acer chromebook reviews 2022

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• Electronics

The Best Chromebook

By Kimber Streams

Kimber Streams is a writer who has been covering laptops and other tech at Wirecutter for more than a decade. They once built a fort out of keyboards.

A good Chromebook can do almost anything that a regular laptop can do, and the best models can feel better to use than their similarly priced Windows counterparts.

After testing most of the Chromebooks released over the past 10 years and testing 25 models so far in 2024, we recommend the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus . It’s an excellent laptop, with the best combination of features and price of all the Chromebooks we’ve tested, including fast performance, a spacious touchscreen, and long-enough battery life for a full day of work or classes.

Everything we recommend

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

The best chromebook.

Reliable performance, a spacious touch display, and long-enough battery life for a full workday make this model the best Chromebook for the price. But it is a bit heavy.

Buying Options

Budget pick.

Asus Chromebook Plus CX34

Less expensive, worse display.

This Asus model is a less expensive option that doesn’t sacrifice performance, but its non-touch display isn’t as tall, vibrant, or convenient as that of our top pick.

You save $125 (26%)

Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″ (82V80009UX)

Best if you want a big screen.

This inexpensive model offers fast performance, a roomy 16-inch screen with a high refresh rate, and an RGB keyboard with a built-in number pad. But it’s huge and heavy.

Upgrade pick

Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus (CX5403CMA-DB588)

More portable.

The ExpertBook is lighter and has longer battery life, a brighter display, and a crisper webcam than our top pick. But it’s more expensive, and it lacks a touchscreen.

Why a Chromebook?

Many kids already use Chromebooks at school, and these inexpensive, secure, and accessible laptops are great for pulling out of a bag and getting right to work.

Chromebooks can do almost anything that regular laptops can do, using browser-based software and services instead of Windows or macOS apps.

A great $500 Chromebook can feel faster to use—and can be lighter and more compact—than a similarly priced Windows laptop.

If you already have a desktop or laptop, a Chromebook is an excellent and affordable secondary device.

Recommended configuration

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has a reliable keyboard and trackpad, a tall touchscreen, and surprisingly good speakers. All of those features combined with the IdeaPad Flex 5i’s reasonable price make it the best Chromebook for most people’s needs. It has enough battery life to last a full day of work or classes, but not much longer, and we wish that it were lighter—at 3.6 pounds, it’s heavy for a 14-inch laptop.

The best cheap Chromebook—and the next-best option if our top pick is unavailable—is the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 . It’s just as fast as our top pick and can handle everyday workloads with ease, unlike many cheap Chromebooks, which feel slow with just a handful of tabs open. The CX34 also has a comfortable, backlit keyboard, battery life similar to that of our top pick, and a light, compact body. This model’s display is fine, but it lacks touch input, it’s not as tall, and its colors aren’t as vibrant as what you can get on our top pick.

The best option if you want a big screen is the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″ . Photos and videos look great on its gigantic 16-inch display with a high refresh rate, and the RGB keyboard is a fun extra feature. But this 4-pound laptop is inconvenient to take to work, class, or even a coffee shop—it’s best used around the house. If you need a more portable Chromebook to commute or travel with, consider our other picks instead.

If you want a more portable Chromebook that weighs less and offers longer battery life, as well as a brighter screen and a crisper-looking webcam, get the Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus (CX5403CMA-DB588) . It’s an excellent Chromebook with premium build quality, a reliable keyboard and trackpad, and a convenient fingerprint reader. But it costs several hundred dollars more than our top pick, and it lacks a touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge.

The research

What is a chromebook, why you should trust us, how we picked, how we tested, top pick: lenovo ideapad flex 5i chromebook plus, budget pick: asus chromebook plus cx34, best if you want a big screen: lenovo ideapad gaming chromebook 16", upgrade pick: asus expertbook cx54 chromebook plus, other chromebooks worth considering, what to look forward to, the competition.

A Chromebook is a laptop that runs ChromeOS , an operating system that uses the Chrome web browser as its primary interface. Chromebooks are ideal for students and kids, but they’re also worth considering if you spend most of your computer time in a web browser, if you’re on a tight budget, or if you already have a decent desktop PC . A good Chromebook can do almost anything a regular laptop can do—as long as that task is possible in a web browser or in Android apps . And $500 Chromebooks tend to be faster, lighter, and sleeker than $500 Windows laptops. Chromebooks are also secure and easy to maintain .

But Chromebooks can’t run Mac or Windows programs, including Windows-specific games. They work best with a full-time internet connection, though you can find offline options for Gmail, Google Drive, and other apps , and Chromebook Plus models can automatically sync Google Drive files for offline use. If you use web-based email, if you can get by with Microsoft 365 , Google’s office web apps, and Android app alternatives, and if you stream your music and movies, a Chromebook should do just about everything you need it to.

Most newly released Chromebooks have 128 GB of onboard storage; Google also provides 100 GB of free online Google One storage for one year. (Once your year is up, you have to pay to keep that cloud storage. Right now, 100 GB of storage costs $2 per month or $20 per year.) Most Chromebooks also include USB ports and a microSD card slot that you can use to expand the storage.

Senior staff writer Kimber Streams has tested most of the Chromebooks released since 2014, when they began covering Chromebooks for Wirecutter. They’ve tested and reviewed hundreds of laptops, including Chromebooks, cheap Windows laptops, powerful gaming laptops, and ultrabooks.

A Chromebook doesn’t need to be exceptionally powerful or look fancy. But if slow performance, poor battery life, a horrendous screen, or a bad keyboard or trackpad gets in your way, the Chromebook has failed at its only job. Here’s what we look for:

Performance: We’ve found that fast and reliable performance for a Chromebook requires 8 GB of memory combined with an 11th-generation or newer Intel processor or a 5000- or 7000-series AMD Ryzen processor. When we used Chromebooks with lower-end processors or less memory, we encountered long, frequent delays loading tabs, typing in documents and spreadsheets, and speaking on Zoom calls. One way to guarantee that you’re getting fast-enough performance is to look for Google’s new Chromebook Plus label introduced in October 2023, though some models released before then lack the label but meet the spec requirements.

Avoid Chromebooks that run on Intel’s N-series Celeron or Pentium processors, on ARM-based processors from companies such as MediaTek or Qualcomm, or on AMD’s Athlon A4 and A6 processors; in our testing over the years, we’ve come away frustrated by their laggy, inconsistent performance. Also avoid any Chromebooks with less than 4 GB of memory, regardless of their processor.

Price: As of 2024, Chromebooks that meet our performance requirements typically cost $400 to $550. Options with better performance and more features tend to cost at least $700.

Keyboard and trackpad: Both input devices should be good enough not to get in the way of your work. A backlit keyboard is a nice luxury.

Battery life: A Chromebook should last at least a full eight-hour day of classes or work so you don’t have to hunt for an outlet or be stuck with a dead laptop.

Size and weight: The lighter and more compact a laptop is, the easier it is to carry on a plane, to a coffee shop, or to class. And for Chromebooks with 360-degree convertible hinges, being lighter makes them easier to hold in tablet mode—less than 3 pounds is ideal.

Screen: We recommend a 1920×1080 resolution or thereabouts for a 13- to 15-inch screen—higher resolutions often aren’t worth the trade-off in battery life, and lower resolutions look bad. A touchscreen and a 360-degree hinge are nice perks since Chromebooks also run Android apps, and an included stylus is a bonus.

Ports: We appreciate a Chromebook that includes both USB-C ports and traditional USB-A ports, which allows you to connect older peripherals.

Support: Google now guarantees 10 years of software updates—including new features and security fixes—for every new Chromebook. We don’t recommend any Chromebooks with a support date that expires before 2029.

We lived with each Chromebook for at least a full day of work to get a feel for the keyboard, trackpad, screen, and speakers, as well as for each laptop’s real-world performance. We checked Gmail and Google Calendar, ran Slack, streamed music, worked in large Google Drive spreadsheets and text documents, chatted on Zoom, and streamed videos from Netflix, Twitch, and YouTube. We paid attention to any performance issues that surfaced.

To quantify how fast a Chromebook felt to use, we gathered results from the Speedometer 3.0 and JetStream 2 benchmarking tools to measure performance, combining those results with what we saw in our real-world testing.

To test the battery life of each Chromebook, we set each screen’s backlight to approximately 150 nits and ran a customized version of the Chromium web-browsing battery test . It emulates typical browsing behavior by cycling through web pages, email, streaming audio, Google Docs files, and video.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is an excellent Chromebook, with the best combination of features and price of all the models we’ve tested. It offers fast performance, a reliable keyboard and trackpad, a tall and spacious touchscreen, and enough battery life to last a full day of work or classes. Though we wish it were lighter—at 3.6 pounds it’s weighty for a 14-inch laptop—it’s the best Chromebook for most people’s needs.

It’s fast enough for everyday tasks. The IdeaPad Flex 5i meets all of Wirecutter’s (and Google’s) spec requirements for smooth performance. It was plenty fast enough to handle all my tabs, including Gmail, Google Calendar, Slack, YouTube Music, a YouTube video, a large spreadsheet of Chromebook test results, a long Google Doc, and five to 10 other miscellaneous retailer and laptop-maker websites. I even threw a Zoom call on top, and everything kept working just fine. This model also supports Google’s new Chromebook Plus features for improving video calls, syncing files for offline access, and more.

The battery will last a full day of work or classes, but not much longer. In our testing, the IdeaPad Flex 5i lasted 9 hours 31 minutes on a charge; we prefer to see a couple more hours, especially since battery life degrades over time. If you need longer battery life, consider our upgrade pick instead.

It has a tall, spacious display and surprisingly good speakers. The IdeaPad Flex 5i’s 14-inch 1920×1200 touchscreen has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is especially convenient for scrolling web pages and working in long documents. It isn’t bright enough to see outdoors on a sunny day—and the glossy touchscreen is reflective—but it isn’t so dim and desaturated as to be distracting. In addition, we found the upward-facing speakers to be unexpectedly competent; the Flex 5i is a better option for watching movies and music videos than our budget pick.

You can use it as a tablet, but it’s heavy. Our top pick has a 360-degree hinge, so you can flip the screen around and use it in tablet or tent mode. But the IdeaPad Flex 5i’s weight makes it difficult to hold in tablet mode. I was able to open the lid with a single hand, but the tight hinge made the action more difficult than it should have been.

The IdeaPad Flex 5i has a mix of new and old USB ports, so it should accommodate the accessories and cables you already have. It has guaranteed update support through June 2032.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

It’s heavy for its portable size. At 12.4 by 9.0 by 0.8 inches, our top pick is compact enough to fit into most bags to use on the go. But at 3.6 pounds, the IdeaPad Flex 5i is one of the heavier Chromebooks we’ve tested with this screen size. If you need a lighter Chromebook, take a look at our budget pick or our upgrade pick .

Its 1080p webcam is fine but could be better. The webcam produces a dim image even with Google’s new Improve Lighting feature enabled. (It does have a convenient privacy shutter to block it when you’re not using it.) Our budget pick and upgrade pick have better webcams, if you need one for frequent video calls.

The best inexpensive Chromebook, and the next-best option if our top pick is unavailable, is the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 . Unlike many cheap Chromebooks, which can struggle with basic tasks, the CX34 feels as fast as our top pick, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i. And it has a comfortable, backlit keyboard, a responsive trackpad, and a decent 14-inch 1080p display. But compared with the IdeaPad Flex 5i’s screen, the CX34’s display lacks touch input, it’s not as tall, and its colors aren’t as vibrant.

Our budget pick is just as fast as our top pick. Many cheap Chromebooks rely on slow processors or have limited memory; typically those models can’t handle a video call and an open document at the same time, or they bog down with just a handful of tabs open. But the CX34 doesn’t make any sacrifices in the performance department—our budget pick can handle everyday workloads with ease.

It’s light and compact. Our budget pick is easier to lug around because it’s about a third of a pound lighter and a bit more compact than our top pick. The CX34 lasted 9 hours 52 minutes in our battery-life test, about the same as the IdeaPad Flex 5i. Both models have enough battery life to make it through a full day of work or classes.

Its smaller, non-touch display is a step down. The CX34’s 14-inch 1920×1080 screen is fine, but its 16:9 aspect ratio isn’t as nice as the IdeaPad Flex 5i’s taller display for working in documents or browsing the web. This model’s screen also lacks touch input, and colors look more drab and desaturated in comparison with those on our top pick’s display.

You can’t use it as a tablet. Unlike the IdeaPad Flex 5i, which has a 360-degree hinge, the CX34 can work only as a basic clamshell laptop. It’s easy to open with one hand, though.

The CX34 has a 1080p webcam with a built-in privacy shutter. Like the IdeaPad Flex 5i, the CX34 has a variety of useful ports, and it has guaranteed update support through June 2032.

If you want a big screen, the best option is the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″ . Its 16-inch display provides more room to get work done or to enjoy streaming shows or movies, and its number pad can be useful if you do a lot of data entry. That big screen makes the whole laptop heavier and bulkier, though. If you need a more portable Chromebook to take to classes, to commute or travel with, or to occasionally cart to a café, you may want to consider our other picks instead.

