log in via Windows Hello using the webcam. The webcam has a comparatively high resolution of QHD and offers good image quality, even if the color accuracy leaves something to be desired. There is a mechanical privacy shutter.
I don’t like the speakers of the Acer Swift 14 AI quite as much. The maximum volume is quite convincing, but the sound lacks a lot of detail, especially in the mids and bass. The sound is quite tinny and lacking in detail.
Decent port selection in the Acer Swift 14 AI
With a 14-inch device, the selection of connections is naturally somewhat limited. Nevertheless, the manufacturer has saved a little here in the Acer Swift 14 AI. On the left side you will find (from left to right):
- 1x HDMI 2.1
- 1x USB-A 3.2
- 2x USB-C 4.0 (including DP-Alt mode and PowerDelivery)
On the right-hand side there is another USB-A 3.2 port and a 3.5 mm jack connection. That’s it. Unfortunately, there is no card reader. If you need one, you’ll have to use a USB hub or a docking station.
Good input devices, strong OLED display
- Good keyboard
- Convincing, generous clickpad
Acer provides the Swift 14 AI with a compact keyboard that scores with good feedback. Although the key travel could be a little higher and the tiny arrow keys could also be a little larger, there is not really much to complain about. The keyboard also features white backlighting, which makes typing in darker environments much easier.
However, the touchpad performs significantly better, measuring 12.6 cm x 8 cm, which is noticeably larger than many other notebooks of this size. For comparison: The touchpad of the Samsung Galaxy Book4 Edge (our test) is slightly higher, but considerably narrower at 11.2 cm.
The Acer model’s clickpad also scores with very good gliding properties and pleasantly precise trigger points. It also implements multi-touch gestures flawlessly. Gimmick: The symbol in the top right corner of the touchpad displays a light effect when you are using an AI app, but this can also be deactivated within the companion software.
High-resolution OLED display
- OLED display with 2,880 x 1,800 pixels
- 90 Hz; 500 cd/m² brightness
- Very good color space coverage; very reflective
A special feature of the Acer Swift 14 AI that is rarely found in this price range is the display. Acer has given the laptop an OLED panel with a comparatively high resolution of 2,880 x 1,800 pixels in 16:10 format. It also has a refresh rate of 90 Hz – 120 Hz would have been better, but hey. That’s just fine.
Another special feature: With a peak brightness of around 500 cd/m², the built-in OLED panel is superior to many competitors, which usually achieve 300-400 cd/m². However, to be able to use the full brightness, you not only have to maximize the brightness with the keyboard, but also adjust it to 100 percent in the display settings.
At first, I was a little confused as to why the display was so dark, even though I had set the keyboard to full brightness. Then I realized that the Windows display settings were only set to 30 percent – I don’t know why.
The screen scores with excellent contrasts as well as rich and vivid colors. However, the display is comparatively very reflective (even for a mirrored counterpart) in direct sunlight. Outdoor use is therefore only possible to a limited extent. Nevertheless: a really nice display with excellent color space coverage.
Acer Swift 14 AI: Practical test, volume, cooling
Surfing, media streaming, office and light image and video editing: The Acer Swift 14 AI masters most tasks with ease and scores with convincing system performance. Working with this lightweight and portable notebook is a real pleasure, especially thanks to the good input devices and the impressive display. There is not much to complain about here.
The notebook is whisper-quiet during everyday tasks. However, as soon as some load is applied, the fans turn up quite quickly. However, the noise level of 42 dB(A) is quite high. Other models in this price range are noticeably quieter.
The Swift 14 AI has the temperature development very well under control. Under load, I measured a maximum of around 43°C in the middle of the keyboard, directly under the display, with temperatures below the 30°C mark towards the lower edge.
Acer also equips the notebook with a very practical companion app called AcerSense, in which you can make various settings. In addition to system monitoring and analysis, you have the option of switching between three performance modes. In quiet mode, the notebook works noticeably more quietly with reduced performance, while the performance mode keeps the maximum out – but also increases the background noise.
In performance mode, the performance increases slightly, especially in the graphics area, but in my opinion this mode does not offer any real added value. Somewhat annoying: As is typical for Acer, there is unfortunately a lot of bloatware pre-installed on the device. This includes games such as Forge of Empires and Elvenar, but also apps such as Booking.com or ExpressVPN.
