Its excellent build quality, full HD screen, and ability to run Android apps help it overcome Chrome OS’s limited programme compatibility. The Pentium model is adequate for Chrome OS; the only real issue with the machine’s hardware is its lack of storage and RAM, both of which don’t matter much for Chrome OS. It would have been nice to see Intel Core M or Core U at this price point, as it’s not unheard of for similarly priced Windows machines to pack in hardware like that. The most recent Acer Chromebook 514 successfully balances a difficult act. also you can check our article on Acer Chromebook 514 review. If you’re looking for a Chromebook, you might have trouble choosing between bulky compacts designed for K–12 classrooms and more fashionable versions whose prices seem a bit excessive for what amounts to a Gmail and internet browsing device. However, the Chromebook 514 costs significantly less than $500 and is more powerful than low-cost Chromebooks for kids while having the same premium laptop-like appearance. In fact, the Chromebook 514 is one we’d recommend even though other Chromebooks with ARM processors rather than Intel or AMD we’ve tested have been noticeably slow.
Design
The Acer Chromebook 514’s understated design will appeal to minimalists, but those who like pizazz in their laptop designs won’t be too impressed. Almost the only distinguishing feature of the lid is its silver color, and while it appears generic, the shiny sleekness is urbanely appealing. This is enhanced by a dark grey Chromebook logo that sits above it and a reflective Acer engraving that can reflect your face if you peek into it. Two speakers can be seen on the left and right sides of the black keyboard when the lid is opened. The touchpad is silver with a shiny accent to distinguish it, and a sticker in the bottom right corner lists all of the functions of the laptop. This includes, but is not limited to, the claim of a 15-hour battery life and the (not particularly narrow) bezels. A 720p webcam is housed in the top bezel, while another reflective logo is displayed in the bottom bezel. The left and right bezels are not huge, but neither are they tiny. We do find it interesting that the display’s bottom bezel sports a dazzling sticker that reads “FULL HD 1080,” as if the bare minimum were cause for celebration. It may just as well have a “WILL RUN CHROME” sticker next to it. There are Chromebooks with 1280 x 720-pixel displays, however they are mostly recognizable by their size. The dimensions of the Acer Chromebook 514 are 12.7 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches, and it weighs about 2.87 pounds. The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (12.7 x 8.9 x 0.7-inches, 3.64 pounds), although being the same size, manages to be substantially lighter than the Lenovo Flex 5 (12.2 x 8.4 x 0.7-inches, 2.97 pounds).
Keyboard and touchpad
The 514’s 14-inch screen is encircled by a plastic frame that slightly raises it away from the keyboard, which you will unavoidably coat in skin oils and grime. Although we can see the benefit of keeping them better apart, the front frame also means that dust and other debris can collect around the screen’s borders in a way that displays made entirely of glass cannot. The touchscreen’s responsiveness and matte “non-glare” coating make it easier to read in some environments, but they also have the drawback that if you’re working with a strong light source behind you, like a skylight or bay window, the screen may occasionally become unreadable until you turn off the lights or move. You could spend $50 less on a non-touchscreen version of this laptop, but given how much more convenient multi-touch displays make app interaction, it easily justifies the extra cost. With even backlighting, ordinary key travel, and average typing experience, this backlit keyboard is as predictably mediocre as they get. Acer didn’t make any mistakes or go overboard. you can check our article on Acer Chromebook 514 review. The Gorilla Glass-covered trackpad is similarly slick, and thanks to its huge size and right-click functionality, even three-finger actions like opening the Overview screen or switching tabs are made incredibly simple. When you have 10–20 tabs open at once, the ability to switch between them with three fingers is invaluable. We haven’t had the need to use a wireless mouse at any point during the course of our evaluation because of the trackpad and touchscreen, and we can type for 8 to 10 hours a day on the keyboard without growing weary or uncomfortable.
Acer Chromebook 514 review: Display
The screen starts acting a little strangely. The touchscreen has a resolution of 1,920 by 1,080, which is adequate but not the finest we’ve seen. To allay any initial concerns, this display is not even close to the Acer Chromebook 351, whose panel had a contrast ratio so low (341:1) that everything appeared washed out and grey. Contrast in this instance is a much more respectable 885:1, and it is clearly evident. Still, it’s not terrific. To begin with, the panel only supports 57% of the sRGB color gamut, which makes your colors appear a little flat. If you’re not a graphic designer, as most Chromebook owners aren’t, this might not bother you too much, but the Chromebook 514’s peak brightness of just 272 cd/m2 makes it difficult to use in direct sunlight. It works as a touchscreen, if that’s your thing, but we’re not sure it really contributes that much. Since the screen cannot rotate 360 degrees, poking it only causes the screen to tremble. You can, if you’d like, have it flush with the keyboard, but your keys will merely get in the way.