Its gigantic screen is ideal for working or for watching videos. The 16-inch, 2560×1600 high-refresh display gives you more room to work on documents and spreadsheets or to watch shows and movies. Its colors are vibrant, the matte display doesn’t throw distracting reflections, and the 120 Hz high refresh rate makes scrolling and other actions look extra smooth.

The customizable RGB keyboard is responsive and fun. But the backlit keys feel mushy, and the keyboard deck flexes a lot, even under light typing. This model is the only one of our current picks with a number pad, so if that feature is a must-have for you, this is the Chromebook to get. The IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook’s extra-wide trackpad is accurate, and it works well for all taps, clicks, and gestures.

It offers long battery life, but it’s large and heavy. The IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook will last a full day of work or school away from an outlet—the Core i5 model ran for 10 hours 43 minutes in our battery test, and we expect the Core i3 model to last a bit longer. But at 4 pounds, it’s the heaviest of our picks. And compared with our top pick, the IdeaPad Flex 5i, it’s much bigger overall, measuring nearly 2 inches wider and an inch deeper. This Chromebook is more convenient to use at home, rather than on the go.

Unlike our top pick, this model can’t work as a tablet. The IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook lacks a 360-degree hinge, but it’s too bulky and heavy to use in a tent mode or tablet mode, anyway. I consistently needed both hands to open it. If you want a large-screen laptop that you can open using a single hand, I suggest the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (CB515-2H) or HP Chromebook 15a-nb0023dx .

Despite being a “gaming Chromebook,” it doesn’t have an Ethernet port. It comes with three months of Nvidia GeForce Now, but the lack of Ethernet made streaming games unreliable in our testing. It does have a variety of USB-C and USB-A ports for most other needs, though. The webcam is about as good as those of our other picks, and it has guaranteed update support through June 2032.

If you want a lighter Chromebook with longer battery life and a more flattering webcam, we recommend the Asus ExpertBook CX54 Chromebook Plus (CX5403CMA-DB588) . The ExpertBook CX54 also has a brighter, higher-resolution display, a convenient fingerprint reader, a more satisfying keyboard, and a more premium build quality. But it typically costs a couple hundred dollars more than our top pick, and it lacks a touchscreen.

The backlit keyboard feels comfortable and satisfying. I enjoyed typing on it more than on our top pick’s shallower keyboard, though the backlight on our review unit looks patchy and uneven. The ExpertBook’s gigantic trackpad is responsive and accurate, and we didn’t encounter any issues with palm rejection.

It’s light and portable, with long battery life. In our battery-life tests, this model lasted 12 hours—about two hours longer than our top pick. That’s plenty long enough for the machine to get through a full day of work or school without needing to be plugged in. At 2.87 pounds, it’s more than half a pound lighter than our top pick, too.

Its display is brighter and higher resolution than our pick’s, but it lacks touch support. Because the 14-inch 2560×1600 display gets much brighter than that of the IdeaPad 5i, you can still see it outdoors on a sunny day. And like our top pick, the ExpertBook has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is particularly nice for browsing the web.

You can’t use it as a tablet, only as a laptop. Because the ExpertBook CX54 doesn’t have a 360-degree hinge or a touchscreen, you can’t use it in tent or tablet mode like our top pick. But its lid is easy to open with a single hand.

Its webcam is a significant step up over those of our other picks. In our tests, this model’s webcam produced a brighter, more flattering image on Zoom calls. The webcam also has a physical privacy shutter to block it when you’re not using it.

It has a fingerprint reader on the palm rest. And it has guaranteed update support through June 2034.

If our top picks are out of stock: The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook Plus is the next best option thanks to its solid performance and long battery life. It costs a bit more than our top picks, its keys feel stiff, and our top pick’s taller-aspect-ratio display is more convenient, but the IdeaPad Slim 3i is a perfectly serviceable Chromebook.

If our budget pick is sold out: Get the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT-359X) . It has reliable performance, decent battery life, and a 14-inch 1080p touch display. Compared to our budget pick, the Chromebook Plus 514’s keyboard doesn’t feel as satisfying to type on and its webcam doesn’t handle low light as well. But for a $350 Chromebook, this model provides a great value.

If you want a cheap Chromebook with a good webcam: The HP Chromebook Plus x360 (14b-cd0133wm) is an inexpensive option with a more flattering webcam for frequent video calls. In our tests it had 9 hours of battery life, as well as a snappy keyboard and a reliable trackpad. The trade-off is this model’s dim display—it maxed out at 233 nits, which is fine indoors but impossible to see outside.

If our big-screen pick is unavailable: We recommend the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (CB515-2H) or the HP Chromebook Plus (15a-nb0033dx)  instead. Both models are fast-enough, reliable Chromebooks with long battery life; get the HP model if you want a number pad, otherwise get whichever one is cheaper. Compared with the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″ , both of these models have smaller, lower-resolution, dimmer displays with a standard 60 Hz refresh rate, and as a result, scrolling and other animations don’t look as smooth.

If our upgrade pick is unavailable, or if you spot a sale: The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (CP714-1H-54UB) is an excellent premium Chromebook with a 360-degree hinge, solid performance, and long battery life. But compared with the Asus ExpertBook CX54, the Spin 714 is heavier, and it has a dimmer, lower-resolution display and a smaller trackpad.

If you want a Chromebook for streaming games: The Acer Chromebook Plus 516GE (CBG516-2H-59S4)  is the best of the so-called gaming Chromebooks because it’s the only model with an Ethernet port to provide a reliable internet connection for streaming games. It also has a vivid 16-inch, 2560×1600 display with a 120 Hz refresh rate and a responsive, comfortable RGB keyboard. Every gaming Chromebook we’ve tested on Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now (Priority and Ultimate tiers) has exhibited frustrating hiccups over Wi-Fi on a 500 Mbps internet plan, so we don’t recommend getting a Chromebook to stream games over Wi-Fi.

At the Computex 2024 trade show, Acer announced the $550 Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-4HN) . We plan to test it for our next update.

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX3402CVA-I5128 is nearly identical to our budget pick, but it has a cheap-feeling, non-backlit keyboard, and it costs more at around $500.

Although the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 (CBV514-1H-38VS) is fast enough for everyday tasks and offers long battery life, it has a non-touch screen that’s dimmer than those of our top picks, and it costs more than our budget picks.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-3HT-R8C2) offers fast performance but has a notably dim display with desaturated colors.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-1H) is large and heavy, and its update support ends a year sooner than our top pick’s. The Acer Chromebook 514 (CB514-2H) is too slow for everyday tasks, and our review unit stopped turning on.

During our tests, the N6000 processor in the Acer Chromebook 314 (CB314-3HT-P6QW) and the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (CP314-1HN-P138) struggled to support a Zoom call and document editing at the same time.

The ARM-based processor in the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (CP513-1H-S338) faltered in simultaneously running a Zoom call and allowing work on a spreadsheet.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C433 and Asus Chromebook Flip C434 won’t get Chromebook Plus features and will stop receiving security updates years before our top picks.

At a whopping 4.08 pounds, the Asus Chromebook Plus CM34 Flip is too heavy; this 14-inch model weighs even more than our pick with a 16-inch display . The CM34 Flip is an otherwise good Chromebook with long, 13-hour battery life, fast-enough specs, and Chromebook Plus features.

Upgrade options

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (CP714-2W-56B2) is an older model of the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (CP714-1H-54UB) with pointier edges and two years less support—it’ll stop receiving updates in June 2032. But it has longer battery life than the newer model, and it’s a good Chromebook if you spot it on sale.

Compared with our upgrade pick, the HP Chromebook Plus x360 (14c-cd0053dx) has shorter battery life, it’s a bit heavier, its display doesn’t get as bright, and it’s harder to open with a single hand.

Though the Lenovo ThinkPad C14 Gen 1 Chromebook has a top-notch keyboard and trackpad, our upgrade pick is smaller, lighter, and cheaper, with longer battery life and a taller-aspect-ratio display.

The HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook has a thin and light body, a vibrant 13.5-inch 1080p touchscreen, a comfortable backlit keyboard, and a huge responsive trackpad, and in our tests it offered excellent performance and plenty of battery life. But it retails for more than $1,000.

15- and 16-inch options

The Asus Chromebook Flip CM5 (CM5500FDA-DN344T) has worse performance, a smaller screen, and a higher price than our pick, the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″ .

The Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5601) is heavier, dimmer, and more expensive than our big-screen pick.

The Acer Chromebook 315 (CB315-4HT) and the Lenovo 3i Chromebook (15″) had too-slow processors that struggled with video calls and other simultaneous tasks in our tests.

Gaming Chromebooks

Google worked with manufacturers to design “gaming Chromebooks” that come with cloud-gaming subscriptions, high-refresh displays, and RGB keyboards. After testing these models, we don’t recommend Chromebooks as gaming devices—they’re limited to Android games (which you can play on any decent Chromebook) and game-streaming services, which are dependent on fickle internet connections. The Acer Chromebook Plus 516GE (CBG516-2H-59S4)  is the only one with an Ethernet port, which makes it more reliable for game streaming, while the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip and Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip cost more and lack Ethernet ports. We like the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16″ more for its large screen and low price than its gaming capabilities.

Budget options

The HP Chromebook Plus 14a-nf0050nr is comparatively expensive when it’s not on sale, and it has a mediocre keyboard and a dimmer display than our picks.

Equipped with only an N100 processor and 4 GB of memory, the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3i Chromebook (82XH0001US) had difficulty handling simultaneous tasks and video calls.

The MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor in the Asus Chromebook CM30 (CM3001DM2A-M8186) , Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook (14″) and the Asus Chromebook CM14 and Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip was abysmally slow in our tests.

The base Dell Latitude 3445 Chromebook is comparatively expensive for a machine with a low-resolution display, 4 GB of memory, and only 32 GB of local storage.

The Lenovo IdeaPad Chromebook Duet 3 (11″) is a detachable ChromeOS tablet that comes with a keyboard, but its processor is too slow.

Budget models that rely on the Intel Celeron N4500 processor are too slow for even light use. We also found the MediaTek processor in the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3 (CM3200FVA-DS42T) to be exceedingly slow.

A laptop should last at least five years, so we don’t recommend Chromebooks with a support date that expires before 2029—such as the Asus Chromebook Flip C302 (C302CA-DH54) , which is still available at this writing even though it stopped receiving updates in June 2023. Even if you find one cheap, it’s a bad deal.

This article was edited by Caitlin McGarry and Signe Brewster.

Meet your guide

Kimber Streams

Kimber Streams is a senior staff writer and has been covering laptops, gaming gear, keyboards, storage, and more for Wirecutter since 2014. In that time they’ve tested hundreds of laptops and thousands of peripherals, and built way too many mechanical keyboards for their personal collection.

Further reading

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There’s Never Been a Better Time to Buy a Chromebook

Google’s new Chromebook Plus label will help you find an affordable laptop that isn’t awful.

The Best Laptops for College Students

Of all the laptops we recommend, these offer the best balance of performance and a low price—and that makes them our favorite laptops for college students.

Acer Chromebook 315 review: should you buy this budget Chromebook?

The Acer Chromebook 315 CB315-3H promises a lot, at a low price. We get hands-on to find out whether it delivers.

A big, beautiful screen, impressive battery life and a low, low cost makes this one of the best budget buys around. Just be sure it's a Chromebook you want.

Large HD screen

Sleek looks

Good battery life

Basic keyboard and audio

Why you can trust T3 Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

Looking for a cheap laptop? Then look no further than this Acer Chromebook 315 review, there's a reason it's always popping up on price comparison sites, as well as in T3's authoritative best student laptops guide. But is it actually any good? That's the question this Acer Chromebook 315 review will hope to answer.

At first glance, it seems this laptop ticks all the boxes with a large, Full HD touchscreen, decent battery life and a capable processor. As well as a sub-£300 price tag, of course. 

But impressive specs don’t always mean a great customer experience. So we got our hands on the Intel-powered version of the Acer Chromebook 315, the (not very) snappily titled CB315-3H, to learn what it's like to use in practice. 

To that end, we put in a serious number of hours doing things such as writing emails, managing our Google Calendar, listening to music, watching movies, surfing the web, and more. 

The first thing to know is that the Acer Chromebook 315 runs on Chrome OS, an easy-to-use interface that relies heavily on having an internet connection because it stores most of your files online. The reason? You don't need to have loads of in-built storage, which ultimately brings the price of the laptop right down. 

If you're still unsure what sort of laptop you want, then be sure to scope out T3's best laptops , best 2-in-1 laptops and best lightweight laptops guides, as they are full of great advice and top products.

And, if you like to do a bit of gaming, be sure to also take a look at T3's best gaming laptops guide, as that has systems with serious pixel-pushing power.

All that said, read on to see if the Acer Chromebook 315 is the right system for you in 2022.

Acer Chromebook 315 review: is a Chromebook right for you?

