Verdict
Efficiency compromises could also be apparent while you use the Acer Swift 1, however for the appropriate purchaser they’re outweighed by all the opposite issues Acer will get proper.
Execs
- Good battery life
- Transportable
- Half-metal casing
- First rate-looking show for the cash
Cons
- Extremely restricted efficiency requires endurance
- Low color copy
- Non-touch show
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Backlit keyboardThe lit keyboard makes typing in the dead of night, or in dim lighting, far simpler. -
Aluminium casingWhereas this isn’t a full-metal laptop computer, the lid and underside are aluminium, making it really feel extra swish than the plastic laptops you sometimes discover promoting on the worth. -
1080p display screenThe Swift 1 display screen isn’t excellent, however it’s a class above these of some funds laptops, and provides superb sharpness because of its 1080p decision 14-inch panel.
Introduction
Everybody likes a great deal. The Acer Swift 1 is designed to present you that scrumptious sense you bought a candy take care of your newest laptop computer.
It’s, at the very least on the skin, precisely what many individuals need – a legit inexpensive various to a MacBook Air. The Acer Swift 1 is mild and moveable, has (half) aluminium physique panels and a full HD IPS display screen.
Acer has equipped the necessities of the ultrabook expertise for lower than half the worth of its “actual” ultrabook rivals. There’s one essential lacking part, one thing that might make the Swift 1 a nasty match for my very own laptop computer wants. It isn’t a strong laptop computer, not highly effective in any respect.
It’s terrible for gaming, even previous titles. And whereas fundamentals like net searching really feel okay, you do need to put up with comparatively gradual app hundreds. You need to solely purchase this laptop computer for mild jobs.
Design
- Slim and lightweight, 1.3kg weight
- Half-metal design
- Respectable high quality keyboard
The Acer Swift 1 seems rather a lot just like the earlier mannequin we reviewed in 2019, bearing the identical identify. Certain sufficient, the shell hasn’t actually modified, however did it have to?
It is a plain however fairly tasteful laptop computer that avoids the thick and stodgy look low cost and sensible fashions usually have. It feels higher than most too. The lid and underside are aluminium. If you decide it up you get that “cool to the contact” really feel on provide with MacBooks and ultrabooks.

The Acer Swift 1 weighs 1.3kg, comparable with that of legit model laptops, and it’s 15mm at its thickest level in line with my tape measure.
Its internal keyboard plate is plastic. This isn’t an all-aluminium laptop computer like some earlier funds Acer fashions. Nevertheless, it’s a handsome laptop computer contemplating its low price.
Inputs matter in a laptop computer. Acer will get 50% of it proper right here. The Acer Swift 1’s keyboard is completely strong, a chiclet design identical to one you would possibly discover in a slim and lightweight laptop computer that prices twice as a lot.

Motion is a mite shallow, however nothing out of the unusual. It’s a snug keyboard to sort away on for lengthy stretches.
The Acer Swift 1 even has a keyboard backlight, which looks like a significant achievement while you’d think about there’s little or no wiggle room on this laptop computer’s funds.
I’m much less persuaded that the Swift 1 actually wants the fingerprint scanner pad just under the keyboard. However, hey, this could’t have added an excessive amount of to the associated fee.

The Acer Swift 1’s touchpad is one in every of its weaker parts. I don’t count on something apart from the glass-impersonating plastic floor used right here – you all the time need to pay considerably extra to get a laptop computer with a textured glass touchpad. Nevertheless, the clicker really feel is a little bit stodgy and laboured, and finally ends up feeling a bit gradual and awkward to make use of. It must be crisper, and the Microsoft Floor Laptop computer Go 2’s pad is in a very completely different league.
Display screen
- A satisfying show for the cash
- Reasonable brightness
- Matte, non-touch floor
The Acer Swift 1 doesn’t have a super-advanced display screen, however I feel it’s the perfect we may hope for on the worth and is really nice to have a look at whereas working indoors.
That is an IPS-style show, avoiding the nasty-looking distinction shift of TN panels, that are nonetheless utilized in a great variety of low cost laptops. There’s no apparent display screen door impact the place you possibly can see the underlying pixel construction both, largely as a result of the 1920 x 1080 pixel decision is excessive sufficient to look sharp on the Swift 1’s 14-inch measurement.

I may fortunately work away all day, each day on this factor. Nevertheless, its color is kind of weak. It covers simply 61% of the sRGB color gamut, low sufficient to make undersaturation very evident. Color doesn’t look poor or unnatural as such, however the Swift 1’s incapability to render these super-deep reds means pictures look a bit too relaxed, a little bit low on vitality.
I’m somebody who tends to dislike an overwatered look greater than a barely undersaturated one, although, and the Swift 1’s good display screen distinction retains a sure punch and solidity.

