We called MacBook Neo the "best budget laptop ever," and it's taken the world by storm. Speaking to a few Windows laptop makers here at Computex 2026, it's clear that the value-for-money proposition of a premium macOS portable with great battery life, nice design and powerful Apple silicon has terrified them.

But these companies are not taking things lying down. A lot of Neo competitors just got announced — all premium thin-and-lights that target that $6-700 price, and launching just in time for back-to-school.

And even better? Each of them offer a little something that the MacBook Neo doesn't, so the value fight is now officially on! Here are four budget-friendly laptops that I think could give Apple some serious competition.

Dell XPS 13

Dell's XPS revival started earlier this year, and it took another significant step forward at Computex with an all new XPS 13 aimed squarely at the MacBook Neo.

It continues to use a premium aluminum chassis, retaining the high-end feel that people expect from the XPS brand. You can really feel that in the hands, with a nice sturdy hinge, good ergonomics and a nice-feeling keyboard to boot.

Dell says this is also the thinnest and lightest XPS laptop it has ever made. And unlike the Neo, this is upgradeable too — configurable with up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 Series 3 processor and 32GB of RAM.

Pricing starts at $699 for the base model with Intel's new "Wildcat Lake" chip, 8GB of RAM and 512GB of storage ($599 with an education discount). Technically, that puts it in the same ballpark as the MacBook Neo if you spec the latter with 512GB of storage, but even from a base-model comparison, the XPS 13 offers a few advantages.

The four key ones are a silky smooth 120Hz touchscreen display with a non-reflective coating, USB-C ports on both sides of the laptop, a backlit keyboard, and support for Windows Hello face unlock.

From what I experienced testing it, the Dell XPS 13 feels like the most serious MacBook Neo competitor out there, and it could genuinely challenge Apple's dominance in this category once it launches later this year.

Asus Zenbook 14

Asus told me they couldn't make the Zenbook A14 any cheaper, so the company rewrote the rulebook, changed the materials and internals and made a banger of a value system.

On paper, the bad news is it starts a little higher at $799. But the good news in person is that it does offer one massive upgrade over the Neo right from the get-go: an OLED 120Hz display. Colors are mesmerizing on this panel with inky blacks to boot.

Beyond the display, you also get a premium all-metal build made from Asus' Ceraluminum material, which is basically a blend of ceramic and aluminum, along with a lightweight design that comes in at around 2.6 pounds.

The keyboard and touchpad feel solid on it with minimal flex on the board, and the colors look amazing with Komodo Coral being a personal favorite of mine.

Unlike some of the other laptops on this list that rely entirely on Intel chips, the Zenbook 14 is available with Intel, AMD, and Qualcomm Snapdragon processors, with the Snapdragon variant starting at the lowest price point. That means a claim of 21 hours of battery life, which I can't wait to properly put to the test.

Port selection is also better than what you get on the MacBook Neo (or, in fact, all other laptops on the list). You get two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, and a full-sized HDMI port as well!

Acer Swift Air 14

Acer also wasn't holding back when it came to taking on the MacBook Neo. At Computex 2026, the company unveiled the Swift Air 14 (2026), another laptop that starts at a competitive $699 price point and focuses on delivering as much value as possible while still maintaining a premium feel with an all-metal chassis.

That said, I did notice a bit of flex around the keyboard deck when pressing down on it — something you don't experience on the Neo. But it's all about making the right compromises too.

Much like the XPS 13, it's got a 120Hz screen (though it's 14 inches for the Swift Air), powered by Intel's lower-cost Core Series 3 "Wildcat Lake" chips. And if you thought the Dell XPS 13 had a solid port selection, the Acer Swift Air 14 takes things a step further with a full-side USB-A too.

Another thing the Swift Air 14 appears to have going for it is that massive 70Wh battery. That's nearly double the 36.5Wh battery inside the MacBook Neo, and it'll be interesting to see how that translates into real-world battery life once we get more time with the device.

MSI Modern 14S AI+

First showcased at CES 2026, MSI has now shared more details about the Modern 14S AI+, and it's looking more and more like a legitimate MacBook Neo competitor. There's the aluminum alloy chassis (except for the bottom), a thin profile and a light weight of roughly three pounds.

Intel's "Wildcat Lake" CPU makes a reappearance again, and the port selection gets even better here with MSI throwing in an Ethernet socket too alongside the HDMI, USB-A and two USB-C.

In use, the keyboard deck has a small amount of flex and the touchpad can feel a little mushy in the corners, but again, it's all about balance, as the Modern 14S AI+ also comes with a 14-inch OLED panel too.

But arguably the most impressive thing about it is durability. MSI says the laptop is MIL-STD-810H certified, which should make it tougher and more resilient than most of the other laptops on this list.

Bottom line

The budget Windows laptop market had been unchallenged for so long by Apple that they'd got too comfortable — cutting corners in materials and making one too many compromises in the knowledge that if you had $5-700, they were the only options you had.

Now the Neo is here, Computex 2026 showed they've woken up, and have truly come to play. There are now plenty of compelling Windows alternatives entering the space as well, and I can't wait to review them all real soon.

That said, if you're looking for a premium Windows machine and don't mind waiting a bit longer, it might be worth holding off for the upcoming RTX Spark-powered laptops. From everything we've seen so far, things are looking pretty promising on that side of the market too.

More from Tom's Guide

• All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall
• Intel Arc G3 is here to shake up handheld gaming, and AMD should be terrified — Acer Predator Atlas 8, a new MSI Claw and more launching soon
• I built a touchscreen MacBook Pro using this snap-on accessory, and I'm baffled why Apple hasn't made its own for years

We've reached day 2 of Computex 2026, and from holding every Nvidia RTX Spark laptop to comparing all the new budget systems competing with the MacBook Neo, I have so much to update you on!

Beyond that, I got to talk to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about Spark, properly tested the Intel Arc G3 Extreme chip in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ (spoiler alert: AMD gaming handhelds are cooked), and went on a mission to find every budget laptop that competes with the MacBook Neo.

But that's not all, as my team is out here too — running around the exhibition center and finding all the best (and weirdest) tech of Computex. So follow along with us for all the latest.

Read the latest from Computex

• I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble
• I held the MacBook Neo in one hand and the new XPS 13 in the other — and Dell’s affordable laptop is surprisingly lighter
• I just tested Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra — Nvidia RTX Spark brings life to one of the best laptops I’ve ever tried
• I spoke to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about RTX Spark — he is ‘willing to work’ on an RTX gaming handheld, N2X and N3X are already planned and the chip is 'more like R2D2’ than a laptop CPU
• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — Intel Arc G3 is a breakthrough for handheld gaming, but at what cost?
• I thought Asus' massive 32-inch OLED would be my favorite Computex 2026 monitor — but I found one that was even better
• I tested the Acer Predator Atlas 8, and played a game Intel told me not to — the numbers are staggering

LIVE UPDATES

Computex is still going strong

Hey, all! Our Computex 2026 coverage is going strong as we're on the ground in Taipei checking out the latest and greatest from the computing world. Keep it locked here four all of our live updates and hands-on impressions.

RTX Spark put to the test

We've had the opportunity to put Nvidia's RTX Spark to the test for video editing, gaming, and AI, and the results are... impressive. Now, the obvious caveat is that we don't know what these machines will cost once they arrive — but it should make Apple and its MacBook Pro a little more than nervous.

Here's what my colleague Jason had to say after he'd spent some time with Nvidia's new chip: "With Microsoft in tow, working in lockstep to rebuild Windows 11 for Nvidia's agentic vision for the future of computing, these are going to be some truly mighty notebooks that may very well revolutionize the Windows laptop and truly stand on their own as the future of computing."

• Read the full story: I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble

MSI debuts 'Triple Mode' monitor

This right here is the MSI MPG OLED 322URDX36. It's the first 31.5-inch, 4K 360Hz gaming monitor on the market to feature the 'Triple Mode' configuration technology.

It lets gamers switch freely between 4K 360Hz, 2K 520Hz, and FHD 680Hz based on their preferences — meeting the specific performance demands of various game genres.

The monitor rocks a peak HDR brightness of 1,500 nits and integrates an AI Care Sensor that "leverages accurate human detection to provide real-time OLED panel protection without compromising user privacy." Whatever that means.

Could Microsoft be building the most exciting RTX Spark laptop?

Microsoft will be facing down the MacBook Pro with the Surface Laptop Ultra later this year, it's one of the first eight laptops to arrive with Nvidia's RTX Spark on board and it could be seriously impressive.

Microsoft claims this will be most powerful Surface it's ever built and there are a few specs we are already pretty confident about. For starters, it has a 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense Ultra display that can reportedly reach 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. There's also a full set of ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.

The Surface Laptop Ultra will also reportedly have “all-day” battery life and you can expect it to come in Platinum and Nightfall finishes.

• Read more: Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra packs an Nvidia Spark chip — and it could be a MacBook Pro killer

Intel Arc G3 steps up against AMD

Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme are really bringing the heat with a monstrous integrated GPU and XeSS 3, seemingly delivering some of the best handheld gaming experiences you can get.

We've checked out the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ here at Computex already, and both have impressed us with their smooth performance.

This is a huge win for Intel, which has, up until now, played second fiddle to AMD and its near-dominance over the handheld space.

MacBook Neo has competition from Dell

We just got to go hands-on with Dell's new XPS laptop line but one device in particular stood out: the new Dell XPS 13. Thin, light and affordable, you know where this is going. We have another MacBook Neo competitor in our midst.

The Dell XPS 13 does have a few nice extras you don't get on the Neo, like a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen and two full-featured USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with one on each side. Stay tuned for our full hands-on but so far, I'm quite impressed.

A mesmerizing laptop

Laptops tend to look similar, which is why the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Vincent van Gogh Edition stands out. Adorned with the troubled artist's work on the lid, it’s certainly a conversation starter. The fact that it’s built around a Prestige 14 Flip AI+ means you’re getting quite the workhorse here, too.

But what about the price? It’s the one question nobody can really answer, given how RAMageddon has put the whole computing market in flux.

To hazard a guess, given that the current Prestige sells for $1,299 and this is a more powerful special-edition machine, we bet it could be around $2,499. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the actual price is.

8 laptops confirmed to launch in the fall with RTX Spark

Nvidia's RTX Spark chip is already slated to appear in a bunch of laptops arriving this fall, including a new Surface Laptop from Microsoft. Following on from the laptops, expect to see it appearing in mini PCs and small form-factor from the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer and Gigabyte.

Powered by the new chip, these laptops are poised to deliver a thin-and-light form factor coupled with elite battery life and enough power for desktop-class AI development and heavy video editing. They'll also be pretty good when it comes to gaming, too.

The only question is what will the pricing be for these new machines?

• Read more: All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall — and what they can do

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ leaves the ROG Xbox Ally in the dust

Intel Arc G3 handhelds are the talk of the town here at Computex 2026, and I just got an early hands-on with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. In short, believe the hype — this is the next generation of gaming on the go, unlike anything you’ve seen before.

Of course, a lot of this comes from that new silicon, which copies a lot of Panther Lake’s homework, including that monster integrated GPU with XeSS 3 support to deliver some blistering frame rates (more on those later) while being much more power efficient than any AMD-filled handheld I’ve tested.

But the secret sauce here is MSI’s DNA — learning from previous Claws and dramatically upgrading the design, vastly improving airflow to keep it cool, bringing a gorgeous new display, tweaking the ergonomics and tactility of the vibration, and making it even easier to upgrade.

The Asus Xbox Ally X20 isn’t just another special edition handheld

We’ve already seen a ton of new handheld gaming PCs here at Computex 2026. Instead of going that route, Asus has decided to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) subbrand with a special edition of the ROG Xbox Ally X.

Dubbed the ROG Xbox Ally X20, this new device uses (mostly) the same hardware as last year’s Xbox-themed handheld. You still get the powerful performance of AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

While not technically a new device, Asus has made some fundamental changes under the hood and has also given the handheld a regal makeover, with hints of gold throughout its design.

The best of Computex 2026

Our best of Computex 2026 round-up is live! There, we detail the 17 products that impressed us the most during our time at the convention.

From Nvidia’s biggest chip release in the last 20 years, Intel revolutionizing handheld gaming, mind-blowing monitors, and actual value-for-money laptops to take on the MacBook Neo, we’ve fallen in love with so much tech here in Taipei!

Computex 2026 is fully underway, and besides asking Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about RTX Spark, I just tested the laptops of the future from Team Green!

But that's not all, as Intel's having a ball dunking on AMD with its Arc G3 gaming handheld chip in the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, we've been going hands-on with every Windows laptop that's facing off with the MacBook Neo (including the new Dell Xps 13), and much more.

Follow along with us for live updates from the ground, and keep us bookmarked throughout the week. You're going to want to see what we're up to!

Read the latest from Computex

• Nvidia RTX Spark is here, and it's going to 'reinvent the pc' — here's everything you need to know about this all-new laptop chip
• I spoke to Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang about RTX Spark — he is ‘willing to work’ on an RTX gaming handheld, N2X and N3X are already planned and the chip is 'more like R2D2’ than a laptop CPU
• All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall — and what they can do
• I just tested the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ — Intel Arc G3 is a breakthrough for handheld gaming, but at what cost?
• I gamed for 250 hours on AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE — it’s a $549 nightmare for Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti
• I thought Asus' massive 32-inch OLED would be my favorite Computex 2026 monitor — but I found one that was even better
• I just held the most beautiful laptop, but I’m not sure Vincent van Gogh would be happy with his name connected to AI
• I tested the Acer Predator Atlas 8, and played a game Intel told me not to — the numbers are staggering

LIVE UPDATES

Our first in-person look at RTX Spark

The big news of the conference so far is, of course, the RTX Spark and we've just got our first look at actual devices running Nvidia's chips from MSI.

They look even better in person than they did during Jensen's keynote yesterday. Hopefully, we'll be able to go hands-on with laptops, desktops and mini PCs running Nvidia RTX Spark chips soon.

• Read more: Nvidia RTX Spark is here, and it's going to 'reinvent the pc' — here's everything you need to know about this all-new laptop chip

8 laptops confirmed to launch in the fall with RTX Spark

Nvidia's RTX Spark chip is already slated to appear in a bunch of laptops arriving this fall, including a new Surface Laptop from Microsoft. Following on from the laptops, expect to see it appearing in mini PCs and small form-factor from the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer and Gigabyte.

Powered by the new chip, these laptops are poised to deliver a thin-and-light form factor coupled with elite battery life and enough power for desktop-class AI development and heavy video editing. They'll also be pretty good when it comes to gaming, too.

The only question is what will the pricing be for these new machines?

• Read more: All 8 laptops launching with Nvidia RTX Spark this fall — and what they can do

Reporting from the show floor!

Computex is the biggest computing industry event of the year, and in among the flagship keynotes it's always fun to roam the halls and see what's on offer.

So far this year, we've spied a holographic PC that uses AI to answer your questions, a custom-built GTA VI PC that could be outdated before the game itself actually arrives and the forthcoming Wireless Touchpad Keyboard from sustainable laptop company Framework.

Intel Arc G3 steps up against AMD

Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme are really bringing the heat with a monstrous integrated GPU and XeSS 3, seemingly delivering some of the best handheld gaming experiences you can get.

We've checked out the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ here at Computex already, and both have impressed us with their smooth performance.

This is a huge win for Intel, which has, up until now, played second fiddle to AMD and its near-dominance over the handheld space.

MacBook Neo has competition from Dell

We just got to go hands-on with Dell's new XPS laptop line but one device in particular stood out: the new Dell XPS 13. Thin, light and affordable, you know where this is going. We have another MacBook Neo competitor in our midst.

The Dell XPS 13 does have a few nice extras you don't get on the Neo, like a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen and two full-featured USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with one on each side. Stay tuned for our full hands-on but so far, I'm quite impressed.

A mesmerizing laptop

Laptops tend to look similar, which is why the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Vincent van Gogh Edition stands out. Adorned with the troubled artist's work on the lid, it’s certainly a conversation starter. The fact that it’s built around a Prestige 14 Flip AI+ means you’re getting quite the workhorse here, too.

But what about the price? It’s the one question nobody can really answer, given how RAMageddon has put the whole computing market in flux.

To hazard a guess, given that the current Prestige sells for $1,299 and this is a more powerful special-edition machine, we bet it could be around $2,499. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the actual price is.

Could Microsoft be building the most exciting RTX Spark laptop?

Microsoft will be facing down the MacBook Pro with the Surface Laptop Ultra later this year, it's one of the first eight laptops to arrive with Nvidia's RTX Spark on board and it could be seriously impressive.

Microsoft claims this will be most powerful Surface it's ever built and there are a few specs we are already pretty confident about. For starters, it has a 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense Ultra display that can reportedly reach 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. There's also a full set of ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.

The Surface Laptop Ultra will also reportedly have “all-day” battery life and you can expect it to come in Platinum and Nightfall finishes.

• Read more: Microsoft’s Surface Laptop Ultra packs an Nvidia Spark chip — and it could be a MacBook Pro killer

Asus' new laptops could include a MacBook Neo rival

Asus has revealed its new laptop family at Computex and while we already know about the RTX Spark-equipped ProArt machines, but another device has caught my eye.

Asus is launching the new Zenbook 14 with base-level specs that include a Snapdragon X1-26-100 processor with 8GB RAM and 256GB of storage. Depending on the ongoing RAM crisis, Asus may be able to price this laptop to compete with the MacBook Neo.

For those that want a bit more power, the Zenbook 14 will also come with AMD and Intel configurations too.

MSI debuts 'Triple Mode' monitor

This right here is the MSI MPG OLED 322URDX36. It's the first 31.5-inch, 4K 360Hz gaming monitor on the market to feature the 'Triple Mode' configuration technology.

It lets gamers switch freely between 4K 360Hz, 2K 520Hz, and FHD 680Hz based on their preferences — meeting the specific performance demands of various game genres.

The monitor rocks a peak HDR brightness of 1,500 nits and integrates an AI Care Sensor that "leverages accurate human detection to provide real-time OLED panel protection without compromising user privacy." Whatever that means.

RTX Spark put to the test

We've had an opportunity to put Nvidia's RTX Spark to the test when it comes to video editing, gaming and AI and the results are...impressive. Now, the obvious caveat here is that we don't know what these machines are going to cost once they do arrive — but it should serve to make Apple and its MacBook Pro a little more than nervous.

Here's what my colleague Jason had to say after he'd spent some time with Nvidia's new chip: "With Microsoft in tow, working in lockstep to rebuild Windows 11 for Nvidia's agentic vision for the future of computing, these are going to be some truly mighty notebooks that may very well revolutionize the Windows laptop and truly stand on their own as the future of computing."

• Read the full story: I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble

AI has dominated the headlines this year, as it has for the last couple, but just below that the burgeoning field of smart glasses has seemingly exploded in 2026. And this is without major announcements from Meta — Connect kicks off in September — and the long-rumored Apple Glasses have yet to make their debut.

Acer is mostly known for its laptops like the Acer Swift 16 AI, but the company just announced two different smart glasses that will be available later this year. The Acer GI0 are AI glasses, while the Acer AR Vision GR0 are AR glasses that can hook up to a laptop, smartphone or gaming devices like the new Acer Predator Atlast 8, which we tested out at Computex 2026. Here's what they offer and what it means for Apple and Meta.

Acer AR Vision GR0

Acer's augmented reality glasses appear similar to display glasses like the Xreal One Pro or the Viture Beast. Though based on the press images, Acer's take looks more like a lithe version of the Samsung Galaxy XR headset.

Per Acer, the GR0 features dual micro OLED FHD displays that can show up to a 172-inch screen as if viewed from about 20 feet away. It can display both 2D and 3D content. Like other AR glasses, it is tethered and Acer says it's compatible with Android, iOS and Windows platforms.

Acer says the glasses weigh just 69 grams, a surprisingly head-friendly weight. For comparison, the Xreal One Pro glasses weigh 87 grams and the Viture Beast weigh a gram more at 88.

Acer GI0 AI glasses

When it comes to smart glasses there is a split. You either have the AR display glasses like the GR0s or you have the AI glasses which look more like normal daily spectacles.

Acer's take on the AI glasses feature integrated Google Gemini tools including voice-activated integration, real-time image analysis and "instant translation."

Like the Meta Ray-Ban glasses, Acer's features a built-in camera and microphone for photo and video capture. It can record voices for tracking meetings and conversations.

Acer says it can wirelessly sync with Android or iOS devices and operates in conjunction with the Acer AspireSync companion app.

Both glasses will launch in the US and Europe in the fourth quarter of 2026. Australians get first crack in Q3 later this year. The AR Vision GR0 will cost $499 USD/$599 EU/$999 AUD, while the GI0 starts at $299 US/$399 EU/$599 AUD.

Competition and the Apple behemoth

Smart glasses as a field is getting more crowded, which puts more pressure on Meta and its Ray-Ban lineup. No, Meta didn't have the first smart glasses but the company solidified how AI smart glasses work with the Meta Ray-Ban wearables.

But in 2026 alone, the company is facing more pressure and increased competition. At Google I/O in May, the Mountain View giant and its partners revealed new looks at three different smart glasses.

That includes new looks at the Xreal Project Aura AR glasses. We also saw Samsung's 'Intelligent Eyeware' glasses that are supposed to launch this fall. And that's before we even get to Google's own Android XR specs, which don't have a full release window yet.

Tom's Guide editor Jason England said that despite a head start, Meta could truly fall behind if it doesn't make useful AI that connects to its smart glasses. They only have five months to fix major issues like maps, photos and app support.

Meanwhile, Apple is lurking in the background with its rumored Glasses that could be a "shockwave" to the burgeoning industry. We may have to wait until 2027 to truly find out, though.

More from Tom's Guide

• I traveled 5,000 miles with Rokid Glasses — this Meta Ray-Ban Display rival impressed me
• I tested Google’s “Intelligent Eyewear,” and found the smart glasses that will defeat Ray-Ban Meta
• I just tested Xreal’s Android XR glasses, and they are an early glimpse of my dream future smart glasses

Windows gaming handhelds got a shot in the arm with Intel Arc G3 silicon, and I got to test the Acer Predator Atlas 8 sporting this chip. It’s a solid piece of kit (and I’ll go into it more later), but what surprised me most is what I got to play on it.

As you probably already know, I got to test the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ behind closed doors here at Computex 2026. With a lot of events like this, you get shown demos in controlled environments with specific games to make the handheld look good.

Well, over with Acer, the one game MSI told us not to play was on show: my favorite of the year so far in Forza Horizon 6.

And after playing it, I’m honestly baffled why MSI's handlers didn’t let us get into it, because it’s a real showcase of how much of a breakthrough the Arc G3 really is.

By the numbers

On the face of it, I can see why MSI may not have wanted us to play Horizon 6 — it supports XeSS 2.1 rather than the full-blown third-generation version with multi-frame generation. But even with that, I managed to squeeze a surprising amount of graphical prowess out of this system.

At 1200p resolution with no ray tracing, the game can run at 66 FPS on the charger and 45 FPS when you reduce the wattage from the plug socket. I played for about 20 minutes off the charger and saw the total battery capacity drop by 5% during that time, which shows impressive power efficiency.

Then I decided to go a bit wild with it, turn the graphics settings up to ultra, turn on ray tracing, and XeSS (because I’m not a madman). Even with this, I was getting 42 FPS, and with the 8-inch display squishing this game down, there was no visible ghosting, and in gameplay, I felt no latency.

A (mostly) great handheld

Acer’s always been on the periphery of the handheld space, usually dominated by Asus, MSI, and Lenovo.

But with the Atlas 8, this feels like a real coming-to-power moment for them because it is a sturdy system with decent ergonomics, a nice, bright screen, adjustable triggers that can be either one-press or full analog, and good cooling with that world-first metal fan in a portable like this.

That being said, I do give the edge to the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ for snappier buttons (Acer’s D-pad and face buttons feel a bit mushy) and ergonomics, as the Claw has better-defined handgrips that fit the hand better and have a grippy texture.

All this aside, though, the Predator Atlas 8 will have its audience as another great handheld to get. The adjustable triggers do make this a versatile handheld that can be adjusted to any particular play style.

Throw in the Arc G3, and you’re onto a surefire winner. The question now, of course, is price. Acer (just like MSI) is a little hesitant to talk about cost, given the whole RAMageddon thing happening right now. But I’m hoping that, given Acer has always been the value-for-money brand, they can do something good here.

More from Tom's Guide

• Nvidia RTX Spark is here, and it's going to 'reinvent the PC' — here's everything you need to know about this all-new laptop chip
• I just held the most beautiful laptop, but I’m not sure Vincent van Gogh would be happy with his name connected to AI
• Does Google's Intelligent Eyewear have what it takes to beat Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses? Here's what we know

For the last few years, a 240Hz refresh rate has been the standard for the best gaming monitors that promise buttery smooth performance. However, with Computex 2026 kicking off in Taipei this week, monitor manufacturers are cranking the Hz to the limit.

Our friends at Tom's Hardware reported that Acer is boosting its Predator gaming monitor up to 1,000Hz. And Samsung is expected to reveal 32-inch QD-OLED that offers 360Hz at 4K and 680Hz at 1080p, per PCWorld.

But unless you're a professional FPS gamer, you may not need those super speeds. Recently, my colleague Tony Polanco got a chance to check out LG's "world's first" 1,000Hz gaming monitor.

"All the slides moved very smoothly at 240Hz and up. I’m sure a eagle-eyed esports player could tell the difference between 1,000Hz and 720Hz, but I sure couldn’t," Tony wrote of the experience.

Tony also recently went eyes-on with Samsung's new 6K gaming monitor saying it "can offer a truly rich viewing experience."

One nice thing about these new super monitors is that it makes slightly older, but still quality monitors a bit cheaper. I've picked out four that you can pick up right now for under $1,000 and under $500 that still over 240Hz refresh rates and optimal performance.

240Hz OLED gaming under $500

If you're looking to save some money, then the HP HyperX OMEN QD-OLED and Alienware's new AW2726DM are both newer monitors released this year the won't break the bank. Neither monitor will blow you away with design or the best specs but they perform mighty well at their price point and tick all the right boxes.

Just under $1,000

These next two monitors are both bigger than the sub-$500 ones we looked at but also more expensive. However, Samsung's 6k monitor is expected to launch around $1,600 and the LG 1,000Hz beast is expected to be well north of $1,000 when it releases.

At launch both the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 OLED and LG UltraGear 45GX90SA had equally sky-high prices. However, they're both about a year old now and between sales and a natural price drop have reached friendlier waters.

The Lenovo has seen the biggest drop as it launched closer to $1,200 but is now only $879 on Amazon.

"The Legion Pro 34WD-10 is an excellent performer. The exquisite QHD OLED panel has enhanced every aspect of my gameplay, from immersion to performance. And having the space of the ultra-wide aspect ratio has been incredibly useful for operating multiple windows when working," my colleague Peter Wolinski said in his hands-on testing.

Meanwhile, the LG UltraGear is so good that we described as both a good gaming monitor and an impressively feature OLED TV. this set can pull some true double duty if you need. Problem is it launched with a massive $1,700 price tag. Fortunately, it's nearly halff off now.

If you're in the market for a new gaming monitor don't wait for spec monsters that you don't actually need. Try out any of these suggested monitors and your eyes will be in for a treat and a super smooth performance.

More from Tom's Guide

• The 6 best curved monitors of 2026, tested and rated
• I ditched my dual-monitor setup for a single 40-inch ultrawide — and two screens aren’t better than one
• I added a portable monitor next to my main display and this inexpensive upgrade is a game changer

If you’re on a budget but need a laptop for work, or maybe you’re a student, a Chromebook is usually a great place to start, as they’re generally cheaper than Windows machines. For the past month, I’ve been testing what I initially thought could be one of the best Chromebooks.

Alas, it couldn’t be further from the truth, as the Acer Chromebook 311 is anything but. Don’t get me wrong: this is a decent Chromebook for light work, web surfing, and for Google Pixel owners as it offers seamless Pixel integration.

But its flaws are too jarring to overlook. Unfortunately, the Chromebook 311’s color coverage is poor and inaccurate, and its large bezels make the already small screen feel even smaller. Throw in a sizable price tag of $514, and because of these shortcomings, it’s hard to justify the premium it costs.

For the complete breakdown, read my full Acer Chromebook 311 review.

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: Specs

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A robust and portable laptop running ChromeOS
• Who is it for? For school and college students who need a laptop primarily for web surfing and light productivity
• How much does it cost? The Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) costs $514
• What do we like? The portable and rugged design, seamless integration with Pixel phones, long battery life, and its productivity-first capabilities
• What don’t we like? The large bezels, small SSD, poor color coverage, and steep price

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: The ups

The Acer Chromebook 311 is a rugged and portable laptop. It’s suited to light productivity, and it boasts long battery life too.

