The Acer Swift Go 14 is less expensive and offers better portability with lighter weight and longer battery life, suitable for everyday use and productivity. In contrast, the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is more costly but boasts a more powerful CPU and GPU combination, better for intensive tasks like 3D rendering, machine learning, or gaming, at the expense of higher weight and shorter battery life. The Surface Laptop also has a higher resolution and more vibrant display which may benefit creative professionals or those who prefer a sharper image. 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 Swift Go 14
Excellent portability
Advantages of the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
Very good overall display quality
Very good overall build quality
Very good speakers
Key differences
Screen Quality
6.8/10
8.0/10
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
300.0 nits
BRIGHTNESS
491.0 nits
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a better screen than the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio for software development, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has a better screen for general use, gaming and AI, and engineering and design.
If you prioritize sharp text and vibrant images for everyday tasks like browsing and streaming, the Acer Swift Go 14 offers a good balance, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio's higher resolution and brightness give you clearer and more vivid visuals. When it comes to tasks like CAD or photo editing, the Surface Laptop Studio stands out, as it provides wider color coverage, which means more accurate color representation for professional work. However, neither is ideal for gaming or 3D modeling, as both have limited refresh rates, which can result in less fluid motion during fast-paced games or real-time 3D rendering.
Portability
Excellent
Good
14.0in
SIZE
14.4in
2.7 lbs
WEIGHT
4.0 lbs
0.5in
THICKNESS
0.7in
The Acer Swift Go 14 has excellent portability, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has good portability.
The most portable laptops are small, thin, and light.
Build Quality
7.4/10
8.5/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio has very good build quality, while the Acer Swift Go 14 has good build quality.
PerfectRec’s Build Quality Score incorporates case materials, display and keyboard flex, hinge quality, and overall reliability.
Cost
$793
$1,700
$0
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$2,000
$2,500
$3,000
The Acer Swift Go 14 has a price of $793 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio costs $1,700.
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both good for general use.
The Acer Swift Go 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio are both suited for general use due to their high-quality IPS screens, sufficient RAM, and capable processors, ensuring smooth multitasking and vibrant display clarity. While the Acer is lighter and thus more portable with a slightly better battery life, the Surface Laptop Studio offers a more powerful CPU and GPU combo suitable for heavier tasks and a higher resolution touchscreen that doubles as a drawing tablet, but it is heavier and not as easy to carry around.
Gaming and AI
6.4/10
6.6/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
60Hz
REFRESH RATE
120Hz
No
SUPPORTS DLSS
Yes
No
MUX SWITCH / ADVANCED OPTIMUS
No
8.7/10
FAN NOISE SCORE
6.7/10
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Acer Swift Go 14 are both only fair for gaming and AI.
The Acer Swift Go 14 offers fair gaming and 3D capabilities through its integrated Iris Xe graphics, but is limited by a standard 60Hz screen refresh rate, while the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio is equipped with a more potent Nvidia RTX 3050 Ti dedicated GPU and a higher refresh rate of 120Hz, enhancing gaming and 3D performance. While both laptops provide respectable screen quality and processors for these tasks, the Surface Laptop Studio's superior GPU and refresh rate make it more suitable for such demands.
Engineering and Design
7.2/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
3.7/10
OVERALL GPU SCORE
4.9/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio and Acer Swift Go 14 are both good for engineering and design.
PerfectRec’s Engineering and Design Score takes into account the many different features of the laptop that make it more or less suitable for graphic design and 3D rendering work.
Content Creation
7.6/10
7.4/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
IPS
DISPLAY TECHNOLOGY
IPS
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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
7.6/10
7.3/10
7.4/10
OVERALL CPU SCORE
5.5/10
16.0 GB
RAM
16.0 GB
1920 x 1200
RESOLUTION
2400 x 1600
8.0/10
KEYBOARD QUALITY SCORE
8.0/10
The Acer Swift Go 14 and Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
Battery
8.0 Hours
8.0 Hours
The Acer Swift Go 14 has 8 hours of battery life. The Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio 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.
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How the Acer Swift Go 14 and the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio compare to other laptops
"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."
"There’s no doubt that the Surface Laptop Studio is groundbreaking. We’ve come to expect such things from the Surface lineup, so it’s always nice to see a product that exceeds our expectations. The pull-forward laptop-screen concept has been tried before, but never in a device that’s so stylish and packed with innovative features like a haptic touchpad and robust digital stylus support."
Get a great deal on the Acer Swift Go 14 or the Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio
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.
About Microsoft
Microsoft is an American technology corporation. Microsoft is best known for their Windows operating system and Surface laptop series. The Surface Laptop is their standard notebook offering, while their Surface Go, Surface Pro, and Surface Studio are their 2-in-1/tablet offerings in order of increasing capability. Although Microsoft charges a premium price tag for their laptops, buyers can expect a well integrated and packaged device since Microsoft develops the Windows operating system.
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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About the laptop team
Joe Golden, Ph.D
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Joe is an entrepreneur and lifelong electronics enthusiast with a Ph.D in Economics from the University of Michigan.
Jason Lew
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Staff Expert & Software Engineer
Chandradeep is a staff expert and software engineer and expert in televisions and monitors. He’s been making monitor recommendations for ten years.
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Laptops Expert
Craig is a UK-based laptops expert. Craig works in IT, where he recommends and supports laptops and PCs for clients and has been recommending laptops on Reddit for five years.