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New Acer Swift Laptops Arrive in November With Intel's 'Tiger Lake' Chips

The Swift 5 has been verified under Intel's new Evo program (previously Project Athena), which has been challenging PC makers to create thin and powerful laptops with long battery life.

Michael Kan
 & Michael Kan Principal Reporter

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Acer Swift 5 (Credit: Acer)

Acer has two laptops on tap for this fall that take advantage of Intel’s new “Tiger Lake” 11th-generation processors.

Acer Swift 5

The Swift 5, which will start at $999, is verified under Intel’s new Evo program. Also known as Project Athena, this program has been challenging PC makers to create cutting-edge laptops that meet top mobility and performance specifications—like 9+ hours of battery life when conducting real-world work tasks.

Acer responded by creating a thin and light 14-inch laptop in the Swift 5, which packs Intel's new Tiger Lake silicon and can be configured with Core i5 or Core i7 processors. As a result, the machine can supposedly achieve up to a 17-hour battery life on a single charge.   

The Swift 5 front view Acer Swift 5 (Credit: Acer)

The device was also built with fast charging in mind. According to Acer, plugging in the laptop to an electrical outlet for a mere 30 minutes will yield four hours of battery life.

The Swift 5 side view Acer Swift 5 (Credit: Acer)

To create a sleek feel, the 2.3-pound machine has been fitted in a magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum casing. Acer also trimmed the bezels along the 1080p panel, for what Acer says is a 90 percent screen-to-body ratio. Another perk is touch-screen functionality.

Swift 3: A Tale of Two Variants

The second model, the Swift 3, has also been submitted to Intel’s Evo program, but is still waiting for verification. Like its sibling, the Swift 3 will be available with 11th generation Core i5 or Core i7 processors. However, the laptop will be a little heftier at 2.6 pounds. 

It’s also important to note the Swift 3 will come in two variants: The SF313-53, which has a 13.5-inch square-shaped display, and the SF314-59, which offers a more traditional 14-inch wide screen. 

The SF313-53 front view Acer Swift 3 SF313-53 the SF314-59 front view Acer Swift 3 SF314-59 (Credit: Acer)

The SF313-53 stands out with a 3:2 aspect ratio for a 2,256-by-1,504-pixel resolution, which Acer says is better for more vertical viewing. Expect 18 hours of battery life on a single charge. The company plans on selling it for $799 and up. 

The SF314-59, on the other hand, has a standard 1080p screen. But it’ll come with a $699 starting price. Battery life was not revealed.

The SF314-59 Acer Swift 3 SF314-59 (Credit: Acer)

The Swift 3 and Swift 5 models are set to arrive in North America this November. As Evo-verified laptops, they'll also come packed with the latest features, including Wi-Fi 6 and Thunderbolt 4. 

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About Our Expert

Michael Kan

Michael Kan

Principal Reporter

My Experience

I've been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I'm currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country's technology sector.

Since 2020, I've covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX's Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I've combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink's cellular service.

I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.

I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I'm now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I'm always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.

The Best Tech I've Had:

  • My first video game console: a Nintendo Famicom
  • I loved my Sega Saturn despite PlayStation's popularity.
  • The iPod Video I received as a gift in college
  • Xbox 360 FTW
  • The Galaxy Nexus was the first smartphone I was proud to own.
  • The PC desktop I built in 2013, which still works to this day.

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