Portable and rugged

If you want a laptop to use on the go, and one that doesn’t take up too much space in your backpack or handbag, the Acer Chromebook 311 is an excellent choice. Measuring 11.65 x 8.11 x 0.83 inches and weighing 2.57lbs (or 2.86lbs, depending on the configuration), it barely takes up any space in my bag, and I haven’t had any issues carrying it to and from work.

The Chromebook 311 boasts a rugged design too, and Acer claims it features Military Standard (MIL-STD 810H) durability. This means it’s impact-resistant and can withstand drops from 1.2m heights, as well as up to 132lbs of downward force. For students and young learners, this is a great feature to have, as users can rest assured the laptop will be protected against wear and tear over the years.

Ports-wise, the Chromebook 311 is stripped back, featuring two USB-A Gen 3.2 Type 1 as well as two USB-C ports (including one for charging). There’s also a 3.5mm headphones jack to plug in the best headphones for working from home or the office. Though not many, these ports should be plenty for students. Acer sells a 7-in-1 USB-C hub ($24) separately for those who want extra ports and an SD card reader.

Seamless Pixel integration

Similar to how Apple’s MacBooks offer seamless integration with iPhones and iPads, the Acer Chromebook 311 syncs perfectly with Google Pixel smartphones. I own a Google Pixel 10 Pro XL, and pairing my phone with the Chromebook 311 was a walk in the park. All I needed to do was sign in on the laptop with my Google account, and et voilà! I instantly had access to all my bookmarks, Google Chrome browsing history, passwords, and more.

In addition to that, I was able to receive notifications from my phone on the Chromebook 311, and even access recent photos and apps installed on my Pixel via Phone Hub. This made it easy to reply to WhatsApp messages directly from the laptop without picking up my phone or launching WhatsApp Web in a separate Chrome tab. Being able to access my recent photos was a boon too, as I take a lot of photos of products I’m reviewing, so being able to easily offload them without mailing them to myself saved me precious time.

Suited to light productivity

For casual typists and students, the Acer Chromebook 311 is a good laptop for light productivity, such as typing in Google Docs, making presentations, creating spreadsheets, and so on. To assist with that, the Chromebook 311 features a good, simple membrane keyboard. The keys’ short travel distance and soft bottoming out make typing feel effortless, and the keys are well-spaced out too, so you don’t accidentally hit unintended ones.

I took a typing test at 10fastfingers.com to see how the Chromebook 311’s keyboard fared, and I was able to achieve 87 words per minute with 91.09% accuracy. This is similar to how I type on my work-sanctioned MacBook Air M2, on which I have an average typing speed of 88WPM with 93.04% accuracy.

The Chromebook 311 also features a touchscreen integrated into its 11.6-inch (1366 x 768) display, so you can type on that too if you don’t fancy using the keyboard. I found the touchscreen responsive in my testing, and scrolling from the top to the bottom of a long spreadsheet was quick and easy. The screen doesn’t lag too much either, and I noticed some stuttering only after I had 30 tabs open in Chrome, including Google Docs, YouTube and other memory-eating websites.

On Geekbench 6, which tests overall CPU performance, the Chromebook 311 pulled in a multi-core score of 2,168. While it’s low compared to many other laptops, this is a Chromebook running a MediaTek Kompanio 540 CPU, and not an Intel or AMD CPU. It upstages the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 ($359) which has a multi-core score of 1,732, but it’s outdone by the MacBook Neo ($599) and its A18 Pro chip pulling in an impressive 8,920 multi-core score.

Looooong battery life

If you want a laptop that lasts a day’s worth of work, the Acer Chromebook 311 is a great choice. Acer promises 15 hours of battery life, thanks to the MediaTek Kompanio 540 CPU, and the fanless design means the laptop stays quiet when you need to focus on your studies or work. Fast charging is also supported too, with Acer claiming that it takes 30 minutes for the 45Wh battery to charge up to 50%, and an hour for 80%.

In my testing, it took the laptop just over an hour to go from zero to 100%, ascertaining Acer’s claims. I then conducted a battery test where I left the laptop playing an HD live video on YouTube until it ran out of charge, with the brightness calibrated to 150 nits. I timed it manually, and the laptop promptly died after 13 hours and five minutes, which is outstanding. As you can see from the table above, the Chromebook 311 upstages the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3, and the Acer Aspire Go 15 ($299), and it comes close to the MacBook Neo.

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: The downs

Unfortunately, the Acer Chromebook 311’s large bezels, poor color performance and small SSD massively let it down. Oh, and that eye-watering price tag!

Large bezels

While the Acer Chromebook 311 is great to type on and is good enough for low-stakes productivity, its large bezels take away from the overall user experience. A laptop bezel is the frame surrounding the screen, and it serves as a protective border and adds to the laptop’s structural integrity, and provides housing for components like a webcam. I remember when laptops sporting massive bezels when they first became popular, but we’ve come a long way since then, and many modern laptops feature thin bezels.

Not the Chromebook 311. The thick black bezels are too prominent for my liking, and make the laptop look clunky and cheap. The Chromebook 311’s 11.6-inch screen is already kinda small, and the large bezels do it no favors, making it appear even smaller than it is. Personally, I prefer the wafer-thin bezels found on the likes of the MacBook Air M5 ($1,099), but I also understand that the laptop I’m referring to is twice the Chromebook 311’s price. If you want thin bezels, I’d recommend the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 instead.

Poor color coverage and accuracy

The Acer Chromebook 311 is designed for students or those who partake in low-stakes productivity, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who edits photos or deals with other creative work. That’s because the Chromebook 311 struggles when it comes to color coverage as well as accuracy.

My lab testing showed that the Chromebook 311 is not fit for any kind of work involving colors — or even watching movies and playing video games, really. Let’s talk about the brightness first. The Chromebook 311 achieved a peak brightness of 225.8 nits in my lab tests, which isn’t too bad, and in real-world use, I didn’t particularly struggle to see and read what was on the screen. But it’s worth noting that the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 and the MacBook Neo offer nearly double the brightness, alongside better color coverage and accuracy.

I then measured color coverage and accuracy. The Chromebook 311 covers only 59.7% of the sRGB color spectrum, and 55.3% of the wider DCI-P3 gamut. This means that colors appear washed out on the screen, and as the screen can’t produce deep, rich colors, the contrast between dark and light areas appears poor with blacks appearing more gray than black.

Delta-E, which determines color accuracy (the closer the score to zero, the better), measured at 7.2 is abysmal, for lack of a better word. This means that the human eye perceives vastly different colors than what was originally intended by, say, a videographer filming animals at sunrise. The World Wildlife YouTube video I always watch when testing laptops appeared washed out with poor colors, and it didn’t feel enjoyable.

Tiny storage

The last area the Acer Chromebook 311 let me down in is its internal storage. It packs a 128GB SSD which isn’t a lot in the grand scheme of things. Install a few heavy duty apps or games and that storage will fill up quicker than you can say “butterscotch.”

You can always buy one of the best external SSDs if you want extra storage, or opt for Google cloud storage, which you might already have if you own a Google Pixel smartphone.

Expensive for what’s on offer

Given the large bezels, poor color coverage, and small SSD, I find it hard to justify the Acer Chromebook 311’s steep price. It’s available for $514 at Amazon, which is quite a bit given the laptop’s shortcomings. If you’re willing to extend your budget that far, you should spend it on something actually worth the money.

If it’s a Chromebook you’re after, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 ($359) is a great choice. Don’t mind a Windows laptop? Try the Acer Aspire Go 15. For Apple users, the MacBook Neo ($599) is the undisputed king of sub-$600 laptops. There’s no dearth of alternatives out there when it comes to the best laptops under $500, and Apple has made it very difficult for its other competitors to justify spending more on anything other than the MacBook Neo.

Acer Chromebook 311 (C725) review: Verdict

If you’re a student looking for a productivity-first laptop that lasts a day’s long worth of studying, then the Acer Chromebook 311 is a decent choice. It boasts more than 13 hours of battery life, and seamless Pixel integration for those already invested in Google’s ecosystem. The Chromebook 311 is fit for light productivity and web-surfing, and its keyboard feels lovely to type on too.

But this doesn’t mean the Chromebook 311 is perfect — far from it, actually. The laptop, unfortunately, sports large bezels which make the already small 11.6-inch screen look even smaller. Color coverage and accuracy are poor, making the Chromebook 311 unfit for photo and video editing. The small SSD leaves a lot to be desired, and the laptop is too expensive for what’s on offer.

In a crowded market where a giant like Apple has created a budget-friendly MacBook for students, why wouldn’t you just buy that? Or another Chromebook like the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3? The Chromebook 311 faces a lot of fierce competition and, at the end of the day, struggles to come out on top.

Acer's Go laptops are meant for, well, on-the-go use. They're lightweight, affordable systems for people with simple computing needs who don't need or want to spend extra money for features or performance they don't need. Whether you're a student that doesn't want a lot more weight in a backpack or a home office specialist that wants to occasionally work from the café or library, the Go line seeks to give you "good enough" performance without breaking the bank (or your back).

Models in the Go line range from stripped-down sub-$300 affairs that are almost Chromebook-like to more fully equipped variants that cost over $800. This specific configuration is a slightly more expensive and more powerful version than the one we reviewed a few months back. For roughly $200 extra, you get more RAM, more storage and a slight bump in CPU performance.

Though Acer classifies this as a 15" laptop (specifically 15.6"), it's slightly wider than even some 16" notebooks (case in point, Acer's own 16 Nitro). Thankfully with this extra width comes a full-size keyboard with a very spacious touchpad. Connectivity ports also abound, making it easy to use multiple peripherals and displays without needing a separate dock or hub.

My Acer Aspire Go 15 review will help you decide if this is the best budget laptop for your needs or if it’s worth spending a bit more on something slightly more powerful.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Go 15 is part of Acer’s line of low- to mid-range laptops geared for basic home use.
• Who is it for? People who want a no-frills laptop for basic computing needs at an affordable price.
• What does it cost? Our review unit has a price tag of $499.99, though other configurations in the Aspire Go 15 line range from under $300 to over $800.
• What do we like? The Go 15 mostly finds that balance of "good enough" performance for a low price. It's also available in over 10 different configurations, ranging from a stripped-down, almost Chromebook-like device with Windows S to a fully-equipped yet budget-friendly notebook.
• What don't we like? Performance can lag a tiny bit here and there, battery life isn't great, and the keyboard (which isn't backlit) and integrated camera are subpar, even by budget laptop standards.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Specs

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): The Ups

The Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025) features slightly improved specs over its predecessor with more RAM and storage but you also get a nice array of full-sized ports, something you don’t find on even some high-end laptops.

Extra RAM and storage

Doubling up to 16 GB system RAM dramatically increases the system's capabilities when it comes to running multiple applications simultaneously. Yes, the previous model with 8 GB is sufficient for basic use. However, if you need to quickly bounce between several applications — such as checking info between multiple browser tabs and spreadsheets while drafting an office presentation — more RAM means less caching on a swap or paging file and the system just responds quicker.

The same goes for having more internal storage. Those with limited drive capacity will tell you how frustrating it can be to constantly monitor your storage and clear out space to install new applications. The larger drive limits your dependence on external as well as cloud storage by allowing you to store more files locally on your computer. Multiple productivity applications, loads of music and video, and even a game or two are all easily contained with space to spare.

Overall, the upgraded RAM and storage do a lot when it comes to removing all of the usual hurdles that remind you, "I bought a cheap laptop."

Plenty of ports

Just like with the previous Aspire Go 15, Acer didn't skimp on ports with this upgraded version. Four USB ports, two type-A and two type-C, make this laptop a connectivity powerhouse on a budget. It's nice that Acer doesn't expect you to purchase a dock or adapter just to connect a USB thumb drive. The full HDMI connector also makes it easy to connect to an external display, again, without needing a dock or a special USB-C cable.

Admittedly, including these full-size ports necessitates that the laptop be larger, so those with ultimate portability as a concern should probably look elsewhere. However, at under 4 pounds, the Aspire Go 15 is still easily packable in a bag or briefcase.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): The Downs

More RAM and storage is nice but corners had to be cut to get the latest Aspire Go 15 down to its budget price point. However, it’s not a complete upgrade over its predecessor which managed to last even longer on a single charge.

More stop than Go

As this is a budget laptop after all, keep in mind that many of the "downsides" need to be viewed in relation to the cost of the laptop. It's not unreasonable to consider them more as trade-offs to make the price point as opposed to actual poor design and manufacturing.

First and foremost is limited computing performance. While the extra RAM and storage go a long way in removing some system limitations, the CPU is still the main bottleneck. Additional memory allows more active applications and improves system responsiveness when switching between them, but it doesn't help in heavy number crunching and processing.

Though this CPU is allowed to spool up 100 MHz higher than its predecessor, it rarely does so due to the cooling system and power use profile. The base frequency is set at 1.9 GHz and it only goes above 3.5 GHz on light single-thread applications. When multiple threads are engaged, the CPU mostly stays around 2.2 GHz. Under that heavy use, the cooling fans are relatively quiet, though they do produce a high-pitched whining.

Intense tasks like video transcoding and code compiling take a long time on the Go 15. It's also slow and inadequate for any type of 3D work like Blender or CAD. Not only is the CPU not beefy enough, but the integrated GPU is quickly overloaded with the graphical rendering.

This also goes for gaming. Simple games like Stardew Valley are no problem. Playing Hollow Knight was mostly satisfactory, though I did see some frame rate spikes during combat when large particle effects came on screen. I also tried Overcooked to see how modest 3D games performed. The framerate was smooth enough to make the game playable, though it was obvious the iGPU was taxed to its limit.

The display is an IPS panel, so viewing angles are great, and color accuracy is good with a delta-E of 0.29. But color gamut coverage is barely adequate with only 67.3% of the sRGB space being presented. It's not something you'll notice when using MS Word or Excel, but you certainly wouldn't want to pick a website palette on this display.

Again, none of these are complaints against Acer of the Go 15, they're just realities of almost any $500 laptop.

Best to leave your camera off

The camera on the Aspire Go 15 is an obvious place where Acer cut costs. Integrated cameras on most laptops are of passable quality and little more, but the Aspire Go 15's camera is a further step down. Camera resolution tops out at 1280x720 for both still images and video, while video is limited to 30 frames per second. Image quality is quite grainy and blurry, even compared to most laptop cameras.

It's far from great, but the camera is still good enough for basic work teleconferencing, if barely. So if that helps Acer bring the Aspire Go 15 to market at a lower price point, it's a reasonable trade-off for a product where most people aren't going to need anything more.

Spacious but worse than mushy

We gushed about the spacious keyboard of the previous model, and that hasn't changed. The included numpad is also great for data entry. Acer wisely used all the available space on the top panel for a generous keyboard and a larger touchpad.

Still, the way the keyboard feels leaves a lot to be desired. If you've never been in a debate of clicky vs tactile vs linear, the mediocre keyboards on most laptops may not matter to you. Low-budget laptop keyboards tend to be even worse. Beneath that is the keyboard on the Go 15. The keys are not just mushy, but they wobble side to side. If your fingers strike a key off center, you feel the keycap rock to the side, exaggerating the switch's already mushy feel.

To make things worse, the keyboard isn't backlit. Acer may get a pass on the lackluster webcam since that's not always used, but as the primary user interface, such a sub-par keyboard will hardly go unnoticed.

Not quite a full work day

Acer claims the battery can last a little over 8 hours of general use when connected to Wi-Fi. Our test results netted a little over 7.5 hours. Compared to 10-hour battery life with the previous Aspire Go 15, this is disappointing. Many higher performing laptops, with their higher power draw, can usually reach 7 hours, so it's a bit puzzling that this laptop with a 15W CPU can't last significantly longer.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (2025): Verdict

The Aspire Go 15 has places where it's adequate and nothing more. The CPU isn't a show-off, but it mostly handles the tasks you set it to without complaint. A few stutters here and there are slightly annoying, but not completely unforeseen at this price range. The same goes for the display. It's nothing beautiful to look at, but it gets the job done and is perfectly adequate for basic home and office tasks.

There are some places where the cuts are more evident though. The keyboard is a letdown if you're at all picky about keystroke feel. Even if you're not a keyboard snob though, the lack of backlighting is hard to ignore just like on the MacBook Neo.

The low-ish battery life is perhaps the biggest mark against the Go 15, though it's not a deal breaker. On the other hand, this laptop doesn’t draw a lot of power, so it shouldn't be hard for it to last a full work day.

In a lot of ways, arguably the most critical ones, the Aspire Go 15 succeeds. This particular configuration, with 16 GB of memory and 512 GB of storage for $500 is fantastic for most users. It also overdelivers on connectivity, with four USB ports and an HDMI port when many more expensive devices just have dual USB-C ports.

For a computer that can handle the bulk of your college classwork, your office and family email, and serve up the occasional funny cat video, the Acer Aspire Go 15 delivers the goods where it counts for a very reasonable price. If you’re not put off by the overly mushy keyboard and you don’t need all-day battery life, it deserves your consideration at the very least.

Yes, the MacBook Neo has leapt into a lot of hearts and minds as the best budget laptop you can get. And yes, other laptop makers are out here calling it a tablet — completely missing the point of it. But that doesn’t mean the competition isn’t responding. In fact, it’s happening quietly beneath the radar with companies dropping prices.

But this isn’t just dropping prices on random laptops to look like they’re offering something to compete with the Neo. These are three laptops that I’ve personally tested and love for their bang for buck, which are sure to make those laptop engineers at Cupertino nervous.

So if you’re feeling the value notebook vibes and want to see what else is out there beyond Apple’s offering to make a well-thought out decision, here are my personal picks from months of daily driving that I believe are every bit a match for the Neo’s prowess.

Asus Zenbook A14

I first went hands-on with the Asus Zenbook A14 at CES last year and fell in love with it. Then when the pricing was revealed for my final review, that love affair fell away slightly, as the initial plan to compete with the MacBook Air fell apart by making this at least $100 more. Fast forward a year, and you can now get this for $699.

So if we were in the business of re-reviewing laptops, this would be an easy 4.5 stars for that insanely good value for money. Thin dimensions and a featherweight construction from ceraluminum (the surface feels like paper, it’s so cool) give way to:

• A gorgeous 2K OLED panel
• Snapdragon X Plus performance that steps up to the A18 Pro in the Neo with faster multi-core speeds, zippier graphics and faster data transfer speeds (it’s an actual laptop chip after all)
• And an 18+ hour battery life in my testing.

Throw in nice ergonomics with a generous touchpad and great keyboard, and you’re onto an ultraportable winner with a low price tag.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514

The idea of a Chromebook Plus laptop has been through a bit of a spirit journey of sorts, as nobody could figure out how to make a premium Google laptop. Making the build and specs uber premium at a sky high price tag didn’t work, and neither did throwing in 12 months of free Google AI Pro.

But Acer stumbled on the answer with the Chromebook Plus Spin 514: focus on the fundamentals and throw the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chipset in for a peak pairing of performance and power efficiency. This Arm chip has been the bang-for-buck comeback of ChromeOS, and in my time daily driving it, you can feel that in the serious zippiness of app opening and multitasking.

Add in an unmistakably premium build quality, another gorgeous OLED display (always surprising you can get this at such low prices) and a 15-hour battery life, and you’re onto a winner. But one catch: this is ChromeOS. You’re not going to get the vast amount of apps to choose from that you’d get on the MacBook Neo or a Windows laptop.

However, for the casual productivity purposes you’d pick up a Neo for, Google’s OS offers more than enough of the essentials to get through your day-to-day.

Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x

Back at MWC last year, Lenovo brought a whole lot of awesome ultra-expensive prototypes and laptops to the party. But out of everything there, the often-forgotten budget system in the corner caught my eye the most.

The IdeaPad Slim 3X brings that Lenovo experience in the finite attention to ergonomics (a beautiful-feeling keyboard), zippy performance with Snapdragon X and a super long 16-hour battery life.

That’s not to say it’s all the way there in terms of competing with the MacBook Neo — the display is rather underwhelming and you can feel some of that cheapness in the build quality.

But on balance, this is a stellar budget machine that is at an impressively low price of entry.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched the MacBook Air for a MacBook Neo for 48 hours — and I'm shocked
• 'I am completely blown away by it,' Ex-Windows Chief calls MacBook Neo ‘paradigm-shifting'
• Apple's $599 MacBook Neo can actually play Cyberpunk 2077, new tests show

The hits keep coming for PC and laptop makers as RAMaggeddon, and now the U.S.-Iran war, disrupts everything from supply chains to component costs. Apple and the MacBook Neo may be the beneficiaries, thanks to a disappearing market of budget-friendly computers.

Nikkei Asia is reporting that many of the major PC makers like Asus, HP and Lenovo are being forced to raise prices thanks to astronomical memory prices. Plus, the unwarranted U.S. attacks on Iran are actively affecting the oil industry which will cause shipping and manufacturing prices to increase as well.

"There is only so much PC companies can do to absorb the costs and we have to pass on the surging costs to consumers,” an unnamed gaming PC executive told Nikkei Asia.

Yep, AI is the problem

I’m getting tired of saying the same thing over and over, so I’ll just cut to the chase. The demand for AI compute is getting out of hand — with DRAM demand accounting for 50% of the globe’s memory consumption in 2025.

That has left PC and smartphone makers scrambling for supply, and that demand is driving the prices up to lofty numbers. Acer’s Chairman Jason Chen has said the cost of memory and storage chips had risen “between 50 to 100%,” and companies would have to “reflect” this in their prices to us.

And over the course of this year so far, we’ve had:

• A roughly 20% increase in Asus prices
• Dell jumping by around 20-25%
• Lenovo warning that prices will start to go up this month
• HP confirming its prices will rise
• And Acer flagging price increases of 10-20%

And we’re only in March?! I’m tired, boss, and so are the companies. “I am very pessimistic about the PC industry this year,” a gaming PC company executive told Nikkei Asia. “January was my final call for friends to buy PCs this year before facing more expensive price tags."

Ditching the budget end

Most interestingly in this report, the writers spoke to an executive at ELAN Microelectronics — a company that makes the controller chips for touchpads across laptops from brands like Lenovo and Dell. Basically, a critical part of the manufacturing process that can be the eyes and ears of what’s happening on the ground.

“We are seeing laptop builders shift to prioritize…higher-end commercial notebooks rather than entry-level products to boost revenue and make better use of the limited memory supply,” the executive commented. “Overall shipment volumes are still declining but the value per unit is increasing.”

You see, companies started stockpiling memory chips in the third quarter of last year, which has quickly started to run out.

Advantage, Apple MacBook Neo

Apple recently announced the new $599 MacBook Neo, an attempt by the Cupertino company to directly compete with budget-friendly Chromebooks and low-end Windows notebooks. Whether Apple read the tea leaves or is launching at the most opportune time, the company is going to benefit massively.

As Nikkei reports, many PC manufacturers are turning away from their cheapest offerings in favor of premium laptops and PCs to make the most of the RAM they have available. It’s a matter of survival as the companies attempt to recoup more profit from higher-priced laptops over reducing specs and memory in cheap sets.

Even Apple has been forced to raise prices on its higher-end MacBooks. The just-announced MacBook Pro M5 Pro starts at $200 more than the previous generation. Additionally, Apple just discontinued the six-month-old 512GB MacBook Pro M5 in favor of a starting model with 1TB of storage.

It’s so dire that one PC maker declined to even make an estimate for 2026 due to the memory shortage and rising prices.

Meanwhile, Apple locked the Neo to 8GB of RAM and 256 or 512GB storage. These aren’t spectacular numbers, but they are more than adequate for the target audience.

More from Tom's Guide

• The RAM crisis is out of control: Here's the most alarming tech products affected (so far)
• Your computer is slow because the RAM is full — 7 ways to free it up
• I edit video for a living — and this is how much RAM you need in 2026

Gaming laptop deals are getting harder and harder to come by — probably because of the RAM price crisis we find ourselves in.

But I’ve just found huge savings on my two favorite OLED gaming notebooks that are the perfect high-performance upgrades for any players out there. Right now, you can get the 2025 Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 with RTX 5070 Ti for $500 off, and the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI with the same GPU for $350 off at Best Buy.

Make no mistake about it. These are massive savings, and after spending months testing these laptops (and loving them a lot), I can’t recommend them enough for gaming on-the-go.

The ultraportable monster

Every year, the Asus Zephyrus G14 just gets better and better. I almost missed my flight back from Barcelona because I turned my Starbucks table into the ultimate gaming station because of it!

From the outside, you wouldn’t really think this is a gaming laptop — if anything, its premium aluminum body screams “MacBook Pro.” In fact, it’s the only gaming notebook that my fiancée has looked at and said, “Nice laptop.” Every single other model, she rolls her eyes at the blazing RGB.

Asus has also paid real attention to sound ergonomics here, with a top-notch keyboard and massive touchpad. But of course, you’re here for the games, and that RTX 5070 Ti absolutely shines. DLSS 4.5 is the AI trick up the sleeve to bring unmatched smoothness.

Cyberpunk 2077 at full-res ray-tracing ultra with all the DLSS trickery on (ray reconstruction, multi-frame gen) can take full advantage of that mesmerizing OLED panel at a buttery smooth 120 FPS.

And whatever game you’re playing, be it blasting through the colorful streets of Mexico in Forza Horizon 5, or the deep, dark depths of the isolated Romanian village in Resident Evil Village, the stunning color and contrast ratio of this Pantone-validated display shines.

Throw in AMD’s Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, a spacious 32GB of RAM (in this economy!?), and a 1TB SSD, and you’re onto a winner that’s not just good for gaming but a serious workhorse for power user productivity too.

The big one

But what if a small size doesn’t matter to you? What if you want a big-screen gaming experience? That’s where I introduce the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI — another go-to daily driver that I got addicted to fast in the months I tested it.

The S stands for slim, and while this is indeed a bigger laptop, that doesn’t compromise the thinness. This is a slender system in the hands, and with that extra space, Acer’s able to run this at a higher wattage.

That’s super ideal for running DLSS 4.5 and really ramping up that frame rate to make the most of that 240Hz refresh rate (double that of the Zephyrus G14, though the resolution is slightly lower at 2560 x 1600).

And as every frame matters in competitive multiplayer (plus a bigger panel too), I’d recommend this one to anyone who wants to be at their best in online shooters. Aside from the RTX 5070 Ti, you’ll find an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD — pretty similar to Asus’ offering.

If ergonomics are your thing, I’d point you to the G14, as the keyboard does feel better. However, if you can get over the ever-so-slight sponginess of the keys, you get a bigger board with a number pad here, and a far bigger touchpad that comes in clutch for creative work.

Buy now because prices will go up

Yes, both of these have 32GB of RAM. Yes, we are in a RAM price crisis. These deals exist because of the available stock, but once Best Buy sells through them, you can expect these prices to slowly but surely creep up.

The likes of Acer and Asus do have plans to bypass the rising prices by going to smaller RAM manufacturers, as I found out when talking to an Acer exec. But this will take time, and the best advice I can give anyone on the fence about buying a gaming laptop is to buy now before things get worse.

And out of all the deals I’ve seen, these two offer the best bang for your buck.

More from Tom's Guide

• I tested Intel XeSS 3 vs Nvidia DLSS 4: my laptop tests made me rethink the future of integrated graphics
• Nvidia says all RTX 50-series GPUs will 'continue to ship,' but stock and supply tell a different story
• ‘Chaotic’ RAM pricing won’t kill PC gaming, a CEO told me — and history backs him up

As the year of the laptop and PC gaming continues, there’s a concerning backdrop to everything I see — caused by the RAM price crisis we’re going through right now.

But signs of optimism are showing, as Acer has shared its plan with Tom’s Guide to bypass it entirely for consumer PCs and laptops.

Speaking to Acer’s EMEA Marketing Director, Manuel Linning, he acknowledged that the company is “looking at multiple smaller vendors” of RAM chips to bypass the big three providers who are seemingly going all-in on AI data center memory.

Who are the big three, and what are they up to?

Three companies control 95% of the global DRAM production: Samsung Electronics, SK Hynix and Micron Technology.

And now, in the midst of the AI data center boom, these companies are prioritizing memory for these servers, which has caused a significant price hike for standard consumer RAM.

On top of that, it’s creating a bidding war for anyone wanting to work with them — consumer tech companies vs AI companies who have the cash to burn to buy at higher profit margins.

