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2024 is the year that we see AI become a standard component of Windows laptops. The Acer Swift Go 14 shows that it can work even on a more affordable ultraportable.
Powered by the Intel Core Ultra processor, Acer has delivered a lightweight, compact laptop that performs reasonably well as a portable workhorse.
It may not be the best-looking laptop in the store, but it has enough going on once you open it up that you won’t end up regretting your purchase decision.
Acer Swift Go 14 review: Design
Acer hasn’t spent too much time trying to create a visually striking laptop here. The Swift Go 14 is a flat slab of aluminium.
The hinge side of the laptop is quite thick, standing just over 2 cm from the desk while closed when you factor in the additional height from the laptop’s rubber feet.
That extra thickness gives the Swift Go 14 plenty of space for an abundance of ports. On the left side you get dual Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1 output and a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port.
I did find that the bottom of the laptop’s lid did feel a little sharp when I was using the Swift Go 14 in my lap. The hinge folds down below the bottom of the base, which helps elevate the keyboard on a desk, but dug into my thighs when I was using it on the lounge.
Spin the laptop around, and you get another USB-A port plus a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card slot.
The top of the laptop does have a slight protrusion in the centre that makes the Swift Go 14 easy to open one-handed, while also housing the webcam and microphones.
The screen has an integrated webcam cover that slides across easily.
But while the Swift Go 14 doesn’t really look too exciting, it does feel robust. Obviously, I’m not going to drop the laptop during testing, but it felt solid. I could carry it one-handed while open and there was no flexing in the chassis.
The screen is a 2800 × 1800 OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate. The picture quality looks stunning, but it has a glossy finish that reflects light, a lot. At full brightness you can see what’s going on, but it’s a little like staring into the sun.
Acer Swift Go 14 review: Performance
The review unit I was sent to test was powered by the Intel Core Ultra i7-13700H processor, and boasted 16 GB RAM and 500 GB of storage. Intel Xe takes care of the graphics on the laptop.
Looking at GeekBench 6 benchmark results, the Swift Go Pro is roughly on par for CPU performance with the ASUS Vivobook S 15 OLED BAPE edition I reviewed a couple of months ago.
But it massively exceeds it on the GPU front, as demonstrated by the benchmark table below.
Benchmarks never tell the whole tale, though. On day-to-day activities like writing up reviews, and updating spreadsheets, the Swift Go 14 did an impressive job.
I could also stream Disney+ without any dramas. Gaming was a bit more of a mixed bag – basic titles were fine, but anything more graphically intensive stuttered along and didn’t give the best experience.
This isn’t overly surprising – this isn’t a gaming laptop, after all. But for a work machine that can do a bit of gaming on the side, it was fine.
Just be warned that as soon as you put the Swift Go 14 under any strain, the fans kick in and things get loud.
The keyboard and trackpad were pretty good to use, except for the arrow keys. The up and down keys are crammed too close together, taking up the same amount of space as a single key with both of them.
I also liked the integrated touch controls in the trackpad for volume and media.
Being one of the new breed of AI-enabled laptops, you also get a CoPilot key to use Microsoft’s AI tool to help you through the day. If I’m honest, I feel the whole AI thing is a bit of a waste of time here, but you don’t have to use it.
Battery life
The Acer Swift Go doesn’t compare with a MacBook for battery life, but it does give you enough to get through the day. I managed about eight hours of use in a typical workday before I reached for the charger, which is pretty good for a Windows machine.
I left it in performance mode almost all the time as well, so if you need to stretch out the battery, you could adjust it to a more balanced setting and lower the screen brightness.
Verdict
The Acer Swift Go 14 is a solid laptop. It’s neither an exotically designed beauty nor a powerhouse of specifications designed to chew tasks effortlessly.
This is a laptop designed for balance. It does a solid job at most things, looks pretty good, and is reasonably affordable. Its OLED screen helps it stand out, and while it’s reasonably thick, its still lightweight enough to carry around all day.
That combo makes it a worthy consideration. If you’re after an all-purpose laptop, the Swift Go 14 will do the job.
Buy the Acer Swift Go 14 online
The Acer Swift Go 14 SFG14-73-710N is available to purchase at Harvey Norman and the Acer Store.
- Intel® Core™ Ultra 7 processor 155H Processor
- 14" 2.8K OLED SlimBezel Screen 2800 x 1800
- Onboard Graphics
- 16GB & 512GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- Killer Wireless Wi-Fi 7, Bluetooth 5.3 or above
- 1.3kg, Up to 11.5 hours battery life
- Finger Print Reader Included
- HDMI, USB Type-C, USB 3.2
- 1 Year Pickup & Return Warranty
Acer supplied the product for this review.
