Acer Swift 5, we've tested it

Acer Swift 5, we've tested it

Acer Swift 5 Seal

Acer has set out to become the featherweight champion. And to faith that it is obtaining it. Its Acer Swift 5 is one of the lightest notebooks on the scene in the 14-inch format, weighing just 970 grams. But what is more interesting, it achieves it without giving up several features that tend to disappear from the equation in these devices. Like the presence of a full-size HDMI port and two USB ports. And without losing strength, thanks to the use of a magnesium and lithium alloy chassis. The starting price of this equipment is 1,100 euros. We have had the opportunity to get our hands on him. We tell you what our experience has been.

Acer Swift 5 logo

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Acer Swift 5-SF514-52T datasheet

screen14 ″ IPS screen with Full HD resolution
ProcessorIntel Core i5-8250U quad-core 1.6 GHz (max. 3.4 GHz)
RAM8 GB
Graphic cardIntel Graphics 620
AudioTwo speakers
Internal memory256GB SSD
Battery2-cell battery, around 4 hours of normal use
Operating systemWindows 10 Home
ConnectionsWiFi 802.11 ac, Bluetooth
Ports 2 x USB 3.0, 1 x USB Type-C, 1 x HDMI
Colorsblue
Dimensions329mm x 228mm x 14.90mm (970 grams)
Featured FeaturesFingerprint reader
Release dateAvailable
PriceFrom 1,100 euros

Long live magnesium!

They say that magnesium is good for strengthening the body. And in the case of the Acer Swift 5, its magnesium-lithium alloy body works wonders. We are talking about a 14-inch laptop in only 970 grams , something that is available to very few. If you still had the image of Acer attached to large, robust and simple computers, the Swift 5 is one of the models that come to take that image out of your head.

The most interesting thing about the case is that, unlike the Acer Swift 7, the Taiwanese company has given up on creating a notebook as thin as a pencil. The Swift 5 is twice as thick (20 millimeters by 10), but that's not necessarily a bad thing. On the contrary, it seems to me a complete success. It means keeping full-size USB ports, and a full-size HDMI port . And it means more surface area to create resonance for a very remarkable audio experience on a laptop. Both for its power and for the quality of the audio. This Dolby Audio system is one of the pleasant surprises of the Swift, especially if you are not an audiophile but want to enjoy a good experience when watching movies or listening to music.

Acer Swift 5 dolby audio

Of course, I do not recommend that you set the volume to the maximum because the body of the laptop vibrates under the keys and the area to support the palms. This is where one realizes that this model could have been considerably thinner if Acer had wanted it.

Acer Swift 5 side

An elegant and stately laptop

The Acer Swift 5 is a notebook that does not have that "wow" effect in its design. But right away you realize that you are looking at a premium model. The feeling it generates is very premium, with the metal hinge that occupies almost the entire width of the front. This hinge has a curious hexagonal shape and the Swift logo engraved on one of its faces . Apart from the visual impact, which is very good, the great advantage of this hinge is that it is quite robust to the model. It is true that by leaving some space on both sides, the screen shakes slightly when typing in a more powerful way. And for the most demanding users it can be a handicap.

Acer Swift 5 hinge

On the contrary, it is strong enough to easily hold the panel in different positions until it is laid flat on the table . Personally, I really appreciate this versatility as it is an advantage if you are working in the car or if you are used to placing the laptop on your lap. The chosen color is dark gray with a bluish touch, which also reaches the keyboard keys themselves. Personally, I like notebooks that maintain this color uniformity between the keyboard and the rest.

Acer Swift 5 keyboard

A keyboard that's easy to adapt to

Speaking of the keyboard, the Acer Swift 5 does a good job in this section. The keys are well spaced and I really like both the size and the position of three capital keys such as Enter, Delete and Shift. These are placed on the far right of the keyboard. It may seem like the most logical thing to do, but there are manufacturers who choose to place the arrow keys all the way to the right. What does not convince me so much is that the button to turn off the computer is just above, where many times the delete key is located. This can cause some confusion until we get used to it all.