First a quick note in case you’ve never used a Chromebook before. (If you have, then just skip to the next section.)

The reason Chromebooks are generally cheaper than, say, Windows or Mac laptops is that there’s not much in the way of an operating system. Basically you get an internet browser, a folder for files you’ve downloaded, and that’s your lot. 

This might sound limiting. But it’s surprising how much you can do with the software available on the web, much of which is provided by Google for free, such as Google Sheets (for spreadsheets), Google Docs (for word processing) and Google Drive (for cloud storage). 

The main restriction of Chromebooks, then, is the need for a constant internet connection; because although there are ways to work offline, they’re usually a little clunky. On the plus side, you won’t get slowed down by the buggy software and endless updates that plague Windows operating systems in particular.

The system on review here is from Acer, who currently have multiple products in our best Chromebooks buying guide, and is a maker of respected reputation. We would suggest that as well as reading this review, you also take a look at some of the systems in that guide, too, as well as at its advice, before making a purchasing decision.

Acer Chromebook 315 review: design

Looks-wise, this is the sleekest and most attractive Chromebook we’ve seen at this price point. Not far off a MacBook in terms of aesthetics, the look is sleek metallic, and reflects the light in an aesthetically pleasing way. 

Note, though, it only looks like metal: it’s actually plastic, which can be a bit of a disappointment when you first feel it in your hands. As long as you’re prepared for that, though, it’s quite a beaut. 

The laptop is hinged and can be opened out a full 180 degrees. At 1.9kg, this device isn't the lightest, but it's certainly light enough to carry around from place to place.

Oddly, the keyboard takes up just the top half of the base. (Specifically: 115 x 330mm out of an available 250 x 366mm). That leaves room for a surprisingly large trackpad (78 x 106mm), which sits below the spacebar and, well, a lot of empty space. It’s a bit of a weird layout, and when using it on the sofa, we tended to rest our right hand to the right of the trackpad, while the left hand had nowhere to go, leading eventually to a bit of strain and discomfort. We're sure we'd eventually develop better typing habits, but it does take some getting used to. 

The keyboard itself isn't exactly premium. Although it functions perfectly well, the keys are light and flimsy, and typing on them is not the most joyous experience. There's no backlight and the Enter key is strangely thin and easy to miss. 

On the plus side, there is a number pad, which is a godsend for tasks such as typing figures into spreadsheets. And the trackpad feels smooth and intuitive in action. It's fully responsive wherever you click, and we like that it makes an audible noise when you do. Plus its large size mean your fingers never need struggle to reach it. 

Acer Chromebook 315: screen

One of the best attributes of the Acer Chromebook 315 is the size of its screen, which is a generous 15.6in in diameter. That’s large indeed for a Chromebook, and is great for watching TV and movies. You’ll be able to see people on Zoom calls in more detail too, which may be a bug or a feature, depending on how attractive your friends and colleagues are.

A larger screen can also make you more productive when doing work, study, or organising your household. You can, for example, comfortably fit multiple windows side-by-side on your screen, and view extra columns and rows of a spreadsheet, without having to reduce characters down to magnifying glass proportions. 

The screen has an anti-glare coating that does a good job of letting you work with sunlight behind you, and works beautifully as a touchscreen too.

Acer Chromebook 315: setup and operation

Setting up the Acer 315 is just as quick and easy as with any Chromebook. You just need an internet connection and a Google log-in. If you don’t have the latter, you’ll need to hop on your phone or another computer to set one up first.

Once you’ve entered your username and password, it’s just a few steps to get going, such as choosing whether to sync your device with your Android phone. If you want to get started very quickly, you can just skip most of these and come back to them later. That way, you can be up and running in literally a couple of minutes.

Even if you’ve never used a Chromebook before, there’s no real learning curve here; after all, you do pretty much everything in the browser, with your main apps grouped at the bottom. The only other thing to be aware of is the basic folder structure, which organises your Google Drive files and direct downloads in one simple space, and can be opened and closed at will. As you can see from the screengrab above, it all adds up to a clean and minimal workspace.

Although Chromebooks are generally geared towards cloud storage (you get 15GB free with Google Drive, for instance), sometimes you do need to store things locally.  For example, if you were going on a long trip, you’d want to load up some movies  for offline viewing. So the inclusion of 64GB of flash memory storage is more than welcome here.

Acer Chromebook 315: performance

The Acer Chromebook 315 comes in two flavours: one powered by AMD and the other by Intel. The model we were given to review runs on a dual-core 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N4020 processor, teamed with a Intel UHD Graphics 600 processor. 

This setup certainly isn’t as powerful as your average Windows or Mac laptop. But in truth, it doesn’t need to be for the main tasks you’re likely to use a Chromebook for, such as web browsing, word processing, video streaming, and listening to music. For all these activities, we found the Acer Chromebook 315 performed smoothly and efficiently, with no problems to report.

With cheap Chromebooks, what usually happens is that once you open multiple tabs, things start to slow down. With the 315, however, we didn’t have that problem, going beyond 10 tabs and still finding everything working perfectly. Obviously, if your web connection isn’t great you might experience difficulties, but in our experience, it won’t be the fault of the device itself.

The LCD screen offers full HD (1080p) resolution and is perfectly enjoyable to watch TV and movies on. The picture is, admittedly, a little flat: you’ll find sharper colours, better brightness and 4K resolution on more expensive laptops. But is it spending a lot more money for what amounts to small improvements? It depends on your priorities, but for most people, we’d suggest not.

What may dampen your enjoyment a little more is the audio. The stereo speakers are placed in the bottom of the device, sending the sound into your desk or lap, which is hardly ideal. And even if you prop up the bottom of the laptop for greater clarity, things still sound decidedly tinny. On the positive side, you can turn everything up nice and loud, which compares favourably to other Chromebooks we’ve tried. 

Acer Chromebook 315: connectivity and battery life

Connectivity is pretty decent on the Acer Chromebook 315. There's a total of 4 USB ports: two USB-C ports, and two USB-A ports. You also get a headphone jack, a microSD card slot and a slot for connecting a Kensington security cable (not included).

These are divided between the left and right hand sides, and nicely spaced so your various plugs and leads don't fight each other. And here's something that gets us very excited: a choice of powering your device from USB-C ports on either the left or the right side. 

This means even when your power outlet is in an difficult place related to where you're sat, you won't need to awkwardly twist your plug to get it in the socket. And that helps protect your device in the long term. Darn it, ultimately even if one of your power ports fails, you'll still have a backup.

Data transfer speeds are not, it has to be said, particularly fast, but that's kind of what you'd expect of a device at this price point. In a similar vein, the HD, 30fps web cam is nothing to write home about, but does the job.

There is one true jewel in the 315's crown, though: battery life. The 3-cel Lithium Ion battery promises "up to" 12.5 hours' battery life, and we found it coming close to this target in some pretty resource intensive tasks. 

Impressively, we spent a full nine hours 35 minutes watching full screen Marvel movies offline, via the Disney + Android app, which would certainly be enough to get you through a long journey. Then to test battery life on WiFi, we streamed HD videos on YouTube, and the Acer kept going for a stonking 11 hours 16 minutes. 

That level of battery life is not to be sniffed at, and so we'd recommend the 315 to anyone who spends a lot of time away from a power outlet.

Acer Chromebook 315: verdict

In conclusion, we'd say the Acer Chromebook 315 is one of the best budget Chromebooks on the market today, and a great choice for school children, students and, well, most people really. 

Don’t get us wrong: this is by no means a premium product. There's no fingerprint reader, no optical drive, no stylus. And the keyboard, web cam, video playback and audio quality are all decidedly average. But to get such a sleek and attractive laptop, a generous-sized touchscreen, substantial battery life, and a processor capable of running multiple tabs smoothly, for under £300, is little short of a miracle. 

It's not for everyone, of course. If you want a laptop for business, you'll need something more powerful and expensive. If hardcore gaming's your passion, you'd be forced to rely on web-based platforms like Google Stadia. And as with any Chromebook, you won’t be able to run resource-heavy creative software such as Photoshop or After Effects. 

However, most people won’t want to do any of that. They just want a laptop for simpler tasks such as web surfing, listening to music, watching videos, and all the daily things we now need to do online, from writing emails to making Zoom calls. For such tasks, this Chromebook does everything you need to, on a beautiful big screen, and at a very lovely price indeed. 

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Tom May is a freelance writer and author of the book, Great Ted Talks: Creativity. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including Radio Times, NME, Heat, Company and Bella.

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Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) review: good price, great performance

Not cheap, but better than its rivals.

TechRadar Verdict

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) is a very capable Chromebook that rivals pricier models in performance but keeps things affordable by sticking to the basics. There might not be a lot in the way of frills, but many of what it does have are implemented well. If you want best value, this is it.

Great performance

• All-day battery life

Fantastic screen

Nice keyboard, trackpad, and touchscreen

No stylus included

High mid-range price might turn off some people

Configuration not available outside of the US

Why you can trust TechRadar We spend hours testing every product or service we review, so you can be sure you’re buying the best. Find out more about how we test.

• Price & availability
• Performance
• Should you buy it?
• Also consider
• How I tested

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Two-minute review

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) - or as Acer officially refers to it, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-3H) - may not be the most kitted-out Chromebook we’ve seen, and it’s certainly not among the cheapest either. However, it’s clever enough to rival $1,000/£1,000 models in performance while keeping the price a little closer to the ground, which makes it a better proposition in terms of value, which in turn makes it among the best Chromebooks right now.

This 2-in-1 laptop offsets some of the production cost by keeping its features down to the essentials. There are neither novel nor particularly newsworthy features here – just the most vital ones are present, and they’re well-implemented. The 14-inch 1080p Corning Gorilla Glass display, as an example, is made for Netflix binges. Meanwhile, the webcam is made for the post-pandemic worker with its 1080p video resolution.

It doesn’t scrimp on build quality and power either, which is why it’s kind of bizarre that Acer has managed to keep it relatively affordable. While you don’t look at that chassis and start to drool, it doesn’t feel cheap. Nor does it feel too clunky and heavy – though I wouldn’t call it Ultrabook -level light, it’s still travel-friendly.

Mind you, it doesn’t surpass something like the much pricier HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook in performance. But the difference is so small and, to non-technophile users, practically negligible, that you kind of wonder why you want to pay a lot for the latter if you mostly care about getting your workload done.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) makes a clean sweep for the (upper) mid-range, and this is the Chromebook for everyone - whether you’re a pro, a casual user, or just someone looking for the best Chromebook for students . 

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $699.99 (about £570 / AU$1,050)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) may be an expensive piece of kit as far as Chromebooks go, but there are much pricier models so I would put this in the higher mid-range. At $699.99 (about £570 / AU$1,050), it sits in the same price range as less capable Windows laptops , but that’s more because their internals handle a much more robust operating system that requires more resources than Chrome OS. And, if most of your workload, whether for work or school, can be done on the Chrome browser, you may get more out of this one than its Windows counterparts.

Unfortunately for UK and Australian consumers, this particular model is only available in the US and seems exclusively sold at the Acer online store. Those in the US who want something even cheaper can purchase its AMD Ryzen 3 version at Best Buy for $549.99 (about £450 / AU$825). See what Acer promo codes are out there right now to save more.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Specs

Trying to figure out the wide variety of configurations the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 has can be a gnarly process, as there are so many of them and they differ from region to region. So we’re focusing this review on our version, which is the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 CP514-3HH-R6VK. 

The Ryzen 5 5625C chip that powers it, which hit the shelves in 2022, may not be the most powerful. However, it is more than enough to handle the most demanding Chrome OS tasks, including streaming different video content all at once. 

There's integrated AMD Radeon Graphics inside as well – a necessary addition since this is one of Acer’s Chromebooks that support Steam on Chrome in Beta. It is disappointing that something poised to be a gaming Chromebook only has 8GB of memory and 128GB of eMMC storage, though. You probably shouldn’t rely on this as your primary device for gaming.

However, for productivity and casual use, those specs are more than enough to keep users happy – even more so because there’s a decent selection of ports on it including an HDMI 2.0 port.

• Specs: 4 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Design

• Solid if run-of-the-mill design
• Excellent display with intuitive touchscreen
• Great keyboard and trackpad, ok speakers

Though other premium Chromebooks come in attractive luxe packages, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) focuses on what matters more to sensible consumers. As a result, it’s not the fanciest-looking option out there with its typical laptop design and 'Sparkly Silver' finish. 

It is pretty robust, however, with its verified military-grade (MIL-STD-810H) durability, which makes it the perfect portable for working on the go. Adding to its travel-friendliness is its decently lightweight design. Not that I’d call this an ultra-lightweight model, but I don’t mind lugging this around when I’m traveling (and I did).

The chassis might not be anything special, but it also doesn’t feel cheap. And, as an extra precaution for when it’s tackling demanding workloads, it’s designed to lift at the front base for better air circulation when in laptop mode. It got a little warm from time to time during testing, but never did it get hot.

