I used the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI for a month and I think Acer might have just redefined portability

If my maths is correct, Acer has released no less than nine AI-branded laptops in 2025. That's a staggering number, and I've had the privilege of reviewing three of them: the Aspire 14 AI, the Swift 16 AI and the Swift 14 AI. I now find myself reviewing another one, the Swift Edge 14 AI.

As Acer's standout ultra-premium AI laptop, the company is looking to go beyond AI gimmick branding and deliver a broader set of industry-leading specs. As a result, there's a distinct focus on portability and display technology. Quite extraordinarily, it weighs less than 1kg thanks to its magnesium-aluminium alloy chassis and features the world's first 3K OLED panel treated with Corning Gorilla Matte Pro.

The best AI laptop in both our best laptops for animation and best laptops for graphic design guides is the Acer Predator Helios 16 AI, but we've awarded that based on power and performance. The Swift Edge 14 AI isn't as powerful, but it's still mighty good, as you'll find out by reading on.

Key specifications

Design, build and display

• Ultra-light and durable chassis
• 4-inch 3K (2880 x 1800px) OLED display
• A generous selection of ports

The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is an ultra-portable laptop that prioritises lightness and durability. Thanks to a high-grade magnesium-aluminium alloy, the laptop comes in at just under 1kg while still maintaining an impressive level of strength. Look out, Apple MacBook Air designers. I had no problems throwing it in my bag alongside a power bank, my lunch, waterproofs, and a number of other essentials that I need on a regular basis.

One of the highlights of the laptop is the gorgeous 14-inch 3K (2880 x 1800px) OLED display that delivers vibrant colours and a high level of contrast. It's also capable of a 120Hz refresh rate, which is ideal for most hobbyist gamers. These specs are impressive enough, but what truly sets it apart is the Corning Gorilla Matte Pro surface treatment, which is an industry first for a laptop. What does this mean for the end user? Well, it drastically reduces glare and reflections. I found that this was particularly noticeable in brightly lit environments.

It's also a touchscreen that allows it to be used like a tablet. If only the hinge allowed for a complete 360-degree rotation, then it could be used exactly like one. I found the touch functionality to be responsive and accurate, and couldn't ask for much more in terms of its performance.

The keyboard features a soft-touch finish with a UV-cured coating. Acer claims that this makes it resistant to wear and stains, but given that I only tested this laptop for just under a month, I can't vouch for the validity of these claims over an extended period of time. I found the keyboard layout and key spacing to be fine for word processing, although the lack of a dedicated numpad will be disappointing for heavy spreadsheet users.

I found the laptop hinge to be robust and hard-wearing and was particularly impressed by the 180-degree flexibility, which enables the whole thing to lie completely flat. I didn't have much use for this, but if you'd like to share your work or work collaboratively with other people in the room, then I can see its usefulness.

As has become all too common for AI-branded laptops, the Swift Edge 14 AI includes an Activity Indicator built into the touchpad. This indicates the status of the system as it relates to AI processing. I'm not a personal fan, but I don't mind if I'm the only one. There's also a dedicated Copilot key on the keyboard, which provides quick access to AI features.

Design score: 4/5

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Features

• Intel Core Ultra CPU with integrated graphics
• Generous selection of ports
• 1080p Full HD IR webcam

The Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is powered by processors ranging from the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V up to the Intel Core Ultra 9 288V. The laptop I tested included the latter. The benefit of these Lunar Lake chips is their ability to efficiently handle processing tasks as well as their dedicated Neural Processing Unit (NPU) for AI-specific tasks.

The GPU is integrated directly into the Intel Lunar Lake processor and is the Intel Arc 140V Graphics. This GPU is designed specifically for accelerating creative and gaming workloads, but I wouldn't be inclined to throw too much at it, as you'll read about in the Performance section.

As is the case for most laptops released in recent history, the ports are spread across the left and right-hand sides of the laptop. The 180-degree hinge wouldn't allow for any at the back. Acer has opted for a fair spread across USB Type-C and USB Type-A ports, which will help provide broad appeal, especially for users still using the dated USB Type-A technology. I loved the inclusion of charging and Thunderbolt 4 functionality across the two USB Type-C ports, which was ideal for high-speed charging and transferring files quickly. Rounding out the physical connections is a full-sized HDMI 2.1 port for external displays and a 3.5 mm combination audio jack.

The laptop includes a 1080p Full HD IR webcam, so you don't need a dedicated alternative for video calls. This same camera also provides the images for the Windows Hello facial recognition login functionality that is built into the laptop. In terms of audio, there's a triple-microphone array working with AI noise cancellation that helps to suppress background noise. There's also a pair of speakers, which are nothing to write home about, as is the case with almost every laptop ever designed.

