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Acer is known for having some of the most varied laptops on the market, from lightweight 16-inch laptops to 2-in-1 portables that can double up as tablets, there is something suitable for everyone. But which is the best Acer laptop for you in 2023?

We’re going to help you with your purchase since looking for a new device can be complicated and stressful, especially if you’re not familiar with some of the more technical terms.

Every laptop that we review is thoroughly tested for at least a week by our expert team, engaging in real-world tests as well as industry-standard benchmarks, so you know you’re getting professional advice. In this list, we’ve also made sure to include a variety of price points, features, battery life, design and specs so you can deduce which option is best suited to you.

And if this list isn’t catching your eye right now, be sure to bookmark this page and come back soon, as we will be updating this list every time a new Acer laptop comes through our doors. Moreover, if you’re considering devices that go advance than Acer, take a look at our Best Huawei Laptops, Best Dell Laptops and Best Asus Laptops lists.

We also have broader laptop lists, if you’re after something even more specific, take a look at our more general Best Laptop, Best Ultrabook, Best Student Laptop and Best Budget Laptop guides.

Best Acer laptops at a glance

How we assess

Learn more about how we assess laptops

Every laptop we review goes through a series of uniform checks designed to gauge key things including build quality, performance, screen quality and battery life. 

These include formal synthetic benchmarks and scripted tests, plus a series of real world checks, such as how well it runs the most frequently used apps. 

We also make sure to use every laptop we review as our primary device for at least a week to ensure our review is as accurate as possible.

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Acer Swift Go 14

Best overall Acer laptop

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Pros

  • Powerful processors
  • Solid battery life considering performance
  • Super-saturated OLED screen option

Cons

  • Basic keyboard and trackpad
  • Unimpressive design

Looking for a top-tier all-rounder that doesn’t demand a luxury price tag? The Acer Swift Go 14 is the best overall laptop the manufacturer makes.

On the inside, the Swift Go 14 offers a hefty amount of power that defies its size and weight. The Intel Core i7-13700H onboard means that this device towers above rivals that focus on lower-wattage chips to accommodate a thin-and-light body. The result is sustained power wherever you use this laptop, making it ideal for working on the go. This is a top-notch pick for intensive productivity tasking.

Aside from its surprising power, this laptop stands out for its stunning OLED display, which you get despite its reasonable price. The 14-inch 1800p OLED panel offers a solid size for multitasking as well as plenty of details from that QHD+ resolution. The OLED technology means the colours pop and the colour accuracy is excellent. Workers considering this laptop will also be pleased to see a 1440p webcam, making you look crisp and clear in those morning video calls.

One downside of a more powerful chip can often be reduced battery life but we managed to get just under a solid 10 hours from the Acer Swift Go 14. That’s backed up by speedy 100W charging too, for topping you up when you’re caught short.

Reviewer: Andrew Williams
Full Review: Acer Swift Go 14 review

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023)

Best Acer Chromebook

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Pros

  • Sleek design
  • Powerful for a Chromebook
  • Responsive display

Cons

  • Expensive
  • Skittish trackpad

Chromebooks offer an interesting proposition that can be ideal for workers or students, and the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is the perfect example of that. It packs a lot more power than most Chromebooks can handle, with our model sporting a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1235U. This makes it ideal for productivity workers, with our reviewer noting that it’s more comparable to a mid-range Windows machine than its Chromebook siblings. 

The endurance of the Chromebook Spin 714 is also very impressive; in our battery benchmark, it managed to last for 11 hours and 6 minutes, with real-world use proving that it can last up to two working days, depending on usage. 

A weight of 1.4kg makes this wonderfully lightweight for a 14-inch laptop and ideal for taking it to and from the office. Its convertible design also means that it can be used as a traditional clamshell laptop as well as a tablet when in the tent configuration, giving it a lot more versatility than other laptops. 

Turning towards the display, the Full HD (1080p) panel provided decent detail and excellent colours thanks to the IPS panel hidden inside. Acer claims that the Chromebook Spin 714 covers 100% of the sRGB colour space, meaning that it will display all mainstream colours without fault. We found that it produced generally vibrant images and the 16:10 aspect ratio makes it much better equipped for modern workloads than its predecessor. 

All in all, if you’re looking for a Chromebook that can handle productivity workloads with enough endurance to make it through the workday without a charger, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) is one of the best choices out there. So long as you’re happy with the £799/$729 price tag, you can’t go wrong here. 

Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
Full Review: Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) review

Acer Chromebook Plus 515

Best budget Acer Chromebook

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Pros

  • Great build quality
  • USB-C charging
  • Stacked specs for the price

Cons

  • Sluggish trackpad
  • 60Hz non-touch display

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is one of the first in a new series of ChromeOS laptops launched in 2023. Google decided it was time Chromebooks were held to a higher standard, and this Acer lives up to the hype.

With new Chromebook Plus laptops, you’re getting a minimum spec, including at least 8GB RAM and a 1080p IPS display, that ensure solid productivity performance at a reasonable price. With this Acer Chromebook Plus 515 model, its 12th generation Intel Core i5 chips and 256GB SSD team up with those other specs to make for a speedy machine. For less than £500, and with the assistance of the lightweight ChromeOS, you’ll able to do plenty of productivity and multitasking at a budget price.

Despite its low cost, we were particularly impressed with the build quality of this Acer. Cheap laptops, and Chromebooks in particular, can feel almost toy-ish. But, this budget Acer machine offers up professional and stylish looks. Acer hasn’t shirked on quality features either, with a pleasingly large trackpad and a backlit keyboard onboard.

The display and sound encounter don’t let this value laptop down either, with a 15.6-inch panel that offers plenty of room for multitasking and solid viewing angles. The sound is surprisingly strong too, offering a loud sound that manages to remain distortion-free at those high levels. You also get up to 10 hours of battery life, which is ideal for a full work day and beyond.

Reviewer: Josh Brown
Full Review: Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review

Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023)

Best Acer gaming laptop

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Pros

  • Powerhouse GPU and CPU combo
  • Superb mini-LED screen
  • Excellent connectivity
  • Cheaper than some high-end rivals

Cons

  • Noisy in Turbo mode
  • Sound could be warmer and more open

It doesn’t come cheap but this powerhouse gaming laptop from Acer sure does pack a punch. The Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023) is our top gaming laptop pick from the brand.

This Acer gaming laptop has had almost everything thrown at it in terms of raw gaming power and the results are excellent. Our review sample came equipped with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080, Intel Core i9 13900HX, 32GB RAM and 1TB SSD. A beastly combination. With these specifications, we saw the Acer handle well over 100fps in Ultra settings across our Horizon: Zero Dawn and Borderlands 3 gaming tests at 1080p. It even fell just short of 60fps at 1600p in the extremely demanding Overdrive RTX mode in Cyberpunk 2077. It’ll cost you beyond £2,700/$2,500 but it offers top-tier modern AAA gaming.

The high quality isn’t just reserved for the raw power though, it comes equipped with cutting-edge display technology too. You get a 16-inch 240Hz Mini-LED panel, making it an amazing all-rounder for luxurious visuals and high FPS gaming. We described the colour as “spectacular” in our full review and were mightily impressed by the detail on offer from the 2560 x 1600 resolution. Overall, it is a stunningly immersive gaming encounter.

If you’re at all tired of overly flashy gaming laptop design, then this is a strong pick for you. The Predator Helios 16 is restrained with its RGB use, but it is there if you want it. The keyboard itself offers a quick and crisp action, ideal for portable gaming.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
Full Review: Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023) review

Acer Nitro 5 (2023)

Best value Acer gaming laptop

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Pros

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      The Acer Nitro 5 (2023) series has long been a top pick in the value gaming laptop arena. The most recent addition isn’t comfortably the best as some previous iterations have been, but it remains well worth your consideration and the best value gaming laptop Acer makes.

      Across its models, the Nitro 5 aims to offer some 1080p gaming performance for a reasonable price. With our 12th Gen Intel Core i5 and RTX 4050 specced option, we managed to get impressive results. The Nitro 5 hit around 60fps at Ultra settings across Returnal and Cyberpunk 2077, along with hitting over 100fps in first-person shooter Rainbox Six: Extraction. With Nvidia’s impressive DLSS technology turned on, we were able to get up to 98fps in Cyberpunk 2077 as well. It’s great results for a device which will cost you around £1,000/$1,000.

      The display itself is a well-rounded option, with its 15.6-inch size, 1080p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate. It’s a sensible combination that works well for gaming but doesn’t offer stunning brightness and accuracy for media consumption and creative work.

      Despite being top-notch for the last several years, the chunky and red-accented design of the previous Nitro 5 models may not have been for everyone. With the 2023 model, it has been slimmed down a tad and made slightly more boxy. There’s also a new blue and red design on the lid too. It’s not game-changing but it makes for a stealthy and inoffensive-looking laptop. The port selection is ideal, with Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI 2.1 headlining its best options. We were impressed by the keyboard, though it may not be clicky enough for some serious gamers, with a quiet and comfortable typing feel.

