Acer Swift X14: Outstanding Budget Laptop with 120Hz OLED Display

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• Design and Build Quality
• Display
• Performance
• Keyboard and Trackpad
• Audio Quality
• Heat Management
• Battery Life
• Pros and Cons
• Conclusion

Acer Swift x14: A Budget-Friendly Option with Impressive Features

Introduction

The Acer Swift x14 is generating a lot of interest due to its competitive price point and impressive features. In this article, we will take an in-depth look at this laptop and explore its design, display, performance, keyboard and trackpad, audio quality, heat management, and battery life. By the end of this review, you will have a comprehensive understanding of what this laptop has to offer and whether it is the right choice for you.

Design and Build Quality

The Acer Swift x14 may not be the most visually appealing laptop, but it offers a sturdy build quality. The lid, although basic in design, feels rigid with minimal flex. The laptop is lightweight, making it highly portable. With a range of ports including HDMI, USB, Thunderbolt, and a Kensington lock, the Swift x14 provides ample connectivity options for a 14-inch laptop. However, Acer's marketing material can be misleading, especially when it comes to the "ocean Glass touchpad," which is essentially a plastic touchpad disguised to provide a glass-like experience. The keyboard, while mushy, offers a satisfactory typing experience.

Display

The highlight of the Acer Swift x14 is its 2.8k OLED display with a refresh rate of 120Hz. Unlike its competitors, which offer OLED options but only at 60Hz, the Swift x14 delivers a stunning visual experience at a budget-friendly price. The color gamut is impressive, with excellent brightness and color accuracy. The display also boasts minimal PWM flickering, adding to the overall viewing pleasure.

Performance

Equipped with an i7 13700h CPU, 16 gigabytes of DDR5 RAM, and an RTX 4050, the Acer Swift x14 performs well in synthetic benchmarks. However, when it comes to real-world applications, it falls slightly behind its competitors. While it handles creative-based applications and older gaming titles with ease, it may struggle with more demanding tasks. The fans, although audible, effectively manage heat, keeping the keyboard deck cool and maintaining CPU temperatures within acceptable limits.

Keyboard and Trackpad

The keyboard on the Acer Swift x14 is adequate, offering a comfortable typing experience. However, the click response could be improved for a more satisfying tactile feel. The trackpad, although marketed as an "ocean glass touchpad," is essentially a plastic touchpad that functions adequately but lacks the premium feel of a glass touchpad.

Audio Quality

The speakers on the Swift x14, located at the bottom front, produce sound that is loud but lacking in bass and mid-range. To optimize the sound quality, it is recommended to enable bass boost and volume smoothing in the custom audio settings.

Heat Management

The Acer Swift x14 effectively manages heat, with the keyboard deck staying comfortably cool during usage. However, the single fan design puts pressure on the system, leading to lower overall performance compared to laptops with dual fan configurations. With prolonged heavy usage, the fans can become audible, reaching up to 56 decibels on turbo mode. It is important to find a fan profile that strikes a balance between performance and noise level.

Battery Life

The Swift x14 features a 76 watt-hour battery that provides approximately 7 hours and 4 minutes of usage before requiring a recharge. While this is not exceptional, it is a decent battery life considering the laptop's specifications.

Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Competitive price point
• Impressive 2.8k OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate
• Adequate performance for creative applications and older gaming titles
• Portable and lightweight design

Cons:

• Plastic touchpad marketed as "ocean glass touchpad"
• Single fan design leads to lower overall performance
• Speakers lack bass and mid-range

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Acer Swift x14 offers a budget-friendly option with impressive features. While it may not have the most attractive design and there are some compromises, such as the plastic touchpad and single fan configuration, it still delivers a great value for the price. With its high refresh OLED display, respectable performance, and portable design, the Swift x14 is a worthy consideration for those in search of a budget-friendly laptop with decent performance and visual capabilities.

Highlights

• The Acer Swift x14 offers a budget-friendly option with impressive features.
• The 2.8k OLED display with 120Hz refresh rate provides stunning visuals at a competitive price.
• The Swift x14 performs well in synthetic benchmarks but falls slightly behind competing laptops in real-world applications.
• The keyboard and trackpad provide a satisfactory typing experience, although the click response could be improved.
• The speakers produce loud sound but lack bass and mid-range. Custom audio settings can optimize the audio quality.
• Heat management is adequate, but the single fan design affects overall performance compared to laptops with dual fan configurations.
• The battery life is decent, providing approximately 7 hours and 4 minutes of usage.
• Pros: competitive price, impressive display, adequate performance, portable design.
• Cons: plastic touchpad, single fan design, mediocre speakers.

FAQs

Q: Is the Acer Swift x14 suitable for gaming? A: While the Swift x14 features an RTX 4050 GPU, it may not be capable of running the latest games at maximum settings. However, it can handle older titles and less demanding games with decent frame rates.

Q: Can the RAM be upgraded on the Swift x14? A: Unfortunately, the RAM on the Swift x14 is soldered onto the motherboard and is not upgradable.

Q: How is the battery life on the Swift x14? A: The Swift x14 offers approximately 7 hours and 4 minutes of battery life, which is decent for a laptop of its specifications.

Q: Does the Acer Swift x14 have facial recognition for login? A: No, the Swift x14 does not have facial recognition. Instead, it features a fingerprint scanner embedded into the power button for secure logins.

Q: Is the cooling system on the Swift x14 effective? A: The Swift x14's cooling system effectively manages heat, keeping the keyboard deck cool. However, the single fan design may limit overall performance compared to laptops with dual fan configurations.