It’s why you’ve seen the likes of Micron kill their consumer memory business and follow the money. In laptops specifically, the price increase is not necessarily being felt across the board, as Intel told me that laptop makers are sitting on “about 9 to 12 months” of stock.

What is Acer’s fix?

“Since this is an industry issue, we're all dealing with it in some different ways,” Linning commented. “What we're doing is we're looking at multiple smaller vendors, and also new vendors.”

Those final few words piqued my curiosity, so I dug a little deeper with him. I’d heard about this plan to bypass the global bidding war for big three components and ask Chinese companies to source memory. Work with more companies that are looking to fill the hole left by the oligopoly of Samsung, SK Hynix and Micron.

“We're looking at not just the three known ones, but we're also looking at multiple smaller ones,” Linning added. “It would also be an opportunity for them, as there are some vendors which might have not been in that business, but can easily switch.”

Of course, this comes with the big condition that supplier lists are always kept confidential by companies. That being said, there are reports pointing to two that Acer, alongside Asus, Dell and HP are considering working with.

So let's go a bit inside baseball and meet the Chinese memory producers who could help us out of this pickle:

• CXMT (ChangXin Memory Technologies): As the big three move towards high-margin memory for AI data centers, CXMT has spotted an opportunity and aggressively ramped up DDR5 production. There are reports that Acer could be working with CXMT — with companies viewing them as a potential “savior” for consumer electronics.
• YMTC (Yangtze Memory Technologies Corp): YMTC may be on a US trade blacklist, but the scale of its production is too significant to ignore. Chinese smartphone makers like Huawei, Xiaomi and Oppo are already working with them, alongside Lenovo.

Sources tell UNN that HP has begun testing from CXMT, ahead of potentially purchasing from them if the supply situation remains bad by mid-2026. On top of that, Dell is also testing, with all signs pointing towards Acer doing the same thing.

"As long as Chinese suppliers start using their new capacities, it will help improve the memory shortage situation," Jason Chen, chairman of Acer, told reporters.

Maintaining supply resilience

As Emanuel noted, gamers are becoming sensitive to these “AI-inflated prices,” which makes the value proposition of mid-range and budget systems like the Nitro line next-to impossible to maintain.

By Acer and all these other companies using alternative vendors, making the most of their supply and growing these companies separate from the AI gold rush, there’s a chance here that consumer RAM prices may not be hit.

And in a world of skyrocketing DDR5 and GPU costs, I’ll take any chance I can get!

More from Tom's Guide

• 'Buy it as soon as you can': Lenovo issues urgent warning on RAM crisis spiking prices
• Steam Machine delayed, as Valve will ‘revisit’ the cost because of the RAM price crisis
• ‘Chaotic’ RAM pricing won’t kill PC gaming, a CEO told me — and history backs him up

DLSS 4.5 is officially here, and I’ve been testing it for a while now. Simply put, it’s Nvidia’s top piece of AI trickery that extracts better performance from your games by rendering the game at a lower resolution using the GPU and upscaling it with a neural network trained on the game itself.

It’s almost shocking how effective it is — watching it upscale a game from looking like a pixelated potato to something actually playable is insanely cool, and a real demonstration of how impressive DLSS 4.5’s Performance (Model M) and Ultra Performance (Model L) are in piecing together details.

But while I’ve been testing DLSS 4.5 on desktops mostly, I wanted to see what it does for the best gaming laptops. So I fired up my Acer Predator Helios Neo 16S AI and put it to the test. Spoiler alert: it’s an absolute beast.

By the numbers

Deep Learning Super Sampling can come with a compromise to the visuals, such as telltale ghosting (faint outlines around fast moving objects), jagged edges to surfaces and shimmering (brightly lit objects being a little blown out).

And while that is the case when blown up to a big screen for a desktop (though DLSS 4.5 does reduce it significantly), on the 16-inch OLED panel of the Helios Neo 16S AI, you’d be hard pressed to spot any of it.

Then when you turn to the numbers, it starts to feel like you’ve unlocked secret performance with a cheat code.

That is a near 50% jump across the board for all of these, while maintaining that detail you’d see in more quality-driven modes of DLSS!

Make sure you use DLSS 4.5 right

Quick PSA on DLSS 4.5. Nvidia itself has provided a handy guide on when to use these models you can pick between in the app.

• Model K: This is DLSS 4 and much better-built for quality and balanced DLSS modes
• Model M: This is DLSS 4.5 with a model tuned for performance mode
• Model L: This is an offshoot of DLSS 4.5, which is meant for ultra performance mode

Using DLSS 4.5 in quality or balanced DLSS modes can be a little more taxing on the GPU, and result in reduced performance, as I found out when putting it to the test across both desktop and laptop systems.

But if you make sure you pick the right model for the right purpose, you can extract the highest possible performance from your games. Smoother-running multiplayer titles are the difference between winning and losing critical battles after all.

Bottom line

So what did I learn from this experiment? Well, DLSS 4.5 is showing its strength in desktops for sure, but it really comes into its own in gaming laptops like the Helios Neo 16S AI.

The performance jump is significant, while you don’t lose any noticeable fidelity or detail thanks to that 16-inch OLED display. Blown up to a massive gaming monitor, you may spot the imperfections, but in something like this, your eyes won’t catch it.

And the point stands — this is near-esports levels of frame rates in a portable system with great ergonomics and all the I/O you’d need. Team Green just introduced a turbocharger to its V8 engine.

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AI tools and services come in many shapes and sizes, but the most exciting part is how this technology adapts to your current workflows — without you having to change a thing.

For every chatbot that can respond to queries, there’s a more useful array of features built into the latest generation of laptops with NPUs (neural processing units). And many of them, you may not even realize they're hard at work in the background.

That's because of the power efficiency of offloading key AI tasks to that NPU, which takes the pressure off that CPU to ensure all-day battery life.

Two such machines that benefit from one are Acer’s Swift 14 and 16 AI. Here are 5 ways that NPU brings serious AI smarts to the table without you even realizing it.

1. Copilot Recall

Microsoft’s push for your screen to be recorded at all times is still enough to raise the eyebrows of anyone concerned with privacy, but the feature can be particularly useful.

Screenshots it grabs are encrypted locally, not shared to OneDrive or beyond (unless you choose to), and it essentially allows you to search ...a sort of visual time machine to instantly find what you were looking for.

Lost a product listing? An email contact? Or even a file you put in a folder? Recall can help you find it.

2. Live Captions

Whether it’s for watching content in other languages or a way to make your own content more accessible, Live Captions is a game-changer for anyone consuming or creating video content online.

Copilot tools allow you to create Live Captions for just about anything you’re watching, even when you’re offline, translating over 40 languages into English.

If you’re a creator, it can be used within third-party apps to power transcription for podcast conversions, video assignments, and even training courses you may be building for work.

3. 365 Copilot

Microsoft Office remains arguably the king of enterprise solutions whether you’re using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, or just about anything else.

With the arrival of 365 Copilot, it’s been infused with additional features that make the act of scouring tiny toolbars for the button you need a thing of the past.

Now, Copilot permeates just about any layer of the Microsoft Office experience, starting with the creation of a new file. You can explain to Copilot what data you need to show in an Excel sheet, or how best to lay out a Word document, and it can get straight to it to save you setting up your initial template.

Once you’re actually using the included apps, you can use tools like Copilot Chat to ask questions about the work, share content with colleagues, or use AI-powered features like meeting recordings and Microsoft ToDo to keep focused.

Copilot makes Microsoft Office feel less like a series of apps and more like a deeply integrated ecosystem.

4. Look better in meetings

We’ve all been there: The house is a mess, your hair’s still wet from the shower, or you just want to lock the view to yourself for something important.

Windows Studio Effects are a collection of features that can have you looking more professional in just about any scenario, like keeping your face centered in the frame on a call.

Portrait light brightens your face during calls, even in darker rooms, and Eye Contact subtly adjusts your gaze to keep your gaze squared with the webcam lens, making you feel more connected to the person you're chatting with.

Then there are the usual background blur effects you may find elsewhere, except that they’re much more useful because they tap into the power of the NPU - avoiding those jagged lines more often than non-AI options. That applies to both Standard Blur (for your messy room) or Portrait Blur (for appearing more professional).

Finally, if you’re looking to call the family with the kids, Creative Filters are a great way to add some personality, like turning your video call into an illustrator’s canvas or watercolor painting.

5. Semantic Search in File Explorer

Another AI-powered feature that feels so simple it’s almost a miracle it hadn’t been done before, users can turn on Enhanced Search Settings to be able to search for files with just about any terminology they want.

‘Find my budgeting spreadsheet’ can be used to find the relevant file without needing to dive into endless folders. It can take some time to index those files, but it’s worth doing to have them at your fingertips without needing to remember specific names or locations.

Bottom line

So, there you have it - five ways to use AI to assist your workflow and keep you more productive, rather than having to bend your workflow around AI.

All of the features above are available on the Acer Swift 14 AI, which we used for testing purposes.

It weighs just 1.26kg at the low end but has up to 29 hours of battery life, 48 TOPS AI performance in the NPU, and can be configured with an up to 3K OLED display.

More from Tom's Guide

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• I tested Intel XeSS 3 vs Nvidia DLSS 4: my laptop tests made me rethink the future of integrated graphics
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The best gaming laptops do exactly what they're supposed to do — game. When it comes to monstrous performance to play the latest AAA PC titles on the move, there's no finer machine.

But aside from jumping into Steam, GOG or your platform of choice to kick up a storm in competitive multiplayer shooters or dive into a single-player epic, these laptops are far more capable than their moniker may let on. In fact, it's because of "gaming" that these machines are primed for, well, just about anything you throw at them.

In the not-too-distant past, it was largely considered that gaming laptops simply wouldn't fit into the world of work, whether that be in an office, while writing up documents in a coffee shop or hammering in numbers on a spreadsheet while traveling abroad. "They're too clunky," or "they just don't last without being plugged in," have been fair assessments, and even "they don't have that office appeal."

Today, however, the memo has changed. Faster, sleeker and more battery efficient than ever, gaming laptops have become a fine fit for work and, of course, play.

To put that to the test, I used an Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI as my main laptop for work, and as I type out this piece on the very machine, I can say it more than does the job — and then some.

Unmatched performance

An ideal laptop geared towards professionals needs to have the performance to handle a multitude of websites, apps and tools needed to get through the working day. All without that ever-annoying lag when multitasking, mind you, as a stall when switching tabs, video editing, punching in numbers and the like takes away from finishing work on time.

For me, that includes opening up dozens of tabs on Google Chrome, working through documents, light photo editing, transferring video and, yes, testing (and playing) games for benchmarking. Oh, and watching shows like "Wonder Man" in my downtime.

As you might have guessed, it's a given that gaming laptops will be able to handle these tasks without breaking a sweat. Their specs under the hood have to put up with highly demanding graphics in PC titles, after all. But it's how much performance they can offer when compared to your average laptop for work.

So, I put the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI through its paces, and it powered through everything without a hitch. It seamlessly jumped between the 30-plus Chrome tabs I had open, edited images without slowing down and did it all while being whisper-quiet.

By how much, though? Well, after benchmarking the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI, the results speak for themselves.

Even when compared to the latest Samsung Galaxy Book 6 Pro and MacBook Pro M5, laptops that are made for professionals in a variety of fields, Acer's gaming machine came out with flying colors. That's thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX chip, 64GB of RAM and 1TB SSD, which my unit comes with under the hood. The Acer did particularly well in the Handbrake video transcoding test, finishing over a minute faster than the MacBook Pro M5.

With these impressive numbers, it shows just how well a gaming laptop of this caliber delivers the performance needed to tackle all kinds of work, whether that be for accounting, creative work, coding and more. For my daily tasks (and nightly gaming routines), it's a laptop that fits the mold.

Still as portable

But it's all for naught if I can't carry around a laptop to and from the office, take it out in a café or, quite simply, I'm not confident enough to work on it without it screaming "this, right here, is a gaming laptop!"

Recently, though, many laptops made for gaming have steered towards a more universal, subtle look; one that doesn't blare RGB lights or proclaim "made to game" on their lid. The Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI finds that balance, with its sleek and stylish black metal chassis and subtle Predator logo etched on the lid.

No, it's not the thinnest or lightest laptop around, but given its 16-inch design that comes in at just 19.9mm thin and 5.9 pounds, it makes this machine fairly portable for carrying around.

Like most, I often stuff my laptop backpack with all the essentials my usual working day needs: lunch, a water bottle, chargers, a notebook and, of course, the laptop itself — and most likely whatever device I'm reviewing for the week. The Predator Helios Neo 16 AI fit in without taking up so much space, and it didn't give me backaches when heading to the office, either.

There is some heft, of course, but not nearly enough to make me ditch it for purely at-home office use. Besides, the majority of the time, I'd have this laptop sit on a desk rather than trek it around everywhere. However, if need be, it wouldn't be a hindrance during the plentiful walking I do during events or trips abroad.

Now, battery life is another key factor. While a laptop that takes me through the whole workday is ideal, especially one I don't need to plug in for at least 10 hours, when I'm at a desk or coffee shop with a power outlet, I make sure it's charged to full more often than not.

With this in mind, the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI doesn't have the longest endurance. While working on it, the laptop lasted just over five hours before needing some juice. It's certainly not the longest, but that's still half a day of work before a charge is needed. Considering I'd have my work laptop charged up anyway, especially when at a desk, that still gets me plenty of time to get work done.

The tools to work

I'll say it: not all laptops for work come with the tools needed to complete a comfortable work setup. Minimal port selection, cramped keyboards that are agonizing to type on, dimly lit displays that make it hard to see text — it's a shame having to resort to extra PC peripherals like USB-C hubs, keyboards or monitors to make the most of them, even if they are excellent products.

Gaming laptops like the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI, though? That's not the case, as they're focused on making sure they have the features needed to play PC titles comfortably. In parallel, that works for productivity, too.

Take the 16-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) OLED display with a 240Hz refresh rate, 1ms response rate and 16:10 aspect ratio. Yes, games look stunning with deep blacks, excellent colors and smooth frames, but this impressive visual clarity also translates to clear, bright images when scrolling through websites and editing photos, and it shows off the true video quality of what you've shot, too. Plus, having 16 inches for screen real estate means having enough room to split windows comfortably.

Speaking of comfort, typing on the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI is also a treat. Keyboards on gaming laptops need to be precise and responsive, and as someone who easily types over 1,000 words every day, that's a boon to have. Each key offers a snappy, tactile feel, making it a breeze to write out pages without feeling like I'm straining my fingers. Oh, and it's an extra perk to have a full-sized keyboard with a number pad included — something all the number crunchers out there appreciate.

I'm always a fan when a laptop comes with the ports I need (not just a measly two USB-C ports, like some machines I know...), and the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI fits the bill. With a USB-A 3.2, Ethernet, microSD card slot and a 3.5mm headphone jack on the left, another two USB-A ports on the right, along with two USB-C (one Thunderbolt 4, the other USB 3.2 Gen 2) and an HDMI 2.1, there's a generous amount of ports to plug in one of the best monitors, best keyboards and even a high-speed wired internet connection.

A 'working' laptop

After using the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI as my main work driver, it's hard to deny how far gaming laptops have come from their stance a decade ago. These aren't the same chunky machines that sound like a jet engine when doing the simplest tasks anymore (well, most of them), as they can easily fit into the work life of a professional.

Even in my line of work, the Predator Helios Neo 16 AI more than handles my workload, and being able to game when its quittin' time makes these machines all the sweeter. That is, if you game. But even if you don't, and require the performance to power through video edits, creative projects, spreadsheets, coding and the like, a gaming laptop has it — and the portability, too.

Of course, it all depends on what you require for work, which is why slimmer, lighter laptops that still burst with power and long battery life are always a good option. But for an all-encompassing laptop, you may want to start keeping a gaming laptop in mind.

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Intel Panther Lake, or (probably) Core Ultra 300 series chips, are well on their way to launch. We’ve seen previews throughout this year including at Computex 2025, which really show off the improved performance, power efficiency and the capabilities of that integrated GPU.

But one question we didn’t think would be answered until CES 2026 was what laptops will get this new chip? Well, Acer jumped the gun at IFA 2025 and announced the Swift 16 AI — the first laptop officially unveiled to come armed with Panther Lake.

And while the specifics on how much faster or longer-lasting Team Blue’s new silicon is are thin, nor was a release date announced, I can safely say that this system looks incredible.

Panther power

There is some information about Panther from previous demos. For example, we’re seeing next generation Cougar Cove P-cores (performance cores) and Darkmont E-cores (efficiency cores), which are built on Intel’s 18A node process. Intel claims this will make the chipsets 25% faster and 38% more efficient.

As for the total AI performance, this looks set to get an uplift from the current Lunar Lake generation from 120 trillion operations per second (TOPS) to 180 TOPS. This beefing up will come from both that updated NPU and a more powerful GPU, which is rumored to sport 12 Xe3 cores — a 50% bump on Lunar Lake.

But it’s that GPU I’m most excited about, as it should give access to the new wave of XeSS tech and really make AAA games run smoothly on an iGPU laptop. In something this thin, that could be a game changer.

Of course, the jury is out on how this will compete with the likes of AMD’s upcoming chips codenamed Medusa, or whether it stands a chance against the M5 MacBook Pro. But Intel is definitely on the right footing here.

The touchpad is an ocean

We’re used to touchpads getting bigger and bigger, but this is something else. Acer is bigging this up as the world’s largest haptic trackpad with stylus support, and it shows. This surface is huge in person, and it starts to cross over into being more than just a pointing device.

Adding stylus support makes a world of sense here as a pad this big could easily be used for handwriting or even illustration. Plus, with a haptic engine over a physical click, it should give you that nice snappy feedback we’ve come to know and love from the likes of the MacBook trackpad.

OLED goodness

Then there’s the display, and Acer is pulling out the big guns here. You can spec this machine with up to a 16-inch 3K OLED running at a buttery smooth 120Hz. If the AAA gaming chops of Panther Lake are legit, this is a mouthwatering proposition.

Plus, the color accuracy of OLED means that you’ll be able to do creative work with confidence in the correct hues of the panel. Specs-wise elsewhere, you’ve got up to 32GB LPDDR5X RAM, Wi-FI 7, Bluetooth 6 and 2x Thunderbolt 4 ports.

Outlook

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Thin and light seem to be the direction of tech travel in 2025. Whether it’s in TVs, phones like the incoming iPhone 17 Air or laptops, nothing seems to be off limits from going through a weight loss journey.

But as a bit of a laptop nerd myself, Acer is the first to really stun me with this. The Swift Air 16 has just been announced at IFA 2025, and after going hands-on with it, my brain is struggling to really get a grasp of just how impressively thin and insanely light it is. Let me tell you about it.

Acer Swift Air 16 specs

Impossibly light

It should come as absolutely no surprise that the first thing you notice immediately is the weight. My jaw dropped the moment I felt next to no resistance picking it up with one hand. In fact, I nearly threw it in the air, feeling like I’d have to apply more strength to it!

At just 2.4 pounds, this is actually lighter than the 13-inch M4 MacBook Air, which, given the specs of the system, just seems bonkers to me. A full 16-inch OLED display adorns the front, and inside you’ve got an AMD Ryzen 7 AI 350 CPU, up to 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD.

On top of that, the thinness and lightness of the design don’t make this feel weak or plasticky in the hand. This frame feels strong and withstood any attempts I made to bend it or flex the keyboard deck. Speaking of…

The keyboard may take some getting used to

Yep, it’s one of those keyboards — a chiclet board where there’s no spacing between the keys. I know Dell Premium has kept this trend going, and it does look kind of futuristic. But it’ll take you a while to get used to typing on this thing.

Without the spaces between keys or any kind of subtle dishing to them, there’s a lot of guesswork when it comes to touch typing, and you’ll find yourself having to look down every so often to make sure your hands are in the right place on the board.

It’s a whole ergonomics vs design thing, and I think Acer has taken the wrong road here.

Outlook

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Hold up! Are Chromebooks good now? Yea, I’m just as surprised as you are. It’s been a journey of rediscovery for me since I was blindsided by the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 — the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chipset being its ace in the hole to make one of my favorite laptops of the year.

Now, it’s the turn of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, and once again, it’s shot up the charts and is easily one of the best 2-in-1 laptops you can get right now. That Arm chip makes all ChromeOS processes fly by like it's nothing, while still giving you that same MacBook-esque stamina — all packed into a shell that feels amazing to hold with great ergonomics on the keyboard and touchpad too.

There are some power ups here over Lenovo’s efforts. First, it’s a 2-in-1, so you can flip that screen right back on itself for the tablet (or tent) experience — convenient given how well integrated Android is into ChromeOS (and how Google plans to bring them even closer together). And second, that display itself is super crispy with a 2.8K OLED, which brings that same deep contrast and mesmerizing color you know and love.

But there are a couple issues to note here. First is a small one in the grand scheme of things: the display color accuracy on the Spin 514 isn’t as close to just right as the Chromebook Plus 14. Better resolution, but not quite as vivid or accurate in tones.

And second is that finish. Not to take away from the premium feel of that aluminum shell, but whatever its coated with, it does make the Spin 514 very susceptible to dings and marks (more on that later).

Finally is that common ChromeOS problem — pricing this next generation of Chromebooks at $699 (starting) puts it in direct competition with Windows laptops and cheaper Macbooks. Provided you’re sure all of what you want to do is within the relatively small realm of app support in ChromeOS, you’ll have an amazing time with the Spin. But keep in mind that you won’t be able to use many of the usual suspects like Photoshop.

So let me take a beat and explain why if you’re in the market for a Google laptop, this is one of the best Chromebooks to buy right now.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? This is a more premium 2-in-1 Chromebook.
• Who is it for? This is ideal for those who depend on all of Google’s services for work and play — spending a ton of time in Chrome and dabbling in the vast array of the big G’s AI features.
• What does it cost? The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 with MediaTek chip will launch in October at a starting price of $699.
• What do we like? Unmistakably premium for every reason — that MediaTek chip provides impressive performance and incredible power efficiency, while Acer brings the luxury aesthetic of a sleek aluminum shell, great ergonomics and a gorgeous 2.8K OLED touchscreen on a full 2-in-1 hinge.
• What don’t we like? At $699, this is definitely a pricey Chromebook laptop. Plus, the coating on the aluminum shell is very susceptible to even the smallest of impacts.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Specs

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: The ups

Like I said, I used to be a Chromebook hater (sorry Google), but with every new Arm-armed option like this, I’m finding a new love for them.

Unmistakably premium

Normally with Chromebooks, you get used to a drop in build quality — tactical choices on cheap plastic that help keep that cost down. With the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514, that’s not the case, as it’s an entire aluminum shell, and a damn good-looking one at that.

Holding it in your hands, it almost feels like a luxury experience. Then opening it up, you can really feel the confidence inspired in the strength of that hinge, and you can work to your heart’s content on a keyboard that feels oh-so ergonomically sound and a touchpad with zero spongeyness to every click.

This is a gorgeous laptop. But while the coating does make it fingerprint resistant, it does mark very easily (more on that later).

Arm strength and stamina

Just like the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, Acer’s Spin 514 comes armed with the latest MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 chipset — packing an NPU capable of 50 trillion AI operations per second (TOPS) entirely locally on the silicon. And with it being an Arm chip, you best believe you’re getting blazing speeds with impressive stamina to boot.

RAM does take a knock back to 12GB vs Lenovo’s 16GB, but I doubt you’ll be feeling that in the multitasking capabilities unless you really stretch it. I only managed to see it stutter ever so slightly at a mammoth 65 tabs.

AI operations are nice and quick on that NPU, with smart photo edits happening locally zipping by in a flash. Whatever you throw at this, you won’t lose any of that responsiveness — especially in the immediate reaction to any multitouch inputs on that screen. And speaking of the display…

Blindsided by OLED beauty

It’s a stunner. That’s all I’d need to say here to my friends, but let’s get a little more geeky here.

That 14-inch 2.8k OLED panel is super crispy and uber vivid with a nice HDR quality. And popping it on a 360-degree hinge gives you many ways to interact with it — from having your work look super pretty in laptop mode, to binge watching/using Nvidia GeForce Now in tent mode, or getting creative in tablet mode.

Yes, it’s not as color accurate as Lenovo’s panel, but for the casual workload, this will only be a problem to those who need to make super specific granular creative work and need that accuracy ensured in what they do. For everyone else, you’ll just admire the really pretty screen here.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: The downs

One of these is par for the course for Chromebooks, and the other is something that sounds small on paper, but can be a frustration if you’re keen to take care of your shiny new laptop.

Pricey for a Chromebook

But this falls into the same trap that the Chromebook Plus 14 does. At $699, you have to really want a Chromebook, because you could grab a decent Windows laptop or maybe even a slightly older MacBook at this price (the M2 MacBook Air for example).

Because while in the grand scheme of premium laptops, it’s a decent price, we are still talking about ChromeOS here. It is getting better with time, and I stand by this being the best desktop UI when it comes to working hand-in-hand with AI.

But local app support continues to be oceans away from Windows 11 and macOS. And at this high price, that may be a question.

Accident prone

This is just a small issue in the grand scheme of things, but as it triggered my ADHD for clean lines and minimal wear and tear, I have to say it. The coating atop this aluminum shell is rather prone to small signs of damage. Not to the hardware itself — this is a durable design that inspires confidence. But rather small nicks that you’ll have no idea where they came from.

For example, I’ve been carrying mine around in a laptop case in my Mous Optimal backpack. Any other laptop in there has been able to withstand any kind of carrying/gently putting the back down on the floor/desk. But here, however, a small mark has appeared on the bottom corner of the keyboard deck that has scratched off some of that silver topping.

Small things like this peeking in your peripheral vision can be annoying — especially in a laptop you’ve paid 700 bucks for.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Verdict

Wear and tear susceptibility aside, though, after crowning a new best Chromebook, I’m now giving the best 2-in-1 throne to the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514. It’s seriously that good.

The laptop hardware feels phenomenal to use at every angle, the display is drop dead gorgeous, and the turbo-charged Arm engine on the inside will crush any ChromeOS task while slow-sipping that battery.

If your work and life revolve around Google products, this is the best convertible option to snag.

Just in time for IFA 2025, has announced a new entry in its Swift lineup that takes direct aim at Apple's MacBook Air, bringing one key feature we've all been looking for — an OLED display.

The Acer Swift Air 16 Copilot+ laptop has been revealed, equipped with AMD Ryzen AI 300 series CPUs, AMD Radeon graphics and an impressive 16-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) AMOLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate. Plus, it comes in at an ultra-light 2.18 pounds, less than the latest 15-inch M4 MacBook Air (3.3 pounds).

With its specs, the Swift Air 16 is here to take on the best Windows laptops and is a substantial upgrade over last year's Swift lineup, including the Acer Swift 14 AI. In fact, it's even lighter than that!

Acer's Swift Air 16 is set to be available in Europe starting this November, with prices starting at €999. While U.S. pricing and exact release dates have yet to be decided, it looks to be on par (if not cheaper) than its 15-inch MacBook Air rival. Of course, we won't know until we test the laptop out ourselves, but in the meantime, let's dive into it.

Acer Swift Air 16: Specs

Acer Swift Air 16: What you need to know

Right off the bat, the Acer Swift Air 16 stands out with its 16-inch, 1800p AMOLED display. Sporting a 120Hz refresh rate and 16:10 aspect ratio, too, this is a screen that will shine when it comes to productivity and even some light gaming. We've been wanting an OLED display on a MacBook Air for a while, and Acer has beat it to the punch with its own Air.

Two display configurations will be available, with the other being a 16-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS display with a 60Hz refresh rate. This model is thinner and lighter than the OLED model, too, but not by a huge margin.

Now, we've tested other ultraportable Windows laptops before, including the MSI Prestige 16 AI Evo, but the Swift Air 16 comes in at an ultra-light 2.18 pounds and slim 0.63 inches for the IPS display model. Even the OLED model comes in at 2.43 pounds and a thin 0.65 inches. It may not be as thin as the 15-inch MacBook Air at 0.4 inches, but Apple's laptop is about a pound heavier at 3.3 pounds.

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Acer may have just unleashed one of the most powerful gaming laptops to come to the market, and if its RTX 5090 GPU isn't telling enough, perhaps its 192GB of RAM will get you on board.

For IFA 2025, Acer has announced its Predator Helios 18P AI, an 18-inch machine that's a gaming laptop and workstation fitted into one. How so? It boasts an Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 GPU, a whopping 6TB for storage and an even more impressive 192GB of ECC RAM.

What exactly is ECC memory? It actively detects and corrects common types of data corruption, meaning it reduces the risk of system crashes, data corruption and the like. That's what makes it more than just a gaming laptop, as the Helios 18P is targeted at AI developers and content creators, too.