Speaking of modes, this is a 2-in-1 laptop, giving it even more value. Is it too big and thick to be a tablet that’s comfortable to use? Perhaps. But, it’s really not that bad, especially if you’re just writing down notes or organizing your digital planner. I’m more concerned about the lack of a stylus in the box; while the Acer CineCrystal touch display supports the USI Stylus, you have to purchase it separately, which is disappointing.

Still, that display dazzles. 

I don’t always expect a great display on a Chromebook, but this 1080p one boasts vibrant colors that are a little on the cooler side and a great dynamic range so dark scenes in shows like Stranger Things and Wednesday still have a lot of detail in them. It’s great for media consumption, as well as note-taking with its intuitive and responsive touch capability.

The 1080p webcam is equally great, giving you 60fps video capability to get rid of ghosting issues and great overall picture quality that allow me to look my best, whether on work video conference calls or video chats with loved ones. It's certainly better than most 720p cameras you'll find on many laptops. I still prefer a stand-alone webcam, but this should do nicely when I'm at a cafe or traveling.

Not that you’d use that feature a lot since the keyboard on this is very comfortable and satisfying to type on. The keys have the slightest resistance before bottoming out, but it’s nothing you won’t get used to within the first hour if you’re a linear lover like me. I also appreciate the trackpad here, which is spacious, responsive, and nice to the touch. More importantly, it’s sitting right at the center, giving both my wrists enough space and not aggravating my OCD side.

Finally, the speakers – there are two upward-firing speakers built in that according to Acer are optimized for bass and treble response. In practice, they’re not too bad. They have plenty of volume on tap if not a lot of bass. And though the mid-range sounds a bit hollow and the overall audio quality is a little compressed, the high end is actually ok.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Performance

• Performance almost comparable to pricier Chromebooks

Jumping into the fray of premium Chromebooks isn’t easy, especially with less powerful yet still capable internals. But the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is proving that it might just be the way to go, considering its price-to-performance ratio.

Comparing its benchmark results with the much more expensive HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, you can see that there isn’t a massive difference in performance. That is, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook scores higher in the Geekbench single-core and multi-core tests, but not by as much as I would expect considering the difference in price. Same with the WebGL Aquarium FPS test – although the Chromebook Spin 514 does fall a little further behind when rendering 30K fish. With JetStream 2, a test focused on web applications, it even goes toe-to-toe with the even pricier HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook .

In real-world scenarios, the Chromebook Spin 514 breezes through mostly browser-based workloads without a hitch. It’s able to manage 20 tabs of websites with varying graphical and processing demands while keeping things relatively cool and quiet. It managed to run three different streaming services while I’ve got online shops, manufacturer websites, and my work-related pages smoothly and lag-free.

It even showcased better longevity than the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, lasting two hours and 15 minutes longer during our short movie battery test. And although eight hours and 20 minutes is already long enough for most people, giving them that whole workday battery life, I’ve found when just doing purely work stuff on this Chromebook that it’ll have a bit of extra juice left for the next morning.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022)?

Buy it if...

You need a powerful Chromebook but don't have as big of a budget This is one capable Chromebook that keeps its price in the comfortable mid-range. You might even get more from it than from a similarly-priced Windows laptop if you don't need a full operating system.

You care more about performance than aesthetic Not that this looks hideous, but it certainly doesn't have the fancy trimmings of something like the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook.

You don't need a Windows and Mac laptop If most of your workload and casual computer needs can be done on the Chrome browser, this one's a shoo-in.

Don't buy it if...

You're on a very tight budget Though not quite as pricey as other premium Chromebooks, this might be out of reach if you're seeking something sub-$500/£500.

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Also consider

If my Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook This unofficial successor to the Google Pixelbook houses some powerful hardware and a stunning display in a gorgeous chassis.

Read our full HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review

HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook Easily the best Chromebooks we've tested, it delivers great performance and decent battery life in an elegantly designed body.

Read our full HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook review

How I tested the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022)

• Spent a week testing the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022)
• Tested it for work and casual browsing and media consumption
• Used a mix of in-house and commercial benchmarking tools

It only took me a week to test the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) as it was clear from the get-go that it's a capable machine for many types of users. Probably the longest part of my testing was our battery test, which took all day. The rest of the week I spent using it as my main device.

To put it through the paces, I used it for work, writing up emails and articles, using it for research, and handling social media platforms. I also used it to stream movies and shows. I also ran it through our suite of benchmark and battery tests.

I've been testing and reviewing computing devices, including laptops and Chromebooks, for years now, first as a freelancer for different tech publications and now as one of the Computing editors at TechRadar. I'm a regular laptop and Chromebook user myself.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023

Michelle Rae Uy is the former Computing Reviews and Buying Guides Editor at TechRadar. She's a Los Angeles-based tech, travel and lifestyle writer covering a wide range of topics, from computing to the latest in green commutes to the best hiking trails. She's an ambivert who enjoys communing with nature and traveling for months at a time just as much as watching movies and playing sim games at home. That also means that she has a lot more avenues to explore in terms of understanding how tech can improve the different aspects of our lives. 

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Taiwanese-American computing giant Acer has a great reputation for its affordable laptops. In particular, Acer's diverse Chromebook range offers models that span from compact budget laptops to high-end gaming laptops.

One of Acer's biggest benefits is its wide range of Chrome OS devices, including Chromebook Plus models, which makes it easy to find a computer that meets your needs. And this round-up of the best Acer Chromebooks includes competitively priced laptops that will take you from your college dissertation to that all-important all-night gaming session.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023)

Acer Chromebook Spin 311

Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024)

Acer Chromebook 715

Acer Chromebook 317

Acer Chromebook Plus 514

Acer Chromebook 315

Reliable acer chromebooks.

Great for most people

Acer's Chromebook Plus 515 brings modern Intel Core performance, speedy LPDDR5x RAM, and plenty of storage. It lacks a touch display and keyboard backlight, but that won't matter to many who just want an affordable and reliable laptop for productivity, streaming, and homework.

• 12th Gen Intel Core performance
• 8GB LPDDR5x RAM and 128GB storage
• Top-firing speakers, lots of ports, 1080p webcam
• No keyboard backlight
• No touch display

Google's Chromebook Plus technology delivers enhanced performance for ChromeOS devices with a welcome boost to processing power, speeds, screen resolution, and battery life. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 allows you to get your hands on this enhanced tech without blowing your budget.

Despite the slightly underwhelming steel-gray exterior, the Chromebook Plus 515 is a competent model that keeps pace with professional demands like telecommuting. The display has a 16:9 aspect ratio, 1920x1080 resolution, and an IPS panel. As for ports, you get two USB-C 3.2, one USB-A 3.2, a 3.5mm audio jack, and HDMI 1.4. And thanks to the "Plus" designation, you also get access to extra features like Magic Eraser in Google Photos, and discounts and trials on editing software. We're impressed by the 12th Generation Intel Core i3-1215U processor which nearly doubles the speed on conventional Chromebooks. Wi-Fi 6E is also a nice touch, making it a future-forward buy. Plus, you'll be glad of the ample storage, though the 8GB of RAM may be taxed if you like to have 100 tabs open simultaneously.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 review: A sturdy device that excels at productivity

A speedy budget laptop that will meet the majority of needs

Since the 515 was one of the first Chromebook Plus models, great deals are available, so you can purchase this machine for under $400. At this price point, it's an excellent deal. If you can overlook the somewhat dull design and pared-back specs (like the non-touch screen), you'll walk away with a laptop that outranks most higher-end standard Chromebooks.

A top-tier machine with excellent performance

Sometimes you just need a top-of-the-line product that offers all the bells and whistles. The Acer Spin 714 is a premium laptop that fits that exact description. Its price may look high, but you are getting a ton for the money, including an excellent build, fantastic performance, and a beautiful display.

• Impressive 13th-Gen Intel processor and Iris XE graphics
• 14-inch HD screen with Gorilla Glass
• Great build quality
• Spotty palm rejection
• Cumbersome in tablet mode

When it comes to powerful and premium-built Chromebooks, the Acer Spin 714 easily sits near the top of the list. While it's also one of the more expensive options, the Spin 714 has an impressive list of specs for those who will settle for nothing less.

The Spin 714 has the performance chops to handle almost anything you need from a Chromebook. With an Intel 13th Gen Core i5-1335U processor, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage, there is plenty of power and storage to run all of your favorite apps. This device can even scratch your gaming itch thanks to the integrated Intel Iris Xe Graphics. No, it's not going to play the latest and greatest games, but will happily run Android and indie games, as well as some older titles.

In addition to solid performance, this Acer Chromebook comes equipped with a beautiful-looking 14-inch IPS touch-enabled display. It has a 16:10 display ratio, giving you a bit more vertical space for enhanced productivity, but it may not be for you if you plan to play a lot of games or stream content. Text is also crisp and clear thanks to its 1920 x 1200 resolution.

This 2-in-1 Chromebook should get you about 10 hours of battery life and has plenty of ports for connectivity. You get an HDMI 2.1 port, one USB Type-A 3.2 port, two Thunderbolt USB-C 3.2 ports, and a combination headphone/microphone jack.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) review: All the performance for all the money

Acer charges a premium price but you get a premium product in return

At just 3.02 pounds, the Acer Spin 714 is light enough to be carried around all day long and small enough to easily fit in your bag. It may be a pricier option, but it was built for those who aren't willing to settle for anything less than the best.

Unbeatable price for a 2-in-1

Acer's Chromebook Spin 311 is the most affordable laptop in this roundup, and its compact size is perfect for children or casual users who want something they can carry around without much effort.

• Convertible responsive touchscreen
• Versatile and compact design
• Solid battery life
• Performance won't match pricier options
• HD display might not be ideal

Acer's Spin 311 laptop is one of the best cheap Chromebooks you can buy, usually coming in at no more than $250. For such an affordable model, you get a decent multifunctional model that is surprisingly lightweight, amounting to less than a pound and a half. We're pleased that, despite its size, Acer has not skimped on ports and has included USB-C and USB-A ports along with a 3.5mm audio jack.

The Spin 311's MediaTek MT8183C CPU with eight cores won't set any speed records, but it will be enough to handle light work, browsing, and streaming. At this price point, the 4GB of RAM and 32GB of eMMC storage is unsurprising, but you may be able to find 64GB models. The battery will also last for up to 15 hours on a charge.

The 11.6-inch touch display has an HD resolution that doesn't look nearly as pixelated at this size compared to larger screens, and it makes for an easier hold for small hands. Finally, the convertible design lets you rotate the screen around 360 degrees for tent, stand, and tablet modes, providing extra versatility at the same low cost and making it a great 2-in-1 Chromebook .

For cloud or local gaming

Want a Chromebook designed from the start for local or cloud gaming? You need to check out the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, complete with a premium 16-inch display.

• Powerful Intel Core CPU
• 16-inch display with QHD+ resolution, 120Hz refresh rate
• Outstanding audio from quad speakers
• No Thunderbolt 4

Acer's Chromebook 516 GE is a powerhouse machine that packs in just about everything you could possibly want in a high-end laptop. It has a few extra goodies that make it stand out in a sea of other ChromeOS-powered laptops, and they're good enough to make this device our top pick for best gaming Chromebooks .

As one of the first devices built for cloud gaming , the Chromebook 516 GE supports all major cloud gaming platforms, including Microsoft Xbox Cloud Gaming, Amazon Luna, and NVIDIA GeForce Now. It comes with Intel's Core-5 Series 1 CPU, working in tandem with 8GB of LPDDR4X RAM and 256GB of SSD storage. You also get a 16-inch WQXGA display with a 16:10 aspect ratio and a 120Hz refresh rate. And as you'd expect from any gaming laptop worth its salt, an RGB keyboard (complete with four-zone lighting and presets) is included in the mix.

Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) review: Work and play done right

A great tool for gaming and more on-the-go

In terms of wireless connectivity and ports, Acer Chromebook 516 GE sports Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2, USB-C, USB-A, and even Gigabit Ethernet. Combine these with essentials such as a flare-reducing webcam and a four-speaker audio system with DTS Audio support, and you have got a Chromebook that excels at cloud gaming and almost everything thrown at it. This laptop is also certified to work with the Steam for ChromeOS beta, giving you the ability to enjoy some local gaming as well.

Enterprise-friendly Chromebook with fingerprint security

The Acer Chromebook ticks all the boxes for an efficient business machine. This 15.6-inch laptop has a formidable Intel Core i3-8130U processor and more than 128GB of storage for speedy loading that quickly gets tasks out of the way. The smart aluminum housing and Gorilla glass touchpad add longevity, while the fingerprint scanner enhances device security, making it ideal for secure applications.

• Fingerprint access
• Separate numerical keypad
• Speedy and sensitive Gorilla glass touchpad
• No touchscreen on standard model

The Acer 715 is a Chromebook that punches above its weight to operate as an efficient business machine. After all, if you're working remotely or via a collaborative online platform, you'll likely be using Google Workspace apps, which perform beautifully on this laptop. The 715 is stylishly outfitted in a 100% aluminum housing with a robust Gorilla glass touchpad that massively enhances its durability. You'll appreciate details like the wide Field-of-View HDR webcam, fingerprint reader, and numeric keypad, the first of its kind on a Chromebook.

