Acer Swift 5 2020 Evaluate Score – SF514-56T
Abstract
The Acer Swift 5 is a superb laptop computer and is up there with one of the best choices available on the market for an ultra-portable laptop computer.
Execs
- Excellent show
- Wonderful efficiency
- A lot of ports
Cons
- Some bloatware
- Pricing could possibly be extra competative
It seems to be like that is the third time I’ve reviewed an Acer Swift 5. The primary time was 4 years in the past with it operating an Intel Core i7-8550U, then in 2020 with the Intel Core i5-1035G1.
The 2020 refresh runs the brand new Intel Core i7-1260P, which is a really totally different CPU from the standard yearly launches from Intel. This makes use of an enormous.LITTLE design, the place you might have 4 efficiency cores after which eight environment friendly cores. It’s a design that has been used for mobiles for a few years, however is a primary for an x86-based CPU.
Specification
- Processor: Intel Core i7-1260P processor (18 MB Good Cache, 2.1 GHz performance-core with Intel Turbo Increase Expertise 2.0 as much as 4.7 GHz)
- Graphics: Built-in Intel Iris Xe Graphics
- RAM: 16 GB of onboard LPDDR5 system reminiscence
- Storage: 512 GB/1 TB, PCIe Gen4, 16 Gb/s, NVMe
- Show:
- WQXGA 2560 x 1600 16:10 side ratio
- Multi-touch and Antibacterial cowl glass
- Networking: Killer Wi-fi Wi-Fi 6E 1675i
- Ports:
- 2x USB-C USB4 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4
- Dimensions: 310.5 (W) x 213.3 (D) x /14.95 (H) mm
- Weight: 1.2 kg
- Battery: 56 Wh 4-cell Li-ion battery
- Charging: USB Sort-C 65 W PD AC adaptor
Design & Construct
For the previous few generations, Acer has made the Swift 5 one of many lightest laptops available on the market with a sub-kilo weight.
This time round, it weighs in at 1.2 kg. It’s nonetheless extremely gentle however not the lightest and near many competing choices.
The benefit to this added bulk is the CNC machined chassis offers a sturdy construct and extra premium construct high quality and really feel in comparison with the earlier generations.
I really fairly preferred the low-weight plastic construct from earlier generations, however I can definitely see the enchantment right here. Acer has improved the general aesthetic and construct high quality through the years, and it will compete with one of the best premium choices inside the ultra-portable section.
Acer has moved the fingerprint scanner from a devoted spot to being included inside the energy button. Nonetheless, not like Huawei laptops, it would not seem to auto-login from boot, however I do discover the accuracy to be improved in comparison with earlier generations.
The audio system are downwards going through, so lower than excellent however first rate sufficient. In contrast to another manufacturers, you continue to have the three.5mm headphone jack to fall again on.
Show
The 14-inch contact display screen show runs at 2560 x 1600, which supplies you a 16:10 side ratio offering you extra vertical actual property than commonplace (although much less sq. than the Matebook 13). By default, it’s scaled at 200%, however I discovered I may get away with 150%, nearly.
Brightness is superb, whereas colors are wealthy and deep blacks. Nonetheless, the display screen is shiny, so it could possibly have some points when utilizing it outdoor.
The general high quality of the show is superb and appears to be higher than I can bear in mind from earlier generations and definitely higher than the Honor MagicBook 15 and Huawei Matebook 13 I’ve at hand.
Keyboard and Trackpad
The general keyboard and trackpad expertise is an efficient and comparable high quality to most first rate laptops. You get backlighting which could be adjusted with the F11 key and might enhance accuracy in dimly lit environments.
The keyboard takes virtually the total width of the laptop computer, and this permits some first rate spacing between keys permitting it to be as usable as doable for a laptop computer this measurement. Key journey distance is about nearly as good as you possibly can anticipate from an ultra-portable.
The trackpad can be good and feels accountable. It helps gestures and has your typical hidden left and proper mouse click on.
Upkeep / Upgrades
Like all different ultraportables, there are restricted choices for upgrades, however not the worst I’ve seen. The Wi-Fi module and NVMe drive are each simply accessible. The put in NVMe is extremely quick, however it’s only 475GB which I believe is a bit on the low finish for a laptop computer these days and definitely one at this worth. Subsequently it’s one thing I’d need to improve sooner or later.
There seems to be no technique to improve the RAM; definitely not a straightforward manner to take action.
Upkeep and repairs will doubtless not be that simple for residence customers, however the battery ought to be doable.
Efficiency
The Acer Swift 5 makes use of the newest Intel Core i7-1260P processor. This sits someplace in the course of the i7 cell options from Intel. The P-based processors have a base energy of 28W and turbo of 64W and are classed as having 12 cores, with 4 efficiency cores and eight environment friendly cores.
The efficiency cores can do hyperthreading whereas the effectivity cores can’t, this then supplies 16 threads for processing.
For the GPU, this makes use of an built-in Intel Iris Xe GPU. This laptop computer is not actually designed for gaming, however you must have the ability to run some older AA video games or one thing much less intensive. I performed Xcom 2 with none points.
