1.Pricing & specs2.Design & build3.Display4.Performance & thermals5.Battery life6.Keyboard & touchpad7.Camera, mic, & audio8.Competition9.Scorecard10.Should you buy it?
Instead of the suggested $1,300 price, you’ll insteadpay closer to $1,205.
Acer knocks off 10% of the price of extended coverage when it’s purchased with the laptop.
The “Olivine Black” finish on the lid looks sleek with the small Acer logo at the top.
The Swift Edge 16 comes by default with a one-year limited warranty.
This review was made possible thanks to a review unit provided by Acer.
The company did not see the contents of this review before publishing.
The laptop isn’t flashy by any means.
It’s a slab without much of a wedge shape, which I find appealing.
Because this is an AMD system, Intel’s Thunderbolt tech isn’t on board.
The microSD card reader is a nice addition for photographers.
The laptop has dualUSB4ports on the left side with support for DisplayPort, charging, and 65W power delivery.
For security, there’s a fingerprint reader embedded in the power button on the keyboard deck.
Is the Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) an AI PC or a Copilot+ PC?
Two USB4 ports, HDMI, and USB-A should handle most accessories needed for the Swift Edge 16.(Image credit: Future | Cale Hunt)
The NPU is not, however, strong enough to make the cut for Copilot+.
It has a 3200x2000 resolution for the taller 16:10 aspect ratio, resulting in an overly crisp picture.
These specs are intended to make the screen easier on the eyes.
The exhaust vent blows straight onto the display.(Image credit: Future | Cale Hunt)
The screen drops to just 4.9 nits at its lowest point, making it easy to work after hours.
I used my SpyderX Pro colorimeter to test color reproduction across three gamuts.
It hit 100% sRGB, 97% AdobeRGB, and 99% DCI-P3, all superb results.
I love the look of the Swift Edge 16’s slab design.(Image credit: Future | Cale Hunt)
The Swift Edge 16’s display is easily the best part of the laptop.
The only complaint I have is the glossy finish.
Ryzen AI 300 is starting to show up on new laptops now.
It has a default 28W TDP, and its Ryzen AI NPU hits up to 16 TOPS of power.
The Swift Edge 16’s performance takes a noticeable hit on DC power.
Unfortunately, performance takes a noticeable dip on battery power.
The OLED display sometimes suffers from glare, but it’s otherwise a knockout.
That’s somewhere within the range of a normal conversation.
Using the laptop for the last week or so, I already knew that it ran hot.
It’s summer, and any extra heat is all too noticeable.
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) SpyderX Pro results
I also took some FLIR images while running 3DMark’s Time Spy GPU benchmark.
If you’re in search of a laptop that keeps its cool, this isn’t it.
The benchmark returned just more than 8 hours of runtime.
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) PCMark 10 results(Image credit: Future)
Expect somewhere between three and six hours of real-world usage depending on how you’re using the laptop.
Keyboard preferences are usually personal, so you might love this setup, even if I prefer other decks.
The Precision touchpad is where things start to fall apart.
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) Time Spy results(Image credit: Future)
An AI noise reduction toggle is also available.
The laptop’s bottom-firing speakers are small and deliver thin audio.
Light laptops often have wimpy audio, and unfortunately, that’s no different here.
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) Cinebench 2024 results(Image credit: Future)
Acer Swift Edge 16: Scorecard
Acer Swift Edge 16: Should you buy it?
You should buy this if…
You should not buy this if…
The speakers are nothing special, either.
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) PCMark 10 battery results(Image credit: Future)
Battery life and thermals leave something to be desired.
It runs hot, the battery life is nothing special, and the speakers and touchpad are forgettable.
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) CrossMark results(Image credit: Future)
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) CrystalDiskMark results(Image credit: Future)
Acer Swift Edge 16 (SFE16-44) Geekbench 6 results(Image credit: Future)
The Swift Edge 16’s second hottest point under load is at the exhaust.(Image credit: Future)
The intake on the bottom gets too hot to touch.(Image credit: Future)
The keyboard hotspot climbs above 50°C.(Image credit: Future)
The exhaust vent interrupts an otherwise sleek rear edge.
The Swift Edge 16’s touchpad could be a lot better, but the number pad should appeal to plenty of users.
The 1440p webcam provides a clear picture, and the dual mics pick up voices without issue.
Samsung’s Galaxy Book4 Edge is strong competition for the Swift Edge 16.
The Swift Edge 16 is a sleek-looking laptop and is the lightest 16-inch device I’ve used.