We're torn by the combination of a very respectable 8th Gen Intel Core i3-8130U processor with the ChromeOS operating system. The hardware is powerful and more fitting of a Windows or Linux environment, which is more software-friendly. ChromeOS works well on the 715, but with all the effort put into this laptop, you may feel it's restrained as a Chromebook.

Huge display helps with multitasking

This huge Chromebook features a 17.3-inch FHD display, top-firing speakers, a full keyboard with a number pad, and a generous port selection. This is the one to buy if you want the biggest Chromebook possible from Acer.

• Huge 17-inch FHD display
• Intel Pentium N6000 CPU with 8GB of RAM
• Top-firing speakers
• Slow eMMC storage
• Relatively heavy

Laptops are generally meant to be portable, but that's definitely not the case with Acer's Chromebook 317. In fact, it won't be an exaggeration to call this thing a desktop replacement.

Driven by Intel's Pentium Silver N6000 processor, the Chromebook 317 has 8GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC flash storage. However, the laptop's biggest highlight (quite literally) is its huge 17.3-inch touchscreen display. Packing a resolution of 1920 x 1080 pixels and a 16:9 aspect ratio, the anti-glare IPS LCD panel makes everything from binge-watching your favorite TV shows to split-screen multitasking a joy. The large touchpad and full-size backlit keyboard work well, but it's still a good idea to get a good mouse or keyboard if you plan on using the Chromebook 317 as a desktop alternative.

Acer's Chromebook 317 offers all standard wireless connectivity and I/O options, such as Bluetooth 5.1, two USB-C (complete with charging and DisplayPort capabilities) ports, a 3.5mm audio port, and a microSD card slot. It also weighs around 4.85 pounds.

This Chromebook is well-equipped for the price

Acer's Chromebook Plus 514 is a compact and durable laptop with strong Intel performance. It has more features than you might expect at this price, including top-firing speakers, 1080p webcam with AI tuning, and Wi-Fi 6E connectivity.

• Strong performance and battery life
• Solid build
• Touchpad isn't very good
• Keyboard flex

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is another laptop born from Google's "Plus" program. Offering an Intel Core-i3 N305 processor coupled with 8GB of speedy LPDDR5 RAM and a 128GB SSD, delivering solid performance. And Acer says the battery life can go for up to 11 hours, which will come down in regular use.

It's not just all performance; the laptop has a 1080p front-facing webcam that comes with AI tuning that perfects lighting and noise cancelation. Wi-Fi 6E provides reliable and quick browsing and cloud transfers and DTS audio. Ports include two USB-C, two USB-A, and a 3.5mm audio jack.

Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Enhanced with AI

Acer’s trademark Plus power meets AI, but how much value does it add?

The 14-inch display has a 1920 x 1080 resolution to accommodate the taller 16:10 aspect ratio, and it has decent color and contrast. There is some wonk with the adaptive brightness feature, and those sensitive to automatic brightness changes might have some issues. The touchpad also leaves a lot to be desired but can get the job done in a pinch. There is also some keyboard flex which may not be ideal for long typing sessions.

Great for the basics

The Acer Chromebook 315 is a solid choice for anyone who needs a basic Chromebook to tackle routine tasks. This laptop is incredibly affordable, making it a solid choice for kids who are in school.

• Large 15.6-inch display
• 12-hour battery life
• 4GB RAM is limited
• Display resolution could be better

Sometimes you just don't need the power or capabilities of the more expensive Chromebooks on this list. For some, a Chromebook is simply for browsing the web or checking their email. This type of use case is where the Acer Chromebook 315 excels and, for less than $200, it does it quite well.

The Chromebook 315 comes with a large 15.6-inch display, allowing you to see everything with ease. I would have liked to see a full HD display, but at this price, I can't complain too much about its 1366 x 768 display. This laptop doesn't have a touch display, which may be a deal breaker for some.

Performance will also be adequate for the types of activities outlined above. This Chromebook has an Intel Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage. It's not a very powerful Chromebook, but will easily let you load up a web browser and check your email. It also gets up to 12.5 hours of battery life, easily getting you through a full day without worry.

This laptop comes with two USB-C 3.1 ports, two USB-A 3.1 ports, a headphone jack, as well as Bluetooth and Wi-Fi 5. It's also easily transportable, but a tad heavy at 3.59 pounds.

Find an Acer Chromebook that delivers

Chromebooks have progressed from budget computing to performance machines, so they warrant consideration when purchasing a new laptop. They offer great value, especially when long-term support and the regular addition of features from Google (such as the ability to run Android apps ) are considered. The Acer models in our round-up are easy to use and reliable enough to get you through a workday or evening's streaming or gaming without speed or connectivity issues.

Acer has an expansive Chromebook portfolio, but three models impressed us the most. The Spin 311, with its 2-in-1 design, is outstanding value with a price point that competes with a tablet. At the other end of the scale, our premium pick, the Vero 514 has great processing power and will run more demanding applications. But overall, the Chromebook Plus 515 is a laptop worth a closer look. It has 12th Gen Intel Core CPUs, LPDDR5x RAM, and plenty of storage space for those who don't always want to rely on the cloud. The 15.6-inch display has plenty of space for productivity work, and you can be assured that connectivity will be hassle-free with its decent port selection.

Best for most people

Acer's Chromebook Plus 515 is relatively affordable for what you're getting, especially when it's on sale. It's the right size for productivity work, it has strong 12th Gen Intel Core performance, and the 1080p webcam can easily handle video conferencing.

• Laptops & Chromebooks

• Chromebooks

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Best Acer laptop 2024: The top 6 picks we’ve reviewed

Acer is a long-standing name in the world of laptops, but that hasn’t stopped the company from massively diversifying its laptop portfolio over the past year. While you’ll still find a variety of affordable options, improved options at the higher end of the market – as well as gaming laptops – mean there’s more choice than ever.

Choice is never a bad thing, but it does mean that it can be a hard task to decide which Acer laptop is best for your needs. Well, that’s where we at Trusted Reviews come in; we’re here to guide you through the buying process, offering valuable insights into the current laptop range based entirely on real-world testing. We won’t baffle you with technical jargon either, instead focusing on clear guidance on what matters most.

With that said, every laptop that appears in this hand-picked list is thoroughly tested for at least a week by our expert team, engaging in real-world tests alongside industry-standard benchmarks to get a real idea of the experience on offer. We’ve also made sure to include a variety of price points, features, battery life, design and specs so you can decide which option is best suited to your needs.

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 further than what Acer offers, 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

• Best overall Acer laptop: Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) – check price
• Best Acer Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) – check price
• Best budget Acer Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Plus 515 – check price
• Best Acer gaming laptop: Acer Predator Helios 16 (2023) – check price
• Best value Acer gaming laptop: Acer Nitro 5 (2023) – check price
• Best eco-friendly Chromebook: Acer Chromebook Vero 514 – check price

How we test

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.

• Sleek design
• Powerful for a Chromebook
• Responsive display
• Skittish trackpad

• Great build quality
• USB-C charging
• Stacked specs for the price
• Sluggish trackpad
• 60Hz non-touch display

• Powerhouse GPU and CPU combo
• Superb mini-LED screen
• Excellent connectivity
• Cheaper than some high-end rivals
• Noisy in Turbo mode
• Sound could be warmer and more open

• Strong 1080p gaming performance
• DLSS 3 gives you more scope for higher settings
• Solid build quality and connectivity
• Comfortable keyboard
• Screen lacks brightness and colour depth
• Poor battery life

• Great creative and productivity performance
• Bright and vibrant OLED screen
• Respectable gaming performance at low settings
• Good wired and wireless connectivity
• Average battery life
• Mediocre keyboard
• Tinny audio

Acer Swift Go 14 (2024)

Best overall acer laptop.

The Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) was one of the very first laptops to launch with Intel’s brand-spanking new Core Ultra trips. It’s a tremendous showcase for the new technology and that’s why it’s our favourite overall laptop on this list.

Let’s be honest, Acer isn’t known for particularly stylish offerings but features of this laptop and new devices like the Acer Swift Edge 16 are breaking free of this label. The best-looking aspect of the new Swift Go 14 is the luxurious OLED display. It’s a QHD 14-inch option that offers impressive levels of brightness, tremendously crisp imagery and stunning colour accuracy.

Aside from the glorious display, this laptop offers remarkable flexibility and it’s down to that new Intel chip. As well as dominating productivity tasking, the new graphics inside the Core Ultra chip enable light gaming and solid creative tasking abilities. You’ll also find solid battery life of around nine hours. Despite this hefty power, it comes in at an impressive 14.9mm and 1.32kg making it an ideal one for the commute.

There’s a strong set of ports too, with two Thunderbolt 4 ports, an HDMI 2.1, two USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm audio jack and a micro SD card reader. A healthy set of connectivity options there, and there’s Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.1 too.

Reviewer: Stuart Andrews Full Review: Acer Swift Go 14 (2024) review

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023)

Best acer chromebook.

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.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is one of the first in a new series of ChromeOS laptops launched last year. 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 experience 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.

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 manage 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 experience.

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.

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 was 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.

• Gorgeous design
• Snappy performance
• Good battery life
• Made up of recycled materials
• 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, like the Acer Swift X (2022) , it’s ideal for those who don’t have particularly heavy workloads, like students or those with jobs that require 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 test 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

We also considered…

A lightweight laptop with an Intel GPU

Acer’s new Chromebook has enough power to compete with Windows laptops

Fast and affordable, but is it a good gaming laptop?

We’ve reviewed

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.

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.

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.

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The best Chromebook to buy this year

Chromebooks are getting better, and good ones are getting cheaper..

By Monica Chin and Nathan Edwards

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Chromebooks are no longer just laptops that run a browser and a few Google apps. They can cover a wide variety of computing needs now, and a good Chrome OS laptop or two-in-one can be more useful than a mediocre Windows laptop — especially now that many can run Android and Linux apps.

That’s assuming you get one with enough power to actually function, though — cheap Chromebooks are notorious for creaky processors, inadequate RAM, and slow, skimpy storage, while decent Chromebooks often cost just as much as Windows machines. Fortunately, the message that many people actually want good Chromebooks rather than just cheap ones has gotten through to manufacturers and to Google. The latter has recently launched the Chromebook Plus certification , which guarantees a baseline level of hardware as well as ten years of software support.

• What’s the best student laptop? We asked students
• The best laptops you can get
• Chromebook Plus is Google’s new certification for premium Chromebooks

You can get a decent Chromebook for about $400. Many are around $500 or $600, though there are good options in the higher and lower ranges as well. The extra money goes a long way toward getting something you’ll be happy with.

For the first time, the quality of the Chromebooks in this range has been consistent. There are so many similarities between the offerings from Asus, Lenovo, Google, HP, Dell, and Samsung that a conspiracy-minded person might suggest they’re all sourcing their components from the same factory. That’s great news if you’re comparison shopping; the majority of this list would be good buys if you can find them at a discount. In some cases, we’ve left older models on the list precisely because they’re regularly discounted. A laptop that was great at $500 two years ago can still be a good deal at $300 today.

What we’re looking for

Price is a very important factor. We’re seeking Chromebooks that offer great value for their asking price and that are the best of the best compared to other laptops in their price category. The more expensive a device, the more exceptional it has to be.

Not every Chromebook needs high-end specs, but they do need enough power to be functional. The Chromebook Plus baseline — a Core i3 or Ryzen 7000 CPU, 8GB RAM, and 128GB of storage, plus 1080p IPS screen and webcam — is the bare minimum for any Chromebook that costs more than $400, and any Chromebook that doesn’t meet those specs has to justify its existence.

Displays should be at least 1920 x 1080. Since Chromebooks can run Android apps, which aren’t usually optimized for trackpad and keyboard, touchscreens are useful here.

Design and build quality

Chromebooks are popular among schools and students. We’re looking for laptops with a solid, durable build that can handle bumps, jostles, and backpack wear.

Battery life

Students may go several hours without having an opportunity to plug their devices in. We like Chromebooks that can guarantee at least several hours of continuous use.

Port selection

The more ports, the better. USB-C and headphone jacks are mandatory; USB-A, HDMI, and SD card slots are good to have.

Best Chromebook

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024)

Acer’s latest Spin Chromebook is configured with Intel’s first generation of processor with an NPU. It also has Google Gemini baked right into the OS, and if you sign up for a new Google One AI premium plan, your first year of service is free.

CPU: Intel Core Ultra 5 115U / GPU: Intel UHD / RAM: 8GB, 16GB LPDDR5 / Storage: 256GB, 512GB / Display: Touch 14-inch FHD 1920 x 1200, 60Hz IPS with stylus support, 340 nits / Dimensions: 12.35 x 8.84 x 0.71 inches / Weight: 3.21 pounds 

Acer’s newest Chromebook Spin, which is part of the Plus line of Chromebooks , is the best Chromebook we’ve seen so far in 2024. Like the rest of them, the Plus Spin 14 has Google Gemini features integrated with ChromeOS, and comes with 12 free months of Google One AI premium, which includes 2TB of cloud storage space.

