This Acer laptop computer stunned me with the most effective OLED display screen and webcam pairings I’ve examined shortly

ZDNET’s key takeaways

• With costs beginning at $1,299, the Acer Swift Edge 16 delivers strong efficiency and a surprising OLED display screen in a razor-thin kind issue.
• The Swift Edge 16 can deal with heavy workloads with ease because of the AMD Ryzen 7 7735U processor, and you may look good in conferences because of its 1440p webcam.
• The laptop computer does undergo from its flimsy, plastic building and mushy keyboard that makes typing much less satisfying.

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Float like a butterfly; sting like a bee — no different laptop computer completely encapsulates Muhammad Ali’s well-known saying fairly like Acer’s Swift Edge 16. I say that as a result of the pc is extremely light-weight, measuring half an inch thick when closed and clocking in at a measly 2.73 kilos. However opposite to its skinny visage, the laptop computer comes with a stunning 16-inch 3.2K decision (3,200 x 2,000 pixels) OLED show that I immediately fell in love with.

Additionally: I problem you to discover a better-looking laptop computer for below $1,000 than this

The high-quality output is made doable because of the laptop computer’s help of the VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 format and the truth that it covers the whole thing of the DCI-P3 shade house. The previous permits for deep, abyssal blacks, whereas the latter permits wealthy, saturated colours. It is a feast for the eyes.

For testing, I watched a few episodes of the anime collection Demon Slayer and seen a fabric-like texture within the present’s opening that I had by no means seen earlier than. The quantity of element might even spotlight the person striations within the flower on the default wallpaper. What’s extra, the bezels surrounding the glass are skinny, making the show appear larger than what it’s. However there’s extra to the Swift Edge 16 than meets the attention. Let me break it down.

A display screen this good must have the appropriate set of {hardware} to go together with it. Beneath the hood, my overview unit got here with an AMD Ryzen 7840U processor paired with an built-in AMD Radeon graphics card. This is not the best configuration on the planet, however the Swift Edge 16’s efficiency was nonetheless satisfactory for almost all of my use instances in my expertise.

I opened up about 50 tabs on Google Chrome with movies taking part in within the background. Not as soon as did I expertise any drops in framerates; every little thing ran easily. I ought to point out that my unit got here with 16GB of RAM, which actually helped push the Swift Edge 16 to carry out at its best possible. You also needs to remember this laptop computer has an enormous urge for food.

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As common, I examined the battery by operating an endlessly taking part in YouTube video at 720p and 50 % brightness. It lasted virtually six hours earlier than operating out of juice, which is barely adequate for customers who require low-to-moderate energy consumption.

There’s one different crowning jewel function on this laptop computer: its incredible 1440p webcam. It blows the competitors out of the water with crystal-clear capturing and is barely made higher because of Home windows Studio Results. These software program instruments can routinely blur the background, in addition to alter the body so that you just’re at all times within the middle because the star of the present. I loved having the laptop computer doing every little thing for me and guaranteeing I seemed good in video calls.

Not every little thing on the Swift Edge 16 is peachy, nevertheless. I discovered the general design to be somewhat plain-looking. It is your customary, all-black laptop computer; the type I am certain you’ve got seen a thousand instances earlier than. But when a discrete machine is what you are after, than you may completely love this.

In terms of the keyboard, I’ve combined emotions about it. I like that it is full-sized, full with a quantity pad on the facet. I’m somebody who prefers full-size keyboards as they’re extra comfy for my palms. Plus, it may possibly double as a bigger set of directional keys in the event you discover those on the backside too small.

Additionally: This Acer laptop computer could be the most inexpensive solution to have an Nvidia 40 collection GPU

However despite the fact that it was spacious, the keyboard had a horrible typing really feel. The keys felt mushy, missing the clicker, extra tactile response that I usually search for on laptops. This downside is additional exacerbated by the truth that the laptop computer is made completely out of plastic. The fabric can really feel low cost and fragile to some, which I discover unusual as a result of that is basically a much bigger model of an ultraportable laptop computer. I’d’ve favored it if Acer made the gadget extra sturdy for journey.

Moreover, I am not a fan of the backlighting. Provided that you sit in a reclined place can you possibly can see the lights extra clearly. However that may imply forcing you to take a seat ready that is probably not all that comfy. No quantity of switching between the modes fixes this. You might make the lights much less dim, however it does not remedy the issue. Additionally, the backspace key lacks lighting.

ZDNET’s shopping for recommendation

Prior to now two years or so, 16-inch laptops have carved out an attention-grabbing area of interest for themselves. They supply nice all-around efficiency in a premium kind issue. I see the Swift Edge 16 as an indication of issues to return. I can envision this sort of laptop computer turning into extra commonplace because it delivers on a number of fronts with ease. I completely loved this pc regardless of its misgivings. It has a great-looking display screen (the most effective I’ve seen shortly) and strong all-around efficiency.

You should purchase my overview unit in Black on Costco’s web site for $999. Finest Purchase sells the similar setuphowever it is available in Olivine Black, which has a greenish hue.