Feature score: 4/5

Benchmark scores

We test every one of our laptops using the same benchmarking software suite to give you a thorough overview of its suitability for creatives of all disciplines and levels. This includes:

• Geekbench: Tests the CPU for single-core and multi-core power, and the GPU for the system's potential for gaming, image processing, or video editing. Geekbench AI tests the CPU and GPU on a variety of AI-powered and AI-boosted tasks.
• Cinebench: Tests the CPU and GPU's ability to run Cinema 4D and Redshift.
• UL Procyon: Uses UL Solutions' Procyon software suite to test the system's ability for AI image generation in Stable Diffusion, its Microsoft Office performance and its battery life in a looping video test.
• Topaz Video AI: We use Topaz Video AI to test the system's ability to upscale video and convert video to slow-motion.
• PugetBench for Creators: We use the PugetBench for Creators benchmarking suite to test the system's ability to run several key tasks in Photoshop and Adobe Premiere Pro, as well as its performance when encoding/transcoding video.
• ON1 Resize AI: Tests the system's ability to resize 5 photos to 200% in a batch process. We take the total time taken to resize the images and divide by 5.

Performance

• Good performance for an ultrabook with integrated GPU
• Enough battery life for a day's work

The Swift Edge 14 AI houses an Intel Core Ultra 9 288V CPU and an integrated Intel Arc Graphics 140V GPU, which delivers a respectable level of performance across a wide range of creative tasks. There's a notable spike in performance across benchmarks that are related to CPU processing and AI acceleration.

The Intel Arc Graphics 140V GPU offers good performance, especially for such a thin-and-light form factor. As expected, it doesn't hit the dizzy heights of laptops with a discrete NVIDIA GPU, such as the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI, but that's the trade-off when you're opting for a 14-inch, super-light and ultra-portable laptop.

Let's hone in on specific workflows. First up, photo editing. The Swift Edge 14 AI matches the performance of the Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9, beating the Microsoft Surface Pro 12 (Snapdragon) and the Thinkpad X9 Aura Edition. The high single-core performance (up to 5.1 GHz) delivers a high level of responsiveness when adding filters and creating brush strokes. Its multi-core power then takes over and provides the necessary speed for batch processing, complex filters, and AI-driven features like Denoise.

In terms of video editing, the Swift Edge 14 AI actually falls behind the Lenovo LOQ 15IAX9 quite significantly. The general performance of basic timeline editing, playback, and exporting went without a hitch, but its limitations arise when the workload shifts to being GPU-dominant, which it quickly does in professional, high-end production. This is a laptop that is fine for occasional video editing but not for day-in-day-out video editors.

2D CAD is easily eaten up by the Swift Edge 14 AI, as is basic 3D modelling. Simple rendering with limited lights and basic materials isn't a problem, but final frame rendering of complex scenes takes significantly longer compared to a mid-range or high-end dedicated GPU. You can also say goodbye to any dedicated GPU render engines. As is the case with video editing, you'll be fine for some light 3D creativity, but I wouldn't push it too hard.

As for battery performance, the Swift Edge 14 AI managed nearly 14 hours when put through the video playback test. That's great for a laptop that is so light and compact. It's also more than enough for a day's work and a little bit of entertainment in the evening.

Performance score: 4/5

Price

The retail price of the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI is currently $1,199 / £1,399, although UK buyers are currently able to snap it up for £1,149 at Currys. The £250 saving makes the price much more palatable, especially considering this is a laptop with an integrated GPU.

Two of its most direct competitors are the MSI Prestige 14 AI Evo, which retails for $1,099, and the Asus Zenbook A14, which costs $1,399.99. Another portable laptop that should absolutely be considered in this price range is the Apple MacBook Air.

Value score: 4/5

Who is it for?

• Hybrid working creatives and students

The portability of the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI makes it a go-to for anyone who needs the flexibility of working in multiple locations. Not only will it easily fit in most bags, but because of its weight, you'll hardly notice that you're carrying it.

You'll need to keep in mind that despite its Intel CPU, generous RAM, and AI smarts, more demanding creative pursuits will require a discrete GPU. That being said, I had no problems carrying out graphic design, simple video editing, and basic 3D modelling.

If you're a student with a generous budget, then this could also be your laptop of choice. That is assuming that you're not studying subjects that need dedicated hardware, such as computer science or animation.

Buy it if...

• You're a hybrid worker who values portability
• You need a screen that can cope in bright environments
• You make good use of AI laptop tools, including Copilot

Don't buy it if...

• You're a high-end creative that needs top-level performance
• You need a lot of screen real-estate when working remotely
• You like having an onboard SD card slot

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