Helped by Microsoft's Copilot+ PC push, Qualcomm Snapdragon laptops have taken store shelves by storm. Our testing has shown that they are often solid alternatives to traditional x86 laptops. Acer's Swift 14 AI model SF14-61T-R3U1 (starts at $1,049.99; $1,199.99 as tested) lives up to the reputation these laptops have earned, boasting peppy performance and enough battery life for all-day use. Its high-resolution touch screen and useful port selection are also easy to appreciate. Although it can be slightly pricey when not on sale, the Swift 14 AI is an excellent daily companion if you're willing to navigate the software-compatibility aspects of Windows for Snapdragon.

Design: An Uninspiring Look, But a Quality Build

Although Acer’s steel gray design isn’t eye-catching, the enclosure of this laptop is well-constructed, with aluminum covering every surface. The chassis demonstrates minimal flex, while the lid shows virtually none. A diamond-cut edge around the lid adds a touch of flair to this otherwise understated laptop.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Despite the "14" in its name, the Swift 14 AI has a bigger-than-suggested 14.5-inch display. At 0.7 by 12.7 by 8.9 inches, the laptop is slightly thicker than the similarly proportioned Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x. Weighing 3.2 pounds, it misses our three-pound ultraportable cutoff, versus that Lenovo's 2.8 pounds. The 14-inch HP OmniBook X 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop (13-inch) are also slimmer and weigh just under three pounds.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Acer’s Snapdragon laptop has an excellent port selection, with two USB4 ports and a USB Type-A port on the left, plus another Type-A port and a 3.5mm audio jack on the right. In comparison, the OmniBook X 14 and the 13-inch Surface Laptop have one fewer Type-A port, while the Dell XPS 13 (9345) and the Yoga Slim 7x offer only USB Type-C ports and no headphone jack.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

The Swift 14 AI features both Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4. Biometric features include a fingerprint reader built into the power button and an infrared webcam for face recognition; either is usable with Windows Hello for password-free logins.

This Acer carries a standard one-year warranty. A padded travel sleeve is included.

Using the Swift 14 AI: Everyday Practicality

I'm convinced the Swift 14 AI works well as a daily PC. Though it's not perfect for productivity, it meets all casual-use needs.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

Opening the Swift's lid tilts the keyboard slightly for easier typing. The screen offers a 2,560-by-1,600-pixel resolution with a 16:10 aspect ratio. YouTube videos I watched displayed vivid colors, strong contrast, and good brightness. The display also supports a 120Hz peak refresh rate and touch input. The 1440p webcam above the screen pulls in sharp, high-resolution images without graininess.

The speakers don’t match the screen for entertainment value. Located under the palm rest, they only project well when the laptop is on a solid surface. The sound is just loud enough for personal listening and almost completely lacking in bass. The included DTS audio app doesn't make up for these deficiencies.

Acer’s keyboard is the main reason I can't recommend this laptop highly for productivity tasks. With its shallow key travel, it lacks the satisfying tactile feedback you'd find on, say, a ThinkPad. Despite this, I still managed to hit nearly my best typing speed of 118 words per minute in the MonkeyType online test. However, the keyboard has several critical flaws for touch typists like mismatched arrow-key sizes, the absence of dedicated Home, End, Page Up, and Page Down keys, and no function lock to make the F1 to F12 keys primary. This means you have to use the Fn key every time you need them, which is frustrating for someone like me who relies on shortcuts.

(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)

At least the touchpad is a highlight, offering plenty of space and quiet clicks. The touchpad lights up with a logo when running an AI app, which feels a bit gimmicky. Speaking of AI, the features on Copilot+ PCs like this one remain underwhelming. The Snapdragon's neural processing unit (NPU) allows for special webcam effects in the Windows Camera app, but that's about it. Unlike the Intel-based Swift 16 AI, this laptop doesn’t support Acer’s AI-based LiveArt or AlterView apps, possibly due to ARM compatibility issues. While app compatibility has improved significantly, always ensure your favorite apps have ARM-compatible versions before switching to a Snapdragon laptop.

