Acer Aspire 14 AI: A Utilitarian Laptop That Gets the Job Done
The Acer Aspire 14 AI enters the market with a compelling proposition: a budget-friendly laptop that offers reasonable performance and incorporates the latest Microsoft Copilot+ capabilities. While there are undoubtedly superior laptops available, the Aspire 14 AI manages to bring a lot to the table, especially considering its $699 price tag. Beyond a somewhat lackluster display, the laptop doesn’t suffer from any major flaws, resulting in a capable and utilitarian machine that should satisfy users seeking a reliable productivity tool.
Acer has crafted a relatively straightforward device that embodies many of the qualities, both positive and negative, commonly associated with laptops bearing the Aspire name. The Aspire 14 AI isn’t remarkably thin or lightweight, nor does it lead the pack in terms of performance or battery life. The display, while functional, falls short of excellence. However, the overall result is a likable and practical machine that is well-aligned with its price point.
The review unit features an Intel Core Ultra 5 226V processor, accompanied by 16GB of RAM and a spacious 1TB SSD. This configuration provides a solid foundation for everyday tasks and multitasking. The Acer Aspire 14 AI is a simple and effective choice for users who prioritize functionality and affordability over cutting-edge features and performance.
Acer’s design philosophy, outside of its premium offerings, seems to favor consistency over radical changes. While the Aspire 14 AI sports an all-gray color scheme, it retains a familiar aesthetic reminiscent of other Acer models from recent years. Its design falls somewhere between the refined aesthetics of the Acer Swift Go series and the more basic Aspire models.
The laptop features somewhat thick bezels around the display and a plastic keyboard deck. However, the bottom of the laptop and the display lid are constructed from aluminum, adding a touch of sturdiness. The laptop’s thickness, measuring 0.7 inches before accounting for the rubber feet, is a bit surprising considering its low-power processor. This bulkiness contributes to a brick-like feel, but it also enhances the laptop’s overall robustness.
The underside of the laptop incorporates a sizable grille, and a single fan draws in fresh air to exhaust it through a vent located above the keyboard. Acer’s repeated use of this vent placement raises concerns about the potential for debris or liquids to enter the system, as the vent opens upward. Additionally, the positioning directs heat towards the display, which could potentially cause damage over time.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI is equipped with a 14-inch display and a webcam system paired with a Windows Hello-compatible facial recognition scanner. The overall design lacks a distinct sense of style and appears somewhat pieced together, with noticeable seams and a mix of jagged and curved geometries.
The keyboard on the Acer Aspire 14 AI doesn’t exhibit any discernible improvements compared to other Acer machines. The keys remain flat and lack optimal stabilization, which can lead to typing difficulties as users adjust to the keyboard. While experienced Acer users may adapt to these designs, the mushiness of the keys can be a persistent annoyance.
The keyboard is backlit with white LEDs, but the gray keycaps reflect a significant amount of light, making them difficult to see in bright environments. This design choice is questionable, especially considering that many other Acer Aspire laptops utilize black keycaps, which offer better visibility.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI’s display is unremarkable and falls short in certain areas. The 1200p resolution is acceptable for its size, but many competitors offer sharper displays. The display also features a 60Hz refresh rate, while many other devices offer 90Hz or 120Hz options. However, the display does incorporate a responsive touchscreen, which simplifies navigation and adds value for the price.
The display’s visibility is a positive attribute. It reaches a brightness of 327.6 nits and features a strong anti-glare finish that effectively reduces reflections. This makes the screen easy to see in most conditions where glossy displays would be hindered by reflections. Unfortunately, the display’s color gamut is limited, covering only 64 percent of the sRGB color space.
The speakers on the Acer Aspire 14 AI are decent. They produce bright and loud mids, providing ample volume for clear speech. However, the high-end frequencies are somewhat harsh and resonant, detracting from music playback. The bass response is also limited, failing to provide sufficient depth for music or voices. Additionally, the speakers exhibit noticeable ducking, where excessive volume at one frequency reduces the volume in other areas.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI features a 1080p webcam that performs surprisingly well in various lighting conditions. The picture quality is slightly soft, but the camera effectively exposes the image even in less-than-ideal lighting. However, the image can become noisy in low-light situations.