Audio
Surprisingly, the top-facing speakers on the Acer Chromebook 514 deliver clear, crisp audio in the majority of the songs we played for it. One of the songs we tried didn’t work out too well, but the majority of the music will be of high quality, so you won’t need to use our best computer speakers or wireless headphones. However, it will still provide a fantastic enhancement if you are prepared to pay the additional money. We listened to Kate Bush’s song “Running Up That Hill,” and what first struck us was how loud and clear Bush’s voice sounded when it came through the speakers. The ethereal quality of the ambient synths was perfectly captured in contrast to her highs and lows, but as the track’s intensity increased, some sounds began to blend together. Even nonetheless, the listening experience was enjoyable. The Ninth Wave’s “Unspoken” followed, which had comparable strengths. Voices are translated quite well by the Acer Chromebook 514 without absolutely drowning out the rest of the recording. We were completely astounded by how the speakers handled the music as it continued to weave in more and more instruments without skipping a beat. Each percussion strike, guitar strumming, synthesiser tone, and vocal note combined to create an amazing translation of this fantastic song. We were in awe of how great this sounded as we stared at the Chromebook. The song “dying on the inside” by Nessa Barrett that we listened to at the end was the first time these speakers displayed weakness. The chorus’s overwhelming production, which combines a variety of electronic instruments, comes across fine but doesn’t sound as clear as we had hoped. Every component of the production, especially Barrett’s voice, has a distinct raspiness that doesn’t exist when played through high-quality speakers.
Acer Chromebook 514 review: Performance
We weren’t expecting too much in terms of performance from the Chromebook 514 because it is more of a budget Chromebook and will just be used for the bare minimum. Despite this, the Intel Pentium Gold 7505 within this Chromebook (with a 2GHz clock speed and a dual-core arrangement) provides a good performance, especially for a Chromebook. Whether it’s web browsing, email reading, or video streaming, you should be able to complete these chores at a respectable pace. This increased performance is also supported by some respectable results in our Geekbench 5 CPU benchmark test, outperforming the competition and a large number of available Chromebooks that are more affordable. Given that many of the more economical options choose to use eMMC storage with lower capacities, the Chromebook 514’s configuration has been given a substantial 128GB SSD for storage. Although you can get twice the storage capacity elsewhere at a comparable price, getting true solid stage storage is also a substantial gain. Nevertheless, you may increase the capacity if you really need more space thanks to the built-in MicroSD card slot. Additionally, the fact that ChromeOS runs on it is particularly advantageous given that the OS is lightweight and ideal for productivity and casual computing. It’s perfect for little ones and people who don’t want to download complicated software.
Battery life
The Acer Chromebook 514 appears to be sailing along just fine so far, but sadly it stumbles when it comes to battery life. It could barely last for seven and a half hours in our video loop test before giving up. This costs about half as much as some of the Chromebooks we’ve tested in the past, and a tone of less expensive laptops outperform it as well. If endurance is important to you, it won’t be difficult to locate an alternate laptop that can run for at least 10 hours. However, the Chromebook 514 should last a full working day, making it a viable option for students and office workers as long as the battery is regularly charged.
Heat
Even though the Acer Chromebook 514 doesn’t run exceptionally hot, several areas of it were too hot for us to tolerate. While in use, its touchpad only reached a comfortable 79 degrees, while its underbelly reached a chilly 85 degrees. Our tests revealed that it reached a maximum temperature of 101 degrees at one point on its underside, which is a little bit higher than our suggested 95-degree comfort threshold. Regardless, during our tests we didn’t notice this Chromebook getting extremely hot. also you will learn our article on Acer Chromebook 514 review.
Configuration options
Acer is asking £379 for it, while it also offers a little better model for £399 that uses an Intel Pentium N4200 processor in place of the Celeron. Given the outdated processor, you might baulk at that price, and if you’re satisfied with Windows 10 already, we don’t blame you. You can most definitely get greater power in that pricing range, especially if you’re willing to try out devices with AMD Ryzen processors. You can reduce the RAM and storage to 4GB and 32GB, respectively, in other configurations. You can increase it to a maximum of 128GB if you need more flash storage. The touchscreen functionality of the display is another option. With the exception of its 4GB RAM and non-touch display, the cheapest model costs $400 and has similar specifications to the device we tested. The most costly model, which costs $530 and has 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, is available.
Acer Chromebook 514 review: Conclusion
The Acer Chromebook 514 is a low-cost laptop that is ideal for people who don’t want anything particularly complex. It boasts a spacious trackpad, a comfortable keyboard, and a vivid screen that doesn’t strain the eyes too much. It won’t blow you away, but it will do its function consistently. Consider whether Chrome OS will have everything you require; keep in mind that some programs, such as the Adobe Creative Suite, won’t be available for download. As this laptop won’t be able to handle extremely heavy workloads or large games, you’ll also want to make sure you don’t need more performance.
