Acer Swift Edge 16 (2023) review

As typical, Intel dominates the PC world with its processors, regardless that its major competitor AMD continually delivers attention-grabbing alternate options. A lot of this is because of producers and lots of consumers being conservative and never daring to take a position as a lot in AMD in pre-built PCs. And a few of it’s as a result of AMD is confused with its launches, naming of product sequence and advertising and marketing.

The brand new AMD Ryzen 7000 sequence processors will not be fashions with the identical structure and expertise, however a mix of outdated and new. The one commonality is that they are going to be launched in 2023, the seventh 12 months since AMD first launched the Ryzen model.

What’s attention-grabbing as an alternative is the Zen structure that Ryzen is constructed on. Within the 7000 sequence we discover many primarily based on the older Zen 2 and Zen 3, but additionally some processors which might be among the many first with the newest Zen structure Zen 4.

The Ryzen 7 7840U is one in all them and is discovered on this laptop computer from Acer referred to as the Swift Edge 16. It’s one of many first laptops with this processor, and an attention-grabbing laptop computer in different methods. So it was pure for me to say sure when AMD contacted me and requested if I wished to check it. The pocket book can be out there in different configurations, with Intel, older AMD CPU, and with an inferior display screen, so make sure you test the specs within the retailer so that you just select the correct one.

Within the US it simply comes with a 1TB SSD for $1,299 from Amazon and BestBuy whereas different markets have the choice of a 512GB capability. Nevertheless, solely the 1TB is accessible within the UK on the time of writing for £1,449 from the likes of Amazon and Currys.

Take a look at our chart of the perfect laptops for extra choices.

Mattias Inghe

Specs & Efficiency

A “U” on the finish of the processor’s mannequin title means the identical factor as in Intel processors, a processor constructed for skinny and lightweight laptops, which ought to present good efficiency for browsing and workplace work, but additionally be good at retaining warmth and energy consumption down. On paper, it’s roughly equal to a Core i7-1355U or the marginally extra highly effective however much less power-efficient Core i7-1360P, with its eight hyper-threadable cores and low energy consumption of between 15 and 30 watts.

Regardless of the considerably decrease energy, the processor retains up with the Core i7-1360P within the computer systems I’ve examined. It varies a most of 5 per cent in a single course or the opposite in a side-by-side comparability relying on the check, some barely higher, others barely worse.

That makes it a superb laptop for internet and workplace work, and easy picture and video modifying is not any drawback for the processor both, so long as you’re affected person with sure filters and options. You get 16GB of DDR5 reminiscence on this mannequin, and there’s a mannequin with 32GB in some markets in the event you choose.

AMD’s built-in graphics circuit Radeon 780M with the newest RDNA 3 expertise can be greater than 30 per cent extra highly effective than Intel’s Iris Xe by way of pure computing energy, and may present even higher benefits in video games. Not sufficient to run demanding video games on prime quality settings, by which case you continue to want a separate graphics card. However with cautious graphics settings in video games and the display screen set to 1080p, you’ll be able to truly simply play most video games on it at a minimum of 30 fps.

Mattias Inghe

The four-cell battery within the laptop is able to delivering between three and ten hours of energetic use, relying on display screen brightness and processor load. In the event you play video games, the battery will run out in lower than two hours. Because it has a 16-inch display screen with excessive decision and body price, you may not anticipate the identical lengthy battery life as some ultra-thin 13-inch gadgets with 1080p screens. The battery can be not as giant as another computer systems on this format. So it’s acceptable, however no extra.

The GPU additionally offers additional velocity if you wish to work in programmes like Adobe Photoshop, which the display screen may be very properly suited to.

The pc comes with some bloatware pre-installed, from a trial model of McAfee Livesafe and a VPN service, to Amazon hyperlinks and some different pointless objects. It’s no drawback to disregard or uninstall them.

Display & Ports

Right here you get a big 16-inch OLED display screen with good distinction and DCI P3 colors.

Not with professionally calibrated color correctness, however above expectations for a laptop computer aimed toward most of the people and that doesn’t price an insane quantity. The decision is 3200 x 2000 pixels, virtually 4K in different phrases, and on a big display screen space which means wonderful house for multitasking or a very good overview of complicated programmes.

The monitor additionally has HDR assist with Vesa DisplayHDR True Black 500 certification. With 400 nits of brightness and 100 per cent distinction, it offers a pleasant dynamic and vivid image after I stream films. The panel helps body charges as much as 120Hz, which appears to be like clean and tidy when scrolling internet pages and dealing with normal interfaces. Nevertheless, it is likely to be price tuning right down to 60Hz to save lots of battery energy.

