The most expensive laptops are the ones you're meant to really get excited about, right? Acer's Swift line Acer Swift 5 SF514-55TA is a bit different. The mid-range Swift 5 is often the sweet spot for both value and design. And that's no different for 2021.
It is a powerful, extremely light laptop that doesn't feel like a flat-out lightweight. And at under a grand and a couple of hundred cheaper than a similarly specced Dell XPS 13 it's got price appeal too.
You get an 11th Gen Core i5 CPU, 8GB RAM, and 512GB of SSD storage. With some other models you might only get 256GB storage. And for the person who needs a general purpose laptop, not one that will actually be used for apps that really chomp down on 16GB RAM, that extra storage is really the most meaningful bump-up you can get.
Not sure whether to get a Core i5 or i7 laptop? They both have four cores, eight threads. The Core i7 has a smidgen more core power and a little more GPU power. But the change is not as big as it is in the world of desktop PC CPUs.
But theSwift 5 isn't perfect. It's not the most stylish laptop in this class and it has a plastic trackpad, which is a bit of a cheap move. But if low weight for real work when on the go is what you are after, then the Swift 5 is a sound buy.
Acer is one of the main proponents of ultra low-weight laptops. The Swift 5 weighs just a fraction over a kilo, around 300g less than the average weight for a portable 13-inch laptop.
The Acer Swift 5 has a very good screen, but not one as advanced as some of the laptops you might pay even more for, like the HP Spectre x360.Thankfully, the one "cut" is the bit the fewest people are likely to notice at first glance. The Swift 5 has nice colour, but not ultra-wide gamut colour.
That means the laptop can't render those ultra-vivid tones. But unless you do pro imaging work, you don't need to worry about it too much. The Acer Swift 5's screen still looks great.It also has enough brightness to deal with outdoors use, just as much as plenty of laptops that cost a few hundred more.
Resolution is Full HD, so not 4K, but this is the norm for a laptop like this. Higher resolution upgrades almost always command a higher price - and often drain the battery life quicker too.
For work purposes we could easily switch to using the Acer Swift 5 all day, every day - because of its keyboard. Despite the laptop's low weight, it has solid key depth and action, bolstered by its surprisingly stiff keyboard plate.
If there's a design characteristic to celebrate here, it's that the 300g weight loss (compared to the 13-inch norm) has zero real effect on the keyboard qualityThe Acer Swift 5 key character is light and fast, not dark and ultra-deep. But it is quiet, and satisfies for long-form typing. It has a backlight too
Key Specs:
Processor Intel Core i5 11th Gen
Type Quad Core
Memory 8 GB LPDDR4X RAM
Storage 512 GB SSD
GPU Intel Integrated Iris Xe
Screen Size 14 inches
Display 1920 x 1080 pixels, Touch Screen
OS Windows 10 OS
Warranty 1 Year Warranty
General:
Series Swift 5
Model SF514-55TA
Utility Performance
Device Type Ultrabook
OS Windows 10 Home (64-bit)
Dimensions 206.98 x 318.9 x 14.95 mm
Weight 1.05 kg
Warranty 1 year Warranty
Display:
Touch Yes
Size 14 inches
Resolution 1920 x 1080 pixels
PPI ~ 157
Aspect Ratio 16:9
Anti Glare Screen No
Features Full HD LED Backlit ComfyView IPS Display
Connectivity:
Ethernet No
WiFi Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201
Bluetooth v5
USB Ports 1 x USB Type-C, 2 x USB 3.0
HDMI 1 x HDMI Port
Fingerprint Yes
Microphone In Yes
Headphone Jack Yes
Lock Port Kensington Lock Slot
Input:
Camera Yes
Keyboard FineTip with International Language Support, Yes
Backlit Yes
Touchpad Multi-gesture Touchpad (Moisture Resistant)
Microphone Built-in Dual Microphones
Speakers Built-in Dual Speakers
Sound DTS Stereo Speakers, Acer Purified Voice Technology
Optical Drive No
Processor:
Processor Intel Core i5
Speed Quad Core Turbo Boost Upto 4.2 GHz
Cache 8 MB
Brand Intel
Series Core i5
Model 1135G7
Generation 11th Gen
Graphics:
GPU Intel Integrated Iris Xe
Brand Intel
Memory:
RAM 8 GB LPDDR4X
SSD 512 GB
Battery:
Battery 4 Cell Battery
Battery Backup Upto 15 hours