Acer Swift 16 AI Series
Processor: Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 5 226V, Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 256V, Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V, Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288VGraphics Adapter: Intel Arc 130V, Intel Arc 140V
Display: 16.00 inch
Weight: 1.46kg, 1.53kg
Average of 12 scores (from 16 reviews)
Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51
Specifications
Notebook: Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51Processor: Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 258V
Graphics Adapter: Intel Arc 140V
Display: 16.00 inch, 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixels
Weight: 1.53kg
Links: Acer homepage Acer notebook section
Price comparison
Average Score:
Reviews
Source: Creative Bloq
The Acer Swift 16 AI is a good laptop but not for demanding AI workflows. Our tests showed it struggling through image generation, upsizing images, and complex video editing. That's not to say it's a bad laptop; you've just got to be careful not to throw too much at it. If you're a generalist who needs a laptop for surfing the web, streaming videos, and performing light creative tasks, then this laptop will give you everything you need.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 06/22/2025
Rating: Total score: 80% price: 80% performance: 80% workmanship: 70%
Source: Gadgetguy
In the world of consumer laptops, most devices tend to aim to be nearly everything to everyone. That means enough power to handle the most-used software, and enough battery life to get through the day. On that front, the Acer Swift 16 AI succeeds. 16 inches might be a bit much for everyone’s preferences, but it’s one of the more portable 16-inch laptops available. With its stature comes a full suite of ports, a long-lasting battery, and versatile performance, providing little to complain about.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 03/28/2025
Rating: Total score: 82% price: 80% performance: 85% workmanship: 80%
Source: Laptop Mag
Like its smaller sibling, the Acer Swift 16 AI can’t handle heavy multitasking as well as its competitors. Its battery life, though long, is still left in the dust by some of its rivals. But there’s something to be said about its vivid and sharp OLED display, speakers, and even its keyboard — and if you are upgrading from a laptop you bought three or more years ago, the Swift’s multitasking performance might be the fastest you’ve ever experienced. It all comes down to how much you’d be okay with spending on the Swift. I would not spend over $1,000 on it, but if you find it on sale for $850 or less? Okay, now I’m listening.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/22/2024
Rating: Total score: 70%
Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51, Ultra 7 256V
Specifications
Notebook: Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51, Ultra 7 256VProcessor: Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 7 256V
Graphics Adapter: Intel Arc 140V
Display: 16.00 inch, 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Links: Acer homepage Acer notebook section
Price comparison
Average Score:
Reviews
Source: Gadgetspeak
The Acer Swift16 SF16-51 measures 35x24.5x1.5cm the last figure is at the back and it is 1cm at the front. The screen is 35x23cm with .5cm borders left and right, 1cm at the base and up to 1cm at the top, its only 1cm for the centre 7cm which contains the webcam. The viewable screen is 34x21.5cm which gives the diagonal imperial measurement of 16inches. Going around the outside starting at the back of the left side you have HDMI, USB3 and two USB 'C'. The front is clear and continuing round on the right side is a 3.5mm audio socket and finally a USB3 and two LEDs. The back is clear as the screen goes back to 180 degrees. The processor is an Intel Ultra 7 running at 2.2GHz. There is an Intel Arch graphics card with 128MB.