It’s additionally straightforward to plug an influence supply into any of the pc’s two USB 4 ports and proceed working. Since it’s an AMD laptop, these two ports will not be Thunderbolt 4 suitable, which signifies that they don’t assist exterior PCI Specific. In any other case, you’ll be able to join USB equipment, chargers and screens to them. Along with the 2 ports, you get two bigger USB 3 Kind-A ports, HDMI and headphone jacks. A microSD card slot on the facet provides to the enchantment.

Mattias Inghe

Design & Construct

Just a few years in the past, Acer was the light-weight king amongst laptops, with a number of 13-, 14- and even 15-inch laptops beneath a kilo. Then they dropped it, and lately their laptops have been extra common in weight. The Swift Edge 16 seems like a return to the record-setting lightweights of the previous.

It’s not fairly as magically gentle as some earlier Swift fashions, but it surely nonetheless weighs beneath 1.3kg. That’s normally thought of gentle – for a 13-incher! In the event you solely have the house in a backpack or laptop bag, it’s a very comfy laptop computer to hold round. It’s a bit wobbly and “bendable” in its skinny metallic chassis, but it surely’s resilient sufficient to not be completely skewed by it.

Acer has needed to make some compromises with issues like quick stroke peak within the keyboard, but it surely has good mechanical resistance within the keys that I recognize. A small numeric keypad on the facet makes the entire keyboard a bit cramped to work on. It additionally signifies that the ability button within the nook is extra out of the best way, so there’s much less likelihood of by chance hitting it than on many computer systems. That button additionally has a built-in fingerprint reader for dependable biometric login.

The webcam doesn’t assist face login because it lacks IR, however is in any other case prime quality. It delivers as much as 1440p photos at 30Hz with excessive sharpness and good dynamics. The color temperature is considerably chilly and there’s a little bit of noise in semi-dark rooms, however in any other case, it’s exhausting to complain. The pc helps the Home windows operate Studio Results, which might add a blurred background, right eyes to make it appear to be you’re trying on the digicam, and has the flexibility to routinely zoom in on you. That is due to the processor having an inbuilt AI circuit.

Mattias Inghe

Audio

One of many weakest factors of the Acer Swift Edge 16 is the sound. It has small, skinny and somewhat loud audio system. You hardly get any noticeable bass in any respect and the music and movies I play sound something however good. Even a video assembly isn’t very nice, with sharp voices. Nevertheless, you’ll sound higher to different assembly contributors due to the pc’s good microphones with good noise cancellation. Join headphones or exterior audio system so the audio expertise can match the visible expertise.

Must you purchase the Acer Swift Edge 16?

For $1,299.99/£1,449 (getting you the 1TB SSD), the Swift Edge 16 is a laptop computer that convinces in a number of methods.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7840U is a really sharp processor in its class, which can be utilized to work, play and save battery energy. The distinctive mixture of huge format and weight that ought to belong to a laptop computer half the dimensions may be very interesting, and the scrumptious high-resolution OLED display screen is the icing on the cake.

I can settle for that the battery life leaves one thing to be desired, however some higher audio system would have been very welcome. Then it may have been full marks.

Specs

• Processor: AMD Ryzen 7 7840U, 8-cores 3.3 to five.1GHz
• Graphics: AMD Radeon 780M
• Reminiscence: 16GB DDR5
• Storage: 512 GB ssd, micro sd card slot
• Shows: 16 inch shiny OLED, 3200×2000 pixels, 120Hz
• Webcam: 1440p
• Connections: 2 pcs USB 4 kind c, USB 3 gen 1 kind a, HDMI, headset
• Wi-fi: Wifi 6e, Bluetooth 5.1
• Working system: Home windows 11 Dwelling
• Different: Backlit keyboard, numeric keypad
• Noise degree: 0-35 dBa
• Battery life: 2 hours 50 minutes (excessive load, full brightness), approx. 10 hours half-hour (low load, low brightness)
• Dimension: 35.8 x 24.6 x 1.3cm
• Weight: 1.25kg

Efficiency

Cinebench R23, cpu: 12,823 factors
CinebenchR23, cpu single core: 1,737 factors
Geekbench 6, cpu: 10,598 factors
Geekbench 6, cpu single core: 2,469 factors
Geekbench 6, gpu: 29,334 factors
Disk, learn: as much as 7,109.22 MB/s
Disk, write: as much as 4,980.98 MB/s