No fat on this frame
Super skinny and powerfully efficient, the new Acer Swift 7 is designed with the busy executive in mind
A STYLISH ultra-thin notebook computer designed for executives on the go, the Acer Swift 7 – also known by its longer codename of SF713-51-M7L5 – is a new and powerful member of the Ultrabook family thanks to a Seventh Generation Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor running at 1.2 GHz. It boasts plenty of working memory – 8 gigabytes of RAM – and uses a fast SSD (solid state drive) with 256 GB storage, enough for most business applications.
The Swift 7 has a bright and colourful 13.3-inch IPS display with Full HD resolution of 1920x1080 pixels and the screen is protected with Corning Gorilla Glass. The Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit display has high brightness and a wide viewing angle of up to 170 degrees.
In terms of graphics horsepower, the Swift 7 is powered by integrated Intel HD Graphics 615 chipset so it’s not suitable for extensive graphics games though it is good for watching HD movies and viewing high-resolution images.
The Swift 7 looks sleek too with an ultrathin form of just 9.98mm and a lightweight all-metal chassis. The inner surface is gold, which contrasts nicely with the matte black aluminium exterior. Rounded corners and chamfered edges around the touchpad add to the elegance.
Executives on the go will like that Swift 7 has up to nine hours of battery life allowing them to travel and work with peace of mind.
I was pleased to discover that the Swift 7 uses 2x2 802.11ac with MU-MIMO wireless technology to provide a faster wireless connection speed than most wireless adapters. During the test, I connected Swift 7 to my Linksys EA8500 Max-Stream AC2600 with MU-MIMO technology and the connection was superfast, allowing me to share multimedia files with other computers on my home network smoothly.
The Swift 7 also has Bluetooth 4.0 for connecting to Bluetooth speaker, headphones and other devices.
The audio system is solid, with two built-in microphones and a sound system that’s compatible with Windows 10's Cortana voice commands. Music sounds great through the two built-in stereo speakers thanks to Acer TrueHarmony+ technology, and the use of Dolby Digital Plus Home Theater audio technology turns the notebook into a good vehicle for watching HD footage.
If you’re a video chat enthusiast, you will like Swift 7’s HD webcam with 1280x720 resolution of 720p, which supports high dynamic range imaging (HDR) to allow your chat partner to see you clearly.
The Swift 7 has a large full-size Fine Tip keyboard but without a separate numeric pad. The version that is sold in Thailand also comes with Thai alphabet labels printed on the keys. I found the keys comfortable to type on.
Below the keyboard is a multi-gesture touchpad that supports two-finger scroll, pinch, and gestures to open Cortana, the Action Centre and multitasking and application commands. The touch pad has received Microsoft Precision Touchpad Certification.
But the very fact that the notebook is ultrathin means that the Swift 7 has very few ports. Indeed it has only two USB Type-C ports – one for USB3.1 connection that can be expanded with several devices, including an external display. The other port is for recharging its built-in battery.
Swift 7 runs on Windows 10 Home 64-bit edition. During the test, business applications like the trial version of Microsoft Office 365 worked fast on the Swift 7. HD video clips and high-resolution music played smoothly and with good quality. Swift 7 started up and shut down fast as well.
Acer Swift 7 (SF713-51-M7L5) has a suggested retail price of Bt39,990 with a one-year |warranty.
Key Specs
- OS: Windows 10 Home 64-bit
- CPU: Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor 1.2 GHz
- Memory: 8 GB DDR3 RAM
- Storage: 256 SSD
- Display: 13.3-inch display with IPS technology, Full HD 1920 x 1080, high-brightness Acer CineCrystal LED-backlit TFT LCD
- Graphics: Intel HD Graphics 615
- Audio: Two-built-in |microphones, two speakers, Dolby Digital Plus
- Webcam: 720p with HDR
- Wireless connectivity: 802.11a/b/g/n/ac wireless LAN with 2x2 MU-MIMO, Bluetooth 4.0
- Battery: 42.66 Wh 2770 mAh 15.4 V 4-cell Li-ion battery pack (up to 9 hours battery life)
- Dimensions: 324.6 (W) x 229.6 (D) x 9.98 (H) mm
- Weight: 1.125 kg