If you thought the MSI Titan 18 HX was a powerful machine, the Helios 18P AI takes that might and runs with it. While its specs alone beat many of the best gaming laptops, this kind of power is reflected in its price tag.

The Acer Predator Helios 18P AI will be available in the U.S., with pricing and release dates yet to be announced. However, we do know it's starting at €4,499, so you can imagine this will be one pricey machine.

Acer Predator Helios 18P AI: Specs

Acer Predator Helios 18P AI: What you need to know

While I've found desktop replacement laptops still can't quite match the power of a gaming PC, the Predator Helios 18P AI aims to close that gap. The Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor paired with an RTX 5090 laptop GPU alone makes for a monster machine, especially when playing the best PC games, video editing, graphic design and coding.

But it takes it all a step further with its 192GB of ECC memory, which is a wild amount of RAM. The most RAM that general users need is 32GB, and that's already for gaming or editing and rendering 4K videos. Top that off with its up to 6TB PCIe Gen 5 SSD for storage, two Thunderbolt 5 ports (along with three USB-A, HDMI 2.1 and SD card reader), Killer Ethernet E5000B and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity, and this laptop aims to do it all on the go.

Cooling it all is Acer's AeroBlade metal fans, which are the "world's thinnest" cooling fan blades at 0.05mm, liquid metal thermal grease and vector heat pipes.

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Acer has officially joined the race to deliver the fast gaming monitor around, as it's now pushing refresh rates to a whopping 720Hz in its latest Predator monitor — and it's OLED, too.

During IFA 2025, Acer announced its new Predator X27U F8 gaming monitor, featuring a dual-resolution 26.5-inch OLED display with up to a 720Hz refresh rate. Made for competitive gaming, you can also expect an ultra-fast 0.01ms response time for virtually instant reaction speeds.

So far, we've seen LG Display deliver a similar 720Hz OLED monitor, along with a 610Hz gaming monitor from Asus and, as we said on TikTok, even the fastest 750Hz screen we've seen. Now, Acer is joining the party, but don't expect a high resolution when cranking up that refresh rate.

The Acer Predator X27U F8 is set to launch in early 2026 in the U.S., starting at $1,299. It will also be available in Europe in Q2 2026, available from €1,199. Will it be the next gaming monitor for you? Let's dive into the details.

Acer Predator X27U F8: Specs

Acer Predator X27U F8: What you need to know

Even the best gaming monitors we've seen on the market top out at 360Hz (looking at you, LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B), but the Predator X27U F8 takes it all up a notch.

Its 26.5-inch OLED doesn't look to compromise on display quality, but still brings the speeds for fast-paced competitive games like Counter-Strike 2, Valorant and more. However, to get those 720Hz speeds, it takes a hit on display resolution, as it's only available when at 1280 x 720 resolution.

This is expected, and many pro-level gamers will be used to lower resolutions to gain the fastest reaction speeds from a display possible. In this display mode, though, the monitor offers a 0.01ms response time, which is ridiculously snappy.

However, with the Predator X27U F8's Dynamic Frequency Resolution (DFR), it's able to switch to a WQHD (2560 x 1440) resolution with a still ultra-fast 540Hz refresh rate. Now that's handy for all gamers.

Along with its DisplayHDR 500 True Black certification and 99% DCI-P3 color gamut for those deep blacks and colors that pop (hopefully), the Predator monitor also comes with AMD FreeSync Premium Pro support for tear-free gameplay.

Playing games and seeing this screen with my own eyes will demonstrate the Acer Predator X27U F8's true capabilities. I mean, what gamer doesn't want to see what a 720Hz refresh rate looks like?

According to Lenovo, 4K at 240Hz is “no longer a future concept,” and Acer is proving that point with its next-gen (and speedy) Predator X27U F8.

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A gaming desktop or laptop, which to get? It's an age-old question I've been pondering lately, especially now that the best gaming laptops come fitted with the latest peak hardware, pushing CPU and GPU power even further.

To many, it's an easy choice. The best gaming PCs easily deliver a higher bar for performance, with soaring power output and larger components that can be customized to one's liking. But desktop-class laptops exist for good reason, as they show just how much power can be packed into a mobile device — and it's hard not to be impressed by the performance they dish out.

Nothing says that more than the recent Acer Predator Helios 18 AI I've tested. This machine boasts an Intel Core Ultra 9 275HX CPU, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 mobile GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB SSD. It's a monster, and as far as desktop replacements go, it fits the bill.

But then there's the juggernaut that is the Acer Predator Orion 7000 I also recently tried out, equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU, RTX 5080 desktop GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB SSD. Now this is a beast, capable of delivering 4K gaming with frame rates as high as 160 FPS (thanks to Nvidia DLSS 4).

Two mighty gaming machines, one similar price. The Helios 18 AI can be found for $3,099/£3,099, while the Orion 7000 for around £3,299 (no U.S. pricing yet, but I can imagine it being around a similar $3,299). As you can tell, these are premium investments, so I'd be making sure my wallet is happy with my choices.

Can both gaming PCs crank up settings to max in the best PC games? You bet your GPU they can, but the real matter here is the difference in performance they deliver. And so, I put the Acer Predator Helios 18 AI to the test — all to see if it really can measure up to the levels of a gaming desktop. Let's dive into the numbers.

Impressive comparisons... sort of

Look, even a high-end gaming laptop would never be able to beat a tower with desktop-equivalent specs. So realistically, the Predator Helios 18 AI doesn't stand a chance against the Predator Orion 7000, as they're two different classes of gaming machines.

As you'll find, the benchmarks say it all. With its sizeably impressive 18-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) mini-LED panel with a 250Hz refresh rate, the Helios 18 AI can't deliver 4K (3840 x 2160) visuals on its own, so the Orion 7000 already had to put up with a heavier load when I tested its 4K performance.

But despite the gap in resolutions, the Helios 18 AI is still stunning to play on during real-time gameplay. And if the extra per-pixel count isn't a huge concern, you'll find it can pull off commendable frame rates.

Using the built-in benchmarking tools in games like Black Myth Wukong, Cyberpunk 2077 and Doom: The Dark Ages, I saw frame rates skyrocket to nearly 200 FPS with Nvidia's frame generation at x4. That's all at max settings as well, and at 1600p resolution, that's some mighty performance.

Those numbers dip without DLSS turned on, though, and I wouldn't want to play Cyberpunk 2077 at just over 30 FPS. Still, I was impressed to see it reach nearly 60 FPS in Black Myth: Wukong, even with the highest Cinematic settings.

A valiant effort, but when you consider the Orion 7000 is reaching these numbers at 4K, you can see the clear difference in power. If resolution was taken down a notch, Acer's gaming desktop would wipe the floor with its gaming laptop.

Moving over to the 3DMark benchmarking tool, which scores the CPU and GPU's rendering capabilities under different conditions, the difference is made clearer:

In virtually all the graphics tests, the Helios 18 AI gets just over half the rendering performance of the Orion 7000. This is to be expected, of course, seeing as the RTX 5080 laptop GPU comes with up to 175W max power, while the RTX 5080 desktop GPU can utilize up to 360W power.

Either way, the Acer Predator Helios 18 AI still delivers commendable scores, even when compared to our current top 18-inch laptop contender: the Asus ROG Strix Scar 18. And when it comes to the rest of the benchmarks, including Geekbench and SSD speed results, it isn't so far behind that it becomes a joke.

The perks of a gaming laptop

As per the results above, the performance gains you get from a gaming PC like the Acer Predator Orion 7000 over a laptop are substantial, and its value then soars over the Predator Helios 18 AI with their prices in mind.

But what if I want to take that kind of gaming power with me on a trip, to a pal's house for a big ol' LAN party, or just to another room? Well, that's the perk of a gaming laptop: portability.

The Predator Helios 18 AI may weigh a hefty 7.7 pounds, but it sure beats lugging around the Orion 7000's whopping 35.6 pounds from place to place. With its 18-inch size, it's big enough to act as a generously sized computer, too — but one that's portable.

But a laptop is also an all-in-one device, coming with its own keyboard and monitor (and a trackpad, I suppose, but the best gaming mouse would be better suited). Unlike a gaming desktop, that's less cash to spend on essential peripherals. And with the stunning per-key RGB keyboard (sporting hot-swappable WASD keys) and 18-inch mini-LED display with a mega-fast 205Hz refresh rate, these are premium assets to have.

Granted, it takes a lot of money to get high frame rates at equally high settings in a portable machine, even if it doesn't quite match the sheer might of a gaming desktop. But if gaming on the go is more your jam (as is mine), then that's where the perks of a gaming laptop like the Helios 18 AI shine.

Can a gaming laptop be a true desktop replacement?

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I now want a gaming PC on my desk, and the Acer Predator Orion 7000 is to blame.

I've tested my fair share of the best gaming laptops that arrive and have always been impressed with the performance they dish out. I mean, playing AAA PC games life Cyberpunk 2077 on a portable machine, with high frame rates and equally high settings? That's very much my jam.

But there's a certain feeling of satisfaction when booting up a demanding title like Black Myth: Wukong on a tank-like, RGB-lit desktop with whirring fans and a clear view of its internals, cranking up settings to maximum and playing it at 4K resolution with frame rates going beyond 120 FPS (with DLSS 4 helping out, no less).

That's exactly what the RTX 5080-equipped Acer Predator Orion 7000 has given me, and by George, is it a delight. Do I need it? No, but as with every avid gamer who strives for peak performance, it's easily the first gaming PC I want.

This isn't to say I haven't had my own taste of gaming PCs before — I used to rock an RTX 3070 rig before hopping countries. But with Nvidia's latest RTX 50-series now out and about, it's become clear that gaming performance has reached a higher bar, and it can only be done on a desktop.

The Predator Orion 7000 is a chunky beast; just look at it compared to a PS5 above. And it isn't even the highest performance you can get out of a PC — that currently goes to the Alienware Area-51 or Corsair Vengeance i8300.

But for optimal gaming performance for a price that won't rock my socks off (though it's still something to save for), this is a desktop that I'll be trying to find an excuse to pick up for a while.

A (somewhat) fitting price

Not unlike the Predator Orion 5000, which sits as one of the best gaming PCs for value, this 7000 model comes in at a fitting price. Well, as "fitting" as it can be for a latest-gen desktop at £3,299 , as that's still quite the expense. (There's no U.S. pricing yet, but I can imagine it being around a similar $3,299.)

Considering an Alienware Area-51 with similar specs will set you back $3,749, while the beastly Corsair Vengeance i8300 with an RTX 5090 is at a whopping $7,399, I'll settle with the more affordable option, thanks.

I know, gaming PCs of this caliber can be more of a niche at these prices for many of us, but here's another comparison: the Alienware 16 Area-51 gaming laptop with an RTX 5080 comes in at $3,749, and as much as it impresses, it won't match the performance a full-blown desktop can dish out. (More on this in a bit.)

Look, a desktop isn't for everyone, especially when laptops like the Asus TUF Gaming A18 I tested or a PS5 Slim can pump out incredible performance for most at well over half the price. But for optimized gaming in 4K, along with all the speedy productivity or demanding creative tasks that come as standard, the Predator Orion 7000 makes a great case as a worthy machine to consider.

A 4K treat

Thanks to its Intel Core Ultra 7 265KF CPU, RTX 5080 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and 2TB SSD, the Acer's Predator Orion 7000 can pull off wicked, smooth 4K gameplay with frame rates topping just over 160 FPS with DLSS 4 enabled in the most demanding of PC titles.

That's with settings topped out and ray tracing (or the more advanced path tracing where available) turned to max, and it all come out stunning without a hint of stutter on the BenQ 4K monitor I had yet to make full use of.

It's an impressive feat, but what really caught my eye was comparing these results to other gaming PCs, along with the Alienware 16 Area-51 with its RTX 5080 laptop GPU. When turning DLSS 4 off and testing at 4K resolution in Doom: The Dark Ages, Black Myth: Wukong and Cyberpunk 2077, here's what I saw:

Now, of course an RTX 5080 GPU with its 16GB GDDR7 video memory (it should have been 24GB) wouldn't beat an RTX 5090 with 32GB of VRAM, but honestly, the differences here aren't far off — especially in the Cyberpunk 2077 result. And having that RTX 5080-powered Alienware 16 Area-51 shows the difference between a desktop and a laptop GPU (read: that's testing at 1080p).

When DLSS 4 with multi-frame gen x4 gets involved, those frame rates skyrocket. In benchmarking, I was seeing Doom: The Dark Ages at 120 FPS with path tracing, Cyberpunk 2077 at 153 FPS and Black Myth: Wukong at 166 FPS. And yes, gaming at these settings is stunning.

Seeing sunlight glint off ripples of water in Wukong, along with the blankets of snow our staff-equipped monkey protagonist glides through while fending off sparks of lightning from dragon-like beings, brings pure immersion that's hard to look away from.

Just for good measure, you can also see how the Predator Orion 7000 measures up in other areas, and again, at this price, it isn't too shabby.

Sure, not the fastest, but not too far behind, either. It was worth the effort to lump this machine on my desk and start going about my usual computing tasks, as it wouldn't bat an eyelid when I had 30 Chrome tabs open while listening to music and having a Netflix show running, all with a game being paused in the background.

As you can guess, for those scrolling through multiple spreadsheets, editing videos or photos and using graphic design tools, this machine could easily handle it all.

Is the Acer Predator Orion 7000 worth it?

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If I told you to check out a monitor with a 100Hz refresh rate with limited brightness at 1080p resolution, you'd probably laugh and point me toward other options on our best gaming monitors list.

Understandable, so why would I recommend the Acer Nitro KG272 E anyway? A look at its $159 / £129 price tag says it all. High-end monitors like the $1,099 MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED and $799 Alienware AW3425DW keep up with the latest in gaming hardware to deliver splendid visuals. But for those with budget setups, that's a lot of pennies going down the well.

Instead, the Nitro KG272 E answers the call of value with its entry-level specs that surprisingly deliver smooth, clear visuals in real-world views, even though it may not come across as well on paper. But it also goes a step beyond with its adjustable tilting for a better viewing angle 100 x 100 VESA mountable compatibility.

Despite many gamers who would make the most of far greater refresh rates and quality, those who are perfectly fine with entry-level stats or need a capable secondary display will find the Acer Nitro KG272 E to be a solid bet.

Could it fit the bill as one of the best monitors on a budget? Considering its cheap price, yes, but those who opt for it will also have to temper their expectations. Let's dive into it all.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A budget 27-inch gaming monitor with low-end specs yet great value.
• Who is it for? Entry-level gamers with budget gaming PCs looking to save a huge chunk of change or those in need of a secondary display.
• How much does it cost? A dirt-cheap $159 in the U.S., if you can find it. But similar models with higher refresh rates can be found for the same price. In the U.K., it can be found for as low as £109 (or less with a deal).
• What do we like? Its extreme value, surprisingly clear image quality with great color production, adjustable viewing angles and big-screen appeal with thin bezels.
• What don’t we like? Expect limited setting customizations, aging specs and speakers that can sound hollow.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: Specs

Acer Nitro KG272 E: The ups

No premium frills here, but the Acer Nitro KG272 E exceeds expectations once it's put into action. It makes for a decent display for gaming and a second monitor for productivity — something the best laptops for students can take advantage of.

Valuable visuals

With displays sporting top-of-the-line features like 240Hz refresh rates on OLED panels with 0.03 response rates, along with multiple display modes geared for specific games, it's easy to write off the Nitro KG272 E as a monitor that can't keep up.

But not everyone needs to take advantage of all these specs, and sometimes, a simple screen can go a long way. That's exactly what the Nitro KG272 E offers, and I was impressed by the color accuracy, clarity and smoothness it boasts.

In our tests, the KG272 E produced the lowest numbers we tested, but not by much. And considering the price of the other monitors it's matched up with, it does an admirable job. Although it still falls behind another budget banger: the Lenovo L27i-4B ($109 / £159).

Despite its numbers, the screen can still pull off detailed colors during work and play, as in real-world testing, nothing looked washed out.

I watched "28 Weeks Later" on Netflix in anticipation of "28 Years Later," and it comfortably presented the vicious infected running down the hill after our understandably freaked-out lead, Don (Robert Carlyle).

This is at 1080p on a 27-inch LCD display, so it's not the clearest of details out there, but I still was terrified by the bloody, rage-induced faces of the infected.

Even in more recent, visually stunning shows like "KPop Demon Hunters," it captured the bright gold and deep purple of the Honmoon barrier, keeping the human and demon worlds apart.

I also used it as my main monitor, plugging it into my 13-inch MacBook Air M3, and it reflected exactly what I'd expect to see on the MacBook's display. Using its "Normal" color mode (there's no specific "Mac" display mode), details, smoothness and color accuracy were on point.

Lenovo's L27i-4B also manages to offer some impressive visuals for its price, but the Nitro KG272 E one-ups it in one area...

Made to game

The Nitro KG272 E may only have a 100Hz refresh rate, but it still offers a super-fast 1ms response rate and AMD FreeSync for virtually zero-lag, tear-free gameplay. That works in favor of both fast-paced multiplayer titles and single-player games.

I tested out The Finals, Doom: The Dark Ages and Cyberpunk 2077, and despite the Asus TUF Gaming A18 with an RTX 5070 that can pump out over 200 FPS at high settings on its 1600p resolution display, the Nitro monitor could still deliver smooth frame rates with fine details (if only a tad dark in some areas and without those real crisp textures, but more on that later).

While demolishing walls in The Finals, with settings set to Epic at 1080p resolution and Nvidia's multi-frame gen at x4, I could easily nail headshots and manage my way through the madness of all the destruction around me. Even in a frantic, fast-paced game such as this, I never felt I was at a disadvantage.

I didn't get the same visual spectacle of the demon-torn landscape in Doom: The Dark Ages as I would in other displays. It was a tad grainy, but it could keep up with the bloody action of tearing down hulking beasts with Doom Guy's chainsaw shield. Even visual cues, such as the green orbs you can parry back at enemies, were clear.

Cyberpunk 2077 pulled off better lighting reflections and neon-infused visuals of Night City's skyline, and with brightness on the monitor at max, I was happily cruising through the streets.

Effective design

It's not something I see often on budget gaming monitors, but the Nitro KG272 E comes with some adjustability. There's no way to swivel or change the height of the display, but it does have some tilt action.

It has a vertical and horizontal viewing angle of 178 degrees, but this can be adjusted by tilting it up or down. This makes it easier to get the right angle when setting it up on a desk, as there's nothing worse than having a fixed monitor that's slightly off viewing angle-wise and there's nothing you can do to change it.

It helps that the Nitro KG272 E is relatively light, too. It only weighs 11.9 pounds with the stand (compared to the 24 pounds of the MSI MPG 272URX), so it's light enough to shift around to get the right angle. Better yet, it looks sleek with its nearly bezel-less borders.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: The downs

The Acer Nitro KG272 E may triumph due to its price, but it falls into the usual pitfalls of being budget. That includes low brightness and just passable speakers.

Not a fan of sunlight

If your PC setup is in a room that's filled with sunlight, the Nitro KG272 E will struggle to show a lot on its display.

Generally, it's best to keep a monitor out of sunlight's way, but the Nitro's max 196.2 nits of SDR brightness (no HDR here) can also make darker elements in games or shows harder to see.

It isn't surprising that it falls behind its pricier competition, but even the Lenovo L27I-4B offers a wealthy number of nits to offer acceptable viewing. This isn't a deal breaker, especially in darker rooms that I usually find myself in, and I was able to comfortably play games without it being a hassle.

That said, in certain games such as Doom: The Dark Ages, trying to find hidden passages to crash through to find secrets was tricky in darker tunnels or hallways (I had to fire off a few rounds to illuminate the areas).

Passable audio

Finding speakers on a monitor is always a win, but they don't usually offer the best sound. That's certainly true of the dual speakers of the Nitro KG272 E.

While they do just fine if you're watching shows in the background, it's far from an immersive experience or being able to let you hear the footsteps of foes in competitive multiplayer games.

They can sound hollow without that oomph from the bass, and it makes shots fired out of guns in The Finals, Doom and Cyberpunk sound weak. You won't be blown away by the audio it fires, so you may want to get one of the best gaming headsets instead.

Acer Nitro KG272 E: Verdict

There are some premium, ultra-fast gaming monitors out there sporting jaw-dropping visuals on OLED panels, but all that comes at a high price. The Acer Nitro KG272 E strips down those features for a pocket-friendly price.

For those who don't need the full spectacle of stunning details at sky-high frame rates, especially for entry-level or casual gamers with budget systems, the Nitro KG272 E is a fantastic shout for its budget price. Just keep in mind that it won't keep up with the latest in PC or console hardware, along with its low brightness, and this gaming monitor will shine.

It's now my favorite budget gaming monitor to use, as I believe it even surpasses the cost it's set at from what I get out of it. But if you have the funds to get something flashier, our list of the best gaming monitors will point you in the right direction.

I've tested some premium, ultra-fast monitors with jaw-dropping OLED panels over the years, and it's hard to go back to anything less than the best gaming monitors once you've seen them upfront in all their glory.

So, when the Acer Nitro KG272 E landed in our testing labs, I wasn't expecting much. A quick rundown of its specs will give you a good idea of what I mean: an FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS panel with a 100Hz refresh rate, 1ms response time and a 100,000,000:1 dynamic contrast ratio.

All that doesn't exactly make me say "I need this monitor on my desk right now," not when there's a ridiculous LG UltraGear 45GX950A-B 5K2K OLED curved gaming monitor or an MSI MPG 272URX QD-OLED boasting a 240Hz refresh rate and a 0.03ms response time.

Impressive? Yes, but they're also both over the $1,000 / £1,000 mark. That's a whole lot of chump change for premium-quality visuals, but depending on your PC setup, some may not even take full advantage of what these monitors can deliver.

Still, it's hardly a surprise that anyone would glaze over Acer's offering to check out these beasts instead. Me included, but that's until I took a peek at the Nitro KG272 E's price tag.

At just $159, and even more impressive £129, (down to £109 as of writing!), this is one of the cheapest gaming monitors out there. For the specs it offers at this price, and having used it as my primary monitor for a week, I can confidently say that this is now my favorite budget display for both work and play.

There's still more testing to be done, but I've put it through its paces during everyday tasks, watching shows and playing games. So far, it does everything I could ask for, considering its price — and that says a lot about how you don't need to spend a fortune to get ample performance on a gaming monitor like this.

Budget at its finest

So, let's get this out of the way first. We've received the numbers from the test lab, and just as I expected, it falls far behind its premium competitors in terms of color accuracy and brightness. I mean, is that surprising considering the specs it sports? Hardly. But I'd argue that for its low price, its results are pretty manageable.

When putting it together (it's very simple) and setting it up with a 4K video just to see how it looks, though, I had a small hint of surprise on my face and said to my fellow tester Nikita Achanta, "Hey, that isn't too bad." And I was met with agreement.

And so, I lugged it home and started using it as my main monitor. For work, I use my 13-inch MacBook Air M3, and while its display offers great detail for work and binge-watching shows, it's always nice to have a 27-inch monitor as a secondary display. Better yet, it worked like a charm.

The Nitro KG272 E doesn't have many customizable settings, nor a display mode for Mac, but bumping up its brightness to max (it only measures 196.2 nits of SDR brightness, but more on that later) and using its "Normal" color mode allowed it to easily reflect exactly what I'd expect to see on my MacBook's display. That includes fine details, smoothness and fine color accuracy.

A 27-inch monitor is big enough for a desk, and seeing as it only weighs 11.9 pounds with the stand (compared to the 24 pounds of the MSI MPG 272URX), it's light enough to shift around to get the right angle. Speaking of, and not something I'd expect from a monitor at this price, the display's angle can also be adjusted. That's only a simple feature, but it makes shifting the monitor to your liking all the more accessible.

Anyway, it isn't just a few Google Docs and Google Sheets that it helped me out with, as I also threw on a few shows to see if it could dish out some decent visuals. Nothing mindblowing here, but I was decently surprised by the image quality it presented.

In anticipation of "28 Years Later," I decided to throw on "28 Weeks Later" on Netflix. This is a 1080p display, so details weren't completely vivid, but I was still on the edge of my seat as Don (Robert Carlyle) fled the house with the rage-infected people coming over the hill chasing him down at full speed. The vicious, bloodshot eyes were on point, and I didn't feel I was missing out on any finer details while watching the thrilling intro sequence.

After that, I finally used the Nitro KG272 E for what it's intended for: gaming. More specifically, first-person shooters such as The Finals and Doom: The Dark Ages.

With its 100Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time, this won't be the first choice for hardcore competitive gamers, and it won't take advantage of the powerful performance the Asus TUF Gaming A18 with an RTX 5070 can pull off (with DLSS 4 delivering frame rates over 200 FPS).

Still, especially for budget gaming systems, this can pull off some mighty fine, buttery smooth visuals.

With settings set to Epic at 1080p resolution, with Nvidia's multi-frame gen at x4, I was smashing down buildings, popping off shots and securing cash in The Finals in all its graphical, fast-paced glory. And frame rates were smooth enough to get me clean shots at the competition.

With similar settings in Doom: The Dark Ages with patch tracing turned on, while it wasn't the same "wow" moment I had experienced on a 4K monitor, I was still impressed by the war-torn, demon-infused settings in the game. Visual cues, such as the green orbs you can parry back at enemies, were clear, and despite it looking just a smidge grainy, I was happy with what it was able to pull off.

For those with budget laptops or gaming PCs, the Nitro KG272 E offers an affordable way to elevate your system's visuals, if only by a bit, and it's quite the wallet-friendly solution.

...but not perfect

While I've been impressed by its gaming potential and how it handles productivity, I noticed two downsides that are inevitable for a gaming monitor at this price.

I tried putting on "Love, Death + Robots," known for its visually stunning animation. I watched "Can't Stop," which is basically a new music video for the iconic Red Hot Chili Peppers, seeing them as puppets. The Nitro KG272 E could capture the stunning lights and frantic movements of the band, but I did notice during the darker moments, environments that should be visible weren't on show.

That's due to the display's brightness. At an average of 196.2 nits of SDR brightness (no HDR here), it isn't much. If it's in a room where the sun can get at it, it would be hard to see what's on display.

The speakers aren't a key selling point, either. They can sound hollow without that oomph from the bass, and while it's fine for easy watching, you won't be blown away by the audio it fires. Essentially, you may want to get one of the best gaming headsets instead.

Now, with all that said, these are only minor points that are common with budget monitors. Plus, don't expect absolutely jaw-dropping visuals, but for those who only need a simple and affordable gaming monitor solution to catch up with competitive multiplayer games or even the latest single-player adventures, then the Acer Nitro KG272 E does this in its stride.

If I were a student after a display, I can imagine this being at the top of my list.

More from Tom's Guide

• I ditched my dual-monitor setup for this single ultrawide monitor — and I'll never go back
• I just tested the Samsung Odyssey 3D — and this glasses-free 3D monitor falls flat
• I thought glasses-free 3D gaming was a gimmick, but this monitor may change my mind

If you’re looking to up your gaming experience without buying a new graphics-intensive rig, look to Acer’s Predator Connect T7 mesh router and node. While you’ll have to buy them one at a time and there’s a distinct port shortage, the Wi-Fi 7 mesh system makes the most out of a high-speed broadband connection to fill a home with instant gaming gratification. The design features low latency, Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine and one of the easiest and quickest set up routines around. In other words, you’ll be pounding the W-A-S-D keys in a few minutes.

By combining good overall performance with top range, the Predator T7 can be the family’s all-around high-performance router that’s as good at retrieving email and distributing 4K videos as making the online gaming experience more competitive. It falls short of being a top zombie killer, though, with only two wired networking ports that top out at a maximum speed of 1 Gbps and the system lacks software gamer gotta-haves like a Ping heat map and the ability to geofence a region.

Still, Acer’s Predator Connect T7 can provide a way to make online gaming faster and better. My Acer Predator Connect T7 review will help you decide if this is the best gaming router for your needs along with whether or not it’s also one of the best Wi-Fi 7 routers you can get right now.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Pricing and availability

The Predator Connect T7 mesh units are available individually on Acer’s site and on Amazon for $330 each. There’re no multipacks available in the U.S., but Acer is working on it. Unfortunately, this means that making a network from a trio of Predator T7s costs close to $1,000.

Each device can cover 3,000 square feet, according to Acer engineers. That adds up to mansion-sized coverage with three or more units.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Design

While other gaming routers strive for odd individualistic designs that focus on menacing otherworldly motifs, Acer designers have been more restrained with the Predator 7’s square monolithic towers. Available in black or white, they should be easy to hide at 8.6 x 4.3 x 4.3 inches.