Single Review, online available, Very Short, Date: 05/14/2025
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 80% performance: 80% workmanship: 100%
Source: It Pro
The comparison with the Samsung is instructive because, while the Swift 16 AI isn't as good in some key aspects, it rights some of the wrongs of the Galaxy Book 5 Pro 360. Both machines offer good all-round performance and fantastic 16-inch OLED screens housed in tasteful thin-and-light designs. But if the Samsung has the edge on battery life and premium build quality, the Swift 16 wins on usability, thanks to a better keyboard, smaller touchpad, and more thought-out ergonomics. It's simply a more comfortable laptop for everyday use. What's more, it's fantastic value, giving you the feel and speeds of a premium 16-inch laptop at a price point that's more likely to fit within an average SMB's budget.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/07/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: PC Mag
Despite its subpar speakers, the Swift 16 AI delivers much to admire, particularly its OLED touch screen and long battery life. Paired with its Intel Core Ultra 2 V-class CPU, this laptop is well-suited to casual entertainment and light content creation. However, a compromised keyboard layout makes it less than ideal for productivity. The touted AI features also aren't that noteworthy, but this is more of a reflection on Copilot+ laptops in general. Where this Acer shines is its value, especially if it's on sale for $849.99, as it was during the review period. Even at its regular price, the Swift 16 AI punches above its weight, providing many of the features of more expensive laptops for less. You can get a sharper screen and a level of raw power more appropriate for a 16-inch laptop out of the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, but don't spurn this Swift if your budget is tighter.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/10/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: PC World
Like its smaller incarnation, the Acer Swift 16 AI is a competent laptop for all your general computing and productivity needs. Acer is trying as hard as any OEM to justify the AI hype with features like Acer Assist. However, even all this effort does not guarantee a good AI experience. Microsoft’s Copilot+ features are still barely there in Windows 11. Beyond all the marketing, the Acer Swift 16 AI is fast enough for almost everyone with a Core Ultra 7, but I wish Acer made this laptop in a Core Ultra 9 variant. Even then, the machine’s multithreaded performance would be lacking. If you’re going to be editing video, an AMD-based machine is your best bet right now. While this laptop shares a lot with the 14-inch Acer AI PC, it looks nicer.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/04/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: CNet
The Swift 16 is overqualified as a productivity machine and lacking as an entertainment laptop due mainly to its subpar speakers (though the integrated graphics mean it's not an option for high-performance gaming, either). It's best for people looking for a big-screen OLED laptop who don't want to sacrifice portability or affordability. If you're shopping for a 16-inch entertainment laptop, I'd point you toward the pricier HP Spectre x360 16, which delivers on both sides of the AV equation, with much better audio output from its quad speakers to go with its great 16-inch OLED display.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 02/02/2025
Rating: Total score: 75%
Foreign Reviews
Source: Gizmodo JP
JA→ENPositive: Beautiful AMOLED display; decent battery life; slim size; light weight; nice webcam; smooth performance. Negative: Mediocre speakers.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 12/11/2024
Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51T-932H, Ultra 9 288V
Specifications
Notebook: Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51T-932H, Ultra 9 288VProcessor: Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V
Graphics Adapter: Intel Arc 140V
Display: 16.00 inch, 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Links: Acer homepage Acer notebook section
Price comparison
Reviews
The Acer Swift 16 AI with Core Ultra 9 excels in tests with its vibrant OLED colors and strong overall performance, suitable for AI tasks, everyday use, and light gaming. Despite the mediocre speakers, it represents an excellent option for demanding users seeking outstanding picture quality and modern technology.
Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51, Ultra 5 226V
Specifications
Notebook: Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51, Ultra 5 226VProcessor: Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 5 226V
Graphics Adapter: Intel Arc 130V
Display: 16.00 inch, 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixels
Weight: 1.46kg
Links: Acer homepage Acer notebook section
Price comparison
Average Score:
Reviews
Source: Digital Trends
There’s an argument to be made for laptop that’s reasonably thin and light while still offering up a bunch of screen real estate. While some 16-inch laptops are thicker and heavier thanks to power-hungry components, others manage to be just fast enough to support the multitasking made possible by a larger display while remaining reasonably portable. The new Acer Swift AI 16 is one such laptop. It uses Intel’s latest Lunar Lake chipsets to provide reasonably fast and much more efficient performance, mated with a 16-inch OLED display. It’s also reasonably priced, making it an attractive option for road warriors who need to do more than one thing at a time.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/05/2025
Rating: Total score: 70%
Foreign Reviews
Source: WinFuture
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 05/23/2025
Source: Tablet Blog
DE→ENSingle Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/25/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%
Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51, Ultra 9 288V
Specifications
Notebook: Acer Swift 16 AI SF16-51, Ultra 9 288VProcessor: Intel Lunar Lake Core Ultra 9 288V
Graphics Adapter: Intel Arc 140V
Display: 16.00 inch, 16:10, 2880 x 1800 pixels
Weight: 1.53kg
Links: Acer homepage Acer notebook section
Price comparison
Average Score:
Foreign Reviews
Source: Zive
CZ→ENSingle Review, online available, Short, Date: 04/28/2025
Rating: Total score: 80%
Source: Laptopmedia CN
zh-CN→ENPositive: Powerful processor; long battery life; elegant design; slim size; light weight; metal case; modern connectivity; comfortable keyboard; decent trackpad. Negative: Mediocre screen.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 05/10/2025
Comment
Acer: In 1976, the company was founded in Taiwan under the name Multitech and was renamed Acer or Acer Group in 1987. The product range includes, for example, laptops, tablets, smartphones, desktops, monitors, TVs and computer peripherals. Since 2007, the group has merged with Gateway Inc. and Packard Bell, which also market their own laptop product lines.
