Acer backs Intel Core Ultra launch with AI-powered Swift, Predator laptops

Acer is backing the launch of Intel’s Core Ultra (Meteor Lake) processors with a pair of notebooks: the Acer Swift Go 14, for productivity, and the Predator Triton Neo 16 gaming/creator laptop.

The Acer Swift Go 14 (SFG14-72/T) will ship in North America in January for $799.99, while the Predator Triton Neo 16 will cost $1,499 and up, and will ship in March.

Both laptops will use Intel’s Core Ultra-branded processors, part of the Meteor Lake mobile processor architecture that Intel has spoken at length about. The Acer Swift Go 14 also carries Intel’s “Evo Edition” branding, which tweaks Intel’s Evo certification slightly. Traditionally, Evo has signified Intel’s premium laptop brand, in which Intel engineers and the PC maker share engineering resources and perform intensive testing.

Acer will ship five Swift Go 14 configurations, beginning with the base model: 8GB of memory, plus 512GB of SSD storage, paired with a Core Ultra 5 125H. (Intel has ditched the “i,” so this would previously be a Core i5.) Acer will also offer configurations with 16GB of memory and up to 1TB of Gen4 NVMe SSD storage, topping out at $999.99.

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We’re seeing two heartening trends, both on the display. Even Acer’s Swift Go base model offers 1920×1200 resolution, a step up from the traditional 1080p displays. And, even better, the premium models offer 2,880×1,800 resolution — and a pure, black OLED (CineCrystal) display, and at 90Hz to boot. Pair that with DisplayHDR True Black 500 capabilities and these displays should ease eyestrain and improve the quality of cinematic content.

Acer is also building in 1440p webcams — though we’re not 100 percent certain whether they’ll broadcast at 1080p and use that extra resolution for digitally panning and zooming.

So where is the AI? Eric Ackerson, senior product marketing and brand manager for the new devices, said Acer is taking a slow, measured approach. AI is being used as part of Purified Voice 2.0, a noise-filtering technology for video calls, as well as Windows Studio effect and Windows Copilot. What Ackerman did imply, however, is that more generative AI features could be added over time. This fits well with what chipmakers have said: Ship the AI-infused processors first and add services later.

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How? Via AcerSense, the laptop utility (launched with a dedicated button) which controls laptop performance, maintenance, and custom experiences. The app will include an Acer AI Zone tab for managing and updating AI apps and features.

In keeping with what Intel has said before about Meteor Lake, the Swift Go 14 will ship with a pair of Thunderbolt 4 ports, WiFi 6e (not WiFi 7), an HDMI 2.1 port, and a microSD card reader.

We’ve added the specific configurations and their prices below, provided by Acer.

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Acer Predator Triton Neo 16

Acer’s Predator Triton Neo 16, meanwhile, is less optimized for battery life and productivity, favoring raw performance instead.

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Acer isn’t saying exactly what processors are in the Triton Neo 16 (PTN16-51), but they’ll include Core-H parts for gaming, paired with up to Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPUs. Instead, the focus is on keeping the chips cool. Acer added liquid-metal grease to the CPU for better cooling, with vector heat pipes and what Acer is referring to as its 5th-gen AeroBlade fan.

This laptop has a dedicated key as well: PredatorSense, through which you can control one of four operation modes, control fan speed, and monitor device performance, plus personalize the (naturally!) RGB keyboard, which has three zones. It also supports Nvidia Optimus, which balances graphics performance with battery life.

It’s worth noting, though, that this is an Nvidia Studio-classified machine, which leans more heavily onto the creative element, rather than raw gameplay.

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The display options point to this: the 16-inch display offers a few options, up to 3.2K resolution at a 165Hz refresh rate. It also includes something new: “Calman Verified” color-accurate displays alongside an 100 percent DCI-P3 color gamut.

The laptop includes a Thunderbolt port, HDMI, and a microSD card reader.

This story has been corrected at 9:06 AM to correct the name of the vendor and a detail about the new Triton laptop.

Author: Mark Hachman, Senior Editor