The microphone array on the Acer Aspire 14 AI complements the camera well. It effectively captures the user’s voice without excessive echo. The user’s voice sounds clear and loud, rather than distant. The microphone also reduces background noise.
Acer has integrated Windows Hello facial recognition with the webcam, enabling fast and convenient sign-ons. While the absence of a fingerprint sensor as a secondary option is surprising, facial recognition is often the faster authentication method on Windows laptops.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI offers respectable connectivity options. The left edge of the laptop features two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 connectivity and charging capabilities. A full-size HDMI 2.1 port is also located on the left side for high-resolution output. Each side of the laptop includes a high-speed USB-A port. These are complemented by a 3.5mm audio combo jack and a Kensington lock slot on the right side.
The laptop supports Wi-Fi 6E connectivity for fast and reliable wireless performance. Bluetooth 5.3 is also supported and worked seamlessly during audio playback with Bluetooth headphones.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI delivers decent overall performance, which is particularly impressive considering its competitive price. In PCMark 10, it performs respectably, keeping pace with the Core Ultra 7 155H-powered Dell Inspiron 14 Plus and the Acer Swift Go 14, although it still trails behind those models. It also closely follows, but still lags behind, the AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS in the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED.
The laptop’s storage performance is a contributing factor to its ability to keep pace with its competitors. The drive exceeded expectations for a 1TB SSD in an economical package, achieving sequential read speeds of 6388MB/s and sequential write speeds of 5571MB/s in CrystalDiskMark 8.
While the Acer Aspire 14 AI performs adequately in everyday operation, its CPU struggles in more demanding workloads. In Cinebench, the Intel Core Ultra 5 226V used here doesn’t quite keep up. The single-core performance is among the best in its class, highlighting Intel’s architectural improvements, but the CPU lacks the multi-core strength to compete with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H and AMD Ryzen 7 8840HS found in competing models.
The chip also features a lower-tier of integrated graphics with Intel Arc Graphics 130V. It is less impressive than the Intel Arc Graphics paired with the Intel Core Ultra 7 155H. It also falls short compared to the AMD Radeon 780M integrated graphics in the Zenbook 14 OLED.
One surprising aspect of the Acer Aspire 14 AI’s performance is its ability to manage heat relatively well compared to its rivals. Its sustained performance in longer benchmarks suggests that it effectively keeps temperatures and throttling in check. The fans can become somewhat shrill under heavy load, but they remain quiet during general use.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI’s battery life is competitive, lasting just over 17 hours in the 4K video playback test. This places it neck-and-neck with the Dell Inspiron models and the Asus Zenbook 14 OLED.
While the battery life is satisfactory, it’s not particularly impressive considering that more and more laptops are exceeding 20 hours. The battery life is also somewhat undermined by the fact that the Acer Aspire 14 AI is only keeping pace with other models. Typically, performance sacrifices would translate to improved efficiency and battery life, but the Acer Aspire 14 AI’s performance compromises haven’t yielded a significant advantage in battery life.
The Acer Aspire 14 AI’s success hinges on its compelling price tag. At $699, it offers a clear value proposition. While it may not break any records, it prioritizes functionality. The display may not be aesthetically pleasing, but it’s easy to use. The keyboard could benefit from improvements, but it’s still better than some alternatives. The speakers may not be ideal for music enthusiasts, but they provide clear speech reproduction. And, even if its performance isn’t top-tier, the Acer Aspire 14 AI handles everyday office tasks with ease while slowly draining its battery.
While the Acer Aspire 14 AI may not inspire overwhelming love, it also avoids causing significant frustration. Nothing about it is outright terrible. Even the somewhat lackluster display redeems itself with its strong anti-glare finish and touchscreen capabilities. The Acer Aspire 14 AI is a simple and effective choice for users who don’t want to expend excessive effort searching for the absolute best (and dealing with the associated price).