      Reviewer: Stuart Andrews
      Full Review: Acer Nitro 5 (2023) review

      Acer Chromebook Vero 514

      Best eco-friendly Acer Chromebook

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      Pros

      • Gorgeous design
      • Snappy performance
      • Good battery life
      • Made up of recycled materials

      Cons

      • Quite expensive for a Chromebook
      • Stingy port selection

      The Acer Chromebook Vero 514 is a solid Chromebook that offers a gorgeous design. The chassis is composed of PCR (post-consumer recycled) plastics that create a speckled grey and green design across the entire body. Not only does this help the Chromebook Vero 514 stand out from the crowd, but it also makes it one of the most eco-friendly options on this list. 

      The company claims that it used recycled ocean-bound plastics for the trackpad, with the aforementioned PCR plastic making up 30% of the chassis and 50% of the keycaps and audio speakers. The laptop packaging is even made of recycled paper, cardboard and other natural fibres. 

      Turning towards the performance, we thought that this offered a lot of grunt for a Chromebook. It packs an Intel Core i3-1215U, which allows it to feel especially nippy for the light computing tasks ChromeOS is designed for. While this laptop is not as powerful as some other Acer devices, appreciate the Acer Swift X (2022), it’s ideal for those who don’t have particularly heavy workloads, appreciate students or those with jobs that necessitate Word processing applications. 

      It features a 14-inch screen with Full HD (1080p) resolution. It is also a touchscreen display, meaning that you can easily scroll through documents and files using just your finger. Our tests showed it to offer up excellent viewing angles, and thanks to the IPS technology, it has a solid brightness with a quoted level of 300 nits. 

      And when it comes to the battery, the Chromebook Vero 514 is no slouch; it managed to last 11 hours and 28 minutes in a video loop assess when the brightness was turned down to half. This is more than enough juice in the tank to get you through an entire working day without needing to worry about a charger and makes it an ideal laptop to take on the go, especially since it only has a weight of 1.4kg. 

      All in all, there are more Acer laptops on the market if you’re after something that packs a lot of power. But if you’re interested in a device that can get you through a standard working day, and want to help save the environment in the meantime, the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 is definitely the laptop for you. 

      Reviewer: Reece Bithrey
      Full Review: Acer Chromebook Vero 514

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      FAQs

      Which series of Acer laptops is best?

      There isn’t a ‘best’ Acer series, as each laptop brand appeals to different audiences. The Swift includes productivity laptops with ultra-portable designs; the Spin laptops have 2-in-1 form factors and so can be flipped into a tablet; the ConceptD range targets professional content creators; and lastly, the Predator and Nitro ranges are designed with gamers in mind.

      Is 8GB of RAM enough?

      It just depends on your intended workload. 8GB of RAM should be perfectly fine for general productivity tasks, but gamers and content creators may want to try out 16GB or beyond.

      Is Acer a good laptop brand?

      Yes, Acer has a great reputation and is one of the leading laptop brands. It offers a wide variety of options and arguably produces more budget-friendly laptops than most other manufacturers. However, it rarely launches a laptop with enough quality to rival the likes of the Dell XPS 13 or MacBook Air.

      Trusted Reviews assess data

      PCMark 10
      Cinebench R23 multi core
      Cinebench R23 single core
      Geekbench 5 single core
      Geekbench 5 multi core
      Geekbench 6 single core
      Geekbench 6 multi core
      3DMark Time Spy
      CrystalDiskMark Read speed
      CrystalDiskMark Write Speed
      Brightness (SDR)
      Black level
      Contrast ratio
      White Visual Colour Temperature
      sRGB
      Adobe RGB
      DCI-P3
      PCMark Battery (office)
      PCMark Battery (gaming)
      Battery discharge after 60 minutes of online Netflix playback
      Battery recharge time
      Borderlands 3 frame rate (Quad HD)
      Borderlands 3 frame rate (Full HD)
      Horizon Zero Dawn frame rate (Quad HD)
      Horizon Zero Dawn frame rate (Full HD)
      Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD)
      Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD + RT)
      Cyberpunk 2077 (Full HD + Supersampling)
      Returnal (Full HD)
      Rainbow Six Extraction (Full HD)

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      The post Best Acer laptop 2023: Our top 6 expertly-reviewed picks appeared first on Trusted Reviews.

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