The dark gray of the keys contrasts with the yellow to brown color with which the letters have been given. numbers and functions. It is a color that looks good in contrast, but that (personally) gives me the feeling of being in front of a laptop from another era. How could it be otherwise, it is backlit, although with only one position available. When the lights are on the color of the letters is more attractive and reminds of the old gold of the lights of the old street lamps.

It also highlights the inclusion of a fingerprint reader. More and more models have this alternative identification system. An extra security that comes in handy if you do not want to enter the password every time you turn on the laptop.

Acer Swift 5 internal memory test

Good internal memory

At the heart of this model is an SSD- type memory with 256 GB of storage . In principle, a sufficient capacity if the equipment is used normally. I have tested the Acer Swift 5 through the CrystalDiskMark application. As you can see in the upper screenshot, the notebook achieves a read speed of 520MB / s and a read speed of 495MB / s.These are quite good figures, although it is not among the most powerful memories. By the way, if you need more space, you will have to opt for an external hard drive or a USB memory, since in this case there is no microSD card slot. This is one of the few weak points that I have found with the notebook in terms of connections (but it is very well compensated by the presence of full USB and HDMI ports).

Acer Swift 5 screen

Bright display with touch functionality

The Acer Swift 5 uses an IPS-type screen . This technology is present in a large number of panels for both laptops and monitors and mobile phones. One of its main advantages lies in its good viewing angles, up to 178 degrees both horizontally and vertically. On the other hand, the panel of this model is tactile. The answer is quite fine and agile, but it gives me the impression that the screen is somewhat sagged with respect to the frames. This difference in height would go unnoticed if it weren't for the fact that the app and start menu icons are too close to the edge. That makes them a bit more difficult to access at times.

Of course, if you are like me and you use this equipment almost always as a laptop to use, you will not have a major problem. What does stand out in this panel is a good level of brightness to be able to see its contents even outdoors. Reflections are also treated quite well , although they are still a nuisance when hit by a light source. However, it is true that the alternative of betting on a matte screen takes away a lot of charm from watching movies and videos. The resolution is in Full HD of 1,920 x 1,080 pixels. Personally, I think it is more than enough to enjoy the experience that such a notebook can offer.

8th Generation Intel Core Processor

The Swift 5 is one step below the Acer Swift 7. Instead of an Intel Core i7 chip, go for a Core i5 model. In this specific case, a Core i5-8250U, with four cores running at 1.60 GHz and the ability to reach speeds of up to 3.4 GHz in times of need. The processor is paired with 8GB RAM, a common value for ultrabooks in this price range. In truth, if you are going to use the computer to use office applications, browse and watch videos on the Internet, it is difficult for you to notice the difference. Users who need more power can go for its bigger brother Swift 7.

Autonomy of four to five hours in normal use

It is what this ultrabook has endured me on average with the brightness around 80%. The Taiwanese company speaks of up to eight hours of use, but keep in mind that official figures are rarely met. Personally, it seemed to me that this team is closer to the theoretical figure than other models that I have tried in recent times , something to be appreciated. In addition, it is a very competitive time that it can give us to endure an international flight or a long train trip .

Acer Swift 5 overview

Price and reviews

This year's Acer Swift 5 is priced very competitively at 1,100 euros. There are models with greater power and memory capacity, but in this case their price shoots up to exceed the 1,500 euro barrier. For just over 1,000 euros, we have a touch laptop with a really attractive design, capable of housing a 14-inch screen in less than a kilo of weight . At this point, there are few proposals on the market that can compete face to face with the Swift 5, such as the LG Grams (which have yet to go through our hands).

I really liked the balance of the proposal, there is no section of the Swift 5 that lacks, and the buts that can be wielded to this team do not detract from the final result. Among these I would name the height of the frames relative to the touchscreen or the lack of a microSD card slot. Of course, in exchange we have two full-size USB ports and an HDMI port. It is not a laptop with a large battery but it does deliver reasonably and will not leave you down. In short, a very attractive proposal that has left a good taste in my mouth.

Acer Swift 5