Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-61T) review – Impressive Performance in a Thin and Light Design
In 2025, laptops with AI features can be found in every price class. The Swift 14 AI (SF14-61T) is a small device that is powered by mighty Strix Point Zen 5 CPUs which offer pretty potent iGPUs and up to 50 TOPS of NPU power. The device is thin and light, and that’s why we aren’t surprised by the soldered memory. Actually, the max amount of 32GB LPDDR5x memory is quite generous for daily or office work. The connectivity is up to date thanks to the soldered Wi-Fi 7 card. The port selection is also rich, we like the presence of two full-function USB4 connectors.
Our machine is equipped with a 1200p IPS touchscreen. It’s a color-accurate unit with vibrant colors. According to Acer’s Web site, 3K IPS and OLED screens are also available but these two are region-dependable.
The cooling of this device has to deal with a 12-core CPU. That’s why the thermal system has two fans and a pair of heat pipes. The security is also on point. It includes an IR Web camera, a Pluton security processor, a privacy shutter, and a fingerprint reader.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-swift-14-ai-sf14-61-sf14-61t/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-61 / SF14-61T) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 2000GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x or 2x 2280 PCIe NVMe 4.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 32GB
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro, Windows 11 Home
- Battery
- 65Wh
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 312.9 x 222.11 x 10 - 17.9 mm (12.32" x 8.74" x 0.39")
- Weight
- 1.32 kg (2.9 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 2x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 2x USB Type-C
- 4.0, Power Delivery (PD)
- HDMI
- 2.1
- Card reader
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- Wi-Fi 7
- Bluetooth
- 5.4
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- QHD with Temporal Noise Reduction
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- 3x Microphones with Acer Purified Voice 2.0 and AI Noise Reduction
- Speakers
- Speaker System optimized by DTS X:Ultra Audio
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
All Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-61 / SF14-61T) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.acer.com/us-en/support/product-support/Swift_SF14-61T/downloads?suggest=SF14-61T;1
What’s in the box?
The package is made of 100% recycled material. It contains some manuals and a 100W Type-C adapter.
Design and construction
The Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-61T) features an anodized aluminum chassis. It looks modern and mature with its rounded edges and minimal branding on the lid. The starting weight is 1.32 kilos with the default 65W battery. The profile thickness is 10 – 17.9 mm. All in all, the portability seems great.
The small protrusion on the top of the lid extends slightly beyond the base, making it easier to open with one hand. Now, the lid is solid and the same applies to the base. Sure, there is a bit of flex below the keyboard but you have to press down hard on the main body to see this “phenomenon”.
Thin bezels around a color-accurate screen are always appreciated.
The “hump” above the panel houses a 1440p@30FPS Web camera with a privacy shutter and Temporal Noise Reduction. The IR camera supports User Sensing so it’ll dim the screen or lock the device when you’re not in front of it.
The screen can’t lay fully flat. The bottom of the lid has two small rubber feet. When the angle of the opening reaches the 90-degree mark, the lid lifts the rear of the base to enhance the cooling capabilities of the laptop.
The backlight keyboard has an antibacterial treatment. Shortcuts for MS Copilot and AcerAsense are also on board. The Power button in the top right edge doubles as a fingerprint reader. Aside from the small “Up” and “Down” Arrows, the board has big keycaps with relatively long travel and average feedback. We’ve seen better boards though, especially in this price class.
The touchpad is big and the Corning Gorilla Glass on top offers extra protection and superb smoothness. The pad is also accurate. In the top right section, you can spot an activity indicator that lights up when you are using an AI app.
The bottom plate is business as usual with its ventilation grill, two long grippy rubber feet, a pair of speaker cutouts, and a battery reset pinhole. The hot air is pushed through a sizable vent on the rear. It points at the lower screen bezel and that’s why some heat reaches the panel when the processor is doing the heavy lifting.
Ports
On the left, we can see an HDMI 2.1, a 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port with a power-off charging function, and a pair of 40 Gbps USB4 ports with DisplayPort and charging capabilities. The other side is home to another 5 Gbps USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port and an Audio combo jack.
Display and Sound Quality, Get our Profiles
| Acer Swift 14 AI AMD | N140JCN-GS9 (CMN1459) |
| Diagonal | 14.0 inches (35.6 cm) |
| Panel Type | IPS Touchscreen |
| Resolution | 1920 x 1200 pixels |
| Max Refresh Rate | 60 Hz |
| Aspect Ratio | 16:10 |
| Pixel Density | 162 PPI |
| ‘Retina’ Distance | Greater than or equal to 54 cm |
Viewing Angles
Viewing angles are good. We take photos from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
Color Coverage
The whole “sail-shaped” map below (Fig. 1) consists of all the colors we can see, while the black crooked line shows all the colors from real-world scenes and nature around us.