As you’ll see, the Predator T7’s bland looks may be deceiving, potentially making it the stealth router of the year. Its extensive venting on top is lit with the Predator logo and there’s a discrete light bar up front. It pulses bluish green when data is flowing smoothly and turns red when it’s offline.

Powered by Qualcomm’s IPQ5322 and QCN6724 chips, the tri-band Predator T7 plays a name game by calling the host router its “Controller” and the node its “Agent”. Either way, it yields 2X2 streaming across the 2.4GHz, 5.0GHz and 6GHz Wi-Fi bands, while others extract higher short range performance by doubling up on the 6GHz band with 4X4 streaming.

Able to take advantage of Multi-Link Operations (MLO), the Predator T7 uses 4K Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (QAM) and Acer’s hybrid Quality of Service (QOS) routine for picking who gets first dibs on the Internet connection’s data flow. It adds up to a potential streaming of up to a peak theoretical throughput of 10.662 Gbps. In other words, it should satisfy those with 1 Gbps data plans.

The device has a vertical array of six antennas arranged to deliver a spherical transmission pattern and a low latency design that yields short ping values. It uses Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine and Qualcomm’s packet allocation algorithm to streamline the data movement while taking stress off the processor during intense intervals.

A big bonus for consoles, like the PlayStation 5, Xbox, Switch 2 and Steam Deck, are the Predator T7’s port forwarding details. On the other hand, it lacks gaming router gotta-haves, like software accelerators as well as a ping heat map to show areas of fast and slow connections or gaming accelerators.

Its 2.5 Gbps broadband input is the ticket of entry to the gaming world these days, but it pales in comparison to those with 5 and 10 Gbps ports, like TP-Link’s Archer GE650 and Archer GE800. Plus, the Predator T7’s two downstream LAN ports are rated at 1 Gbps. In other words, it’s adequate but not impressive, although the port marked Gaming in green gets top dog priority of the data flow.

There’s a WPS button for quickie connections with new devices as well as a USB-C port on the back for connecting a data drive. However, it uses the USB 2.0 protocol for peak transfers of 480 Mbps.

In addition to a recessed reset key underneath, the Predator T7 has an On/Off switch. The network names, passwords and the administrative credentials are printed on a label underneath. Built-in router security software from Trend Micro rounds out the package with traffic monitoring for suspicious sources and data flow. Unlike others that charge an annual security fee, the router’s basic defenses are included with a lifetime of updates. It can be turned on with one tap of the app.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Performance and in use

With the two units I set up in my 3,500 square foot home, I flogged the Predator T7 daily for a variety of tasks. It didn’t quite reach the house’s periphery and a third unit would likely have done the trick for whole-house coverage.

I used Keysight’s IxChariot networking benchmark set to simulate 10 data-hungry users and an Acer Swift Edge 16 notebook to gauge its performance. Zombies and aliens take note, the Predator T7 moved upwards of 2.165 Gbps close up and 1.914 Gbps at 15 feet. That’s well off the Asus ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 at 2.956 Gbps and the Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 at 2.396 Gbps, but they are high-performance traditional routers that cost at least twice as much.

With the host router (err, Controller) and test system 50 feet apart, a distance where many mesh systems lag, the throughput dropped to 476.0 Mbps. This easily led the pack, making the Predator T7 an excellent router for mid-sized abodes.

At 75 feet, the Predator T7 moved 231.5 Mbps, putting it in the middle between the faster Asus ROG Rapture GT6 (at 273.8 Mbps) but ahead of the ROG Rapture GT-AXE11000 (98.3 Mbps) and Netgear Nighthawk RAXE500 (148.6 Mbps).

It had a range of 115 feet versus between 85 and 95 feet for the others, making it the long distance champ. At 90 feet, it delivered 121.0 Mbps, when others were either offline or moving a few megabits a second.

When sending the Wi-Fi data signal across a 20 foot room and through a wall, the Predator T7 was a mediocre player at 654.9 Mbps. This should be plenty of throughput but lagged behind the ROG Rapture GT6’s 1.272 Gbps. Later, with the node (aka Agent) set up a floor above the host (Controller), the network pushed 517.1 Mbps to the test system 40 feet away. Again, it was well behind the GT6’s 771.8 Mbps.

Over two weeks of intensive daily use, the Predator T7 came through on emailing, downloading and streaming movies while I played games online and watched others play on Twitch. It stood up to several devices demanding data, such as when I tried to overload the network by playing 4K video on an Acer Swift Edge 16, while I was using a MacBook Air to stream the BBC World Service’s news feed and my Samsung Galaxy Book was playing Spotify music. All this was happening while my HP Dragonfly system was moving data onto and off my network RAID server. All the items came through without a hiccup, lost frame or freeze up.

Its power use is on a par with other Wi-Fi 6E and 7 mesh systems at 13.3 watts for the host and 10.1 watts for the node. If they’re left on 24/7, expect to have an annual electricity bill of $32.80 for the two devices if you pay the national average of 16 cents per kilowatt hour. By contrast, the Wi-Fi 6E based Asus ROG Rapture GT6 should cost $38.90 a year using the same criteria.

While banging data packets back and forth, the Predator T7 kept its cool without needing a fan. It hit a peak of 104.7 degrees Fahrenheit during testing.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Setup

As is the case with most mesh products, Acer provides the choice of using a connected browser and the Predator Connect app to set it up and make changes; there are versions for iOS and Android. I started by creating an account on my Galaxy S25 phone followed by an email verification.

After tapping “+” in the upper right, I picked the Predator T7 from a photo list. The units came pre-paired with the host marked as Controller and the node as Agent.

I chose to set it up as a mesh LAN rather than as a standalone router and set the phone to the router’s default network using the info printed underneath.

Back at the app, everything was automatically set up in a minute. It took all of 6 minutes and 10 seconds – half the time normally allotted to setting up a mesh network. Unfortunately, the process named the node (oops, Agent) as the “living room”. I later changed it.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Configuration

The Predator T7 can be adjusted and optimized with the app or a connected browser. Using a browser, the system connects easily and zooming out to 50- or 67-percent let me see most of the options without having to squint too much.

With a dark interface, the Predator T7’s Dashboard shows the must-see items, like whether it’s online, the network topology and current data traffic. It adds a real-time speed indicator.

It shows lists of connected clients for the main and guest LANs below as well as how long it’s been online and what wired resources are being used. Along the left are tabs for main categories for the router, including details for using the device’s Hybrid QOS routine.

It does the basics well with places to check the WAN settings, change the Wi-Fi network names and passwords as well as repeat the setup. I particularly like the IPV6 configuration choices with Stateful IPV6 or the SLAAC Stateless IPV6 or as a SLAAC Recursive DNS server – something that many expensive routers ignore.

The links to the device’s User Manual and app download QR code are helpful as are the Home Security section’s on/off switches for its protective measures.

Meanwhile the System link has everything from changing the password to backing up the router’s settings to remotely restarting the device. While the Main LED entry explains the different colors and allowed me to dim them on the router at night, I couldn’t find a way to turn the node’s lights off, however.

The app’s look and feel is similar but only works in portrait mode, so it’s better for phones than tablets. Just as dark, it’s augmented by photos and illustrations, starting with the My Devices entry page that shows the hardware and if it’s online.

It leads to the LAN map and networking components on the Mesh Wi-Fi page that offers an array of details. Below the surface are the node’s signal strength, changing the backhaul wireless connection. It’s where I found the place to change the node’s name from “living room” to “office’’.

There are three other tabs below for a client list, Boost for using the router’s Network Address Translation acceleration and the Hybrid QOS. The Settings gear on the right mirrors the browser interface with items for Device Information, Firmware Upgrade and using the Trend Micro Security.

Finally, the three line hamburger link in the upper left pulls an auxiliary menu out. It can take you to the My Devices page, change the language and see any pending notifications. There’s a contact section for sending an email to Acer’s support people.

The Predator T7’s one year warranty is standard and adequate but can’t compare with the two years of coverage provided by Asus for their gaming products. Its lifetime support is, however, much better than Netgear’s 90 day policy. The site has a slew of DIY material, from firmware upgrades to setup help to access to the manual.

Acer Predator Connect T7 review: Verdict

It may not have all the gaming bells and whistles that can help turn an online bout into an intergalactic rout, but Acer’s Predator Connect T7 can speed the data flow significantly. Its low latency design is matched by all of Wi-Fi 7’s performance-oriented updates and access to Intel’s Killer Prioritization engine.

For those who are wary of the potential complexity of installing and using a gaming router, the Predator Connect T7’s set up process is just about automatic and one of the quickest mesh installations on the planet. Its easy configuration process can make quick work of tweaking and optimizing the network’s performance. Its use of Trend Micro security to keep the bad guys out is the icing on the online cake.

The result is reasonable performance with good mid-range data flow and excellent range so that it should fill most homes with Wi-Fi. It’s not without qualms, however, because the Predator T7 has only two downstream LAN ports for wired connections and they both max out at 1 Gbps – hardly inspiring for hardcore gamers.

Available one at a time, my advice for small homes or apartments is to get a single Predator T7 and spend the difference on a couple of new games. For now, larger homes will require buying a few Predator T7s one at a time.

I have to confess something: I was wrong.

Specifically, I was wrong about Acer's Predator SpatialLabs View 27 glasses-free 3D gaming monitor when I wrote about how it felt gimmicky at times.

If you read that article you might recall me reporting that while the monitor's setup process is fairly straightforward, I ran into some hiccups along the way that made it take longer than I expected to get working as intended.

And once I did have it properly connected to my PC and correctly running my supported games in glasses-free 3D via Acer's SpatialLabs TrueGame app, I found the experience itself to be horribly headache-inducing because the 3D image kept flickering every minute or so.

At the time I wrote about how it felt like the eye-tracking cameras in the top bezel of the View 27 weren't actually tracking my eyes, so I had to keep my head in a rigid position or else lose the 3D effect and instead see a nauseating double image.

I reached out to Acer representatives with questions, because I was afraid the unit might have been damaged or have defective cameras. Thanks to the kind assistance of Acer's technical experts I was able to sort out the ways in which I was getting in my own way (more on that shortly), but even after I had double-checked and tried to correct all my mistakes (using the wrong USB cable, not having enough light in the room, etc) I was still having a hard time reliably getting the 3D effect to work.

I had to stop futzing with the monitor for a month or so due to some other projects and travel, including popping up to Seattle to cover Microsoft Build 2025. When I got home I fired up the View 27 again to see if I could get to the bottom of why the glasses-free 3D effect wasn't reliably working, but suddenly it was working — and working well.

Since then I've spent a week or so testing it at different times of day and with different games, and I've barely noticed any flickering or failing of the glasses-free 3D effect. It does sometime occasionally flicker for a moment, but the display's cameras seem to quickly correct themselves and pull the glasses-free 3D effect back into place within seconds.

In fact, now that it seems to be working as intended I've noticed how the glasses-free 3D image will adjust itself in real time as you move your head around in front of the display. It's a really neat effect that causes the game world to sort of stretch and warp subtly in front of your eyes, in a way that wasn't nauseating to me but was kind of cool. It's almost like I can feel the monitor's cameras tracking my eyes and adjusting the image in real time, and it feels like the future.

It's like having a little world inside your screen

So what changed?

I can't tell you yet. As far as I can tell, the glasses-free 3D effect wasn't working well on the Predator SpatialLabs View 27 loaner Acer sent us for weeks, and then suddenly it started working pretty much perfectly. According to an Acer representative the company is regularly updating both the SpatialLab Experience Center software and the profiles for playing games in 3D via the TrueGame app, so it's possible that a recent update fixed whatever issue I was experiencing.

It's also possible I'm just an idiot, and I failed to perfectly set up the monitor or calibrate the lighting.

I had a lot of issues with setup in general, because getting the correct software, getting it to recognize the monitor as a 3D display and then ensuring the monitor works seamlessly with the SpatialLabs software was pretty tricky. For example, I spent a few days wondering why the 3D effect wasn't working, only for Acer to remind me to make sure and use the specific USB-C cable that comes with the display — you can't just use any ol' USB-C cable to connect it to your PC and expect it to work.

Even when I did have the correct cables connected and all the software updated, I typically get a "cable not plugged in" error when launching games in 3D and have to re-plug either the USB-C cable or the HDMI cable (both need to be connected between monitor and PC for the 3D software to launch) in a few times in order to get the error to go away.

But go away it does, and when I actually get into a game and start experiencing the glasses-free 3D it's always a fun gimmick. And in certain games it transcends the gimmick and makes the game more enjoyable in a meaningful way.

For example, playing Skyrim in 3D on the View 27 is neat but not a huge improvement because the glasses-free 3D effect extends "into" the monitor.

That is, when the 3D effect is working well objects don't appear to jump out at you—instead, the objects closest to you in 3D appear to be on the surface of the monitor, and objects farther away appear to be "inside" the monitor as though it were a diorama.

This diorama effect isn't amazing in first-person games, but in an RPG like Baldur's Gate 3 it fosters the illusion that there's a whole little world inside your monitor that you can explore. And I bet if I played something like The Sims, the glasses-free 3D effect would reinforce the illusion that there really is a little neighborhood inside your PC full of digital people living out their own lives.

That's a big deal for me because until now I've always felt like glasses-free 3D is kind of a gimmick. And I still think it is, for the most part — but the Acer Predator SpatialLabs View 27 has shaken my faith and made me wonder whether there really is some additive value to glasses-free 3D gaming after all.

Now that the display is working well I'm hoping to have a full review published soon, so stay tuned!

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I'll set this straight: gaming on a budget is getting pretty darn good. I'm all for a cheap gaming laptop that can push out more than acceptable performance at a wallet-friendly price, even if its specs are a little late to the party.

But just because we're seeing RTX 5090-equipped rigs powering through graphically demanding PC games without batting an eye doesn't mean we have to give in to their soaring prices, with some coming close to $7,000 (looking at you, MSI Titan 18 HX).

In this past year, I've seen an RTX 4070-powered laptop drop to just $1,000 (never miss a big sale event), seen how a *hopefully* $1,099 RTX 5060 gaming laptop handles games with DLSS 4, and now the $449 Nintendo Switch 2 bring even more high-end gaming to handhelds. Heck, I've even tried gaming on a Chromebook, and it's far from terrible now.

However, in a world where Nvidia RTX 50-series and AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT GPUs are taking over, how does a laptop like the Acer Nitro V 14 with an RTX 4050 fit in? Well, it landed on my desk, so I gave it a test drive.

And to cut to the chase, this Nitro V 14 can hold its own when it comes to many of the latest PC titles, even playing games like Cyberpunk 2077 at high frame rates (close to 100 FPS) thanks to Nvidia DLSS. It's a solid option for entry-level gaming.

That is, if you can find one. This specific model of the Acer Nitro V 14 in a tasteful Pearl White isn't easy to find in the U.S. or the U.K. Outside the Acer store, where it will set you back $1,099 / £1,299, I did finally find a couple at retailers, though.

So, can the lowest-end, last-gen RTX 40-series GPU in a laptop still pump out acceptable frame rates that gamers would be happy with? Not if you've played on high-end gear and can never looked back, no. But for first-time buyers or casual gamers on a budget, there's something to like here.

Acer Nitro V 14: Specs

Is an RTX 4050 any good?

Put simply: of course it can! Even with its 6GB of GDDR6 VRAM (video memory), the RTX 4050 in the Acer Nitro V 14 can deliver smooth 1080p gameplay and medium to high settings, depending on the games you're expecting to play.

For example, I put on one of my recent favorites, Hades 2 — a roguelike action RPG that doesn't require heavily demanding specs. Even at 1200p with High settings, I had a blast conjuring spells and slicing down foes (and getting my behind handed to me by Prometheus) at over 100 FPS without any dips. And it all looked gorgeous.

For something a tad more demanding, I also played South of Midnight, a whimsically dark single-player adventure in the Deep South with stunning graphics. Here, I had settings on High and quality set to Ultra Performance, and while there were a few dips in combat, I was still getting over 60 FPS generally. The minor stutters weren't enough to stop me from getting immersed in its haunting world.

For those less demanding yet creatively brilliant PC titles that are fine-tuned to work well on many machines, the Nitro V 14 with its RTX 4050 offers more than enough to create a smooth, engaging gaming experience. If those titles are generally your cup o' tea, like Celeste, Inscryption, Dredge and, of course, multiple titles like Fortnite or Counter-Strike 2, then a budget system like this will suit your fancy.

When bringing Nvidia's DLSS into the fold, though, supported games can shine far better. We've seen how AAA games perform on an HP Victus 15, boasting similar specs, and sure enough, the Nitro V 14 offers similar capabilities.

Next, I threw on Cyberpunk 2077. With settings set to high and DLSS turned on at 1080p, I was seeing close to 100 FPS, and sometimes over that. That alone is fantastic, and it's clear the Nitro V 14 has enough gears turning under the hood to make it work. Without DLSS, though, this comes crashing down to just below 20 FPS. That ain't playable.

That was with ray tracing switched on, but turning it off meant I was reaching just under 60 FPS. That's fine, but let's compare that to some of the latest offerings we've seen.

Wait, so even an RTX 5060 gaming laptop can't reach a standard 60 FPS? Not with those settings, and not without DLSS 4. With x4 multi-frame gen on its side, an RTX 5060-equipped rig can get up to 150 FPS with ease, and that's without any big dips when in combat.

A tad unfair comparing it to a next-gen RTX 5060 (better if there was an RTX 5050 to compete with it...). Still, it's better than the Acer Nitro V 15 with an RTX 3050 I tested, and even that could manage some strong PC titles.

Is an RTX 4050 gaming laptop worth it now?

Is the Acer Nitro V 14 the best budget gaming laptop? No, as that title still belongs to the MSI Cyborg 15 with an RTX 4050 (it's cheaper and more readily available). Stretch the budget a bit further, and the Asus TUF Gaming A14 with an RTX 4060 is a solid bet.

But that doesn't take away from what an RTX 4050 gaming laptop can do. If you're fine getting some aid from Nvidia DLSS to crank up frame rates, you'll find competitive multiplayer titles like Fortnite or Marvel Rivals reaching a smooth 120 FPS at High settings and demanding games such as Cyberpunk 2077 getting triple figures.

Without DLSS, expect those frame rates to drop hard. You may still get an average of 60 FPS in titles at medium to high settings, which isn't unplayable, but that brings into question what you can get for similar pricing now.

At a discount, the Acer Nitro V 14 isn't a bad shout, especially with its sharp, compact design, brilliantly bright 14.5-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display with a 120Hz refresh rate and solid gaming performance for the price. But for a more modern, future-proofed system with budget in mind, there are options around right now.

Just like these two below.

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Acer has plenty of innovative devices to show off this year, including its FreeSense smart ring and AI translation earbuds, but one thing that I didn't expect to catch my eye is its new lineup of premium creator laptops.

Coming in two flavors, the latest Acer Swift X 14 (2025) laptops first drew me in with their impressive slate of specs, including the selection of AMD Ryzen AI 9 365 or Intel Core Ultra 9 285 CPUs, RTX 5070 GPU, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and up to 2TB for storage. Oh, and that stunning 14.5-inch 3K (2880x1800) OLED touchscreen is a welcome sight.

For creators and even gamers, what's not to like? But it wasn't until I tried out the Swift X 14 that I realized it offers more than just powerful internals. This laptop boasts a nifty trick right on its touchpad that many designers, photo editors, artists and even doodlers will appreciate.

Revealed at Computex 2025, Both Swift X 14 models come with a large haptic touchpad that supports a stylus. It's a simple idea, but one that goes a long way when drawing or editing images in Photoshop, designing 3D models or creating a masterpiece in Microsoft Paint.

We've seen many laptops with brilliant creator-friendly tools, like the Asus ProArt P16 and its handy DialPad, but the Swift X 14 evolves the touchpad for new ways to create — effectively turning it into a canvas. With the power it packs, could it be in the running for one of the best laptops for video editing? Possibly, but after my brief hands-on, it's certainly one for creators to keep an eye on.

Acer Swift X 14: Specs

Drawing with style(us)

Let's get this out of the way; Acer's creator-focused laptop comes in two models — the Acer Swift X 14 and Swift X 14 AI. The only real difference between the two is that the former sports an Intel chip while the latter with an "AI" moniker comes with AMD. Otherwise, you're getting the same sleek, minimalist laptop no matter what you choose.

More importantly, both laptops come with sizable haptic touchpads with Corning Gorilla Glass and MPP 2.5 tilt-enables stylus support. While I used Acer's own stylus during my time with the Swift X 14, it means any stylus can be used on the laptop's touchpad. Being able to choose your own digital pencil is always a welcome option.

Once I put pen to, er, touchpad in Paint, it felt extremely smooth to glide over the surface to draw a line. But once I lifted the stylus off, I realized I had completely lost track of where the cursor was to continue my drawing.

"Well, that's a massive oversight," I thought, as not being able know where the cursor will be placed on screen as you draw on the touchpad defeats the purpose of sketching anything.

However, this wasn't the case. By hovering the stylus over the touchpad, you can see where the cursor is onscreen and drag it to where you want. This way, I could pinpoint where I wanted to draw, only touching the touchpad's surface with the tip of the stylus when I want to input an action.

It's not the same as directly drawing on a touchscreen (which the Swift X 14 doesn't offer due to the screen only supporting finger-based touch), so it took me some time to get used to it. But once I got the hang of it, I could easily doodle a quick smiley face.

Interestingly, this isn't the only Acer laptop arriving that supports a stylus on its haptic touchpad. Just like the Acer Predator Triton 14 AI, the haptics delivered tactile feedback so I knew when something was being pressed down.

I couldn't imagine using this method to jot down notes, as it isn't intuitive enough since I had to keep adjusting the cursor via the touchpad. But I can imagine this would come in handy for sketching or touching up images in apps, thanks to the accuracy and smooth precision the touchpad offers with the stylus.

As with the Acer Swift 14 AI I reviewed, the company has nailed the lightweight design with its Swift lineup, and that's no different for the new Swift X 14 laptops. However, these latest creator laptops take it up a notch with a unique feature that designers can utilize.

Bringing Nvidia into the fold

Compared to the previous Swift X 14 sporting an RTX 4050, Acer delivers a significant graphics boost with its latest creator laptop. Now that it boasts up to an RTX 5070 (with the latest Nvidia Studio Drivers right out the box), you can expect faster AI-driven tasks when video editing and make the most out of bringing photos to like in apps like Photoshop.

As we've tested, an RTX 50-series GPU can do wonders for content creation, and having that sort of power in a creator-focused laptop means the graphics card can be used for more than just gaming.

I wasn't able to test its abilities during my time with the Swift X 14 (Microsoft Paint isn't exactly demanding...), but considering it can also access DLSS 4 for accelerated graphics processing, power users will get a kick out of its speed.

One feature that's yet to be tested is Nvidia's NIM (Nvidia Inference Microservices) through its Project R2X, letting users build AI agents and streamline workflows in various programs. That includes creator-focused apps, meaning it can be used as a guide to work out how to edit a background in a photo or used to autonomously work through video editing tasks.

How will this perform on Acer's Swift X 14? It's still up in the air, but once we get to test this laptop out, we'll get a better gauge on how it all works.

Outlook

The Acer Swift X 14 and 14 AI are set to be available this July in Europe, with prices starting at €1,799. There's no word of official release dates or prices for the rest of the world (tariffs may be to blame), but if RTX 50-series gaming laptop prices are anything to go by, expect the laptops to be around the $1,999 / £1,999.

I still need more time to try it out, but once I got the hang of navigating the stylus around its touchpad, I was drawing away with ease. For now, it looks like the Swift X 14 and 14 AI are already looking to be a great shout for those creators on the go.

Only getting to grips with drawing with tech? You'll want to try out this Meta Quest VR app that taught me how to draw.

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Nvidia's RTX 5050 GPU is becoming more of a reality, as the rumored graphics card has shown up once again — this time in upcoming Acer gaming laptops.

In Acer's GPU spec sheet for gaming laptops in 2025, the company lists several Acer Nitro systems with multiple RTX 50-series GPUs, from an RTX 5070 Ti to an RTX 5060.

However, the listings also include RTX 5050 mobile graphics cards, including the TGP (Total Graphics Power) and clock speeds.

According to the sheet, the RTX 5050 laptop GPU will offer up to 100W TGP (115W max graphics power) along with up to 2,550MHz clock speeds (2,650MHz with PredatorSense boost OC). However, as VideoCardz notes, there are different configurations showing various specs.

Currently, the RTX 5050 listings have been taken down on Acer's sheet, meaning these configurations may not be final — so take this all in with a pinch of salt.

That said, if accurate, these are the gaming laptops equipped with an RTX 5050 we can expect:

• Acer Nitro 16 AI — 2,550MHz (2,650MHz boost clock) / 100W (115W max)
• Acer Nitro 16S AI — 2,407MHz (2,507MHz boost clock) / 100W (115W max)
• Acer Nitro 18 AI — 2,550MHz (2,650MHz boost clock) / 100W (115W max)
• Acer Nitro V 14 AI — 1,500MHz (1,600MHz boost clock) / 50W (60W max)
• Acer Nitro V 16 AI — 2,212MHz (2,312MHz boost clock) / 80W (95W max)
• Acer Nitro V 17 AI — 2,212MHz (2,312MHz boost clock) / 80W (95W max)
• Acer Nitro V 16S AI — 2,212MHz (2,312MHz boost clock) / 70W (85W max)
• Acer Nitro V 15 — 1,905MHz (1,905MHz boost clock) / 60W (75W max)

Other Nitro laptops with more RTX 5050 GPU configurations were also spotted, from 50W TGP (60W max) with 1,500MHz (up to 1,600MHz) clock speeds to 80W TGP (95W max) with 2,212MHz (up to 2,650MHz) clock speeds. This doesn't seem like much, especially when compared to the might of RTX 5090 gaming laptops, but we could see DLSS 4 put to good use.

Notably, other specs aren't shown, such as the GPU's video memory or CUDA core count. However, previous Lenovo Legion 5 and Lenovo LOQ 15 leaks sporting RTX 5050 laptop GPUs revealed the graphics card would deliver 8GB GDDR7 VRAM, meaning its graphics memory is up to speed with the rest of the RTX 50-series family (and similar to the RTX 5060 and the lower-end RTX 5060 Ti with 8GB VRAM.).

The laptop listings have since been taken down, and there's no word on launch dates or pricing. Since Nvidia has yet to officially announce its RTX 5050 GPU, there's no telling when the latest graphics card will arrive — and whether there will be a desktop variant.

If Team Green does deliver an RTX 5050, expect budget-friendly gaming performance bolstered by DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Gen. It aims to replace RTX 4050 gaming laptops, and considering the performance bumps we've seen in RTX 5060 gaming laptops, Nvidia's low-end graphics card could benefit from Nvidia's AI trickery — especially if prices are pocket-friendly.

It may not be long until we learn all we need to know about Nvidia's RTX 5050 GPUs (in gaming laptops and possible desktops), but in the meantime, check out our RTX 5060 Ti review to see how DLSS 4 shines.

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Acer's been pulling out all the stops at Computex 2025, and not just with its sweep of all-new laptops. It revealed a new pair of earbuds, but these aren't the kind just for listening to music. Instead, they break down language barriers — and I got to have a full-blown conversation in a different language.

The Acer AI TransBuds offer real-time translation through earbuds, using AI-based speech recognition and semantic analysis, so you can have a two-way conversation in two completely different languages and know what the other person is saying.

And there's no overly long, awkward delay, either. That's a key reason why I tend to shy away from other translating platforms, as the stall in conversation can turn into a buzzkill. After trying Acer's AI TransBuds, though, it was more of a helpful, natural flow.

Translations in languages have been a way for AI to show off its smarts, with everything from the Samsung Galaxy S25 Ultra being a live interpreter, the Ray-Ban Meta smart glasses offering its own Live Translation feature and, of course, the ol' reliable Google Translate.

It's not like there aren't other earbuds offering translation, with the Viaim RecDot and Timekettle X1 AI Interpreter Hub offering up to 40 languages to translate and 93 accents. But this doesn't quite reach real-time translation, and it suffers from some inaccuracies.

With the Acer AI TransBuds? Those don't seem to be issues.

Acer AI TransBuds specs

Smooth chats

Acer's TransBuds support 15 major languages spoken across Asia, the Americas and Europe. That includes French, German, Italian, Spanish, Japanese and others, but during the brief demo, English and Mandarin that came in handy.

I'm in a unique position of having learned Mandarin growing up (a lot of it is lost on me now, sadly), meaning I can pick up on a few phrases and understand how they translate to English — the simple stuff, keep in mind.

