In order to live up to the AI ​​hype, Acer is launching a new edition of the Swift 16 with the latest AMD hardware. The Swift Go 14 also gets a new coat of paint from AMD.

Acer has announced the latest additions to its Swift series, the Swift Edge 16 and Swift Go 14 laptops. These new models come with AMD Ryzen 8040 series processors. As an added bonus, the laptop also features a Ryzen AI NPU for running AI workloads locally, including Acer’s own AI-powered features like PurifiedVoice and PurifiedView, as well as a built-in key for Microsoft Copilot. This makes the Acer Swift Edge 16 and Swift Go 14 true “AI laptops,” although we stand by our position that this term is mostly marketing talk.

Swift Edge 16

The Acer Swift Edge 16 was released in 2022 and was comprehensively revised by us last year. The laptop was a showcase of AMD processors, but we can’t call it a perfect device. The new version will therefore be equipped with AMD Ryzen 8040 processors (maximum AMD Ryzen 7 8840U), including a Radeon 780M graphics card and with up to 32 GB LPDDR5 RAM and SSD storage up to 2 TB PCIe 4.0.

Acer packs all of this into a 16-inch format that weighs over a kilogram. The 3.2K OLED screen has a 0.2ms response time, refreshes at 120Hz and supports the full DCI-P3 color range. When it comes to ports, you can expect one HDMI 2.1 port, two USB Type-C ports, two USB Type-A ports and a microSD card slot. Acer continues to emphasize WiFi 7 support, although the added value will only be felt in a few years.

One of the weak points of the Acer Swift Edge 16 was the battery, which unfortunately is not mentioned in the press release. So here’s to hoping that the AI ​​features don’t drain your battery even faster, although it’s basically the job of the NPU to prevent this.

Swift Go 14

Acer launched a Swift Go 14 laptop with an Intel Core Ultra processor during CES 2024 and now a brother with an AMD processor, more specifically the AMD Ryzen 9 8945HS (octa-core). You can expect the same amount of LPDDR5 and PCL4e as the Swift Edge 16. With this device, Acer wants to appeal primarily to the mobile worker. The difference between the 16-inch model and the 14-inch model is mainly in the image specifications.

Less screen space means fewer pixels: the 14-inch OLED screen has a resolution of 2.8K and a refresh rate of up to 90 Hz. There’s also a touchscreen option, but you’ll have to deal with an IPS LCD screen and slightly fewer pixels (1920×1200). There’s also a 1440p QHD webcam, a 100W battery, WiFi 6E compatibility, as well as two USB Type-C ports, an HDMI 2.1 port and a microSD card slot.

It is not yet known when the Acer Swift Edge 16 and the Acer Swift Go 14 will be available in the Benelux countries and therefore not at what prices. In the US, the devices cost $1,299 and $699 respectively, which is often a reference to European prices.