Then, we’ve drawn some of the most important and interesting color spaces, compared to the colors the panel of Acer Swift 14 AI AMD can show:
Standard/For Web: sRGB – widely used color space for most consumer devices, ideal for Web design and development
For Print: AdobeRGB – used in professional photo editing, graphic design, and print
For Photographers/Video Editors: DCI-P3 – used in high-end film production, post-production, and digital cinema
Premium HDR: Rec.2020 – the widest consumer ITU color standard, covering a massive 75.8% of the visible spectrum, a benchmark for premium HDR content
Acer Swift 14 AI AMD: the yellow dashed triangle (– – – – – –) represents the range of colors this monitor can display.
In our tests, we calculated the total color coverage of the monitor at 98% of the sRGB color gamut and 79% of the DCI-P3 color gamut.
(Fig.1) Acer Swift 14 AI AMD covers 98% of the sRGB gamut
Brightness and Contrast
The maximum brightness in SDR mode is 419 cd/m² in the center of the screen and 404 cd/m² averaged across the surface with a maximum deviation of 11%.
The Correlated Color Temperature (CCT) on a white screen at maximum brightness is 6340K.
The contrast ratio is 1650:1.
Uniformity: Luminance, Contrast, and Color Deviation
The figure below shows the results from our uniformity test across different sections of the screen. It’s measured at 183 nits (Windows slider = 55%) — a brightness level we consider typical for standard working conditions.
DeltaE values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users. For those working with colors, screens with DeltaE values no higher than 2.0 are recommended.
Color Accuracy
Let’s check the difference between real colors and those you’ll see on the Acer Swift 14 AI AMD. We measure that distance in DeltaE – the higher the number, the more different they look.
Values below 4.0 are acceptable for regular users, while values below 2.0 are suitable for color-sensitive work. A value below 1.0 means the difference is indistinguishable to the naked eye.
For the next graph, we’ve selected 24 common colors, including dark/light skin, blue sky, green grass, etc.
Before our calibration of the Acer Swift 14 AI AMD, the Average color accuracy was 2.4 dE (Fig. 2), and with our Design and Office profile, it lowered to 0.9 dE (Fig. 3).
(Fig. 2) Acer Swift 14 AI AMD in its factory condition
(Fig. 3) Acer Swift 14 AI AMD with our display profile
Comparison in the sRGB color space.
Here’s an illustration of what the Design and Office profile aims to deliver:
Left: No Profile | Drag the slider to see the difference | Right: Design & Gaming Profile
Visibility in dark scenes
Have you ever watched a movie with dark scenes where you could barely see anything? This often happens because many display panels struggle to differentiate the darkest nuances, making them appear the same.
The next figure illustrates how well the display reproduces these dark nuances. The left side of the image shows the display with stock settings, and the right side shows it with our Gaming and movies profile activated.
On the horizontal axis are the grayscale levels, and on the vertical axis – the corresponding display brightness.
You can also check how your display handles the darkest nuances but keep in mind that this also depends on the settings of your current display and the surrounding light conditions.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa.
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 31.9 ms. In the specific case, the reaction time is not short (short pixel response time is a prerequisite for a smooth picture in dynamic scenes).
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Some use PWM to regulate their brightness, which means that instead of reducing the light intensity, they pulse or flicker. Our brain merges the image, so it appears darker, but this strains both it and our vision, especially when the frequency of the pulses is low. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
In the graph below, you see the intensity of light at different brightness levels—on the vertical axis is the brightness of the emitted light, and on the horizontal axis—time.
The light from the backlight of the Acer Swift 14 AI AMD display is not pulse-width modulated, providing visual comfort in the discussed aspect.
Health Impact: Blue light emissions
Installing our Health-Guard profile not only eliminates harmful PWM when the laptop uses it to control brightness but also reduces harmful Blue Light emissions while keeping the colors of the screen perceptually accurate.
If you’re not familiar with the Blue light, the TL;DR version is – emissions that negatively affect your eyes, skin, and your whole body. You can find more information about that in our dedicated article on Blue Light.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can cause eye fatigue in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the level of screen reflection with the display turned off, at a 60° angle.
The reflectance of the Acer Swift 14’s screen is 50.8 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Get our profiles
Since our profiles are tailored for each individual display model, this article and its respective profile package are meant for Acer Swift 14 AI AMD configurations with N140JCN-GS9 (CMN1459), 1920 x 1200, IPS panel.