That very much came in handy when testing these earbuds out. They work via a plug-in USB-C receiver that can be used in a smartphone or tablet, where an app will give you the option of translating your languages of choice.

I wore the earbuds to have a chat with an Acer representative, who could speak English and Mandarin fluently. The TransBuds sit comfortably on my ears thanks to the earhooks, rather than being fitted in-ears. In a crowded space, outside noise can be a tad distracting, but they were plenty loud enough for me to still hear translations.

The representative tested out its translation ability by giving me a call on his phone, walking off, but still being in earshot so I could hear what he was saying in Mandarin.

Admittedly, there were some connection issues due to the signal in the room being atrocious at first. But once it fired up, I could hear full translations in English of everything he said.

This is done through an AI voice, which sounded natural enough. More importantly, I found that the translation was accurate. I could hear the representative ask, "today's weather is very good" in Mandarin, and that's exactly the translation I got in English through the earbuds.

I could also hear him say "Can you hear me?" and "I thought you said you studied Korean, but you don't, so we won't try that," in Mandarin, and again, that's what I heard in English. Even when speaking in English at the other end of the line, he could fully understand what I said when it got back to him in Mandarin.

And it was a pretty smooth conversation that didn't require all that much stalling to come through.

Interestingly, he didn't need a pair of the TransBuds himself to get my translations, as you only need the one pair for it to work in a two-way conversation. Handy, right?

Next-gen communication?

The speediness of the AI being used in Acer's earbuds is impressive, and I can see why the company is aiming for buyers to use these for business meetings, livestreams or online study sessions.

The AI TransBuds present many use cases for multilingual conversations, and from what I could tell, real-time translation with these on is fairly snappy and accurate. But they also offer live captioning and transcription that can be seen on the connected smartphone or tablet, meaning you can record conversations and check them out later on.

While I didn't get any word on pricing (many products at Computex 2025 only have estimated costs right now due to the current state of trade) or availability, the Acer AI TransBuds are sure to be useful earbuds for education, work or simply traveling.

Depending on how much these will cost, the Acer AI TransBuds could be a handy set of earbuds to have in your pocket while going abroad (but for listening to music, probably stick with one of the best wireless earbuds instead).

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The Acer FreeSense smart ring is not something I’d expect from a company that specializes in laptops, monitors and even electric bikes, but there it was being showcased at Computex 2025 — and I got a chance to check it out.

Acer’s first-ever smart ring comes with all the health monitoring features you’d expect from the best smart rings, including health, sleep and fitness tracking, AI-powered insights and a lightweight, durable design with up to seven different sizes (in both Black and Rose Gold colorways).

But there’s one key feature that sets it apart from its major competition in the Oura Ring 4 and Samsung Galaxy Ring: price. There’s no subscription fee to get full access to all your health data, and it’s available starting at $199. Already, the FreeSense Ring offers a lot of value.

Can this smart ring tango with the best wearables around? After a brief demo during Acer’s showcase in Taipei, here’s what I learned about the Acer FreeSense Ring.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Specs

Acer FreeSense Ring: Price and Availability

Talking to a representative, I was told the Acer FreeSense smart ring will be available for around $199 to $250, and it’s set to be released sometime in August.

The price is still being worked out, but this is the ballpark Acer is aiming for. At $199, this places it at the same cost as the Amazon Helio Ring, which is the best value smart ring on the market right now.

In addition to being subscription-free, the FreeSense Ring has a lot going for it, but this isn’t just due to its pricing.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Design

When picking up the FreeSense smart ring, I could tell this would be a wearable I would barely notice being on. I wasn’t able to try on the ring itself, as it was tethered to a cable and the models on show didn’t come in my size, but Acer’s ring certainly offers some lightweight, minimalist style.

Speaking of sizes, it’s available in sizes 7 to 13. This is less than the Oura Ring 4 (4 to 15) or Samsung Galaxy Ring (5 to 15), but more than some other value-focused smart rings, like the Amazfit Helio (8, 10 and 12).

Weighing just 2-3 grams (depending on ring size) and with dimensions of 2.6 to 8mm, this is as light and compact as a smart can get (not unlike the Ultrahuman Ring Air and the RingConn Gen 2).

I’m a fan of the look and feel of the FreeSense, and it’s sure to get you through all the rough and tumble of physical activity and the like. It’s made of titanium alloy, vacuum plating and PVD coating, coming in black and rose gold (the former is very much to my liking), and comes with an IP68 rating so dirt and scuffs shouldn’t be a problem. That also means a water resistance of up to 50m, which shouldn’t be a problem for the majority of swimmers.

Overall, it looks and feels like a general ring, with a design that doesn’t feel like it’s anything more than what it boasts — something you’d want in a smart ring.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Health features

One of the first things I asked was what this smart ring can track, and the Acer FreeSense Ring includes everything you’d expect. It collects heart rate monitoring, heart rate variability, blood oxygen levels and sleep quality, along with fitness tracking such as your steps. How accurate is this? We’ll have to take a proper look, but this is a smart ring through and through.

One thing that was emphasized to me was its sleep analysis, which can tell you the different stages of sleep you go through via its sleep stage analysis. So, everything from your REM to your deep sleep. As you might expect, this should be accurate enough, but may have slight differences, such as the Oura Ring 4 vs Ultrahuman Ring Air. From what I’ve seen, it appears to be more focused on sleep rather than workouts, but it’s tricky to tell without using it (the best smartwatches are known to do a good job).

There’s still a lot to learn about what the Acer FreeSense Ring can do and how accurate it can deal with your biometrics, but without a subscription fee, that makes it all the more enticing for those who want a 24/7 analysis of their health with just a one-time fee.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Battery

The Acer FreeSense Ring can last 4 days on a single charge. This isn’t the longest a smart ring can go for, as the Oura Ring can last up to 8 days, while the Galaxy Ring can get you up to 7 days. Still, it’s long enough without having to worry about its charge, and should be similar to the Amazfit Helio smart ring (also around 4 to 5 days).

Interestingly, though, I was told that a one-hour charge could get you its full battery life of up to four days, which already beats Amazfit’s ring (up to two hours). Battery capacity wasn’t mentioned, but it’s already looking like this smart ring can last a good while before needing a boost.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Companion app

So, what can the ring work on? Well, everything, it seems, as the Acer FreeSense smart ring comes with a companion app that compatible with iOS and Android. That’s already better than the Samsung Galaxy Ring, which only works with Android, and it means no matter if you have the latest iPhone 16 or Pixel 9a, it’s app will work just fine.

From the interface that I saw, you can expect a user-friendly design displaying all the health metrics on the home tab. However, seeing as it’s powered by AI (what isn’t these days?), you will also get personalized insights on the health data that is recorded. So, it will tell you if you’re getting enough sleep, what you need to do to get good rest, if your heart rate is too high and the like.

One thing that goes beyond health features is the smart ring’s gesture features. For example, I was able to wave “hello” in order to take a picture on a tablet. This means it works on smartphones, too. Don’t worry; there isn’t just a blur of your hand shaking while the picture is taken, and you can wave and get prepared to the snap. I didn’t experience any other gestures, but there’s sure to be more than just the one. No word on special insights like the Galaxy Ring’s sleep apnoea detection, but I’d expect it to offer similar features.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Outlook

There’s still a lot to learn about the Acer FreeSense Ring, but as far as smart rings go, this is clearly in the running to be one of the best value smart rings you can get. I mean, at $199 and no subscription fees, it’s on its way to be a wearable that many people interested in finger-wielding devices should put on their radar.

It’s global release is set to arrive sometime in August (no specific date just yet), so we’ll have to wait and see how well it performs. One thing’s for sure, this is unknown territory for Acer, and I’m looking forward to seeing how it performs, and if it offers some special compatibility to the brand’s PCs (like its gesture features).

Stay tuned for more to come while we’re on the ground at Computex 2025.

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The Acer FreeSense Ring was just unveiled at Computex 2025 in Taipei. A subscription-free alternative to the Oura Ring 4 — the best smart ring available today — the FreeSense boasts all-day bio-metric tracking with ‘AI-driven’ wellness insights.

Of course, that’s the sales pitch for pretty much every new smart ring that hits the market. So what sets Acer’s first foray into the world of finger-based wearables apart from the pack? Read on.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Price and availability

We don’t know when the Acer FreeSense Ring will be available or what it will cost, but we will update this story as soon as we learn more. That said, we can confirm that it's subscription-free.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Sizes

The Acer FreeSense Ring will launch in seven sizes, from 7 to 13. That’s a considerably smaller selection than the Oura Ring 4, which comes in sizes 4 to 15 and the Samsung Galaxy Ring, available in sizes 5 to 15.

Still, the Acer FreeSense Ring beats the best value smart ring, the Amazfit Helio Ring, which only comes in sizes 8, 10 and 12.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Design

Constructed from titanium alloy, the FreeSense boasts a PVD coating for durability and weighs between 2 and 3 g, putting it on the lighter end of the smart ring spectrum. Other devices that weigh about the same include the Samsung Galaxy Ring, the Ultrahuman Ring Air and the RingConn Gen 2.

The interior appears to be epoxy, which is fairly common for smart rings. From the product shots, the sensors seem to protrude out slightly from the interior, which could make it less comfortable to wear than those with flush interior sensors (like the Oura Ring 4).

Water resistance is 50 meters compared to 100 meters for the Oura Ring, Galaxy Ring and most others. Still, that's more than enough water resistance to make it splash and showerproof. Maybe just avoid diving with it, though.

The FreeSense is additionally IP68-rated, which means you shouldn’t need to worry about dirt, dust or grime mucking up the inner workings.

Two styles of the Acer FreeSense Ring will be available for launch, including a glossy black and a matte rose gold (shown above).

Acer FreeSense Ring: Health features

The Acer FreeSense Ring tracks heart rate, heart rate variability (HRV) and blood oxygen levels. It also measures sleep quality, though details on how are vague. All we know is there will be some form of sleep stage analysis and presumably details on how long you slept.

Holistic data is processed via a companion mobile app — no word yet on phone OS compatibility — and presented to the user alongside custom-tailored wellness insights and recommendations.

Acer FreeSense Ring: Outlook

Without spending hands-on time with the ring and companion app — and with so many key details missing, including battery life, price and compatibility — it’s tough to tell whether the Acer FreeSense is destined for our best smart ring buying guide, or is just another example of a brand half-heartedly dipping toes… er, fingers, into a shiny new market to test the waters, without fully considering the competition.

That said, I like the fact that the FreeSense Ring is lightweight and subscription-free. And while the 24/7 wellness-monitoring sounds promising, as do the AI-backed insights, I’m definitely curious to know more. After all, wellness tips come in many forms. Will Acer's custom-tailored holistic suggestions be genuinely useful or half-baked?

On that note, my TG colleagues on the ground at Computex 2025 are on red alert for any opportunities to check out the Acer FreeSense Ring IRL, as well as the newly announced Acer AI Transbuds. Stay tuned.

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All the major PC manufacturers are going to be showing off new hardware at Computex 2025 in Taiwan next week, and it looks like Acer is going to have some slick new laptops with Nvidia RTX 50-series GPUs and OLED displays.

I'm excited about that because I'm a sucker for a great OLED panel, and Acer has some new Swift laptops that look like they could be serious contenders for the best Windows laptops of 2025.

But unfortunately, as of now Acer is not talking about when these laptops will be available in the United States—only Europe and other countries around the world.

Presumably this has something to do with the ongoing uncertainty around tariffs here in the U.S., so hopefully I'll be able to update this article with U.S. pricing in the near future.

For now, here's all the key details you need to know about Acer's laptop lineup at Computex 2025!

Acer Swift X

The flagship of Acer's Computex laptop lineup is the new Swift X 14, a 4-pound notebook aimed at creators that comes with AI-ready AMD or Intel chips, Nvidia GeForce RTX 50-series laptop GPUs and a 14-inch OLED display.

These laptops look slick as heck and could be awfully useful for audio/video professionals on the go, since they offer powerful hardware and a 14.5-inch 3K (2880x1800) OLED touchscreen that Acer claims covers 100% of the demanding DCI-P3 color gamut.

The models with Intel chipsets are simply branded the Acer Swift X 14, and they come with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports but no headphone jacks. The AMD models are sold as the Acer Swift X 14 AI and do offer headphone ports, but they sport plain USB-C ports instead of Thunderbolt 4 since that's an Intel technology.

These laptops are slated to go on sale in Europe in July starting at €1,799, with no word yet on pricing or launch plans for other regions.

Acer Swift Edge & Swift Go

Acer also has some new notebooks to show off in its more affordable Swift Edge and Swift Go lineups, though these also sport premium OLED screens.

The new Acer Swift Go laptops come in 14-inch or 16-inch varieties, but they all pack Intel Lunar Lake chips and 3K OLED touchscreens. With sizable RAM and storage capabilities these look likely to be solid workhorses for students and remote workers alike.

Again, there's no word yet on pricing or launch plans for North America. However, Acer did say it plans to launch the Swift Go 14 in Europe in July for a starting price of €1,199, with the 16-inch model launching in the same region a month later for €1,299.

There's also a lighter, more expensive Swift Edge 14 AI that's coming out in Europe this June starting at €1,599. This slick ultraportable also comes with a 14-inch 3K OLED touchscreen, but it's slightly thinner and over a pound lighter than the Swift Go 14 AI. Plus, Acer claims the Edge 14 AI is " the world’s first laptop to incorporate Corning® Gorilla Matte Pro surface treatment," which is intended to seriously cut down on glare and reflections when using the laptop in bright light.

We're at Computex all week reporting live from the show floor, so we'll keep an eye out for these new laptops—stay tuned!

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Computex 2025 is kicking off, and Acer has a whole lineup of laptops, monitors and more to reveal at the event — including all-new Aspire 14 and 16 AI Copilot+ PCs.

Acer announced six new 14-inch and 16-inch Aspire laptops, with several configurations that include the latest Intel Core Ultra Series 2, AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series and Snapdragon X Series processors.

With AI CPUs onboard, these Copilot+ PCs will arrive with the latest AI features, such as Click to Do, Recall (in preview), improved Windows Search and Acer's own suite of AI apps, such as AcerSense, LiveArt 2.0 and more.

Set to be at "pocket-friendly" prices, the Aspire 14 and 16 AI notebooks are geared toward students and professionals, with thin, lightweight designs so they can be moved around with ease. Plus, you can expect 120Hz displays with 180-degree hinges, and they even come in glorious OLED.

Prices start at €899/AUD$1,399 (around $999/£799), with the first set of Aspire AI laptops being available in select regions this June. Will the best contenders as the best laptops for students? Judging by their specs, they certainly stand a chance.

Acer Aspire 14 and 16 AI: Specs

Acer Aspire 14 AI: Portable power for students

The 14-inch laptop is becoming a popular sizes for students or workers, probably because they offer that blend of a sizeable enough display along with relative portability. The new Acer Aspire 14 AI looks to fit into that description and be a great pick for those on the move. Thanks to its varied CPUs, this notebook range aims to deliver plenty of performance and battery life.

The Intel model boasts up to a Core Ultra 7 258V CPU and Intel Arc 140V for graphics, making it a speedy machine that can even do a little 1080p gaming and medium settings on the side. This configuration also comes with Wi-Fi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4 connectivity.

Interestingly, thanks to its 65Wh battery, it claims to last over 26 hours with video playback!

As for the AMD configuration, expect up to an AMD Ryzen AI 7 35 CPU and integrated AMD Radeon 86M graphics. This is based on Zen 5 architecture, so expect this machine to also pack great performance. According to specs, this is a step down in connectivity, as it brings Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 instead. Apparently, it also lasts over 18 hours on video playback, so not as good of a deal compared to Intel.

Lastly, the Snapdragon variant delivers Snapdragon X performance at both the CPU (Oryon), GPU (Adreno) and NPU (Hexagon) level. You can also expect Wi-Fi 7 here, but with Bluetooth 5.3 connectivity. However, this Aspire 14 AI is the most affordable of the bunch.

Snapdragon X-equipped Acer Aspire 14 AI laptops start at €899 / AUD$1,399 (around $999 / £799) with availability in June, with the Intel and AMD configurations available for €999 / AUD$1,499 (around $1,099 / £899) in July.

Otherwise, these laptops match the design and portable appeal of its predecessors (like the Acer Aspire Go 15), but with upgraded specs and bigger, stylish designs. Plus, it offers up to a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) OLED display with a 120Hz refresh rate and 16:10 aspect ratio.

So far, these laptops could make for excellent additions in our best business laptops and Windows laptops guides. Of course, we'll have to get some hands-on time with them to see if they work as well on paper.

Acer Aspire 16 AI: The bigger option

Are there any big differences in the Acer Aspire 16 AI laptop? Not really, aside from the larger 16-inch WUXGA+ (2048 x 1280) OLED panel with a 120Hz refresh rate and 16:10 aspect ratio. More screen real estate and better resolution — similar to the MacBook Air M4 13-inch and Air M4 15-inch models.

The 16-inch laptop is set to arrive later than the Aspire 14, and is priced slightly higher. Again, the Snapdragon configuration offers more value, available from €999 / AUD$1,499 (around $1,099 / £899) in July. Both the Intel and AMD models start at €1,099 / AUD$1,499 (around $1,199 / £999), and will be available in August.

There will be plenty more on show at Computex 2025, and we'll be on the floor to fill you in all there is to know — including a possible laptop CPU from Nvidia and MediaTek.

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Acer has launched two new Android-based Iconia tablets at Computex 2025 with an eye towards capturing budget-conscious customers on the lookout for a new Android tablet.

The Iconia V11 and V12 arrive running Android 15 powered by a MediaTek Helio G99 processor backed by up to 8GB of DDR4 RAM.

Judging from the European pricing (U.S. and U.K. prices haven't been revealed yet) of €289 for the V12 and €229 for the V11, we're looking at sub-$300 mid-tier devices vying for a spot on the best cheap tablets list.

So, what do you get for the money? Acer is packing these devices with 11- and 12-inch, 16:10 aspect ratio screens with up to a 2K resolution and a 90Hz refresh rate.

Both tablets feature an aluminum chassis and while the V12 weighs in at 595g (1.3 pounds), the V11 is quite a bit lighter at 500g (1.1 pounds).

Both devices come with an iPad-style magnetic folio case that doubles up as a kickstand with three different viewing angles. Acer also has an accompanying stylus it's selling separately. You only get one color option, and it's an eye-pleasing "mist green".

There's 256GB of built-in storage in each tablet with the option to expand that up to 1TB via microSD.

Acer quotes a 10-hour battery life from the integrated 8,000mAh batteries — but that's obviously something we'll have to test independently once we get our hands on these tablets.

Camera-wise, you're looking at an 8-megapixel rear shooter and a 5-megapixel front one for video calls. Again, we'll have to test these out in the hand to determine if the quality is any good.

USB fast charging is on offer and Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 round out the connectivity options. Acer has a 4G LTE version of the Iconia V11 for anyone who wants to include a cellular connection.

How do they stack up?

We won't know exactly how good these devices are until we've got them into the Tom's Guide testing labs for a full review. But it's safe to say competition to offer the best cheap tablets is fierce right now.

The Samsung Galaxy Tab A7 can be had for under $200 at Amazon right now thanks to a 13% discount. For Android users, this is a solid entry-level option with a 10.4-inch 2,000 x 1,200 display and a Snapdragon 662 processor inside along with 3GB of RAM.

Of course, for those with a little bit more to spend, there's the 11-inch iPad (10th generation) which is hovering at $321 at Amazon at time of writing due to an 8% discount. That's the best overall cheap tablet you can buy right now and a tough opponent for Acer to match.

The Iconia tablets are far from the only products Acer is unleashing at Computex this year. Tom's Guide will be reporting from the show floor all week so make sure you check back for the latest news as it happens.

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Looking for "UltraSpeed" refresh rates for PC gaming? Acer has unveiled its new lineup of Predator QD-OLED gaming monitors just in time for Computex 2025, and one boasts a 500Hz refresh rate.

Today, Acer announced new Predator and Nitro gaming monitors, including a 27-inch Predator X27U F5 QD-OLED monitor with a 2560 x 1440 per-pixel resolution and a whopping 500Hz refresh rate, along with another 27-inch Predator X27 X QD-OLED sporting a 4K (3840 x 2160) resolution and 240Hz speeds.

We've tested 500Hz gaming monitors before, and the Samsung Odyssey G6 OLED display we saw at CES 2025 is also equipped with the speedy refresh rate. Now Acer is joining the bandwagon, and it's clear 500Hz is here to stay.

You can also expect new Acer Nitro Google TV smart monitors, including the 31.5-inch 4K Acer Nitro GA321QK P with a 165Hz refresh rate and a 34-inch ultrawide QHD (3440 x 1440) Nitro GA341CUR W0 with 240Hz speeds. With Google TV onboard, they offer access to plenty of streaming apps, along with gamer-ready features.

Otherwise, the "UltraSpeed" QD-OLED Predator gaming monitor takes center stage.

Acer Predator QD-OLED gaming monitors: Specs

Need for (500Hz) speeds

Both the Predator X27U F5 and Predator X27 X come with similar 27-inch QD-OLED panels and designs (although the X27 X's stand looks slightly more stylish), with 150mm height adjustments and 90-degree pivots for the right angle.

Otherwise, there are two big differences here: the refresh rate and resolution. If you're looking for sky-high 500Hz refresh rates, you'll want to look at the Predator X27U F5.

This Predator monitor offers 0.03 response speeds, up to 300 nits native brightness and 1,000 nits peak brightness, DCI-P3 99% color gamut coverage, 10-bit color and VESA DisplayHDR TrueBlack 500 certification. So expect strong visual details and buttery smooth refresh rates when gaming. For the competitive gamers out there, especially in Counter-Strike 2, Valorant, The Finals and more, this monitor should do the trick.

For those after 4K visuals, the Predator X27 X has the resolution. It shares the same response speeds and certifications as its sibling, but this offers 3840 x 2160 resolution with 240Hz refresh rates. This is still very high, but for those single-player PC games, this is where this monitor aims to shine.

What's more, both monitors support AMD FreeSync Premium Pro tech to eliminate screen tearing, but note there's no support for Nvidia G-Sync.

The Acer Predator X27U F5 starts at €899 (around $999/£759) and the Predator X27 X is set from €1,099 (around $1,229/£929). Both gaming monitors will be available in select regions sometime this summer, between July and September.

So, the real question is, can your eyes keep up with a 500Hz gaming monitor? We've got just the answer. Otherwise, for more on all things Computex 2025, we'll be on the ground to keep you up to date with it all.

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Following the announcement of President Trump's tariffs on April 2, one of the biggest concerns among U.S. consumers has been the potential increase in the cost of products sold in the country.

Even before the tariffs go into effect — April 9 — Nintendo said it would delay the launch of the Switch 2 to assess its impact.

Analysts have been predicting that prices will jump — some of Apple's products will be hit by a 54% tariff, according to Bloomberg's Marc Gurman — but Samsung says its TV business won't be as badly hurt.

But, have companies already started increasing the cost of their products?

To find out, I went to Amazon to analyze the prices on some of the more popular products. Here's what I found.

Methodology

First, a note about my methods: To come up with a list of the 200 popular products, I turned to Camelcamelcamel, which tracks the prices of products on Amazon.

I went to CCC's Popular Products page, and copied the price information from the first 200 products that were listed there. The data was taken on April 7, two days before the tariffs are due to take effect.

I then imported all the information into a spreadsheet, and analyzed the results.

I will say that this isn't a perfect barometer, as products go on sale all the time, and prices can also be affected by the age of a product, as well as myriad other factors. But, looking at prices over a range of categories could show a general trend one way or another.

Overall results

If you want to buy something before the tariffs hit, now's the time. According to my data, prices for these 200 items are down an average of 7.6% over their normal prices.

The current average price for the items listed was $417.17, while the historical average price for all the products is $446.62.

What's gone up the most

The product on the list that's seen the biggest increase is the Sony WH-1000XM4 headphones; they're currently listed for $348 on Amazon, but their average price according to CamelCamelCamel is just $222.

Sony's headphones feel like a bit of an outlier, as it's a generation old, so its higher price may be more reflective of limited inventory.

The other device that saw the greatest increase, percentage-wise is the Winix 5500-2 Air purifier; while it's currently listed at $205 at Amazon (and a presuming 18% off its regular price), CamelCamelCamel says that its average price is just $153.14.

What about Apple products?

One company thought to be especially vulnerable to the tariffs is Apple, as a number of its most popular products are made in China, which could face tariffs of up to 54%.

However, it doesn't look like the company has adjusted its prices yet, so now may be the time to buy. In the list I compiled, there were a number of Apple products — the Apple Watch 10, AirPods Pro 2, iPad mini, MacBook Air, to name a few — and on average, prices were down 1.4%.

The product with the highest price increase is the Apple Watch Series 10 (42mm, GPS), which is now listed at $399, up from an average of $364. However, this could be more of a reflection that the watch isn't currently on sale — $399 is its regular price — than due to any international trade issues.

On the other end of the spectrum, the Apple iPad (10th Generation) with 256GB of storage is currently $349 on Amazon, down 27% from its average price of $446.

Outlook

There's no doubt that tariffs will soon impact the cost of consumer goods, as the tariffs will go into effect on April 9. Acer, for example, said that it will increase the cost of its products by 10%. And, there's still a remote chance that the U.S. will change the tariff rates on certain countries, depending on how much the Trump administration is willing to negotiate.

We'll be tracking the tariff increases here, so be sure to check in regularly to see if the goods you purchase will go up in price.

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The wait for an RTX 5060 may not be long, as Nvidia's graphics card has been spotted in a new Acer gaming PC listing — and it confirms it will come with 8GB of GDDR7 video memory.

French retailer website EvoPC listed an Acer Nitro N50 PC equipped with an RTX 5060, noting that it comes with 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM, along with a 14th Gen Intel Core i7-14700F, 32GB of DDR5 RAM and a 1TB SSD. This was discovered by user momomo_us on X (via VideoCardz), but it appears to have been taken down as of writing.

The listing may have been a placeholder for the rumored graphics card, as previous reports suggest Nvidia is expected to reveal the RTX 5060 Ti, RTX 5060 and possibly an RTX 5050 as soon as this week. The Acer gaming system was not available to buy, which makes sense as it has yet to be officially announced.

Rumors also indicate the RTX 5060, along with the rest of the lower-end RTX 50-series lineup, won't ship until next month, but retailers may be gearing up for pre-orders. According to the listing, this Acer PC is priced at €1,589 (around $1,734 / £1,340), giving us an idea of the cost of an RTX 5060 gaming rig.

While no longer listed, there's another Acer Nitro N50 gaming PC with an RTX 4060 on EvoPC, costing €1,519, although it's currently unavailable.

Either way, it's clear we may see RTX 5060 GPUs soon, and previous leaks hint at the gaming performance we can expect.

A hint at RTX 5060 specs

Recently, we've seen leaked specs for Nvidia's RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5050 graphics cards, and while they offer a bump in numbers over their RTX 40-series counterparts, there's only a slight difference shown.

As per previous rumors, the RTX 5060 may not be any different. Its 8GB of GDDR7 VRAM appears to be a lock, but it's also expected to come with 3,840 CUDA cores, 150W TDP (Thermal Design Power), and a 128-bit memory bus (similar to the RTX 4060 Ti and RTX 4060).

The jump in CUDA cores (which manages computing tasks in parallel to GPUs) and TDP is good to see, especially when compared to an RTX 4060 and even the RTX 4060 Ti, but is it enough to be a true upgrade? With DLSS 4 and Multi Frame Generation onboard for supported PC titles, it's sure to deliver a performance boost for entry-level gaming, at the very least.

As for price, the RTX 5060 is predicted to be around $349, judging from the RTX 5070 being $549 and the RTX 5060 Ti being tipped to be from $449. If accurate, that will make it more affordable than the AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT and RX 9070 GPUs (although these appear to offer greater performance).

While we wait for the expected launch of Nvidia's RTX 5060 GPU (and soon), check out what it's like to build an RTX 5090 gaming PC.

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Starting in March, Acer laptops will see a 10 percent price hike in direct response to President Trump's tariffs.

The announcement came from Acer's CEO Jason Chen in an interview with The Telegraph. The move is coming because of a 10-percent tariff that Trump has imposed on laptops manufactured in China.

“We will have to adjust the end user price to reflect the tariff,” Chen told The Telegraph. “We think 10% probably will be the default price increase because of the import tax. It’s very straightforward.”

Clear cause and effect

While it has been speculated how Trump's tariffs will affect products imported into the United States, this is the first clear cause and effect of the imposed taxes.