It is a matte display screen, very best for scattering reflections. Nevertheless, peak brightness of 293 nits is a little bit low for outside use. You’ll nearly get by when writing paperwork, because of the excessive distinction of what’s on-screen, however it can look dim. Nonetheless, that brightness stage continues to be markedly higher than another funds laptops I’ve tried, the place the restrict might be nearer to 250 nits.
Efficiency
- Weak efficiency ought to put many of us off
- No good for gaming
- 128GB storage, a lower above absolutely the minimal
An absence of uncooked energy is the primary purpose to not purchase the Acer Swift 1. My evaluate mannequin has an Intel N6000 processor, 4GB RAM and 128GB storage.
This setup is considerably much less highly effective than a laptop computer with a recent-gun Intel Core i3 processor or Ryzen CPU, which I sometimes take into account a wise baseline for an all-purpose PC. I’d not suggest the Acer Swift 1 for something past the fundamentals. You’ll need extra RAM and processor energy for video or picture modifying, for large spreadsheets or any form of taxing gaming.
It will probably deal with doc writing, video streaming and net searching simply superb. Nevertheless, even then you must be keen to place up with a barely sluggish really feel.

Apps take considerably longer to load than they might in a laptop computer with, for instance, an Intel Core i5 CPU and 8GB RAM. And there can be laggy moments in loads of apps, or when leaping between apps.
It’s the app loading instances which have bugged me essentially the most. Nevertheless, loads of this isn’t simply all the way down to utilizing a weak CPU, it’s that 4GB RAM, which is barely sufficient to make Home windows 11 run acceptably. The 128GB storage is completely snappy, although – with learn speeds of as much as 1545MB/s, it’s many instances sooner than a nasty previous mechanical exhausting drive.
Gaming efficiency is terrible, maybe greatest demonstrated by the Swift 1’s 3D Mark Time Spy benchmark rating. It manages 274 factors, the place a “regular” twelfth Gen Intel Core i5 would possibly rating 1500-1600.
This efficiency concern is the one you need to spend a while desirous about however it’s not as if different laptops this worth don’t have related issues. Even funds Chromebooks usually really feel a little bit gradual at this worth.
Nevertheless, it might be sufficient to make me take into account both saving up a little bit extra cash, and even shopping for second hand. My wants could also be completely different to yours, although – I spend an terrible lot of time utilizing my laptop computer.
Battery life
- Longer than all-day battery life for fundamental jobs
- Doesn’t use USB-C to cost
- Good unfold of baseline-speed connectors
As you possibly can most likely inform from the evaluate rating right here, different parts “tilt” you in direction of liking the Acer Swift 1. It has much better battery life than your fundamental “regular” funds laptop computer. Utilizing PC Mark’s Fashionable Workplace benchmark, it lasts 10 hours 34 minutes off a cost, sufficient to allow you to get via a complete day of labor, simply as you would possibly with a MacBook Air.
The Swift 3 makes use of a little bit cylindrical socket to cost, however this does imply not one of the USBs are taken up by the adapter when plugged in.


These connectors are a single 5Gbps USB-C, two USB-A ports with 5Gbps bandwidth and a full-size HDMI, for simple connection to a TV or monitor. There’s additionally a headphone jack. Whereas the Acer Swift 1 lacks any actually quick information connectors, I’d argue they’d be misplaced in a laptop computer like this anyway.
Newest offers
Do you have to purchase it?
You need an inexpensive Chromebook:
The Acer Swift 1 seems and feels good, doesn’t price an excessive amount of, and has a couple of design touches sometimes related to way more costly laptops.
You desire a speedy efficiency:
A combo of an Intel Pentium processor and 4GB RAM means the Acer Swift 1 has actually entry-level efficiency, with a notably slower really feel even when working easy apps.
Ultimate Ideas
Designing a funds laptop computer is a balancing act. The Acer Swift 1’s priorities are tilted fairly considerably in direction of design and the components you discover on the outside, like show high quality.
What will get sacrificed? Efficiency. You shouldn’t purchase a Swift 1 anticipating to play console-style video games, do something too taxing, or have the ability to do the fundamentals with no wee little bit of lag.
Nevertheless, it’s exhausting to not just like the Acer Swift 1 regardless of all that as a result of lots of the methods it apes an ultrabook have actual substance to them. An IPS-style display screen as a substitute of a trash TN one? Like it. Backlit keyboard? Nice. Transportable-friendly casing and true all-day battery life for admin duties? Beautiful stuff, and it paints a coherent image of a helpful, lovable laptop computer for somebody with at the very least an oz. of endurance.
How we check
Each laptop computer we evaluate goes via a sequence of uniform checks designed to gauge key issues together with construct high quality, efficiency, display screen high quality and battery life.
These embody formal artificial benchmarks and scripted assessments, plus a sequence of actual world checks.
We used as our foremost laptop computer for at the very least every week.
Examined the efficiency by way of each benchmark assessments and real-world use.
We examined the display screen with a colorimeter and real-world use.
We examined the battery with a benchmark check and real-world use.
FAQs
Sadly, the Swift 1 doesn’t have the facility to be remotely helpful for all however the least demanding video games.
It is a non-touch laptop computer, and makes use of a sensible matte plastic outer end as a substitute.
Whereas the Swift 1 has a USB-C port, it isn’t a Thunderbolt port however a a lot slower customary USB one.
Trusted Opinions check information
Jargon buster
SSD
Generally known as Strong State Drive, this can be a sooner type of a reminiscence than a normal exhausting drive. Leads to sooner loading instances and extra bold video games.
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