Benchmark: Productivity, system, SSD and gaming
What about the performance of the Swift 14 AI? Of course, I took a closer look at this in the various benchmarks. Unless otherwise noted, the “Standard” mode was used, which does not deliver the maximum possible performance, but keeps the notebook quite quiet even under load.
I measured the productivity and system performance with PCMark 10 and Cinebench R23. PCMark 10 simulates different workflows when running the benchmark, which include word processing, surfing the Internet and spreadsheets. Cinebench, on the other hand, measures the speed of the CPU cores individually and in multi-core mode.
Geekbench 6, which measures the performance of the CPU in single and multi-core mode, as well as the power of the GPU, is now also new to our benchmark test track. In addition, Cinebench 2024 is now also available, which offers better comparison options with a new engine and a more uniform benchmark scene since September 2023.
SSD benchmark: AS-SSD
The built-in SSD from Micron delivers very good results with 4,037 MB/s read and 3,592 MB/s write. The 4K values also look good. In terms of speed, there is nothing to complain about with the mass storage, only the size could persuade users to upgrade here.
Fortunately, the SSD also maintains the performance permanently, whereby the access time for write operations is surprisingly high at 0.3 ms. Otherwise, the performance remains almost constant.
Cinebench, Geekbench and PCMark
The new second-generation Intel Core Ultra shows advantages in terms of system performance. In terms of overall performance, the Core Ultra 5 226V even overtakes the first-generation Core Ultra 7, which is used in the Medion S10 (our test), for example.
When it comes to pure multi-core CPU performance in Geekbench or Cinebench, however, the Core Ultra 5 is at a disadvantage, sometimes significantly so. Of course, this is also due to the number of cores and the higher TDP. However, the notebook makes up for this deficit in the PCMark 10 test, while the single-core values are clearly ahead.
| Benchmark | Result |
| Cinebench R23 Multi Core | 9,277 pts. |
| Cinebench R23 Single Core | 1,778 pts. |
| Cinebench 2024 Multi Core | 520 pts. |
| Cinebench 2024 Single Core | 113 pts. |
| PCMark 10 total score | 6,779 pts. |
| PCMark 10 Essentials | 9,784 pts. |
| PCMark 10 Productivity | 9,349 pts. |
| PCMark 10 Digital Content Creation | 9,244 pts. |
| Geekbench 6 Multi Core | 10,017 pts. |
| Geekbench 6 Single Core | 2,552 pts. |
| Geekbench 6 GPU | 25,019 pts. |
3D performance
In terms of gaming and 3D performance, the Acer Swift 14 AI is clearly ahead of other notebooks with Intel Iris Xe and Intel Arc 1st generation solutions thanks to Intel Arc. You shouldn’t necessarily expect a powerful gaming notebook and the Arc Graphics 140V and AMD’s Radeon 890M deliver significantly more performance, but the notebook is definitely suitable for light gaming.
Battery life
The Acer Swift 14 AI comes with a 65 Wh battery that achieves very good runtimes. Compared to the first Core Ultra generation, the notebook’s battery lasts almost twice as long as the Medion notebook, for example – even though the Medion’s battery is slightly larger at 70 Wh.
Nevertheless, the battery life of 9 hours and 53 minutes in the PCMark 10 battery benchmark is excellent and significantly longer than that of many other 14- and 15-inch notebooks. Only ARM chips usually deliver even better energy efficiency here.
Charging takes place via a handy 65-watt power supply unit included in the scope of delivery, which is connected via USB-C. A full charge is completed in around one and a half hours.
Acer Swift 14 AI Review: Conclusion
The Acer Swift 14 AI is a convincing 14-inch notebook that scores with a good display, consistent performance and excellent mobility. The workmanship is also at a very good level, while the price-performance ratio is right.
However, the laptop is not free of criticism. The display is sometimes very reflective and the RAM is not expandable. The fact that there is only one M.2 slot is also annoying, even in the 14-inch class, two slots are actually a good thing. The speakers also deliver a decent sound at best.
Otherwise, however, there is not much to complain about: Anyone looking for a compact and high-performance notebook will be very well served with the Acer Swift 14 AI.
- Great battery life
- Good OLED display
- Two USB 4 ports
- Soldered RAM
- Only 1 M.2 slot
- Disappointing speakers
Acer Swift 14 AI
Design & Workmanship
Display
Features
Performance
Battery
Value For Money
87/100
Compact notebook with good performance, great battery life and a convincing OLEWD display. However, the mediocre speakers and the soldered RAM tarnish the impression.