These price increases includes everything from powerhouse gaming laptops like the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI to budget-friendly options like the Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

As an example, currently the Taiwanese company's most expensive option is the Acer Predator Triton which starts $3,799.99. The tariff bumps that price up to $4,179.99 and that doesn't include any markups retailers might make to recover the cost of the tariff as the retailer is who actually pays the initial tax.

As the Telegraph notes, Acer is the fifth largest seller of laptops in the United States behind HP, Dell, Lenovo and Apple. Beyond that, nearly 80% of laptops imported to the US are made in China.

Just the beginning

The general 10 percent tariff on all Chinese-made goods started this month. Trump has previously claimed that tariffs would make prices go down and induce companies in the US to create more jobs. Recently, President Trump has started to admit that prices might go up.

As the tariffs start to come online, we will likely begin to see more companies announcing price increases. We've put together a guide to how tariffs work and how Trump's broad taxation on Chinese products will possibly affect you.

According to Chen, the company is exploring moving some production out of China and Taiwan, something the company did during Trump's first term when he imposed a 25% tariff on Chinese-manufactured desktop computers.

Chen also noted that the price increases may take a few weeks to actually take affect, indicating that March is likely when we'll see the increases hit.

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Acer just announced the new Predator Helios Neo 16 and 18 AI, which bring RTX 50-series power at a pretty decent price. Neo has always been the company’s mid-range lineup, and I’m quietly confident that with the hardware choices made this year, the company may have cracked the code.

Whether it’s that 16-inch OLED panel (or 18-inch mini-LED) option to really make those games look truly gorgeous, the tougher frame with no dramatic plastic bending of that keyboard deck, or that vastly better touchpad, Acer’s paid attention to the fundamentals while giving us some nice added extras.

But the question still stands around just how powerful it will be. We’ve seen just what the 50-series can do in desktops in terms of multi-frame gen and all that DLSS 4 goodness. But outside of some of Nvidia’s promises, we’re yet to see how it really performs.

Plus, there’s the other big question of battery life. The previous Neo systems weren’t necessarily the stamina champs, even when compared to other gaming laptops. But from what I tried, are these in the running to be considered for our best gaming laptops list? Provided the company plays its cards right, absolutely, based on my hands-on experience so far.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16/18 AI: Specs

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI: What we like

With an early hands-on like this, it’s all about spotting the signs that a company is onto something, and Acer is definitely on the right track.

Makings of a monster

While we wait to get the latest hardware in our testing lab, we can go off what is being promised from the likes of Intel and Nvidia. That Ultra 200 HX series seems to reverse the course on what happened last year when companies added Intel to their gaming laptops — focusing on performance rather than throttling it with power efficiency.

It’s why I said any gaming system sporting this chip was a red flag, but I’m quietly confident Team Blue has turned this around. This is especially critical given that RTX 5070 or 5070 Ti the Neo’s being outfitted with. Now in pure GPU rendering, the difference between this and the 4070 is pretty small, but that’s missing the point.

With DLSS 4 and all the neural technologies like multi-frame gen and AI-aided ray tracing turned on, side-by-side, Nvidia’s promising a 2x jump in performance in key games like Cyberpunk 2077 and Hogwarts Legacy.

Pair that with up to 64GB DDR5 RAM, and you’ve got a real mid-range beast that could crush 1440p gaming. Oh, and let’s not forget about the new generation of cooling in here too — sporting fans with blades at just 0.01mm thin, and liquid metal to eliminate the risk of thermal throttling.

Strengthening the fundamentals

I’ve dabbled with the Neo lineage in the past, and they’re lower cost shows in some areas like a mushy trackpad and a keyboard deck with a ton of flex.

That’s not the case here, however. Running the Neo 16 and 18 through their typing and clicking paces showed a rigid board and a nice, tactile clicking experience. Of course, totally understand that your go to peripheral will be a gaming mouse (if you’re playing games with a touchpad…are you OK?).

However, for the day-to-day workload, that utilitarian aesthetic helps it blend well into any meeting, and the snappiness of the tactile feedback from the keyboard and touchpad will be satisfying when going through your tasks.

Display options galore

Sure, at the base prices of $1,899 and $2,199 for the 16 and 18-inch respectively, you’re getting run-of-the-mill LCD displays, which I assume will be fine. But that little bit extra can secure a gorgeous OLED panel with 240Hz refresh rate on the 16-inch, and a bright, crispy mini-LED panel on the 18.

I wish OLED could come to the 18-incher too, but these are the configurations we’re getting, and Acer paying more attention to screen quality is most certainly welcome for gaming on-the-go!

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI: What we don’t like

My main beef comes from joining together some threads from the past of the Neo family, and connecting it to what’s happening with these systems.

Some serious chonk

In terms of dimensions, these are pretty respectable notebooks at just over an inch thick. I’ve seen gaming laptops look more like doorsteps in the past few months, so some sleekness is welcome.

However, at 4.9 pounds for the 16-inch model and a whopping 7.3 pounds for the 18, these are heavy — a drastic increase over last year’s models and something you’ll have to consider when popping these in your backpack. Get ready for more of a hike with these rather than a walk without hefty weight.

What about the battery life?

So let me just state the numbers here. The Helios Neo 16 and 18 are both coming with the same size 90 Wh batteries as last year — both of which were not that good on the stamina against the total wattage 2024’s Intel chips and Nvidia RTX 40 series GPUs consumed.

Now, in 2025, we’ve got an even more power-hungry Intel 200 HX CPU and the 50 series that is reported to have a higher wattage requirement too… Can you see what I’m getting at here?

I don’t want to say anything definitive until we’ve tested these laptops. But this makes me nervous.

Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI: Early verdict

I know I talked about both the Acer Predator Helios Neo 16 AI and 18 AI here, but my focus is on that 16-inch model. With that OLED screen and powerful specs, this could be a mighty machine of portable gaming.

There are some things to worry about here, such as the sheer weight of it and the battery life concerns. But all things considered, Acer’s made improvements where it matters, and I’m excited to see how it fares in our lab testing.

Acer is expanding its Predator Helios Neo AI gaming laptop series with a new pair of larger notebooks featuring Intel's Core Ultra 9 275HX CPUs.

The laptop maker announced a 14-inch version last fall and today revealed more powerful variants with 16-inch and 18-inch displays.

Those displays come in four different options, with the highest tier being an 2560x1600 resolution OLED display featuring a 240Hz refresh rate and 1ms response time on the Neo 16. The Neo 18 comes with either a Mini LED display or LED display that hits a 250Hz refresh rate and 3ms response time.

The main difference between the display levels appears to be brightness (ranging from 300 to 500 nits) and response time, with the fastest level hitting 3ms.

The AI-capable laptops can sport either an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti or 5070 laptop graphics card capable of running DLSS 4 and several Nvidia-based AI models meant to boost FPS, reduce latency and improve image quality.

Both sizes of Predator Helios Neo will feature up to 64 GB of memory and 2 TB or storage. Acer says the 16-inch version is meant for people on the go while the 18-inch model is intended to be more of a desktop replacement.

As with most things gaming PC, the Predator Helios Neos will feature "subdued minimalist" 4-zone RGB keyboards and RGB logos. All the laptops will run Windows 11 and come with three months of PC Game Pass for free.

The Predator Helios Neo 16 will launch in the United States in April with the 18-inch variant following in May starting at $1,899 and $2,199, respectively.

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The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 ($399) is a refreshed model with enough upgraded hardware onboard to take advantage of Google's Chromebook Plus AI features.

That means this ChromeOS workhorse can do things like generate text for you, automatically caption live video and audio or edit images with Google's AI-powered editing tools. 

Whether you find these AI features useful or not, I'm pleased to report they work as advertised and do add some value to this affordable Chromebook. In fact, after using it myself for a few weeks I think the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is one of the best Chromebooks you can buy if you just need a capable PC for writing, editing and browsing the web.  

In this Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review, I'll walk you through the high points and low moments I encountered while using this machine for work and play; I'll also show you why I think the Chromebook Plus 515 is a great deal. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: Cheat sheet

• What is it? A 15-inch Chromebook with enough horsepower under the hood to qualify for the extra AI features offered on Chromebook Plus hardware.
• Who is it for? Anyone that needs a cheap laptop for writing and browsing the web.
• What does it cost? The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is available for purchase from Acer's website for $399. 
• What's good about it? This cheap laptop doesn't feel like that cheap, with a sturdy chassis, a nice 1080p display and a comfy keyboard. Plus, you get plenty of ports and the speakers are surprisingly good.
• What's not so good? The display doesn't get terribly bright or colorful, and you "only" get about 8 hours of battery life on a full charge.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: Specs

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: The ups

Our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit is a capable Chromebook for not a lot of money, and that alone is a virtue. However, I wanted to call out a few more specific strengths this Chromebook offers that you should know about.

Speedy performance

The Intel Core i3-1215U CPU and 8GB of RAM powering our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit aren't much, but they're plenty to get you through a work day as fast as you can type.

While our Plus 515 review unit isn't fast enough to compete with the best MacBooks or the best Windows laptops, it's more than capable enough to handle whatever you need to do in ChromeOS. I've had no trouble using it to write this review and stay on top of my daily to-dos in Chrome, even with with 15-plus tabs open and music streaming in the background.

Our lab testing backs up my hands-on experience, and as you can see from the chart of results above our Plus 515 review unit is pretty capable.

While our review unit can't quite catch up to the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus in raw single-core CPU performance, it does speed past the Lenovo in the Geekbench 6 multi-core CPU benchmark. It also wins out in our WebXPRT 4 benchmark, which tests how well the laptop performs when processing Web frameworks like HTML 5, JavaScript and more.

So while the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 obviously doesn't have the power to handle the kinds of demanding coding tasks or video editing apps you need a beefy laptop for, it's plenty fast enough for just about anything you can do on a Chromebook.

Surprisingly good speakers

When you imagine great speakers on a laptop, Chromebooks typically aren't the first thing you picture, but that might change after you spend some time with the Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

While it can't match the sound quality of the best computer speakers or even a 16-inch MacBook Pro 2023 with its six-speaker sound system, the Plus 515's pair of upward-facing speakers are surprisingly good.

Flanking the keyboard, these stereo soundmakers sport DTS Audio branding and get remarkably loud for their size. But even at maximum volume they don't get too distorted or tinny, and vocals in tracks like John Lee Hooker's "Serves Me Right To Suffer" and Albert King's "Born Under a Bad Sign" sound warm, rich and clear alongside the music.  

These are the best speakers I've ever seen on a Chromebook, and they're a high point of using the Plus 515. Of course, it's also nice to have the headphone jack and a good pair of cans when you're streaming Spotify at the coffee shop.

Plenty of ports

Our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit sports plenty of ports, which is great when you want to use a lot of peripherals at once or a wide variety of older and newer devices since you get both older USB-A and newer USB-C ports.

Specifically, you get a USB-C port on the right side alongside a 3.5mm audio jack and a lock slot for security. On the left-hand side you get another USB-C port, a USB-A port and an HDMI 1.4 out for external displays.

Since the laptop charges via USB-C you can plug it in from either side, a real boon when you're working in a cramped coffee shop or classroom without easy outlet access. In general, the broad port selection make this a versatile and useful laptop that can easily accommodate an external keyboard, mouse and more. 

Google AI features are nice to have

I'm not the biggest fan of all the "AI" features that have been cropping up in modern PCs over the last year or so, and I tend to be pretty critical of them.

That's why I hope you believe me when I say the AI features that were available in our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit during the review period not only worked as advertised but worked well.

During my time with the Chromebook I took advantage of these new AI features to caption a video in real time, edit a few photos, generate a few new wallpapers and test out the text generation tools. 

I found these tools work reliably enough and are, in select cases, pretty useful. It's nice to be able to use Google's Magic Eraser feature to quickly remove someone from a photograph, for example, and in my testing, it rarely delivered a bad photo. Live Captions also worked well, without many errors, and I can see a real use for them since the captions on services on YouTube and Vimeo are rarely great. 

I found text generation less interesting because while the grammar and copy it generated was reliably decent, the details were often wrong, forcing me to fact-check everything anyhow. Frankly, I found it easier and faster to write text myself rather than trust Google's AI. 

In general, I don't think I'd use these features very often, but that has a lot to do with my dislike of AI tools in general. If you find them useful, I think you'll be pleased with how reliably well they work on this Chromebook without being intrusive or annoying.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: The downs

While I hope this Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review shows what a useful and versatile laptop you get for the money, there's also a few weaknesses you should know about before you buy.

Not-great battery life

Acer claims the Chromebook Plus 515 can last up to 10 hours on a full charge, and that might be possible if you really dim the screen as far as it will go, turn off all extraneous features and try to be as conservative as possible when using it.

But in my hands-on experience, you should expect to get significantly less than 10 hours of battery life out of a full charge. In my time with the laptop, I could reliably count on it lasting 6-plus hours of dedicated usage or several days of occasional usage, so the battery does hold a charge pretty well.

But as you can see from the chart of results above, in our lab-based battery tests our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit lasted an average of 8 hours and 16 minutes on a full charge.

Our in-house battery tests set the laptop's screen to a pretty dim brightness (~150 nits) and set it to endlessly surf the web until it dies, so it's not far removed from what you'll be doing with this laptop on a daily basis. And while 8-plus hours of tested battery life is good enough that you probably don't need to lug the charger to school or the coffee shop with you, it's not as good as premium MacBooks or Windows laptops these days.

Middling display

The 15.6-inch 1080p display on our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review unit looks perfectly fine to my eyes, and it's plenty usable indoors. While I wouldn't recommend you try to use it outdoors on a sunny day, in general I had no issues making out details on the screen or watching my favorite movies and TV shows.

That said, when we got it into our testing lab our crack team of display experts found that it's not quite as bright or as colorful as some of the other Chromebooks we've recently tested.

As you can see from the test results charted below, the Plus 515's display hits an average brightness of 263.2 nits that peaked around 275 nits in the upper-left corner.

That's good enough, but it's not as bright as the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook (which costs just $100 more than the Plus 515) or the slightly cheaper Acer Chromebook Spin 314. 

And if you look at the percentage of color gamuts the Plus 515 can accurately display (closer to 100% the better, DCI-P3 is wider and more demanding than sRGB), you'll see that it falls slightly behind the Flex 5i in terms of color reproduction as well.

Personally, I don't mind the screen on the Plus 515 at all, but I also don't think it's anything exciting to look at. If display quality is very important to you in a Chromebook, you might consider going with Lenovo's Flex 5i instead, which is a bit more expensive but has a brighter 14-inch 1200p touchscreen.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: Verdict

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is a sturdy, reliable Chromebook that's a great deal for students, writers and anyone who needs a cheap laptop around the house.

While it doesn't excel in any area, this is an excellent all-rounder that offers a big 1080p display and a nice comfy keyboard to type on, flanked by a pair of surprisingly good speakers. I found it great for writing and browsing the web, and while it's not the lightest laptop on the market it's not a pain to carry to the coffee shop.

Of course, all the limitations of a Chromebook apply here. This machine isn't great for gaming unless you stream games over the Internet via a service like Nvidia's GeForce Now, and even then the lack of a dedicated Ethernet jack handicaps you somewhat. It also can't run any apps besides those on Android, so you'll have a hard time doing serious photo/video editing work.

But the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 excels at writing, surfing the web and streaming your favorite shows. It's a great value at $399, and if you can get it on sale for less, it almost feels like you're getting away with something.

I should have seen the Acer Nitro Blaze 11 coming. When I went hands-on with the Acer Nitro Blaze 7, I spoke about how the use of AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS was an interesting choice because the expectation was for a laptop chip to be used in bigger devices. Turns out the company took that literally.

And be honest — you laughed, just like I chuckled at the monstrous size of this handheld in the press shots. It looks like someone just took this Steam Deck competitor and enlarged it in Photoshop. But it is indeed real, and in many ways, bigger is indeed better.

The gigantic screen is bright and colorful, showing your games in their best light on-the-go, the Nintendo Switch-esque detachable controllers and kickstand make this nice and versatile for any gameplay scenario, the Hall Effect joysticks are a welcome upgrade over the Blaze 7, and given its massive size, this is a lot lighter in the hand than you’d think.

But there are two big alarm bells ringing ahead of properly reviewing. First, with a 55 Whr battery (only 5 more than Acer’s 7-inch), I’m a little nervous about how long this 11-incher will last. And second, this thing is $1,099. That is steep — especially when similarly-priced (or cheaper) RTX 4060 gaming laptops are right there with vastly superior performance.

Is this a case of gaming handhelds going one step too far? Or is there something legit here? Let’s talk about it.

Acer Nitro Blaze 11: Video review

Acer Nitro Blaze 11: Specs

Acer Nitro Blaze 11: What we like

In some ways, Acer Nitro Blaze 11 is a mighty gaming handheld. Even though the size may seem way too large on paper, it’s actually one of the strengths here.

Big screen gaming on-the-go

You saw the dimensions in the table above. The Blaze 11 is a beast in the hand that can take a while to get used to, but it’s really not as bad as you may think. In fact, it’s actually a rather nice gaming experience.

It all starts with that gorgeous WQXGA display, which with a 120Hz refresh rate is bright, vivid with color and buttery smooth. Psychonauts 2 ran with a nice fluidity and a flash flood of color. The RDNA 3 integrated graphics on-board here may struggle with running games at that full resolution, but a quick downgrade to 1080p still looks good on this panel.

Next is the design of this hardware. At 2.3 pounds, this is a lot lighter in the hand than I expected — reducing any of that fatigue that I feared over longer play periods. All the controls are in the right place you’d expect them to be, and the hall effect joysticks are guaranteed to last you a good long while.

And finally, the fact these controllers are detachable and there’s a kickstand on the back does lend itself to some good couch-based multiplayer or popping the display on a tray table while you play. Turns out in the wrong of PC gaming handhelds, bigger can indeed be better in some ways.

An AMD choice that could turn out to be the right one power-wise

The AMD Ryzen 7 8840Hs is a relatively old laptop chip — similar to the Ryzen Z2 Extreme with the added benefit of Ryzen AI support over its handheld-suited brethren. While the Z2 does support the updated RDNA 3.5 graphics capabilities, the TDP of the 8840HS does go to a higher 55 watts, which could translate into more raw horsepower for games.

The end result should be impressive, delivering stellar performance with frame rates in Shadow of the Tomb Raider (1080p on High settings with FSR set to balanced) reaching 70 FPS—blowing the Steam Deck OLED out of the water, which manages just 40 FPS at a lower resolution.

Combine that with blazing-fast DDR5 RAM running at 5,700 MT/s and a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and you’ve got a true powerhouse on your hands.

Acer Nitro Blaze 11: What we don’t like

So we’re off to a strong start, but with both of these come a couple big downsides too. It’s a tricky purchasing decision when you take into account two key things for a gaming handheld — battery life and affordability.

The battery is another big old “yikes”

We already had this issue with the 50 Whr cell in the Blaze 7, especially given how hard that CPU can go on the total wattage. However, the Blaze 11 only goes up to 55 Whr, which makes it an even bigger potential red flag.

That is a huge display to try and run with a smaller battery like this. I don’t want to say anything definite until I can properly test this system for myself, but in my time using it, I did see the battery life playing Psychonauts 2 go down from 100% to 92% after a 10 minute burst.

Like I said, yikes.

This is a pricey investment

Let’s talk about that $1,099 price tag. That is a steep investment in this handheld, especially given what you can get elsewhere in the PC gaming handheld space. For example, the beastly Asus ROG Ally X with a far larger battery is $300 less.

In fact, you could get an RTX 4060-armed Dell G15 for $100 less, which is guaranteed to be far more performant in gaming. You’ve got to be seriously committed to gaming handhelds to consider this.

Acer Nitro Blaze 11: Early verdict

In many ways, Acer has proven that a larger handheld can hang amongst its 7 and 8-inch brethren. But in other ways, parts of me are nervous about this.

The Blaze 11 is a fundamentally enjoyable gaming experience with versatility at its heart, thanks to the detachable controllers and kickstand, while also being surprisingly lightweight in the hand. Plus that Ryzen 7 APU should pack enough power for some solid 1080p gaming.

But with a rather small battery for its stature and a high price, this is a tough purchasing decision to make.

CES 2025 is in full swing, and that means the biggest names in PCs are in Las Vegas this week unveiling their first big products of 2025.

This is a big deal because it's traditionally where you get your first real impression of what the year ahead is going to look like, tech-wise, and this year our team is on the show floor reporting on CES 2025 live.  

Acer is also at CES 2025 with a slew of new laptops, desktops and other gadgets to show off, and AI continues to be a big talking point. Most notably, the company is refreshing some of its flagship Aspire and Swift Go laptops with updated x86 processors, including the (relatively) new AMD Ryzen AI 300 CPUs and Intel Core Ultra 200H chips. 

I'll run down the specs Acer has shared so far shortly, but the important thing to note here is that the company is releasing new versions of its 14-inch and 16-inch Swift Go AI laptops which run on AMD silicon, come with OLED displays and start between $899-$949 when they go on sale in the U.S. in May. 

For Intel fans, Acer also unveiled a new Aspire 14 AI laptop that comes with Intel Core Ultra 200 series CPUs, an optional OLED display and a sweet starting price of $799 when it goes on sale in North America in February.

Each of these new laptops is capable enough to qualify as a Copilot+ PC, which means they support the full slate of Windows 11 Home/Pro features—including the controversial (and optional) Windows Recall.

New Acer Swift Go 14/16 AI laptops coming in spring

I've been covering laptops for a decade, and for my money Acer's most exciting Copilot+ laptops at CES 2025 are the new 14-inch and 16-inch Acer Swift Go AI ultraportables. 

I generally find most Acer laptops I review are capable, durable machines that deliver good value for money, and while I didn't love the nascent AI features in the Acer Swift Go 14 I reviewed I did love its sturdy build, great port array and comfy keyboard.

That's why I'm excited that in Spring 2025 Acer's bringing a new Acer Swift Go 14 AI (as well as a larger 16-inch model) to North America at a starting price of $799. Both are configurable with the latest AMD laptop chips, laptop-grade AMD Radeon graphics cards and 2K or 3K OLED displays.

That last part is really what's exciting me about these machines: they look like affordable means of getting your hands on a capable ultraportable with an eye-catching OLED display. It's still not easy to find a great OLED laptop for under $1,000, and if Acer's latest Swift Go models can hit that mark with aplomb they could be some of the best budget laptops of the year. 

Plus, a more affordable Acer Aspire 14 AI in February

If you can't wait until April or May to buy a new laptop, Acer also has a new Intel-powered Aspire 14 AI Copilot+ laptop launching in the U.S. this February at a starting price of $799.

This model is $100 cheaper than the new 14-inch Swift Go AI, but it's also heavier, has a worse webcam and doesn't offer the option of a discrete laptop GPU. 

However, you do have the option of configuring the new Acer Aspire 14 AI with a 14-inch OLED display instead of the default IPS model. You can also opt in for a touchscreen, which I appreciate having for those times when I need to take my hands up off the trackpad because they're starting to cramp up.

It's a promising budget 14-incher, and I'm hoping we get a chance to review one soon—stay tuned!

More from Tom's Guide

• I just went hands-on with these breakthrough smart glasses with an invisible display — and I’m shocked
• LG G5 and M5 OLED TVs unveiled at CES 2025: brighter, faster and lots of AI upgrades
• CES 2025 day 1 — 9 new gadgets you need to see

Acer is no stranger to the gaming laptop space, evolving with the times by bringing the latest from Intel and Nvidia in fresh, well-designed chassis. So, how can the 2024 Acer Nitro V 15 ($749 to start), sporting low-end specs from yesteryear, fit into an age of modern gaming machines? It’s all to do with its price.

Let’s be clear; on paper, Acer’s budget gaming laptop won’t impress. A 13th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, Nvidia RTX 3050 GPU, 8GB of RAM and 512GB SSD don’t exactly deserve a round of applause. However, a quick glance at the current best gaming laptops around will show you these portable rigs aren’t getting any cheaper, and not everyone needs the latest specs to play the PC games they want.

That’s where this $750 Nitro V 15 finds its place. With its compact design, sleek-but-subtle gaming aesthetic, impressive 144Hz display and array of ports, this gaming laptop brings plenty to the table. That being said, its performance is still limited, and this configuration can only take you so far before its specs show their age. Along with its lack of battery life and small storage space, expectations for what you will use the Nitro V 15 for need to be set. Oh, and its annoyingly loud fans — even when not gaming — don’t help its case.

Still, all this for well under $1,000? That’s not a bad deal, depending on the level of gaming performance you need. If you can find it for even less (as of writing, it’s currently discounted to $699), then Acer’s gaming laptop is a safe bet for anyone looking to play the very best games that don’t require a ridiculously pricey setup to run.

Acer Nitro V 15: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Acer Nitro V 15 is a budget gaming laptop.
• Who is it for? The Nitro V 15 aims to be a great fit for students or those looking to play (some of) the best PC games on the side without breaking bank accounts.
• What does it cost? The Acer Nitro V 15 starts at $749 and goes up to $1,349, depending on the configuration.
• What do we like? For a 15-inch gaming laptop, the Nitro V 15 is sleek, stylish and compact, offering subtle notes of a “cool” gaming aesthetic. It offers ample performance for less demanding games, and has a decent 1080p display to match. All of this goes a long way with its bargain price tag.
• What don’t we like? It’s nowhere near the level of performance seen in the best gaming laptops, and it isn’t geared towards much else other than gaming or web surfing. Its fans get far too noisy under any kind of pressure, while its battery won’t last much longer than an hour before needing juice when gaming.

Acer Nitro V 15: Specs

Acer Nitro V 15: The ups

As much as the Acer Nitro V 15 does an admirable job playing the latest games, this isn’t a $4,800 Razer Blade 18 (2024). That’s not to say it can’t boot up demanding PC titles and offer smooth gameplay, as it can, but don’t expect the pinnacle of ray tracing or jaw-dropping details. If that’s not what you’re after, and you like saving cash, you’ll be satisfied with what’s on display.

Making the most of its specs

Despite its limitations, the Nitro V 15 does an excellent job of surpassing minimum requirements in a wide selection of major games. An Nvidia RTX 3050 with 6GB of video memory is by no means lackluster, while an Intel Core i5-13420H with 8 cores and a 4.6GHz boost has enough processing power to juggle multiple tasks at once.

Acer offers a range of configurations, with the Nitro V 15 unit we received being one of the most affordable. You can upgrade to a model with an Intel Core i7 CPU, RTX 4060 GPU, 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD, but that puts its price over $1,000. At this point, you’re better off looking at the $999 MSI Cyborg 15 or $1,500 Asus TUF Gaming A14, with both offering far better value thanks to their specs and price.

As strange as it may seem, the Nitro V 15 works better as a sub-$800 gaming laptop (our review of the $1,000 Nitro V 15 model proves that). Now that’s budget, and even if its pricier competitors blaze past it on the Geekbench 6.3 test, its performance doesn’t disappoint at this price range. Playing Cyberpunk 2077 at 1080p, the laptop maintains a 50 fps (frames per second) average. That’s with low ray tracing and high texture details, too. Of course, that plummets when in combat (around 21 fps), so it's not the best game to try out. However, you can expect over 60 fps on games like Borderlands 3 and Far Cry 6 (at 1080p).

While playing less-demanding titles such as Anger Foot and Selaco, this laptop could handle them with ease — blazing past 60 fps and offering over 120 fps. These aren’t the sharpest games on the block, but they look great on the Nitro V 15’s 144Hz display.

Of course, when playing a demanding PC game such as Black Myth: Wukong on Medium settings, frame rates averaged at around 49 fps. Less manageable, and not as ideal as what I saw on less demanding titles.

A well-designed budget build

For a budget laptop, Acer’s Nitro V 15 is quite a looker. Gone are the bulk and cheap-looking red tinges from previous Nitro models, as it now offers a compact and lightweight chassis that looks more premium than ever. Blue and gray streaks on its aluminum lid amid an otherwise all-black build won’t distract others in public settings, but it does give the Nitro V a subtle artistic flair. Give me that over LED strips beaming from a laptop any day.

With its size and weight, it’s surprisingly easy to move around for a 15-inch laptop, and it doesn’t take up much real estate when placed on a desk or tabletop, either. Moreover, its lid (with rubber stoppers placed at the rear) acts as a hinge that slightly raises the laptop from the surface, leaving the bottom vents room to breathe along with the other vents located at the sides.

You can never have too many ports, but the Nitro V 15 has a substantial amount of the right ones in place. You get two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, one Thunderbolt 4, HDMI 2.1 and an Ethernet jack on the left, along with another USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 and an audio jack on the left. All these will come in handy for PC peripherals, dual-screen access and a steady online connection.