Acer computers are designed for a variety of purposes, including ultrabooks for mobile use, gaming laptops for gamers, affordable options for everyday tasks, and 2-in-1 convertible laptops for versatility. Acer's product portfolio also includes tablets that offer portable computing and multimedia capabilities.
Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.
Intel Arc 140V: A pretty fast integrated graphics adapter that higher-end Intel Lunar Lake family processors employ. This is a direct successor to the Arc 8; it can drive three SUHD 4320p monitors simultaneously via HDMI 2.1, eDP 1.5 and DP 2.1. With the 140V, all 2023 and 2024 games are playable at 1080p on low graphics settings.
Intel Arc 130V: An integrated graphics adapter that lower-end Intel Lunar Lake family processors employ. This is a direct successor to the Arc 7 iGPU; DirectX 12 Ultimate is fully supported here and the iGPU also supports hardware-decoding a long list of popular video codecs such as h.266 VVC, h.265 HEVC, h.264 AVC, AV1 and VP9. It is clear the 130V isn't fast enough to run most triple-A 2024 games at 1080p. However, it's still more than good enough for an occasional gaming session Helldivers 2 and Ready or Not run perfectly well at 1080p / Low.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.
Intel Lunar Lake:
Core Ultra 7 258V: An upper mid-range Lunar Lake family processor. It sports 4 new Skymont E-cores and 4 new Lion Cove P-cores running at up to 3.7 GHz and 4.8 GHz respectively, along with the new Arc 140V iGPU and 32 GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM. It essentially matches the Core Ultra 7 165U and Core i7-1360P in multi-thread performance and it eats up to 37 W when under short-term workloads.
Core Ultra 7 256V: An upper mid-range Lunar Lake family processor. It sports 4 new Skymont E-cores and 4 new Lion Cove P-cores running at up to 3.7 GHz and 4.8 GHz respectively, along with the new Arc 140V iGPU and 16 GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM. It essentially matches the Core Ultra 7 165U and Core i7-1360P in multi-thread performance and it eats up to 37 W when under short-term workloads.
Core Ultra 9 288V: The fastest Lunar Lake family processor as of Nov 2024. It sports 4 new Skymont E-cores and 4 new Lion Cove P-cores running at up to 3.7 GHz and 5.1 GHz respectively, along with the new Arc 140V iGPU and 32 GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM. It should be just a few percentage points faster than the Core Ultra 7 165U and Core i7-1360P in multi-threaded workloads and it eats up to 37 W when under short-term workloads.
Core Ultra 5 226V: One of the 2 slowest Lunar Lake processors as of Nov 2024. It features 4 new Skymont E-cores and 4 new Lion Cove P-cores running at up to 3.5 GHz and 4.5 GHz respectively, along with the new Arc 130V iGPU and 16 GB of on-package LPDDR5x-8533 RAM. The 226V's level 3 cache is pretty small as compared to more expensive Ultra 7 2xxV and Ultra 9 2xxV chips at 8 MB vs 12 MB. Its multi-thread performance is very close to the R7 7730U and the R7 7735U, and it eats up to 37 W in short-term loads.
» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.
16.00:
This range for display formats was and is a rarity. It is larger than the general standard of 15 inches, but not yet in the range of large workstations. One usually has higher screen resolutions available, but portability suffers from that.
» To find out how fine a display is, see our DPI List.
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79.36%: This rating is not earth-shattering. This rating must actually be seen as average, since there are about as many devices with worse ratings as better ones. A purchase recommendation can only be seen with a lot of goodwill, unless it is about websites that generally rate strictly.
» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.