*Should you have problems with downloading the purchased file, try using a different browser to open the link you’ll receive via e-mail. If the download target is a .php file instead of an archive, change the file extension to .zip or contact us at [email protected].
Read more about the profiles HERE.
In addition to receiving efficient and health-friendly profiles, by buying LaptopMedia's products you also support the development of our labs, where we test devices in order to produce the most objective reviews possible.
Design and Office
The Design and Office profile makes display colors as close to real as possible.Ideal not only for professionals but also for everyday users, it meets sRGB standards (D65 white point, sRGB gamma) with minimal DeltaE for precise color reproduction on your panel.
Gaming and Movies
Have you ever watched a movie where, during dark scenes, you can barely see anything? Many displays fail to distinguish dark tones properly. Our Gaming and Movies profile enhances low-light performance, like HDR tech, using a gamma curve tailored to human perception — ideal for gamers seeking faster reactions and clearer visuals.
Health-Guard
Our Health-Guard profile protects your eyes by eliminating PWM flickering, reducing strain and fatigue, and minimizing harmful Blue light exposure that can disrupt sleep and health. It uses software dimming and a gamma curve tailored to human perception for comfort and safety during screen use.
Get All The Profiles With 33% Discount!
Sound
When we subjectively listen to a sound file through the built-in speakers, the sound quality offered by the Acer Swift 14 AI AMD is very good.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
All benchmarks and tests were conducted with the “Turbo” preset activated in the AcerSense app. Also, the “Best Performance” mode is applied in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu. Note that in our case, a visual bug appeared in the AcerSense preset menu, preventing presets above “Normal” from being visualized. We used the Fn+F combination to cycle through the power presets (you get an on-screen notification for which power mode is applied).
The “Dedicated Graphics Memory” is set to “8GB” in the Radeon Control Panel.
CPU options
You can find this device with AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 or Ryzen AI 9 HX 370.
Our laptop has a HX 370 chip.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
All machines of this Acer series are iGPU-only notebooks.
The gadget that we bought relies on an AMD Radeon 890M for graphics tasks.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
Gaming tests
| Counter-Strike 2 | HD 1080p, Low (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Medium (Check settings) | HD 1080p, Very High (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 204 FPS | 149 FPS | 51 FPS |
| Gears 5 | Full HD, Low (Check settings) | Full HD, Medium (Check settings) | Full HD, High (Check settings) | Full HD, Ultra (Check settings) |
| Average FPS | 97 FPS | 63 FPS | 50 FPS | 39 FPS |
Storage performance
Our device has a 1TB WD PC SN5000S SDEQNSJ-1T00-1014. It’s a fast NVMe. The only downside here is the 70°C temperature but this only happens during benchmarking, not when using the machine for standard work.
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Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average P-core frequency; Average E-core frequency; CPU temp.; Package Power
| AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (28W TDP) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acer Swift 14 AI (SF14-61T) | 3.52 GHz @ 2.64 GHz @ 70°C @ 45W | 3.12 GHz @ 2.27 GHz @ 74°C @ 35W | 3.30 GHz @ 2.41 GHz @ 91°C @ 35W |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A16 FA608 | 3.62 GHz @ 2.82 GHz @ 68°C @ 63W | 4.45 GHz @ 3.31 GHz @ 79°C @ 80W | 4.44 GHz @ 3.30 GHz @ 87°C @ 80W |
| ASUS ROG Zephyrus G16 GA605 | 3.56 GHz @ 2.34 GHz @ 74°C @ 65W | 4.42 GHz @ 3.30 GHz @ 92°C @ 80W | 4.26 GHz @ 3.25 GHz @ 95°C @ 76W |
| ASUS TUF Gaming A14 (FA401) | 4.56 GHz @ 3.16 GHz @ 78°C @ 77W | 4.58 GHz @ 3.31 GHz @ 96°C @ 78W | 4.35 GHz @ 3.23 GHz @ 97°C @ 72W |
| ASUS ProArt P16 (H7606) | 4.45 GHz @ 3.29 GHz @ 79°C @ 80W | 4.41 GHz @ 3.30 GHz @ 91°C @ 80W | 4.19 GHz @ 3.25 GHz @ 95°C @ 77W |
| ASUS Zenbook S 16 (UM5606) | 3.00 GHz @ 2.03 GHz @ 69°C @ 33W | 2.96 GHz @ 2.01 GHz @ 78°C @ 33W | 2.68 GHz @ 1.80 GHz @ 83°C @ 28W |
This time around, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 is fitted in a 14-inch chassis of a non-gaming laptop. The official base clock for the P and E cores (Zen5 and Zen5c) is 2.00 GHz. The Swift 14 AI maintains 3.30 GHz / 2.41 GHz frequencies even in long loads which is fine. The only thing that raises some concerns is the 91°C chip temperature in prolonged periods of 100% stress.