- 3DMark Time Spy:
- Acer Swift 5 2022: 1596 (CPU: 6212 GPU: 1411)
- Acer Aspire Vero: 1607 (CPU: 4493 GPU: 1444)
- Acer Swift 3X: 1890 (CPU: 4408 GPU: 1717)
- Matebook 13: 1276 (CPU: 2673 GPU: 1169)
- PCMark:
- Acer Swift 5 2022: 4991 (Necessities: 8631 Productiveness: 6451 Digitial: 6062)
- Acer Aspire Vero: 5030 (Necessities: 9279 Productiveness: 6812 Digitial: 5466)
- Acer Swift 3X: 5014 (Necessities: 9468 Productiveness: 6846 Digitial: 5279)
- Matebook 13: 3970 (Necessities: 8759 Productiveness: 7224 Digitial: 2684)
- GeekBench 5:
- Acer Swift 5 2022 : 1,681 (single-core); 9,097 (multi-core)
- Acer Swift 3X : 1,426 (single-core); 5,581 (multi-core)
The Intel Core i7-1260P has some attention-grabbing benchmark outcomes compared to final yr’s Intel Core i7-1195G7, which was used on the Acer Aspire Vero. The GPU efficiency has remained largely the identical, however the CPU design of the Intel Core i7-1260P may be very totally different. You now have the extra 8 environment friendly cores, which helps present a major enchancment in multi-core processing energy.
Fan Noise
Acer claims the brand new Swift 5 has a 65.8% enchancment in cooling, which in flip permits the CPU energy to be larger for the efficiency mode.
The fan noise itself is OK. In a quiet room, it will get fairly loud however not disruptively so and has a constant mid-level pitch, which is much less irritating than different laptops.
Battery
Like most ultraportables these days, the battery life is superb. I used to be simply in a position to do a full day’s value of labor on the laptop computer with out getting too confused about plugging it in.
The USB-C charging is a big assist too. I’ve energy banks that may do 65W energy supply and a number of 65W+ energy supply chargers.
Connectivity
Connectivity is superb so far as ultra-portables go. On the left, you might have two Thunderbolt 4 ports which might each be used for charging. Then there are additionally two USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports. Greater than sufficient for any peripherals it’s possible you’ll need to use with out resorting to a hub.
Moreover, you even have HDMI and the three.5mm headphone jack.
Wi-Fi 6E
As you’d anticipate for a premium laptop computer, this comes with the newest Wi-Fi 6E, although this makes use of the Killer Wi-fi Wi-Fi 6E 1675i module fairly than the Intel AX210. I examined the efficiency with the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE300, and the laptop computer can comfortably obtain multi-gig Wi-Fi speeds with roughly 1.50Gbits/sec when utilizing both the 6Ghz band or 5Ghz with 160Mhz channel width.
Software program
As traditional, Acer has numerous bloatware. Norton is preinstalled, and I discover it fairly intrusive in comparison with Home windows Defender and, subsequently, instantly uninstalled it.
There’s additionally a wide range of different software program, together with issues like Evernote and Reserving. Although it’s beginning to grow to be troublesome to separate the bloatware that Home windows has by default and what OEMs add.
Value and Various Choices
The Acer Swift 5 ought to be that can be purchased quickly for £1499, and you’ll register your curiosity right here.
Pricing seems to have jumped up from earlier generations. It seems to be just like the 2018 mannequin was £1,099.99 and £1,149 for the 2020 mannequin when you opted for the highest spec.
There are a handful of different small and lightweight laptops utilizing the Intel Core i7-1260P out there on Curry’s. This consists of:
- Dell XPS 13 Plus
- RAM: 16 GB / Storage: 1 TB SSD
- 13.3″ 3456 x 2160 OLED show
- LG gram 14T90Q 14″ 2-in-1
- RAM: 16 GB DDR5 / Storage: 1 TB SSD
- ASUS Zenbook 14 UX3402
- 16 GB / Storage: 1 TB SSD
- 2.8K Extremely HD 2880 x 1800 OLED
- Samsung Galaxy Book2 Professional 360
- 16 GB / Storage: 512 GB SSD
- 13” Full HD 1920 x 1080p
Pricing is kind of in step with competing manufacturers, however the RRP isn’t fairly the inexpensive choice as I typically discover with Acer laptops. I anticipate pricing will shortly drop from RRP following the launch.
General
As all the time, the Acer Swift 5 is a superb laptop computer and is up there with one of the best choices available on the market for an ultra-portable laptop computer.
It’s properly constructed and appears engaging whereas retaining knowledgeable look.
Efficiency is flawless for all day-to-day duties. You aren’t going to get a lot gaming accomplished on it, however that is not what these laptops are for.
Acer is often among the finest worth manufacturers. Based mostly on the above pricing, this one would not seem to supply fairly the engaging worth level I’m used to, however Acer seems to have constructed this to be simply nearly as good as different premium laptops. It’s also model new, and £1499 is the RRP, whereas a number of the different choices I listed are displaying as discounted.