It’s configured with an eight-core Intel Core Ultra 5 115U with a max clock speed of 4.20GHz. That’s, technically, slower than last gen’s ten-core Intel Core i5-1335U with a max clock speed of 4.20GHz — but the Ultra Core has an NPU, which means it’s better suited for running AI-related tasks on-device. The new Spin Chromebook also supports the current LPDDR5 memory standard, which is faster than the previous generation in the 2023 Spin 714 .

The Plus Spin 714 also now has two Thunderbolt 4 USB-C ports, instead of two USB-C 3.2 ports, for much faster data transfer and power delivery.

The best Chromebook Plus laptop under $400

Asus Chromebook Plus CX34

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is the most affordable Chromebook with the new Plus label. It has a 12th Gen Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a 1080p screen for just under $400. Read our review .

CPU: Intel Core i3-1215U / GPU: Intel UHD / RAM: 8GB / Storage: 128GB, 256GB UFS / Display: 14-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, non-touch / Dimensions: 12.9 x 8.4 x 0.74 inches / Weight: 3.17 pounds

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is the least expensive laptop with Google’s new Plus certification . At around $400 for a Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, it’s the baseline Chromebook you should consider if you can’t spend any more.

It’s so easy to get a bad Chromebook at this price, so it’s a relief that the Chromebook Plus CX34 is so good. Not only does it have respectable internals, but the 1080p screen and 1080p webcam are good for the price, the keyboard is great, and the trackpad is fine, if a bit stiff. Battery life is decent, too, and like all Plus Chromebooks, it comes with 10 years of software updates. You can spend more on a laptop, and you probably should, but don’t buy a Chromebook less powerful than this one.

Read our review of the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 .

Last year’s best chromebook.

Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 (Intel Core i3, 8GB RAM, 128GB SSD)

The Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 is a powerful device with impressive features for a Chromebook, including a 57Wh battery, a stunning 15-inch screen, and a range of ports (including an HDMI port and a microSD slot). Read our review .

CPU: Intel Core i3-1215U / GPU: Intel Iris Xe / RAM: 8GB, 16GB / Storage: 128GB / Display: 15.6-inch IPS, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, touch option / Dimensions: 14.08 x 9.48 x 0.73 inches / Weight: 4.3 pounds

The Chromebook Flip CX5 was a hard sell for most people at $800 in 2021, even with a Core i5 processor and 15GB of RAM, but it really was that good. It’s sturdy enough to withstand all kinds of jolts and jostles in a backpack or briefcase, and has a unique velvety texture that’s very pleasant to hold. Add a wide port selection, a smooth and comfortable keyboard, and a vivid display, and you’ve got a chassis that can hold its own against plenty of midrange Windows laptops. 

It’s no longer the best Chromebook you can get, but if you can find a good configuration at a good price, it’s still worth considering. Battery life is quite satisfactory and easily lasted us all day. And the CX5 delivered some of the loudest audio we’ve ever heard from a Chromebook.

The model linked above, with a 12th-gen Intel i3, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of storage, is almost as powerful as the Chromebook CX34 above — though the webcam isn’t as good — and unlike that model, it’s convertible.

Read our Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 review.

Best oled chromebook.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 (8GB/128GB)

The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 comes with a lovely 13.3-inch Full HD OLED touchscreen and long battery life but lacks biometric authentication.

CPU: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 / GPU: Qualcomm Adreno / RAM: 8GB / Storage: 128GB / Display: 13.3-inch OLED, 1920 x 1080, 60Hz, touch option / Dimensions: 12.05 x 7.32 x 0.27 inches / Weight: 2.22 pounds

The Chromebook Duet 5 is a compact convertible device with an OLED screen. It’s thinner and lighter than most Chromebooks out there, and its back cover doubles as a kickstand. And it’s often available for under $400, making it one of the cheapest OLED devices you can buy.

The OLED display makes for quite enjoyable viewing, and the detachable keyboard is great as well with excellent spacing and satisfying feedback. Performance (our unit was powered by the Snapdragon 7c Gen 2) was surprisingly snappy, and the device could handle our standard office workload with no issue. But the standout feature was battery life: We saw between 10 and 12 hours to a charge, even when doing fairly demanding tasks like Zoom calls and high-resolution YouTube videos.

There are a few unfortunate omissions: there’s no fingerprint sensor, and there’s no included stylus (though one is supported). But Chrome OS fans who want a great screen for multimedia viewing can’t do better than this Chromebook at this price. 

Read our Lenovo Chromebook Duet 5 review.

Best business chromebook with rgb for some reason.

HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook

The HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook is a premium Chromebook with an RGB keyboard targeting freelance professionals.

CPU: Core i5-1235U / GPU: Iris Xe / RAM: 16GB / Storage: 256GB / Display: 14-inch IPS, 2560x1600, 60Hz, touch option / Dimensions: 12.4 x 8.7 x 0.7 inches / Weight: 3.33 pounds

If you want a Chromebook with RGB lighting that isn’t specifically a gaming Chromebook — and who doesn’t? — your only option is the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook. This device doesn’t have quite as premium a build as the old school Elite Dragonfly, but it’s still quite nice. It’s also got a solid 8MP webcam, excellent speakers, and one of the brightest screens I’ve ever seen on a Chromebook. But the real differentiating factor is the colorful keyboard, which you won’t find on any of the other products listed here.

The one thing I will warn potential buyers of is that the colorful keyboard and bright screen take their toll on battery life. I only saw around six hours to a charge here. That’s not terrible, but we’d hope to see more from a device this expensive. Still, the Dragonfly Pro offers a premium build and unique combination of features, and that makes it worth a look from deep-pocketed business customers.

Read our HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook review.

Updated November 22nd, 2023: Changed top pick, added a new Chromebook Plus model, removed some older models, and repositioned others to account for lower prices.

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Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2022) review: Most of the power, all of the battery life

Fantastic battery life, but don't push it too hard..

Android Central Verdict

With the 2022 Acer Chromebook Spin 513, the company opted to switch over to the new MediaTek Kompanio 1380. It packs an impressive punch, but you'll likely run into limitations sooner than other offerings in this price bracket. But it still offers a great value, even while being stuck with just one configuration.

The MediaTek Kompanio 1380 is powerful for most daily and mundane tasks

Weighs under three pounds

Lasts for at least 10 hours on a single charge

2K, 3:2 display is bright and pleasant to use

MicroSD card slot built-in

Will start to struggle with more intensive workloads

Only configurable with 128GB eMMC storage

720p webcam is just okay

Why you can trust Android Central Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about how we test .

• Price and availability
• What you'll like
• What you won't like
• The competition
• Should you buy it?

As we begin to see more and more Chromebooks made available that are powered by Intel's 12th-gen processors, there are alternatives that cost less and offer almost the same level of performance. Following the implementation of the MediaTek Kompanio 828 in the Chromebook Spin 514 (2H), Acer is back with another MediaTek-powered Chromebook in the Spin 513 (2H). 

We've been impressed with the various MediaTek Kompanio -powered Chromebooks that we've gotten our hands-on, so the expectations were pretty high when the new Spin 513 was announced. While it's great to see Acer offer something a bit different from the norm, it's difficult to provide a final judgment until we get our hands on one. So let's dive into the Chromebook Spin 513 (2022), now that we've been using one for a few weeks.

Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2022): Price and availability

After being announced at CES 2022, the Acer Chromebook Spin 513 is finally available for purchase. Currently, there is only one configuration available, featuring the MediaTek Kompanio 1380 paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. This model, in particular, the CP513-2H-K62Y, can be found directly from Acer or from Amazon with a retail suggested price of $614.99. 

Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2022): What you'll like

When it comes to comparing the 2022 Chromebook Spin 513 to last year's model, it's immediately apparent that there's more of a focus on battery life than anything else. 

The 2021 version was powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon 7c Gen 1, which is the same chip you'll find in the likes of the HP Chromebook x2 11 . It wasn't the most powerful chip out there, but there was no question about whether you would be able to make it through an entire day without needing to reach for a charger.

With the 2022 model, Acer decided to pivot to MediaTek for its processing needs, as you'll find the Kompanio 1380 paired with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Battery life is still rated for around 11 hours, and thankfully, that's exactly what we experienced in our time with the Spin 513 (2H). On days that I found myself needing to run some errands, the Spin 513 has been my laptop of choice, and I never once needed to reach for a charger. 

The battery just keeps on going, and going, and going.

Earlier in the year, we checked out another offering from Acer that takes advantage of a MediaTek Kompanio chip, with the Acer Chromebook 514 and its Kompanio 828 SoC. So after coming away really excited about what was possible with the 828, my excitement levels grew for the 513 and its Kompanio 1380. 

Day-to-day performance was exactly what I expected, being able to handle around 15 tabs open at any given time, along with some background apps, before running into any type of noticeable slow-downs. 

Running Linux apps has been a mixed bag, however. There were times when the Linux version of Obsidian just wouldn't load until I shut down and restarted the Linux container .

Thanks to the ongoing improvements being made for supporting external monitors, the Spin 513 (2H) handled my Alienware gaming monitor , complete with a 120Hz refresh rate and its 3440x1440 resolution, with ease. 

What surprised me even more, however, was when I plugged the Spin 513 into my Apple Studio Display , which offers a native 5K resolution. Unfortunately, the Spin 513 didn't offer the option to actually show content at 5K, but it did display content at 3200x1800. This isn't really a knock on the Spin 513, as it's more of a ChromeOS "problem" than anything else.

Switching gears and looking at the design, don't expect anything special here, and that's really the point. There's really nothing to write home about from the design, as it looks pretty much the same as the 2021 version. Acer uses aluminum for the lid and bottom casing while sticking to plastic on the keyboard deck. 

But the 13.5-inch display and the built-in trackpad are covered in Gorilla Glass, offering a bit more protection than you might have expected. But really, the Gorilla Glass trackpad is a wonderful inclusion, and one that we hope to see retained in future iterations of the Spin lineup.

The Spin 513's 2K display is bright and beautiful, while the 3:2 aspect ratio is perfect for split-screen work.

As for that display, I'm really becoming a fan of the 3:2 aspect ratio, and thankfully, the Spin 513 (2H) delivers. Peak brightness falls a bit short of some of the best Chromebooks , reaching up to 360 nits, but it's still more than bright enough to use when you're sitting outside. 

The 3:2 aspect ratio is also a change compared to the 2021 Chromebook Spin 513 , which used a more-traditional 16:9 display. As always, the taller display provides almost 20% more vertical screen space, which is perfect if you regularly work with side-by-side windows or tabs when using this Chromebook.

USI Pen support is also onboard, and unlike the Chromebook Duet 3 , the Spin 513 works with all of the best USI stylus options. Whatever magic Google has done to Cursive over the past few months has turned this into my favorite handwriting app for ChromeOS. And that same great experience is felt when rotating the Spin 513's screen and using it as a tablet to take down some notes.

While it's a bit surprising, and honestly disappointing, to see that the Spin 513 (2H) maxes out with 128GB of eMMC storage, you aren't "stuck." Acer included a microSD card slot on the side, allowing you to transfer files, or just give your Chromebook a bit of breathing room in the storage department. It's a nice touch and wasn't something that we were really expecting to see. 

Other ports that you'll find on the Spin 513 (2H) include a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port on either side, along with a USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port, and an audio combo jack. And all of this comes in a package that still manages to weigh less than three pounds.

Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2022): What you won't like

As I noted previously, the Spin 513's performance was right on par with what I expected. But what continued to stick in the back of my mind was the cost-to-performance ratio with this Chromebook. 

Without paying too close attention to things like the port selection, the 2K touchscreen display, and the convertible design, it's still priced just north of $600. And while the performance isn't bad, by any means, you can get around the same performance (if not better) for around the same price with something like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (3W) .

A Chromebook with muffled speakers is beyond frustrating.

Much like the Chromebook 514 (2H), there's really nothing that helps the Spin 513 stand out from the crowd. And that's important when it comes to Chromebooks between $500 and $700, as there are so many different choices. We aren't talking about the high-end ones like the HP Elite Dragonfly , which is more than $400 more expensive but offers the first haptic trackpad for a Chromebook.

Excuse me if I sound like a broken record here, but I really wish Acer would stop using downward-firing speakers. Whenever I sit on the couch and use the Spin 513, the noise is muffled and my hearing problems make me feel like I don't have a choice other than to use headphones. Thankfully, that issue has been recently been remedied by the wonderful Pixel Buds Pro , but I shouldn't  have  to use headphones just to be able to hear what's playing.

Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2022) review: The competition

When it comes to competition for the Spin 513 (2022), there are so many different options out there that provide similar performance. The aforementioned Spin 713 (3W) comes to mind, and can be found for around the same price tag, while being powered by Intel's 11th-gen chip. 

Not only is this more powerful overall, but it also is one of the few current options if you want to play Steam on ChromeOS . And now that the Spin 714 with its 12th-gen Intel chip is more readily available, the Spin 713 can be had for less than its retail price.