Gaming comfort
In Turbo mode, the fan noise is slightly above the average but not exactly intrusive. The keyboard feels just a bit warm to the touch.
Battery
Now, we conduct the battery tests with the Windows Best Power Efficiency setting turned on, screen brightness adjusted to 180 nits and all other programs turned off except for the one we are testing the notebook with. This laptop’s 65Wh battery lasts for around 14 hours of video playback. Оur test was conducted with the “Battery Saver” preset activated in the Windows “Power & Battery” menu and the “Normal” mode applied in the AcerSense app.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To gain access to the internals of this small 14-inch device, you have to undo ten Torx-head screws. Pop the two areas behind the hinges with a thin plastic tool. Then, pry the top corners and the back. The final step is to work your way around the sides and the front.
There is a large dust filter in front of the ventilation grill on the inside of the bottom plate.
Our machine has the default 65Wh unit. A 75Wh model is also available for those who are constantly away from the charger. To remove it, pull the connector towards the unit and undo the two Philips-head screws that hold the battery in place. The capacity is enough for around 14 hours of video playback.
The memory is soldered. The modules are hidden underneath a metal cap below the cooling’s heat spreader. You get 16GB or 32GB of LPDDR5x-7500MHz RAM in dual-channel mode.
The machine that we bought has just a single M.2 slot for 2280 Gen 4 NVMe drives. The SSD is also wrapped in a heat shield. According to Acer, some devices sport two SSD slots.
The Wi-Fi 7 card is replaceable which is good.
The cooling seems sufficient for an iGPU-only notebook. It has two fans, a pair of long heat pipes, one large top-mounted heat sink, and two small heat spreaders.
Verdict
The Swift 14 AI (SF14-61T) is a successful combination of powerful hardware and good display. In our case, the Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 sustains around 3.30 GHz / 2.41 GHz for its Zen5 and Zen5c cores which is a respectable result for a light 14-incher. The device feels fast no matter the task. It’s even suitable for 3D rendering. Still, if you plan to use this laptop for such work, you can expect CPU temperatures around the 90°C mark. We are also pleasantly surprised by the fast SSD (WD PC SN5000S SDEQNSJ-1T00-1014).
The AMD Radeon 890M performance is boosted by the LPDDR5x-7500MHz RAM that operates in a dual-channel mode. The iGPU scored 149 FPS in CS2 on Medium details and 63FPS in Gears 5, again, on Medium visual quality. Not bad at all for integrated graphics.
The 1200p IPS touchscreen (N140JCN-GS9 (CMN1459)) boasts 98% sRGB coverage and great color accuracy when our “Design and Office” profile is applied. The 419 nits of max brightness and the 1650:1 contact ratio add more points to the overall positive impression.
The Swift 14 AI sports a light aluminum chassis, a PWM-free screen, long battery life, and potent hardware.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/acer-swift-14-ai-sf14-61-sf14-61t/
Pros
- Long battery life even with the default 65Wh unit ~ 14 hours of videos
- Light and thin (1.32 kg / 10 – 17.9 mm)
- Aluminum build
- The anodized finish seems fingerprint-proof
- PWM-free touchscreen (CMN1459)
- Wide viewing angles + 16:10 aspect ratio (CMN1459)
- 419 nits of max brightness + 1650:1 contrast ratio (CMN1459)
- 98% sRGB coverage and great color accuracy when our “Design and Office” profile is applied (CMN1459)
- Wi-Fi 7 + Bluetooth 5.4
- Good comfort during full system loads
- The Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 maintains ~ 3.30 GHz / 2.41 GHz in longer stress
- Up to 32GB LPDDR5x
- You can pop the bottom plate pretty easily
- Modern port selection with 2x USB4s and 2x Type-As
- Pluton Security Processor + privacy shutter + fingerprint reader
- 1440p IR Web camera
- Great touchpad
- Lid with a lever design
- Impressive CPU and iGPU performance for a 14-incher
- Keybaord with antibacterial treatment
- Copilot+ PC
Cons
- Limited upgradability
- The keyboard could be better
- 91°C CPU temperature in longer loads
- No eSIM, SD Card slot, or NFC functionality
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