I went hands-on with every new Acer laptop from its 2025 lineup. Here's what stood out

Acer just announced its new lineup of 2025 laptops, and we’re seeing thin and light form factors, AI-readiness, OLED displays, and powerful hardware. In terms of hardware, Acer continues to court the field by including processors from all three major chipmakers: Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm. 

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The new models, announced ahead of Computex 2025, also include the latest GPUs from Nvidia utilizing its Blackwell architecture, which feature significant advancements in AI capabilities as well as increased efficiency and power. There’s a focus on creator-minded machines this year, particularly when it comes to bringing powerful AI capabilities to the GPU. 

I recently went hands-on with all of the models alongside ZDNET’s Kerry Wan, and left with some exciting first impressions, especially with the Swift X 14 AI, the fist model I’ll touch on. Let’s jump in. 

Swift X 14 and Swift X 14 AI 

Acer’s new Swift X series consists of the Swift X 14, and the Swift X 14 AI, two sleek, creator-minded devices that come equipped with a host of premium features: Nvidia’s new 5070 laptop GPUs, haptic touchpads, stylus support, and 3K OLED displays. 

Reflecting Acer’s diverse product line, the difference between the two comes down to the processor on board: The Swift X 14 has Intel’s Core Ultra 9285H, while the Swift X 14 AI has an AMD Ryzen AI 9 365. The latter has its “Zen 5” core architecture designed for heavy AI workloads, while the former is designed more for multitasking and battery efficiency. 

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Both are poised to be powerful machines with up to 32GB of memory and 2TB of PCIe Gen 4 storage. Both also come equipped with Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 5070 laptop GPUs with its Blackwell chip architecture, accommodating on-device rendering, modeling, and real-time visualization, with access to Nvidia’s NIM Microservices for building AI agents and workflows. 

While seeing both of these laptops up close, I noted their very similar physical appearances. Both laptops weigh essentially the same, with the Swift X 14 AI coming in at 3.46 pounds and the Swift X 14 weighing 0.2 pounds more. They also both come in the same colorways: Aluminum and Titanium Gray, offering sleek, slightly industrial design. 

Although we don’t have exact pricing available yet, they’re both expected to be upper-mid-tier machines, less than $2,000. 

Swift Edge 14 AI and Swift Go 14/16 AI

From Acer’s lineup of ultraportables, we have the Swift Edge 14 AI and the Swift Go AI in a 14-inch and 16-inch form factor. These thin and light Copilot+ PCs feature Intel Core Ultra 200V series processors and 3K OLED displays, along with Acer’s multi-control touchpad it debuted last year. 

These devices are set to compete against other thin and light devices with multi-day battery life like Asus’ Zenbook A14 and Lenovo’s ThinkPad X9 Aura Edition. The matte, all-white colorway on the Swift Edge 14 AI is slick, with gold line designs that contrast with the 16:10 WUXGA OLED display. 

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The Swift Edge 14 AI and Swift Go AI both scale up to 32GB of memory, support for Wi-Fi 7, robust I/O with two USB-C ports (Thunderbolt 4, DisplayPort, and charging) along with two USB-A, an HDMI port, headphone jack, and a MicroSD card reader (on the Swift Go 16 AI only). 

The onboard Intel Arc GPUs position them not as creator-first machines like their Swift X siblings, but more as forward-looking, lightweight machines for working professionals who commute, or business users who want to leave it untethered for the entire workday.

We don’t have confirmed pricing for the U.S. yet, but the Acer Swift Edge 14 AI will likely be starting around $1,699, whereas the Swift Go 14 and 16 will be around the $1,299 and $1,399 mark respectively. 

Acer Aspire 14/16 AI 

Acer’s lineup of affordable laptops is refreshed with six new Copilot+ PCs in 14- and 16-inch form factors and a variety of configurations. The Aspire line represents a diverse range of laptops with affordability in mind, designed for students, families, and professionals. 

Acer continues its broad range of product offerings with options for the Aspire 14- and 16-inch AI from all three major chipmakers:

• Intel Core Ultra 5, 7 (Series 2) 
• AMD Ryzen 5, 7 AI 300 series
• Qualcomm Snapdragon X (X1-26-100)

All laptops in the Aspire family are upgraded for 2025 with support for Wi-Fi 7, up to 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage, and 120Hz displays with optional touchscreens (but there are no 2-in-1 models). 

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Acer says all three models should get around 17 hours of battery time when it comes to web browsing, with up to 26 of video playback with the Intel chip, 18 with AMD’s, and a reported whopping 28 hours with the base-level Snapdragon X processor with Qualcomm’s Oryon CPU. 

Personally I’m looking forward to going hands-on with these laptops, as these are some rather confident numbers that are pushing the thin and light marathon battery category forward. In terms of weight, the 14-inch models are 2.7 pounds, where the 16-inch laptops run from 3.2 to 3.4 pounds. 

Predator gaming laptops

Lastly, Acer announced a handful of new laptops in its Predator line for gamers and creatives powered by Intel Core Ultra 7 and 9 processors and Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 GPUs powered by Blackwell architecture. 

The Predator Helios Neo 14 features a 2.8K OLED display with 120Hz that looks equally good for gamers and creators, combining a thin and portable form factor with a customizable RGB elements and Acer’s vortex flow cooling system. 

The Predator Triton 14 AI is what Acer is calling a “creator’s dream laptop”, packed with high-end hardware in a lightweight, 3.5-pound chassis that’s 0.68 inches thin. It also features a haptic touchpad made of Corning Gorilla Glass that pairs with a stylus to act as a drawing surface. 

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The Predator Triton 14 AI also sports an industry first with graphene thermal interface materials on the CPU that Acer says will provide superior heat mitigation with a 14.5% increase in thermal capacity.

These devices will be available a little bit later than the previously mentioned laptops, likely not until summer. There are also no prices yet, but the Predator Triton 14 AI will likely be around $3,000, with the Predator Helios Neo 14 AI around $1,700.