For balanced everyday use and casual computing, the Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a larger screen, making it suitable for productivity and entertainment. However, its larger size and weight make it less portable. On the other hand, the Acer Swift Go 14 is lighter and more compact, making it ideal for those who prioritize portability and often carry their laptop around. With a higher-end processor and more RAM, the Swift Go 14 provides better performance for more demanding tasks, making it a good fit for users who do engineering work, 3D modeling, or have higher multitasking needs. The Swift Go 14 also has a higher resolution display with a taller aspect ratio, which could benefit users who prefer sharper visuals and more vertical screen real estate for reading or coding. If battery life is a priority, the Acer Swift Go 14 comes with a larger battery capacity, which suggests it may last longer on a charge compared to the Aspire 5 17. Give Feedback
this description is based on the product variant with some specs and product variant with some specs. At the time of writing, the variant with some specs cost some dollars and the variant with some specs cost some dollars.
Advantages of the Acer Aspire 5 17
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has no clear advantages over the Acer Swift Go 14.
Advantages of the Acer Swift Go 14
Good for engineering and design
Good overall build quality
Excellent portability
Very good keyboard
Key differences
Engineering and Design
6.7/10
7.2/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Acer Swift Go 14 is good for engineering and design, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 is only fair.
The Acer Swift Go 14 is considered good for engineering and design due to its more powerful i7 processor, double the RAM for multitasking and intensive tasks, and a higher resolution, sharper display which is also touchscreen, providing a richer visual workspace and touch interaction for design work. Conversely, the Acer Aspire 5 17 is rated as fair because it has a less powerful i5 processor, less RAM which might limit performance with complex tasks, and a larger but lower resolution screen that lacks touchscreen capability, making it less ideal for detailed engineering and design operations despite its larger size.
Screen Quality
6.2/10
6.8/10
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
266.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
300.0 nits
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a better screen than the Acer Aspire 5 17 for general use, gaming and AI, engineering and design, content creation, and software development.
For general use, where clarity and comfort are key, the Swift Go 14 offers sharper images and better visibility in varying lighting due to its resolution and brightness, outshining the Aspire 5 17's more modest display. When it comes to engineering and design, professionals seek accurate color reproduction; the Swift Go 14 delivers a broader color range, essential for precision work, compared to the Aspire 5 17 which may not represent colors as faithfully. However, for Gaming and 3D applications, the need for smooth motion is paramount, and both laptops fall short with refresh rates that are not ideal for fast-paced visuals, but the resolution and panel quality still offer a somewhat decent experience for casual gaming.
Battery
7.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has 7 hours of battery life. The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 hours of battery life.
Battery life estimate is based on a mix of common use patterns. More portable and higher performing laptops tend to have less battery life.
Portability
Good
Excellent
17.3in
SIZE
14.0in
4.6 lbs
WEIGHT
2.7 lbs
0.7in
THICKNESS
0.5in
The Acer Swift Go 14 has excellent portability, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
6.5/10
7.4/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 has good build quality, while the Acer Aspire 5 17 has only fair build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$700
$793
$200
$400
$600
$800
$1,000
$1,200
The Acer Aspire 5 17 has a price of $700 and the Acer Swift Go 14 costs $793.
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for general use.
The Acer Aspire 5 17 offers a large screen with a 17.3-inch display, making it suitable for general use where portability is not a primary concern, while its battery life and keyboard quality provide a decent experience for prolonged usage. On the other hand, the Acer Swift Go 14 provides better portability with a lighter frame and longer battery life, alongside a superior keyboard and a higher resolution touch display, which makes it ideal for general use on the go and for those who prioritize screen quality and easy handling.
Gaming and AI
6.2/10
6.4/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
3.7/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
60Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
No
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
7.5/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
8.7/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
PerfectRec’s Gaming and AI Score strongly emphasizes graphics processing capability, while also taking into account other factors that impact suitability for gaming and AI work.
Content Creation
7.2/10
7.6/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for content creation.
PerfectRec’s Content Creation Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for photo editing, video editing and other content creation tasks.
Software Development
7.2/10
7.6/10
6.9/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
7.4/10
8.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1080
RESOLUTION
1920 x 1200
7.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Acer Aspire 5 17 are both good for software development.
PerfectRec’s Software Development Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for software developers.
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How the Acer Aspire 5 17 and the Acer Swift Go 14 compare to other laptops
"The Acer Aspire 5 17 laptop shows the expected strengths in the test. Besides the usual high build quality, the configuration convinces in most benchmarks and tests. The combination of CPU, GPU, and RAM is absolutely sufficient for the everyday office and browsing tasks of a laptop. It also renders the odd game passably if the requirements aren't too high. We liked the matte display in the test as well as the fairly manageable dimensions despite the screen size. It can also be used outdoors, even if it's certainly not a laptop designed for mobility."
"The Acer Swift Go 14 is a surprising machine. Its performance, display, and battery life leave little to be desired from a device at this price. You might think it’d be cheaper given the “Go” in the name, or thinner given its close competition with thin-and-light laptops, but it manages to strike a decent enough balance between its capabilities and hardware to really stand out as an exceptional value."
Get a great deal on the Acer Aspire 5 17 or the Acer Swift Go 14
About Acer
Acer is a prominent Taiwanese electronics brand which makes a wide range of laptops, with multiple product lines catering to personal use, gaming, and business use. They are renowned for having exceptional value for money, as they frequently offer good specifications at a lower price than other manufacturers.
This information was produced and vetted by the PerfectRec laptops team. We are a product research and recommendation organization that meticulously reviews and evaluates the latest laptop information and makes it digestible for you.
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