Acer Begins Selling 9.98-mm Swift 7 Kaby Lake Laptop in the U.S.: Starts at $1100
by Anton Shilov on October 19, 2016 3:30 PM ESTThis week Acer has started to sell its first Swift 7 notebook in the U.S. The black and gold Swift 7 laptop is based on Intel’s Kaby Lake-Y-series CPU, and with an FHD display is the industry’s first clamshell PC that is thinner than one centimeter. The system is available now for $1099 from a number of retailers.
The Acer Swift 7 (SF713-51-M90J) comes in a black and gold aluminum unibody to emphasize that the device is one of the premium products in the manufacturer’s lineup. The thickness of the laptop with a 13.3” FHD display covered with Corning Gorilla Glass 4 is 9.98 mm (0.39”), which is thinner than Apple’s MacBook as well as Dell’s Adamo XPS, both of which are renowned for their thin form factors. As for mass, the device weighs 1.12 kilograms (2.48 lbs), which is a tad heavier than the MacBook.
Inside the Acer Swift 7 ultra-thin notebook there is an Intel Core i5-7Y54 processor (2C/4T, 1.2GHz/3.2GHz frequency, HD Graphics 615, 4.5 W), 8 GB of LPDDR3 RAM as well as a 256 GB SSD (the manufacturer does not specify whether it is an AHCI or NVMe). The laptop uses an 802.11ac Wi-Fi + BT 4.0 wireless adapter to communicate with the outside world wirelessly. The laptop also has a 720p webcam and two 5 Gbps USB 3.1 Type-C ports to connect peripherals, a display as well as for charging. Moving on to audio sub-system, we see a TRRS connector for headsets as well as two stereo speakers that are Dolby Audio certified.
Acer Swift 7 | |||
SF713-51-M90J | |||
CPU | SKU | Core i5-7Y54 | |
Base | 1.2 GHz | ||
Turbo | 3.2 GHz | ||
TDP | 4.5 W | ||
GPU | SKU | Intel HD Graphics 615 (GT2) 24 EUs, Gen 9 |
|
Base | 300 MHz | ||
Turbo | 950 MHz | ||
DRAM | 8 GB LPDDR3 | ||
SSD | 256 GB | ||
Display | 13.3-inch 1920x1080 IPS LCD | ||
Ports | 2 x USB 3.1 (Gen 1) Type-C 3.5mm combo jack |
||
Network | 2x2:2 802.11ac with BT 4.0 | ||
Battery | 2770 mAh (52.9 Wh?) | ||
Dimensions | H: 0.39" W: 12.78" D: 9.04" |
H: 9.98 mm W: 32.46 cm D: 22.96 cm |
|
Weight | 2.48 lbs (1.12 kg) | ||
Colors | Gold and Black | ||
Price | $1099.99 |
Since the Swift 7 is powered by Intel’s Kaby Lake, expect significantly improved video encoding/decoding capabilities, better GPU performance, as well as Speed Shift v2 technology. This should make the new machine to be generally faster and snapper than ultra-thin notebooks based on previous-gen CPUs.
When it comes to battery life, Acer claims that the Swift 7 (SF713-51-M90J) has a 4-cell Li-Ion battery with 2770 mAh of capacity, which enables it to work for up to nine hours on one charge. Do note however that Acer does not specify conditions or workloads for that number.
The Acer Swift 7 (SF713-51-M90J) notebook is available directly from Acer as well as from leading retailers (Amazon, Newegg, etc.) for $1099.99. It comes with a one-year warranty. Finally, keep in mind that Acer plans to release a family of Swift 7 notebooks, as it revealed at IFA. So expect to see further models of the Swift 7, including a more affordable version based on Intel’s Core i3 at $1000, as well as a more advanced system featuring Intel’s Core i7-7Y75 and a higher price.
Source: Acer
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forgot2yield28 - Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - link
What's wrong with any of a number of gaming machines on the market? I didn't think yours was a segment of the market that had exactly been abandoned.MaidoMaido - Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - link
There are still a few options with quad core CPU but there is so much greater demand for thin wafer laptops with long battery life, even in the $1500-2500 range. Not only do most laptop manufacturers and retailers market everything as "6th/7th generation core i7" instead of clarifying whether CPU is dual core ULV or full quad core, but now Intel has even renamed their "M" series as core i7.So after successfully branding "core i7" as fast or powerful, they are confusing laptop buyers even further with abominations like ultra low voltage dual core i7-7500U and even weaker, lower power core i7-7Y75, performing demanding tasks much slower than laptops with full quad core i5-6300HQ
rxzlmn - Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - link
Are you complaining about no supply of quad-core laptops or consumers without knowledge about current CPUs being misled to buy non-quad-core laptops? The former is just not true (there are portable quad-core laptops from almost any laptop manufacturer), the latter is irrelevant as consumers with a need for such computing power know what to look for.LostWander - Thursday, October 20, 2016 - link
Your faith in consumer's knowledge is a little overestimated. Needing processing power does not automatically make someone an enthusiast who cares enough to research that stuff (which can be cryptic even to casual hobbyists). I've known several architects who could only tell you i7 must be faster because the number was higher.rxzlmn - Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - link
Then just don't buy this laptop but any of the quad-core 15" dGPU ones that are out there? I'm pretty sure even the company making this thin and light ultraportable has something like that to offer, as I'm typing this comment on one.MaidoMaido - Wednesday, October 19, 2016 - link
I was responding to JoeyJoJo's comment about battery life not being in as much demand. Actually the massive demand for extremely long battery life and thin wafer laptops is what has driven this trend toward weaker low voltage dual core U and Y core i7 processors.R0H1T - Thursday, October 20, 2016 - link
I wish people would stop whining about their wishes especially when their <insert product of choice here> doesn't meet "all" of their expectations & then some.smilingcrow - Thursday, October 20, 2016 - link
Tell me about it!Targon - Thursday, October 20, 2016 - link
While AMD has been behind in terms of CPU performance, you can EASILY find an AMD A10-8700 or 9600 for under $500 these days. They are fully functional. AMD Zen based laptops are expected in the second half of 2017 if the power of an AMD A8, A10, or A12 isn't enough for you.Targon - Thursday, October 20, 2016 - link
Since we have power adapters already that people need to keep with them, why not add a battery pack(with protection against heat) to the power adapter. You see battery packs for cell phones for those who need longer battery life, and that could be done for laptops as well. Since it would be optional, people might go for it. That could also put some pressure on laptop manufacturers to standardize around power connectors for laptops as well(and yes, Apple would make a different connector, just to be different and annoying).