It’s by no means the lightest or smallest gaming laptop out there, but the Nitro V 15 follows the Goldilocks rule: not too flashy, not too heavy, but just right.

Speedy visuals

The Nitro V 15’s standout perk is its 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) IPS display, but mainly because of its 144Hz refresh rate. The screen itself isn’t anything special, as display brightness is dim and colors aren’t too vibrant. However, it's big enough to take in small details in games and videos, as I had no problems checking out the pristine skyline of Night City in Cyberpunk 2077.

Bringing a 144Hz refresh rate is the real winner, as it means letting games the laptop can handle look their smoothest. It’s always a treat to get a steady 60Hz refresh rate, but even better if it can breeze past 120Hz. Sure, some displays can handle 165Hz and beyond, but 144Hz is the sweet spot for a large pool of titles, especially competitive games.

Acer Nitro V 15: The downs

This is a budget laptop we’re talking about, and aside from the lower-end specs it's equipped with, there are a few other glaring issues that keep it from being the go-to budget gaming laptop for all.

What’s all that racket?

While the Acer Nitro V 15 keeps relatively cool under pressure, with heat escaping from the bottom thanks to the lid raising the chassis, its fans do a lot of the heavy lifting. At least I hope they do, as they are way too noisy even when doing simple tasks such as browsing websites. Unfortunately, playing games only makes them louder.

It will barely launch the likes of Cyberpunk 2077 or even Far Cry 6 without sounding like a jet engine at full throttle. The noise drowns out any audio coming from the laptop, but the speakers hardly put up a fight with the hollow, tinny sounds they emit.

A good gaming headset is recommended to give your ears an escape, and the laptop's audio jack comes in handy. If you’re using it in a crowded space, however, be warned that you may get some noise complaints.

Battery that doesn’t last

Battery is never a gaming laptop’s strong suit, but the Acer Nitro V 15 still doesn’t fare very well. Even with lower-powered specs, the laptop wouldn’t be able to last a full workday without needing to be plugged in. And that’s just with it being turned on.

Lasting 5 hours and 40 minutes in the Tom's Guide battery test (web surfing and streaming video at 150 nits of screen brightness), the Nitro V 15 will need its charging brick if you plan on traveling around for the day. In real-world use, from watching videos to working on online documents, I found the laptop could barely get past 5 hours. At least it surpasses the MSI Cyborg 15’s runtime on paper.

As you can imagine, gaming on battery power isn’t ideal. According to the PC Mark 10 benchmark, it can last 1 hour and 39 minutes when gaming. This isn’t terrible compared to other gaming laptops, but Acer’s NitroSense software forces the laptop’s power plan into “Balanced” mode as opposed to the more game-ready “Performance” mode.

Suffice to say, the Nitro V 15 is best used when plugged in, but that’s par for the course with a majority of gaming laptops.

Gaming laptops need more storage

Unless you prefer playing games with small storage sizes, the Acer Nitro V 15’s 512GB SSD won’t get you far. Many of the latest PC games take up a monstrous amount of space, with examples including Metaphor: ReFantazio (97GB) and God of War Ragnarök (190GB).

A laptop’s performance will suffer when it doesn’t have enough free space, meaning you can only install less than a handful of biggames before the Nitro V 15 starts acting up. That’s fine if you don’t mind frequently uninstalling games, but it gets annoying having to wait what seems like lightyears when downloading extremely large files time and time again. While upgrading to a model with a 1TB SSD can solve that issue, prepare to spend over $1,000 to get it.

Acer Nitro V 15: Verdict

The Acer Nitro V 15 may be behind the times, especially when budget laptops like the MSI Cyborg 15 have modern specs like an RTX 4050 under the hood, but its price gives it an edge over those with beefier specs. It won’t turn heads with the visuals it pulls off, as its default graphics setting in most AAA games will be set to “low,” but if all you need is a decent system that offers good gameplay (along with a way watch shows, surf the web or work on documents), the Nitro V 15 offers great value.

Yes, in a world where PC gaming alternatives like the Steam Deck OLED and Asus ROG Ally X exist, it gets harder to recommend similarly priced budget laptops made for gaming. However, laptops have become a more natural way to engage with everyday online tasks. Ergo, the Acer Nitro V 15 can still earn its place on many people’s desks.

It’s a shame about its irritatingly loud fans and poor battery life, though. If you’re in need of more power and have the funds to do so, keep an eye on the MSI Cyborg 15 or Asus TUF Gaming A14.

Intel Lunar Lake strikes again, and now I can see first-hand how a change in processors can completely alter how a particular laptop performs. We’ve seen it before with the Asus Zenbook S 14 (2024), and now there’s another fine example of how Intel’s CPUs are falling short: the Acer Swift 14 AI.

Acer’s revamp of the Swift lineup already impressed me this year back when I reviewed the Swift 14 AI with Snapdragon X Plus. With its brilliant 14-inch 120Hz display, long-lasting battery life, and other handy perks including a 1440p webcam and useful port selection, it’s a great choice for those after a premium notebook without breaking the bank. Fortunately, many of these qualities are shared with the Swift 14 AI with Intel Lunar Lake, but its price and chip aren’t on that list.

Don’t get me wrong; there are a good few benefits this Intel configuration offers. That includes an even brighter, more colorful 14-inch WQXGA+ (2880 x 1800) OLED display, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and greater graphics thanks to its Intel Arc 140V GPU. However, this Intel model jacks up the price for many of the same features, and its performance isn’t much better (sometimes worse) than its Snapdragon counterpart.

There’s also the slight issue with its AI branding (again). Yes, this is an AI laptop with 48 TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) NPU performance, and Acer’s AI symbols on the touchpad and lid will make sure everyone knows it is. That said, it doesn’t do anything more than what other Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs can do.

Regardless, despite everything that’s going for the Acer Swift 14 AI with Intel Lunar Lake, it’s being trumped by itself in the places that count thanks to Acer’s Snapdragon model. That doesn’t mean it isn’t worth recommending, as it has its perks, but a more affordable model with similar performance is already here.

Acer Swift 14 AI (Lunar Lake): Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Acer Swift 14 AI is a notebook for work and everyday tasks.
• Who is it for? The Swift 14 AI is for traveling professionals, college students, and anyone in need of a premium notebook.
• What does it cost? The Acer Swift 14 AI with Intel starts at $1,199 at Acer and at £1,199 in the U.K.
• What do we like? Its high-resolution 14.5-inch (2880 x 1800) display with punchy colors, lengthy battery life lasting just under 16 hours, and attractive, lightweight chassis. Having a great 1440p webcam and plenty of useful ports helps, too.
• What don’t we like? The Swift 14’s AI branding is a tad misleading, as it offers the same capabilities as any other Copilot+ laptop. Intel’s Lunar Lake chip is fine, but it racks up the price with minimal performance gains (sometimes less) over a more affordable Snapdragon X Plus model.

Acer Swift 14 AI (Lunar Lake): Specs

Acer Swift 14 AI (Lunar Lake): The ups

The Acer Swift AI lineup comes with all the bells and whistles you’d like to see in a laptop, going well beyond a basic 1080p display, limited port selection, and average battery life. If Acer keeps venturing down this path with its Swift notebooks, I expect there will be a lot more Swift 14 AI laptops on people’s desks.

Stylish appeal

Notebooks are made to be sleek, compact, and lightweight enough that you can carry them with you anywhere you go. The Acer Swift 14 AI doesn’t completely nail all these aspects, especially compared to its competition, but at least it does so with style and convenience.

The review unit I received came in Steel Blue, almost mimicking Apple’s MacBook Air M3 Midnight color (but slightly less of a fingerprint magnet). This iteration of the Swift series is more minimalistic, with a simple, small “acer” logo and an AI symbol on the lid. Open it up using the raised edge on the lid and you’ll be greeted with a sizeable 16:10 display with minimal bezels, along with a neat keyboard and comfortably sized trackpad with yet another AI symbol on it (more on that later).

Overall, it’s an attractive piece of kit, and I appreciate the rubber feet giving the laptop some height as I place it on a desk surface. It’s not the most compact or lightest notebook around, but I didn’t find any issues slipping it into one of the best laptop bags and carrying it around. It’s still light and small enough to be used on a train or a plane. Plus, if it means I get to look at its brilliant display, I’ll take the extra bit of size and weight without complaint.

A visual treat

The crème de la crème of the Acer Swift 14 AI is its magnificent 14.5-inch WQCGA+ (2880 x 1800) OLED display with a 90Hz refresh rate, and it has the test results to match such a statement. This is a better, higher-resolution screen than the Snapdragon model, too, so come for this if you’re after splendid visuals.

Delaying those holiday season vibes, I put on the trailer for Clint Eastwood’s latest “Juror No.2” and was blown away by the incredibly vibrant sunset-esque colors of the sun-filled courtroom — seeing every detail on Nicholas Hoult’s guilt-riddled face. With DisplayHDR True Black 500 support, you’ll find deep blacks shown on display as well.

Expect high-level details and punchy colors, along with a suitable amount of brightness. It can be harder to view content when the screen is hit with direct sunlight, but not so much where I couldn’t see what I was doing. If you’re yearning for a gorgeous display, this Swift 14 AI offers this in spades.

Battery that lasts

Whatever Acer is doing to make the Swift 14 AI last so long should be noted, as this laptop is packing plenty of juice even with its bright OLED display. Although, as you’ll find, I’ve seen this laptop last a little longer.

Using the Tom’s Guide battery life test (web surfing and streaming video at 150 nits of screen brightness), the Swift 14 AI lasted just under 16 hours before needing a charge. That’s excellent battery life, and it even beats the M3 Macbook Air. Still, it can’t quite match the Dell XPS 13 (2024) and Swift 14 AI with Snapdragon.

Lo and behold; what do the two longest-lasting laptops have in common? Snapdragon power. Still, having 16 hours of battery will get you through a whole workday and beyond without needing a plug, and that’s a perk that should be praised.

Bonus points

As with the other Acer Swift 14 AI I reviewed, this model offers the very same webcam and ports that give this notebook an edge. For clarity, I should say, as its 1440p webcam on the lip of the lid delivers a detailed image of yourself. That’s great for video calls, but it takes it a step further with Acer’s QuickPanel which can transform your background, sharpen the image, and turn on AI noise reduction for noisy environments. Hybrid workers, rejoice!

If you need a secondary display, a place to plug in PC peripherals, or just want to listen to some tunes, you can do it all thanks to the ports on offer. You’ll get two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB-C 4 (one used for power), and a 3.5mm audio jack. That’s miles better than just a couple of USB-C ports (yes you, MacBook Air).

Acer Swift 14 AI (Lunar Lake): The downs

What Acer does best with the Swift 14 AI is with the laptop itself, not its performance or AI support. It still does a commendable job on these fronts, but its Intel Lunar Lake chip and strange AI branding keep it from being the best it can be.

Better performance elsewhere

This is where the Intel Core Ultra 7 258V processor shows its true colors, and it's not the prettiest. As with the Asus Zenbook S 14 sporting the same chip, the performance just can’t match what Apple’s M-series silicon and Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X Plus CPUs are pumping out.

Sharing similar results with the Asus Zenbook S 14 (also sporting an Intel Core Ultra 7 258V), it shows Intel’s chips lack the performance we’ve come to expect in other chips — even when they’re on the same laptop.

Now, the Snapdragon X Plus chips may not measure up to Snapdragon X Elite, but it’s certainly enough to compete with Intel Core Ultra 7. The Intel model may have scored a tad better in the Geekbench 6 single-core test compared to the Snapdragon model, but the same can’t be said when it comes to the multi-core score, which the X Plus Swift 14 AI wiped the floor with.

The problem here is that Intel’s Lunar Lake is more expensive than Snapdraon-equipped laptops, and it shows it barely performs better — or outright performs worse — than Qualcomm’s CPUs. So, why spend more on a laptop that doesn’t perform as well?

Interestingly, the Swift 14 AI does have some gaming chops, but it generally shouldn’t be used for demanding PC games. But it’s better tuned than its competition.

With the Intel Arc 140V onboard, this clearly helps the Swift 14 AI push the limit for games like Sid Meier's Civilization VI. It ran at 61 fps (frame per second), which is a more-than-acceptable frame rate to play comfortably. That beats the competition, but when put to the test in other slightly more demanding games, such as Borderlands 3 (25 FPS) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider (29 FPS), this shows it still isn’t anywhere close to one of the best gaming laptops for actual gaming on the go.

What’s with all the AI?

For a laptop with “AI” in its name, an AI logo labeled on the lid, and another AI sign etched on the touchpad that lights up, the Acer Swift 14 AI isn’t exactly all about AI. In fact, it’s as much of an AI laptop as any other Copilot+ PC, and there are quite a few of them out there. Unfortunately, it’s basically just branding; this laptop has the same Copilot+ PC features like any other — nothing more, nothing less.

The touchpad sign (a.k.a. the Activity Indicator) doesn’t have any useful function. When asking Copilot a question, using the webcam’s features, or using other forms of AI, it will light up. But that’s it.

Sure, it’s all well and good to have a Copilot+ experience at hand with just a press of a button, but a laptop filled with AI branding needs to offer a little bit more if other PCs also deliver the very same tool. If the Swift 14 AI had a unique AI feature that would benefit users, then its “AI” labeling would make more sense.

Beware bloatware

We meet again, bloatware. The Swift 14 AI comes with plenty of it, with apps like Booking.com, a tile literally labeled “Dropbox promotion,” and a couple of others. The good news is these are easy to get rid of, but some require extra work to completely get off the system, like McAfee.

At the very least, the AcerSense app gives you a full rundown of the laptop’s performance, battery, system usage, and more, including a handy storage optimization option.

Acer Swift 14 AI (Lunar Lake): Verdict

The Acer Swift 14 AI with Intel Lunar Lake may have its perks, including the dazzling 14.5-inch OLED display and punch-up in graphics, but its benefits can’t outweigh what the Swift 14 AI with Snapdragon X Plus has in store. It’s a pricier model that can’t compete in performance in some areas that count. Unless you want the best display the Swift lineup has to offer (even though the Snapdragon model’s display is still great) and better graphics, there’s not too much point in picking up the Intel model.

What’s more, there are other excellent notebooks worth your attention, including the M3 Macbook Air. If you’re looking for a Windows laptop that shows off Snapdragon X power, look no further than the Dell XPS 13 (2024).

With “AI” being a buzzword for anything that involves tech these days, it hardly comes as a surprise that Acer has slapped it on its new Acer Swift 14 AI laptop. Why wouldn’t it? It comes with all the perks of Microsoft’s Copilot+ PCs, boasts 45 TOPS (Trillions of Operations Per Second) NPU performance, and proudly bears a fresh AI symbol on its touchpad to let you know that this is the future of computing.

However, that’s not the real reason to be interested in the Swift 14 AI. Sure, it can whip up anything you ask Copilot in no time — create images out of just a sentence and more. But so can many of the recent best laptops you can grab today. What really gives it an edge is virtually everything else that makes a good laptop.

From its vibrant 14.5-inch display with a 120Hz refresh rate to its impressive battery life that can get you through a whole day without needing a charge, the Swift 14 AI excels at being a worthy laptop on most people’s desks. You can thank Qualcomm’s continuously favorable Snapdragon X chip for its stellar performance, too.

It’s not without some pitfalls, including irritating bloatware popping up and a frame with a slightly concerning amount of flex. That said, if you’re looking for a versatile laptop with a great webcam for work and play that won’t break the bank, the Acer Swift 14 AI is a solid choice — with a touch of AI, too.

Acer Swift 14 AI: Cheat Sheet

• What is it? The Acer Swift 14 AI is a great notebook for work, everyday tasks, streaming shows, and more.
• Who is it for? The Swift 14 AI is aimed at on-the-move professionals and casual users in need of a reliable, up-to-date laptop.
• What does it cost? The Acer Swift 14 AI starts at $1,049 with a non-touch display and $1,099 for a touchscreen at Acer (also available for £1,199 in the U.K.).
• What do we like? With its high resolution 14.5-inch display, beefy performance, and battery life that won’t have you constantly looking for an outlet, it’s easy to recommend the Swift 14 AI. It doesn’t hurt that it also throws in a comfortable keyboard and smooth-feeling touchpad.
• What don’t we like? Its AI approach is a tad heavy-handed, its keyboard flex on its aluminum chassis is concerning, and it loses out in the portability department compared to its competition. Plus, bloatware like Booking.com and McAfee annoyingly get in the way.

Acer Swift 14 AI: Specs

Acer Swift 14 AI: The ups

Acer’s latest revamp of its laptops has shaped up its lineup well, and the same goes for the Swift 14 AI. It had a rough start with its first round of AI laptops (looking at your Swift Go 14), but Acer looks to be finding its stride, especially if it keeps up the overall quality like in the Swift 14.

Top-notch performance (for the price)

Case in point: the Acer Swift 14 AI’s grand performance. We’ve already seen the Snapdragon X Elite chip work its magic on the Dell XPS 13 (2024), and the same trick appears to work with the Swift 14 AI’s Snapdragon X Plus CPU. It may not be as mighty as the X Elite, but it’s enough to beat Intel and Apple’s chips in some tests.

Checking out the results, it can’t match the Geekbench 6.3 single-core score of the Asus Zenbook S 14 and M3 Macbook Air, but it sure trumps them in the multi-core score. This alone goes a long way, as this laptop is only just over $1,000, unlike the $1,499 Zenbook S 14. To be fair, the M3 Macbook Air is set at the same price as the touch-screen Swift 14 AI model, but it is smaller by just a smidge.

Even the video transcoding test and SSD speeds blow the Zenbook out the water. From the price to the heat it packs under the hood, it shows that Asus may have backed the wrong horse with Intel. Even better, the Swift 14 AI puts up quite the match with the MacBook Air, which is quite the achievement considering its Swift laptops of yesteryear.

On the gaming front, don’t expect this to blow your socks off. Nor should it, as it wasn’t made for high-caliber PC games.

According to the results, that last statement rings true. Anything below 30 FPS (frames per second) isn’t exactly playable by today’s standards, and even the Snapdragon X Elite in the Dell XPS 13 struggles to get past this. It’s sure to be able to play some very light games, but it’s not work pushing it to its limits.

Looking smooth, screen

Unsurprisingly, 14-inch laptops are a hit as they find the perfect balance between size and portability, and they also make room for brilliantly sized displays. With its 14.5-inch WQXGA (2560 x 1600) screen and 16:10 aspect ratio, the Acer Swift 14 AI has a great display on its hands. Luckily, its brightness and colorful visuals do a fine job, too.

Being a spooky season, I threw on the trailer for Smile 2 and was delightfully freaked out by Ray Nicholson’s detailed smile on display (the genetics help, of course). Even the dark and bizarre colors while watching Beetlejuice Beetlejuice had some pizzazz, even if the screen isn’t quite as bright as the M3 MacBook Air. Still, having a 120Hz refresh rate is always an enviable perk to have, so it’s nice to see Acer offer it here.

This laptop won’t do well outdoors, as direct sunlight will make it difficult to see the screen. This is only a small nuisance, as I never had problems looking at the Swift 14 AI’s display at any time of day while indoors.

Battery packed

If we could keep our laptops turned on all day, we would, and the Acer Swift 14 AI can just about do it. With its Snapdragon X CPU, NPU, and battery capacity working in tandem, this laptop can last a long while before needing to be plugged.

Using the Tom’s Guide battery life test (web surfing and streaming video at 150 nits of screen brightness), the Swift 14 AI could last over 17 hours before blacking out. This makes it a fantastic laptop to take with you while traveling, especially if you often go on day trips to places.

Surpassing the Zenbook and Macbook Air? Now that’s a commendable feat. Even during my daily tasks, which involves scrolling through websites, writing in documents, and watching videos, I never needed to reach for its USB-C power adapter. It’s clear — by these results — that Snapdragon chips are doing something right by these laptops.

Bonus perks

It isn’t everyday we see a laptop webcam offer anything more than 1080p, but Acer decided to fit a 1440p webcam on the slightly raised top bar of the lid. What you get is a detailed, vibrant image for video calls, and the help of AI via Acer’s QuickPanel icon makes it easy to transform your background or sharpen up the image before making a call. However, I will say color saturation can seem a little high, especially when wearing lighter colors. In an age of remote and hybrid working, webcams of this quality go a long way.

As for another useful feature, the Swift 14 AI actually has more than just a couple of USB-C ports. Finding an ultraportable with the right ports isn’t easy, but the Swift makes room for what’s needed: two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, two USB-C 4 (one used for power), and a 3.5mm audio jack.

That means there’s plenty of space for PC peripherals and wired headphones! Even better, Acer threw in a HDMI-to-USB-C extension in case you want to link up to another display. Other laptop manufacturers should follow suit.

Acer Swift 14 AI: The downs

All laptops have their shortcomings, even if their advantages far outweigh their flaws. Still, the Acer Swift 14 AI has room to improve, with some of its most jarring upsets having to do with its design and reliance on AI branding.

Light pressure needed

To start, I’m a fan of the Swift 14 AI’s design and Steel Grey aluminum frame (it’s the only color option it comes in). It’s simple yet refined, looks sleek, and has a lid that slightly raises the laptop from a surface for an angled effect. It even has a comfortable keyboard and punchy-feeling touchpad.

However, when clicking down on the touchpad or applying pressure, there’s noticeable flex on the deck. It means it’s not exactly robust, and I would be hesitant to stuff it into a backpack with other items that could press against it for long periods. It isn’t a dealbreaker, but it would be wise to handle it with care.

While it’s not by much, the Swift 14 AI isn’t the lightest or most compact notebook to carry around, either. It’s no burden to carry around, and it’s thin enough to be slipped into a bag, but not as pleasantly featherweight as a Macbook Air or Dell XPS 13.

AI isn’t the trump card

With Acer’s AI logo labeled on the lid, another AI sign etched on the touchpad that lights up, and the Swift 14 AI having the trending word in its name, you’d be forgiven to think this laptop has all the artificial intelligence you could need. The thing is, it’s basically just branding; this laptop has all the Copilot+ PC features like any other — nothing more, nothing less.

In fact, the touchpad sign (a.k.a. the Activity Indicator) doesn’t have any useful function. It lights up from time to time, like when asking Copilot a question, using the webcam, or when AI is in use, but that’s it.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s fantastic to have the Copilot+ experience at hand with just a press of a button, but it’s strange that Acer decided to hone in on the laptop’s AI features; even though many other PCs come packed with the exact same tools. AI PC functions often work in the background unless you’re specifically using Copilot, so unless the Swift 14 AI could, say, type in exactly what my thoughts are, its AI indicators are a tad misleading.

Beware bloatware

Bloatware is common practice in many laptops, but that doesn’t make it any less annoying to see popping up, hogging space in the taskbar, and slowing down the laptop’s start-up. The Swift 14 AI is guilty of it, with apps like Booking.com, McAfee, a tile literally labeled “Dropbox promotion,” and a couple of others.

You can easily get rid of these by unpinning them from the taskbar or deleting them from the system completely, but it’s irritating to see them in the first place. At the very least, the AcerSense app gives you a full rundown of the laptop’s performance, battery, system usage, and more, including a handy storage optimization option.

Acer Swift 14 AI: Verdict

The Acer Swift 14 AI may not be the showstopper AI laptop it’s spelled out to be, but its other strengths make it a great choice for those after a worthwhile Windows notebook that offers the benefits of Copilot. For a fantastic blend of fast performance, long-lasting battery life, and excellent visuals for a fair price, the Swift 14 AI stands triumphant. Just keep its limitations in mind.

For a similar price, you could never go wrong with an M3 Macbook Air, and if you fancy more of that Snapdragon X power, the Dell XPS 13 (2024) will be right up your alley.

The Nitro Blaze 7 is Acer's story — eight months in the making. You see, I predicted they'd launch this back in January, and look where we are now! I'll take that crown thank you very much.

But then as I held it and played the Blaze 7, I realize Acer's put some real thought into the ergonomics and design of the system. Real controller grips that don't feel flat and slippery accompany clicky buttons and nice, deep triggers to pop off those headshots.

And on top of that, Acer took the interesting decision to just whack an AMD laptop chip in this thing, even though the Ryzen Z1 Exteme powering a lot of the best gaming handhelds is right there! Why? AI of course. It could also be a master stroke though, as support for AI-aided frame generation will come to this first before any AMD Ryzen Z2 machines come to market.

But a 50 Whr battery capacity? Has Acer not learned from all of us grumbling about gaming handheld battery life lasting until the end of this sentence?

Acer's entering a tough spot with a powerful product and a ton of competition. Let's see how the Blaze 7 fares.

Acer Nitro Blaze 7: Specs

Acer Nitro Blaze 7: What we like

While there is indeed a lot going for the MSI Claw 8 AI+ in the performance department, the AMD chip found in the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 gives it a clear advantage in support and potential future-proofing — while all being contained in a rather nice handheld shape.

Extreme just ain't extreme enough

So let's cut to brass tacks here. The AMD Ryzen 7 8840Hs is a relatively old laptop chip — similar to the Ryzen Z1 Extreme with the added benefit of Ryzen AI support over its handheld-suited brethren.

In fact, the only real difference on paper is the increased TDP of this chip, as AMD expected companies to stick this in a far bigger device than a 7-inch handheld. But the end result is stellar performance with frame rates in Shadow of The Tomb Raider (1080p High settings with FSR turned onto balanced) coming in at 70 FPS. That absolutely smokes the Steam Deck OLED (40 FPS at a lower resolution).

Pair that with lightning fast DDR5 RAM at 5,700 mega transfers per second (MT/s) and a PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and you've got a proper performer here. How will it fend with Ryzen Z2 in early 2025, with its aim being pivoted towards providing that AI base for the key gaming tasks like frame generation? That remains to be seen. But I'm confident we're about to see this thing light up some benchmarks.

Thoughtful design for gaming

This is Acer we're talking about after all. One of the things I've always enjoyed about this company is the attention paid to the smaller details, which you can clearly see on offer here. 

From the Hall Effect triggers and tactile buttons (though I would've loved to see Hall Effect joysticks too for longevity), to the sleekly shaped rear end that gives your hands some generous grips to hold onto, this evenly-weighted system feels good to hold and play on.

Pair that with a nicely bright 500-nits panel with 1080p resolution and a buttery smooth 144Hz refresh rate (and support for AMD Free Sync), and you'll realise this is quite the quality system. Now if only we could get OLED!

Oh, and shout-out in particular to the dual USB-4 ports — not for their existence, but the fact one is on the top and one on the bottom. I hope this pre-empts a potential Switch dock for this thing!

Acer Nitro Blaze 7: What we don't like

Outside of the price being unconfirmed (personally, hoping Acer aims for a $500 base model), there's one element of the spec sheet that makes me incredibly nervous.

That battery is a big old "yikes"

You already know how I feel about Windows gaming handhelds, and in terms of the user interface, Acer is doing just as good of a job as Asus to workaround that mess. But one of the unavoidable problems has been the weight it places upon battery consumption.

Now, there has been a fix — simply up the battery capacity. The ROG Ally X and MSI Claw AI 8+ pack 80 Whr cells that keep the party going for a couple hours. Acer's gone a different direction with 50. Now, think about that for a second. A tiny battery...with a laptop CPU!? As you can probably guess, I'm a little nervous about this.

Just make sure you keep a charger close by for when it does cut out!

Acer Nitro Blaze 7: Early verdict

Part of me is nervous about the Acer Nitro Blaze 7 — popping a laptop chip into something this small is surely going to take a toll on battery life. But the other part of me is rather happy about the decision made here.

You see, with that Ryzen AI-supported chip, you're getting the new FSR AI frame generation standards when they drop, and with a base TDP that is significantly higher than anything packing a Ryzen Z1 Extreme, I'm confident this will be a screamer.

So long as you have a source of power nearby, this could be one of my favorite gaming handhelds.

There's a lot of buzz around AI in the PC world these days, and Microsoft's Copilot+ PCs are riding that buzz and getting some AI features added right into the Windows operating system. Acer is one of many PC makers rolling out new laptops this year that meet Microsoft's requirements for a Copilot+ PC, and at IFA 2024 it unveiled a bumper crop featuring chips from Qualcomm, AMD and Intel. 

All of these laptops bear Acer's Swift branding and come with solid specs, regardless of which processor you choose. Acer heavily touted the battery life, claiming its laptops can achieve up to 29 hours of video playback with the new Intel Lunar Lake chips, 28 hours of video playback on the AMD chip and 27 hours of video playback with Qualcomm.

Acer Swift 14 AI