Acer Swift X 14 (2024) review: A fast GPU still can’t outrun rivals

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Once a niche option, 14-inch laptops are now the flagships of many laptop brands, packing powerful hardware and slim design in the same machine. The Acer Swift X 14 OLED seems to fit this bill at a glance, and it even carries an attractive price tag of $1,699.99 with an RTX 4070 and expanded memory inside. But while Acer delivers on performance-per-dollar, the Swift X 14’s generic design makes it hard to recommend over bolder competitors.

Acer Swift X 14: Specs and features

The new Acer Swift X 14 (SFX14-72G-7422) has a few upgrades over the 2023 model we reviewed less than a year ago. It switches from Intel’s 13th-gen Core processor line to the new Intel Core Ultra, upgrades from the RTX 4050 to the RTX 4070 GPU, and doubles the memory from 16GB to 32GB. This bumps the price up $200, which seems fair given the improvements. (A baseline version of this 2024 model with an RTX 4050 and half the RAM is also available for $1,499.)

• CPU: Intel Core Ultra 7 155H
• Memory: 32GB LPDDR5x
• Graphics/GPU: Nvidia RTX 4070 with 60-watt TGP
• Display: 2,880 x 1,800 120Hz OLED
• Storage: 1TB PCIe 4.0 NVMe solid state drive
• Webcam: 1080p camera with triple-mic array
• Connectivity: 2x Thunderbolt 4 / USB-C 4, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1, HDMI 2.1, microSD card reader, 1x 3.5mm combo headphone/mic jack
• Networking: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3
• Biometrics: Fingerprint reader
• Battery capacity: 76 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 12.71 x 8.98 x 0.7 inches
• Weight: 3.4 pounds
• MSRP: $1,699.99

Other aspects of the laptop remain the same, however. Its battery, wired and wireless connectivity, and storage haven’t changed. The chassis also appears to be identical to the prior model.

Looking for more options? Check out PCWorld’s roundup of the best gaming laptops available right now.

Acer Swift X 14: Design and build quality

Acer sticks to its script with the Swift X 14, which, like prior laptops in this lineup, features a dark gray aluminum chassis with a rugged, hard-edged look that can fit in anywhere — from a corporate meeting room to a home office. There’s not much to say about its appearance aside from this. It looks fine, but it’s unremarkable.

Build quality is good, although not better than most of its similarly priced competitors. Opening the display reveals very little flex or warping on the display surface, and the lower chassis is rock solid. This isn’t a unibody metal design, but it feels rigid and seems likely to last as long as you choose to keep it, provided the laptop doesn’t have an accidental high-speed encounter with concrete.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

Matthew Smith / Foundry

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    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Matthew Smith / Foundry</p></div>

However, this particular Swift X 14 is a bit more expensive than some of the past models we’ve reviewed, coming in at nearly $1,700. That puts the Acer up against the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 and Lenovo Slim Pro 9i. To be frank, the design doesn’t hold up against those competitors. There’s nothing wrong with the Swift X 14, but it doesn’t stand out.

The Swift X 14 measures 0.8 inches thick and weighs in at just 3.4 pounds, which is comparable to most similar laptops. Slimmer and lighter laptops are available, to be sure, but the Swift X 14 is easy to pack and light enough that its heft is hardly noticeable once secured in a backpack or messenger bag.

Acer Swift X 14: Keyboard, trackpad

The Acer Swift X 14 has a spacious keyboard layout that felt familiar and comfortable. The keyboard includes both Microsoft’s Co-Pilot key and an Alt key on the right side of the keyboard. Acer has reduced the size of the spacebar to accommodate these additions, but I didn’t find it a noticeable change and, like it or not, most Windows laptops are making the same choice.

Typing on the keyboard feels okay. There’s enough key travel to be comfortable, but the keys activate with a soft bottoming action that isn’t as definitive as it could be. While I like the keyboard, some recent laptops, such as the MacBook Air 15 M2 and Lenovo’s IdeaPad and Yoga 7 series, have an advantage over Acer. This has changed our opinion compared to the prior model — the keyboard is likely the same as before, but it doesn’t feel as impressive as it once did.

Matthew Smith / Foundry

            <div class="lightbox-image-container foundry-lightbox"><div class="extendedBlock-wrapper block-coreImage undefined"><figure class="wp-block-image size-large enlarged-image"><img decoding="async" data-wp-bind--src="selectors.core.image.enlargedImgSrc" data-wp-style--object-fit="selectors.core.image.lightboxObjectFit" src="" alt="Acer Swift X 14 keyboard" class="wp-image-2330210" width="1200" height="800" loading="lazy" /><figcaption class="wp-element-caption">The keyboard&rsquo;s spacebar is shortened to make room for the Microsoft Co-Pilot key and an Alt key on the right. </figcaption></figure><p class="imageCredit">Matthew Smith / Foundry</p></div>

    </div></figure><p class="imageCredit">Matthew Smith / Foundry</p></div>

The keyboard is backlit but, as is typically true of Windows thin-and-light laptops, there isn’t much else to say about the backlight. The backlight is white and doesn’t offer customization beyond a couple brightness settings.

A similarly modest touchpad lurks just below the keyboard. It measures about 5 inches wide by 3 inches deep, which is about average in size for a modern 14-inch laptop. However, shoppers will find larger touchpads on laptops like the Dell XPS 14, Apple MacBook Pro 14, and even the