Acer Swift 5 review: The grass is always greener

Acer selected the Swift 5 as its automobile for ushering in Windows 11, and that was a secure selection. With a starting MSRP of $1,100, as much as 1TB of storage, a superb port choice, and a extra standout keyboard and webcam, it’s going to swimsuit many laptop computer wants simply advantageous.

However “simply advantageous” feels much less advantageous when taking a look at alternate options that go the additional mile. With equally priced choices providing a bit extra CPU, graphics, and even SSD efficiency than the Swift 5, the attention can simply begin to wander.

Certain, the Swift 5 is a reasonably priced machine with a singular, inexperienced look, however for these searching for probably the most productiveness efficiency for his or her buck, the grass will find yourself trying greener elsewhere.

Lean, inexperienced cleansing machine

The Swift 5 solely meets the above traits when you get one of many configurations with antimicrobial coating, that are solely obtainable in Acer’s mist-green shade. You may get the machine in gold with the pricier configuration, nevertheless it will not have antimicrobial properties.

So what’s the antimicrobial function, precisely? Acer advised me that it coated 98 p.c of the system in an antimicrobial coating that is bacteria-resistant. It centered on high-contact areas, together with the hinge, touchpad, keyboard, and fingerprint reader.

The coating is manufactured from silver ions, which research says can lead to a 99.9 p.c discount in micro organism, based mostly on the Worldwide Group for Standardization 22196 check protocol that creates strategies for testing the “antibacterial exercise of antibacterial-treated plastics and different non-porous surfaces of merchandise.” Extra particularly, ACS Applied Bio Materials describes silver ions as with the ability to “readily adsorb to most biomolecules (DNA, membrane protein, enzymes, or intracellular cofactors) in micro organism to inactivate their capabilities.” The coating is each Environmental Safety Company and Biocidal Products Regulation-compliant. Moreover the Swift 5, you will discover Acer’s antimicrobial function on several PC lines.

It is onerous to check what that is value, as we do not have a microscope to match the micro organism ranges with or with out the silver-ion agent. However I suppose the coating can convey some peace of thoughts round cleanliness. As a result of, let’s be actual: keyboards and touchscreens get nasty.

The one apparent draw back is that the function led to an aggressively marked brand within the Swift 5 display’s prime bezel.

The phrase “Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass” is already a protracted identify to stamp on one thing I am pressured to take a look at day by day, and the pair of trademark symbols makes it much more intrusive to the PC’s look.

That branding can be meant to remind you of the show’s sturdiness and scratch resistance. In comparison with the equally priced 14-inch Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 7i Pro I had readily available, the Swift 5’s general lid (not simply the glass) felt thinner and had extra give to it when purposely flexed.

I would be remiss if I did not get again to the “mist inexperienced,” although. It is accented with a complementing shade of gold within the sharp keyboard legends, Acer and DTS audio logos on the deck, port inscriptions on the edges and hinge (which is stamped with a skinny “SWIFT” stamp), and the reflective Acer brand on the lid.

When trying carefully, I can see tiny speckles that give a light-weight, textured look to the inexperienced chassis. Acer says that is created with “blended pearlized particles.” In a world of silver, black, and grey laptops, a pop of colour is all the time thrilling. It is not the boldest inexperienced, however the gold accents assist boost the look. And since Acer did go for a toned-down inexperienced, the Swift 5 does not instantly look low-cost or juvenile.

The chassis itself is manufactured from magnesium lithium and magnesium aluminum, which Acer claims is “2-4 occasions stronger than customary aluminum alloys on the similar thickness, but weigh as much as 20-35% much less.” The Swift 5 I am reviewing weighs 2.31 kilos (1.05 kg) and is 0.59-inches (1.5 cm) thick. For comparability, the IdeaPad Slim 7i Professional, which is marketed as utilizing aluminum, is 0.57-0.67 inches (1.45-1.7 cm) thick and begins at 2.87 kilos (1.3 kg).

For sturdiness, the clamshell makes use of a micro-arc oxidation end. It creates a tough layer that is “nearly impervious to scratches, corrosion, and different types of put on and tear,” Acer claims. Nevertheless, within the fingers, the chassis appears like mundane, light-weight plastic that is barely tough. There’s some give when making use of stress to the PC—however simply some. The floor does really feel simply gritty sufficient to keep away from injury, nevertheless it additionally feels removed from invincible. Getting previous that cheaper texture is tough, even when it is allegedly useful for sturdiness.

Port choice consists of at the least certainly one of the whole lot I would wish to see in a machine like this. The Swift 5’s left aspect has an HDMI 2.0 (fairly than 2.1) port, a USB-A port that you need to use to cost different gadgets when the PC is off, a Thunderbolt 4, and the opening for inserting the ability adapter. When the adapter is plugged in, a small sliver of the silver connectors stands proud, permitting the deal with to softly jiggle if moved. I worry the connection might get looser over time, and the essential, slimmer rubber cable sticking into it does not make me really feel any higher.

Shifting to the machine’s proper aspect, you may discover one other USB-A port and a 3.5 mm jack residing close to a Kensington lock taking on area I would fairly see devoted to a second USB-C port.