Other apps include AcerSense, which provides system updates, a blue light filter, diagnostics, and an app center. Unfortunately, Acer adds bloatware like game trials and Dropbox promotions; while removable, their presence is disappointing.

Testing the Swift 14 AI: Snapdragon X Elite Shows Pep

I tested a Best Buy-exclusive version of the Swift 14 AI equipped with a Qualcomm Snapdragon X1E-78-100 processor (12 cores, 3.4GHz), Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB solid-state drive. If you're looking to save a bit of money, you can opt for the $1,049.99 version from the Acer store, which comes with a slightly less powerful Snapdragon X Plus CPU.

Our comparison systems are all Snapdragon models: the Dell XPS 13 (9345) ($999.99 as tested), the HP OmniBook X 14 ($1,049.99 as tested), the 13-inch Microsoft Surface Laptop (2024) ($1,999.99 as tested), and the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7x ($1,199.99 as tested). These laptops can be cheaper than the Swift 14 AI; for example, Best Buy had the Yoga Slim 7x at $799.99 and the OmniBook X 14 at $899.99, with entry-level 13-inch Surface Laptops starting at $899.99.

Productivity and Content Creation Tests

Windows on ARM still has compatibility issues with certain applications (and benchmark software), so we can’t run UL’s PCMark 10 productivity and office application benchmark. Our remaining tests in this section are all CPU-centric: Maxon's Cinebench 2024 uses that company's Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene; Primate Labs' Geekbench 6.3 Pro simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning; and we see how long it takes the video transcoder HandBrake 1.8 to convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p resolution.

Although the X1E-78-100 CPU in the Swift 14 AI does not feature a boost clock, it demonstrated competitive performance when compared to the XPS 13 and the Surface Laptop, which utilize the theoretically more robust X1E-80-100 chip. Additionally, it frequently outperformed the OmniBook X 14 and Yoga Slim 7x. In practical terms, these laptops are likely to exhibit similar responsiveness during everyday use.

Gaming and Graphics Tests

We challenge each laptop’s and desktop’s graphics with a quartet of animations or gaming simulations from UL's 3DMark test suite. Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K) use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds. 

Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12 in addition to Vulkan, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects.

The 3D tests showed expected results as these laptops use Qualcomm Adreno integrated graphics. The OmniBook X 14 was faster in Wild Life, but this might be an anomaly since it performed similarly in other tests. Overall, don’t expect any of these to be a substitute for a real gaming laptop. 

Battery and Display Tests

We test each laptop and tablet's battery life by playing a locally stored 720p video file (the open-source Blender movie Tears of Steel) with display brightness at 50% and audio volume at 100%. We make sure the battery is fully charged before the test, with Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting turned off.

To gauge display performance, we also use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and its Windows software to measure a laptop screen's color saturation—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes the display can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).

The Swift 14 AI’s screen is colorful for casual use, but the Yoga Slim 7x's OLED panel is more vibrant and brighter. However, Acer’s screen is still good.

At 50% screen brightness, the Acer's battery life surpasses the Yoga Slim 7x's, which had a similar duration with lower brightness. Although the Surface Laptop and OmniBook X 14 lasted longer, a runtime of over 20 hours for the Acer is commendable and matches our high expectations for a Snapdragon laptop.

Verdict: A Well-Rounded Snapdragon Pick

Acer’s Swift 14 AI is a dependable laptop with a fast Snapdragon processor, long battery life, and sturdy metal build. Despite a keyboard that may not suit touch typists, it offers everything needed for most tasks and then some, including two biometric options, Wi-Fi 7, and a touch screen. While Lenovo’s Yoga Slim 7x has a more vibrant OLED display and possibly a lower price, Acer’s extensive ports make it more practical, and its included travel sleeve is a bonus. A good discount could further solidify its appeal.