There's also the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook , which was announced alongside the IdeaPad Duet 3, and is powered by 12th-gen Intel processors. Not only will these offer a bit more in terms of "future-proofing," but the price is expected to start right around $600 with different configurations to be made available. Unfortunately, the Flex 5i doesn't help too much if you're looking for a new Chromebook to get  now , but it should be available in the near future.

And if you want to spend a little bit more, the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 is available now, sporting Intel's 12th-gen i3 chip, paired with the same 8GB of RAM, but uses an M.2 NVMe SSD for its 128GB of storage. The Flip CX5 also sports a much-larger 16-inch display with a lower 1920x1200 resolution all while being about $30 more than the Spin 513 (2H).

Acer Chromebook Spin 513 (2022): Should you buy it?

You should buy this if...

• You want a Chromebook with a great 3:2 touchscreen display
• You want long-lasting battery life
• A convertible design with updated specs is important
• You want a laptop that won't break your back, or the bank

You shouldn't buy this if...

• You need the most powerful Chromebook in this price segment
• You want good speakers
• You need more (or faster) storage

All-in-all, if you want a competitively-priced Chromebook that doesn't break the bank, then the Spin 513 (2H) might be right up your alley. Its 13.5-inch 2K display is not only gorgeous but is plenty bright enough for outdoor use, while also providing USI pen support. 

There's no doubt that unless you're pushing this Chromebook to the limits for extended periods of time, it will be able to last for an entire day, and then some, before needing to reach for a charger.

Acer's design language has gotten a bit bland, but that's just fine considering that the Spin 513 still weighs less than three pounds. This is great for those looking at the best student Chromebooks , while also using a combination of aluminum and plastic for the build, and Gorilla Glass on the trackpad and display. And while you miss out on a full-size HDMI port, you'll enjoy having the option to slap a microSD card in here to expand the storage.

Andrew Myrick is a Senior Editor at Android Central. He enjoys everything to do with technology, including tablets, smartphones, and everything in between. Perhaps his favorite past-time is collecting different headphones, even if they all end up in the same drawer.

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The 10 Most Capable Chromebooks of 2022

These machines give traditional laptops a run for their money.

Gear-obsessed editors choose every product we review. We may earn commission if you buy from a link. Why Trust Us?

Chromebooks were originally made to help close the gap between confusing hardware and the evolving internet. Powered almost solely by the internet, they mix the best parts of tablets and laptops into one portable, affordable package.

Today, you’ll find popular Chromebooks available from most major computer brands, including Asus, Acer, Lenovo, Samsung, and more. When compared to a laptop , most Chromebooks are smaller, cheaper, and less powerful. But not all Chromebooks are created equal. That’s why we’ve selected 10 models that offer solid keyboards, bright screens, and plenty of memory.

The Best Chromebooks

Best Overall

Samsung galaxy chromebook.

Best Traditional Laptop

Lenovo chromebook 3.

Best for Productivity

Hp chromebook, pros and cons of chromebooks.

All Chromebooks feature Chrome OS, a unique operating system that works much like the web browser of the same name. However, Google has customized the experience to provide a seamless and straightforward experience to perform many tasks. It’s also possible to run scaled-down versions of many popular applications on Chrome OS, but not all programs will work.

Because the operating system runs on low-power processors, almost any notebook you pick should be fine; it’s just a matter of choosing the screen size and the extras that fit your lifestyle. Keep in mind many Chromebooks are designed to utilize the Cloud for file storage, so hard drives tend to be smaller than other laptops.

What to Consider

Configuration.

Many Chromebooks offer a convertible experience that allows you to switch between tablet and laptop configurations. This 2-in-1 design can be handy for taking notes with a digital pen, browsing the web, or streaming movies. On the other hand, a dedicated notebook often sports a better keyboard , so if you will be doing a lot of word processing, this is the one to choose.

Screen Size

Like all notebooks, the larger the screen, the easier it will be to view documents and the better and more pleasant it is to view movies. But the smaller screen Chromebooks tend to be cheaper, and they are also more portable.

Cheaper Chromebooks often come with limited memory. A budget Chromebook with 16GB of storage is fine for a few months, but will run out of space quickly. Chromebooks utilize extensive cloud storage, but we still recommend a hard drive with at least 32GB of storage space.

How We Evaluated

One of our experts, Sascha Brodsky, is a technology journalist with over two decades of experience. His work has appeared in The New York Times , The Los Angeles Times , The Guardian , and many other publications. He has used and owned several Chromebooks and can appreciate their simplicity and rugged build.

To compile this roundup, he scoured the web and pored through dozens of reviews. He also relied on his personal experience using Chromebooks. For each model, he examined battery life, processor speed, weight, ergonomics, and cost to find the best machines on the market, all in our roundup below.

The Galaxy Chromebook might be the best of its kind on the market. At a price similar to many decent Windows laptops, this Chromebook makes the case that Chrome OS can compete head-to-head with Microsoft’s offerings.

The stunning display uses the latest AMOLED technology for excellent color reproduction. Meanwhile, the Intel processor keeps apps zipping along, and the generous hard drive is enough to store movies galore.

More: The 5 Best Touchscreen Laptops of 2022

The Lenovo Chromebook 3 is the right choice for anyone who wants to get things done and doesn’t need many extras. The 14-inch screen is crisp and big enough to view documents without doing too much scrolling.

Like most Lenovo products, the keyboard is a standout with a firm feel and plenty of spacing. The 64GB hard drive is a good start, but there’s also a micro-SD slot to add more storage.

Users who need a little more screen space than their average Chromebook should look at this HP workhorse. The 14-inch full HD screen is crisp and clear and, along with the excellent keyboard, makes for a productivity machine.

The speakers sound outstanding and are tuned by the engineers at renowned audio company Bang & Olufsen.

Asus Chromebook Flip C433

The Flip C433 is the perfect mid-range Chromebook. Befitting of its name, you can flip the C433 around on its hinge to use it either in tablet or laptop mode.

However, unlike many smaller Chromebooks, this machine by Asus offers a full-size keyboard and a display that’s big enough so you won’t have to squint. At only 3.3 pounds, the C433 is surprisingly light considering all that it can do.

Samsung Chromebook 4

One of our experts, Sascha Brodsky, personally owns the Chromebook 4, and it’s the laptop he tosses in his luggage when he travels.

“It’s so tiny and light — weighing slightly over 2.5 pounds — that it hardly takes up any room,” he says. “It’s inexpensive enough to leave in my hotel room without worrying about theft, yet it’s sufficiently robust so I can get some work done on the road.”

The 11.6-inch screen is bright, even if the resolution isn’t the highest. “I often get more than a dozen hours of battery life on a single charge,” he adds.

Asus C523NA Chromebook

The Asus C523NA offers a high-resolution touchscreen that’s spacious enough to enjoy working on or playing some casual games. The screen looks huge thanks to its frameless design that gives you the illusion that it runs edge-to-edge without bezels.

At just under 4 pounds, the C523NA is light enough that you’ll barely notice it in a backpack or briefcase. This model also comes with a stylus to use on the touchscreen.

Lenovo Chromebook C330

The C330 is a fantastic value for a Chromebook that offers many different configurations. It can be used as both a tablet and a laptop with its 2-in-1 design. The gleaming white frame is plastic, but it looks spiffy. The relatively low-end processor is snappy enough for basic tasks like word processing and web browsing.

Acer Chromebook Spin 311

The great thing about Chromebooks is that they manage to do a lot with little, which is true for the Spin 311. The specs might be paltry compared to full-fledged laptops, but somehow this Chromebook manages to be a capable machine for navigating websites and cranking out emails.

The screen is small at only 11.6 inches, but the tradeoff is that the Spin 311 is a compact and light package that’s easy to carry around.

Acer Chromebook 315

A big, bold, and bright screen anchors the Chromebook 315. The full HD is wide enough to watch movies or work through complex spreadsheets comfortably.

With more than 12 hours of claimed battery life, the 315 will keep you from having to hunt for a power outlet during the workday. And the HD webcam is great for remote working.

Asus Chromebook CX1 (1100)

Many Chromebooks have a flimsy feel, but the CX1 offers a spill-resistant keyboard for anyone who might be clumsy with their morning coffee.

The elegant silver-colored frame looks like a miniature Apple MacBook. Best of all, Asus promises up to 12 hours of battery life, thanks to the power-sipping Chrome OS and Celeron processor. Users looking for more power in the same spill-resistant frame should consider upgrading to the pricier CX1 1400 series .

Harry Rabinowitz is a writer, editor, and columnist covering the latest and greatest products in the gaming industry. He also works to tell educational and entertaining stories about tech, entertainment, home goods, and more. When he’s not learning or writing something new, he’s probably heading to the library for a new graphic novel to read.

Sascha Brodsky, a freelance journalist based in New York City and a graduate of the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and Columbia's School of International and Public Affairs, writes about many aspects of technology including personal technology, AI, and virtual reality. His work has appeared in The New York Times , The Atlantic , The Guardian , and many other publications. In his spare time, he enjoys cycling and hiking. 

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• Chromebook Spin 714 (2022)

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) Laptop Review

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is a 2-in-1 convertible Chromebook. It replaces the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 from 2021. The Spin 714 has several changes over its predecessor. It has a 16:10 display instead of 3:2, and its webcam gets upgraded from 720p to 1080p. It's available with a FHD (1920 x 1200) or QHD (2560 x 1600) IPS screen and various Intel 12th Gen. CPUs, ranging from a Core i3-1215U to a Core i7-1260P. It supports pen input and comes with a USI (Universal Stylus Initiative) stylus that you can dock into its slot for transport or charging.

Our Verdict

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is great for school. It has a sturdy build, a thin and light design, and all-day battery life. The display looks sharp and gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings. The keyboard feels spacious and tactile but can be a little tiring to type on for a long time, and the touchpad is responsive but finicky with some gestures. Its Intel 12th Gen. CPU performs well and provides a smooth experience on Chrome OS; however, its integrated graphics can't handle anything demanding, and you can only use web apps and Android apps from the Google Play Store, so it isn't ideal for students in fields like 3D graphics that need specialized software.

• Easy to carry around.
• Sharp 16:10 display.
• All-day battery life.
• Fast CPU provides a smooth desktop experience on Chrome OS.
• USB-C with Thunderbolt 4 support.
• Outstanding 1080p webcam.
• Keyboard feels slightly tiring to type on for extended periods.
• Dragging and dropping on touchpad doesn't always work properly.
• Can't install Windows applications.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is bad for gaming. Its integrated graphics can't handle graphically demanding games, and it's only available with 60Hz displays, which have a slow response time. Additionally, you can't install DirectX games on Chrome OS, so you can only play Android-based games from the Google Play Store. On the upside, its CPU and GPU have no problems running games from the Play Store.

• CPU and GPU can handle most games from Google Play Store.
• Doesn't get hot or loud under load.
• Can only run Android-based games from Google Play Store.
• Integrated GPU can't handle demanding workloads.
• 60Hz display with slow response time and no VRR.
• Memory isn't user-upgradeable.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is great for media consumption. It's very portable, and its battery lasts nearly 13 hours of video playback, enough time to get through multiple movies. Its FHD display looks sharp, and since it's a 2-in-1, you can set up the laptop in tent mode when viewing content and navigate using touch input. The only downside with the display is that it isn't very accurate as there's a slight green tint. The speakers get very loud but sound slightly boxy, with no bass at all.

• Sharp display with full sRGB coverage.
• Speakers get very loud.
• Blacks look gray in dim settings.
• Poor display accuracy due to green tint.
• Speakers sound boxy, with no bass.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 isn't suitable for use as a mobile workstation. It runs Chrome OS, so you're limited to web-based apps and Android apps from the Google Play Store. Also, its Intel 12th Gen. CPU and integrated graphics aren't powerful enough to handle demanding tasks, and you can only get up to 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. On the bright side, it has Thunderbolt 4 ports, allowing you to transfer files quickly and connect multiple displays, and it doesn't get hot or loud under load.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is good for business use. It's a well-built laptop that's easy to carry around, and its battery easily lasts through a typical 8-hour day with plenty to spare. The display looks sharp and provides enough space for multitasking, and above it sits an outstanding 1080p webcam for your video calls. The keyboard feels spacious and tactile, albeit slightly tiring over time. Its Intel 12th Gen. CPU has no problem handling general productivity tasks; however, keep in mind that Chrome OS doesn't support Windows applications, so it might not be suitable if your work requires specialized programs that only runs on Windows or other things you can't access through a Chrome browser or Android app.

• 8.0 Multimedia
• 6.7 Workstation
• 7.8 Business
• Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2 .
• Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1 .
• Updated Jul 20, 2023: Added mention of the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (2023) as an alternative with a brighter display in the Brightness section.
• Updated Jun 28, 2023: Added mention of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE as an alternative with a higher refresh rate in the Refresh Rate section.
• Updated Feb 24, 2023: Review published.
• Updated Feb 17, 2023: Early access published.
• Updated Feb 13, 2023: Our testers have started testing this product.
• Updated Feb 06, 2023: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
• Updated Jan 23, 2023: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (model CP714-1WN-53M9) with a FHD display, an Intel Core i5-1235U CPU, 8GB of memory, and 256GB of storage. The CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the options in the table below.

Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration we tested. If you come across a different configuration option not listed above, or you have a similar Acer Chromebook Spin 714 laptop that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between individual units.

You can see our unit's label here .

Compared To Other Laptops

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is among the best Chromebooks on the market. It stands out for its sturdy build, display quality, and excellent CPU performance.

For more options, check out our recommendations for the best laptops , the best Chromebooks , and the best laptops for college .

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) is a newer generation of the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022). Both are great laptops for general productivity tasks, but the newer model comes with a few improvements and is the better device overall. It features Intel's new Meteor Lake CPUs with an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that accelerates AI-based tasks. It also has a brighter display and a much better webcam. However, there is one drawback. The newer model no longer comes with a stylus, and there's no pen garage to store the stylus during transport.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2023) . The Spin 714 is a higher-end device with a sturdier build and significantly more processing power. It's more versatile since it's a 2-in-1 convertible with pen input support. Overall, it provides a better user experience with a nicer, brighter display, a more tactile keyboard, a better webcam, and longer battery life.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the HP Chromebook x360 14 (2021) . The Acer is available with nicer, brighter displays, as well as significantly faster Intel 12th Gen. CPUs. It also has longer battery life, a faster storage drive, a much better webcam, and a wider port selection, including two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports and an HDMI.

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022) and the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) are very different. The Spin 714 is more portable since it's a smaller device, and its battery lasts much longer. It's also a 2-in-1 convertible, whereas the 516 GE is a more traditional clamshell model. The 516 GE has a better display; it's sharper and slightly brighter and has a 120Hz refresh rate with a much faster response time. Port selection is fairly similar. The 516GE has an Ethernet port to ensure a better internet connection for cloud gaming; however, the Spin 714 supports Thunderbolt 4, allowing you to transfer files quickly and connect up to two 4k displays at 60Hz with a single cable.

The ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (2023) and the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) are both 2-in-1 convertible Chromebooks with stylus support. The main difference is that the Spin 714 is designed for productivity, while the CX34 is designed for cloud gaming. The Spin 714 is a better device overall; it has a much better webcam, Thunderbolt 4 support, longer battery life, and better CPU performance. As for the CX34, it has a better display with a higher refresh rate of 144Hz and a faster response time, resulting in smoother motion and better responsiveness. It also gets much brighter to combat glare.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (2023) for most uses. The Spin 714 has a sharper, brighter, and more colorful display, a better webcam, and a wider port selection with Thunderbolt 4 support. It's more versatile because it's a 2-in-1 convertible with stylus support, and its battery lasts almost five hours longer than the Plus 515.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 14 (2021) . The Acer is available with Intel 12th Gen CPUs, which perform much better than the ASUS' Intel 11th Gen, and its battery life is significantly longer at nearly 14 hours of light use. The Acer also has a more tactile keyboard, a wider port selection, and a much better 1080p webcam.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is a newer version of the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2020) . They're very similar overall. The Spin 714 has a few upgrades over its predecessor, like faster Intel 12th Gen. CPUs, a significantly better webcam, and Thunderbolt 4 support. However, the Spin 713 has a brighter display and a larger touchpad. Battery life is better on the Spin 714, although both last easily through a typical work or school day.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (2023) . The Acer is more versatile since it's a 2-in-1 convertible that you can use as a tablet. Additionally, it supports pen input and comes with a stylus. You can get the ASUS with a touch-sensitive display, but its limited hinge range makes it impossible to flip the screen into tablet mode. The Acer also has a brighter display, a better keyboard and webcam, and significantly longer battery life.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is marginally better than the Google Pixelbook Go (2019) . The Spin 714 is a newer device, so it's available with faster Intel 12th Gen. CPUs, whereas the Pixelbook Go uses much older Intel 8th Gen. processors. There's also a difference in the form factor; the Spin 714 is a 2-in-1 convertible, meaning you can use it as a tablet, whereas the Pixelbook Go is a clamshell laptop that doesn't support touch input. The Spin 714 has a wider port selection, as it includes a USB-A and HDMI port, and its USB-Cs support Thunderbolt 4. On the other hand, the Pixelbook Go has a much larger and more responsive touchpad, and it's more portable because it's smaller and lighter.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023) . The Acer has a sturdier build, a more tactile keyboard, and a more responsive touchpad. It also has a better webcam and supports Thunderbolt 4, allowing you to transfer files quickly and connect two 4k displays with a single cable. The Acer is available with faster CPUs, so it can handle heavier multitasking and more intensive applications. Additionally, it's a 2-in-1 with stylus support, while the Lenovo is a more traditional clamshell model with touch input.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is better than the Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) for most uses. The Acer is more portable, and its battery lasts longer. It has a better port selection, which includes a full-size HDMI and two USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, and it's available with significantly faster Intel 12th Gen. CPUs. However, the Lenovo's keyboard provides a better typing experience, and the touchpad is larger and more responsive. The Acer's screen looks sharper, but the Lenovo's is larger.

Test Results

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has a simple, professional-looking design. It's very similar to its predecessor, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2020) , but with thinner bezels. It looks a little wider because it now has a 16:10 aspect ratio instead of 3:2. The speakers fire downwards from the bottom front of the device; the grills above the keyboard are air vents. There are also air vents on the bottom and back of the laptop. There's an 'Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass' branding at the top left of the display, which is slightly distracting, and unfortunately, it isn't removable. This laptop is available in two color schemes: Steel Gray and Slate Blue.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 feels well-built. The construction is a mix of metal and plastic (metal on top, plastic on the bottom). It feels very sturdy; there's a little bit of flex in the display but none on the keyboard deck. The whole device feels hefty, with evenly distributed weight. The finish doesn't scratch or pick up fingerprints easily, and the feet are solid and adhere firmly to the bottom.

The hinges are superb. They feel very smooth when opening and closing the lid, and they're stable, with almost no play at all. There's a lot of resistance, but you can still open the laptop with one hand. There's little to no screen wobble when typing aggressively.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 and its power adapter are both compact and lightweight.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714's serviceability is sub-par, as only the SSD and battery are user-replaceable. It's easy to access the internals, though. You only need to remove nine Philips screws and pry open the bottom panel with a pick or prying tool. The only thing to look out for is the stylus, as there's nothing holding it in place aside from the bottom panel, so it can slide out easily.

• Acer Chromebook Spin 714 laptop
• 65W USB-C power adapter and cord
• Mouse (with optical sensor)
• AA battery (for mouse)
• User guide for laptop and mouse

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is available with the following displays:

• 14" IPS 1920 x 1200 60Hz
• 14" IPS 2560 x 1600 60Hz

The FHD (1920 x 1200) display looks sharp and provides enough space for multitasking. The most notable change from its predecessor, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 from 2021, is that it now has a 16:10 aspect ratio rather than 3:2. It isn't as tall as 3:2; however, you still get a little more vertical space than a standard 16:9 display, so you can see more information when reading a document or website and won't have to scroll as much. If you want a sharper image, you can go with the QHD (2560 x 1600) display; just remember that the increased resolution will drain the battery faster. The QHD display has a pixel density of 216 PPI.

This laptop is only available with 60Hz displays. The FHD panel has a slow response time causing noticeable ghosting, so it isn't ideal for viewing fast-moving content or gaming. The QHD panel will likely perform similarly. If you want a Chromebook with a higher refresh rate and faster response time, check out the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022) .

The FHD display's contrast ratio is great and better than most IPS panels, but blacks still look grayish in dim settings. The QHD display likely has a similar contrast ratio.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 display gets decently bright. It's bright enough for use in most indoor settings but not in sunny environments or outdoors in broad daylight. It gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, which is great for dark room viewing as it's easier on the eyes and causes less eye strain. There isn't an advertised brightness for the QHD display, so it's likely the same as the FHD panel. If you want a Chromebook with a brighter display, check out the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (2023) .

The reflection handling is decent. Its glossy finish mainly struggles with direct, mirror-like reflections. It's best to avoid having bright light sources, like a lamp or window during the day, directly behind you, as the reflections are distracting and visible even with the screen at maximum brightness.

The black uniformity is great. There's a tiny amount of backlight bleed at the corners; otherwise, the rest of the screen looks very uniform.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has an okay vertical viewing angle. The image starts getting dimmer and more washed out fairly early as you move to the side. It's still good enough for sharing text documents and casual content, but it's best to be directly in front if you need perfect accuracy.

The vertical viewing angle is okay. Like the horizontal viewing angle, the image looks dimmer and more washed out from above and below. If accuracy is important to you, this limits the range at which you can tilt the screen, which might be a problem in tight spaces, like on an airplane or bus.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has poor display accuracy out of the box. Most colors are inaccurate, and the white balance is visibly off, especially at higher brightness levels. There's a noticeable green tint, likely caused by the display's 'Antimicrobial Corning Gorilla Glass'. The color temperature is only slightly warmer than the standard 6500K target, not enough to make a huge difference. The gamma doesn't quite follow the sRGB curve; most scenes are a little too bright, while dark scenes are too dark.

The FHD display has a great color gamut. It has near full sRGB coverage, the color space used in most content. It's only missing the deep, saturated blues. Its coverage of wider color spaces like Adobe RGB and DCI P3 is great but not enough for professional photo editing or for viewing and producing HDR content. The QHD display will likely perform similarly.

The display is entirely flicker-free, which helps reduce eye strain.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has a great keyboard. The layout feels spacious and is easy to get used to. The keys have a lot of travel, don't require much force to actuate, and provide satisfying tactile feedback. However, they're not the most stable keys, and the quality of the keycaps could be better. Overall, the keyboard feels good to type on but can be slightly tiring after an extended period. Typing noise is low and isn't bothersome in quiet settings. You can adjust between four backlight brightness levels or turn it off completely.

The touchpad is okay. Although it's on the smaller side, it feels smooth, allowing the fingers to glide freely. The tracking is decent; it registers movements and gestures well; however, it's hard to drag and drop items over a long distance, and manipulating images, like zooming in and out, can feel a little janky. Tracking around the edges isn't a problem, and palm rejection works well. You can only click in the bottom half of the touchpad, and the click mechanism feels relatively satisfying.

This laptop has excellent speakers. They get very loud, with minimal dynamic compression at max volume. Vocals and speech come across clearly; however, musical instruments sound a little unnatural, and there's no bass whatsoever. The overall sound is also slightly boxy.

The webcam is outstanding. The image is clear and well-exposed, and the colors look natural, albeit slightly on the warmer side. There's a little bit of noise here and there, but it's very minor. Voices sound loud and clear over the microphone, with no background noise.

The port selection is decent. The USB-A port supports USB 3.2 Gen. 1 data transfer speed (up to 5Gbps). Both USB-Cs support Thunderbolt 4 (up to 40Gbps data transfer speed and video output two 4k 60Hz displays) and Power Delivery. Power Delivery lets you fast-charge mobile devices, up to a maximum of 15W.

The wireless adapter is an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is available with the following CPUs:

• Intel Core i3-1215U (6 cores/8 threads, up to 4.4GHz, 10MB cache)
• Intel Core i5-1235U (10 cores/12 threads, up to 4.4GHz, 12MB cache)
• Intel Core i7-1265U (10 cores/12 threads, up to 4.8GHz, 12MB cache)
• Intel Core i7-1260P (12 core/16 threads, up to 4.7GHz, 18MB cache)

All of the available CPUs are processors typically found in thin and light laptops, and they're all hybrid CPUs with a mix of performance and efficiency cores. The main differences between the U-series and the P-series CPUs are the number of performance cores and power draw. The U-series processors have two performance cores and run between 10W and 15W, while the Core i7-1260P has four performance cores and runs at 28W. All four CPUs can provide a smooth desktop experience on Chrome OS, even the Core i3. If you're a heavy multitasker, it's best to go with the Core i5-1235U or i7-1265U, as the increased core count will give you more headroom than the i3-1215U. The Core i7-1260P is significantly faster than the rest; however, the increased performance isn't really necessary because Chrome OS is a lightweight operating system that runs well on low-end hardware, and most tasks are done through the Chrome browser. That said, it might still be a good option if you plan on keeping the device for a long time.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is only available with integrated graphics. The Core i3 has Intel UHD Graphics, while the Core i5 and i7s have Intel Iris Xe. These GPUs are designed for light tasks only; they can handle most games from the Google Play Store, but you may experience some stutters in very graphically-intensive titles, especially with the Core i3's UHD Graphics. The Intel Iris Xe is faster and will provide a much smoother experience.

You can configure this laptop with 8GB or 16GB of memory.

You can configure the laptop with 256GB or 512GB of storage. The 256GB drive is a PCIe Gen. 3 x4 SSD, while the 512GB is a faster PCIe Gen. 4 x4 SSD.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has an excellent overall score in Geekbench 5. The Intel Core i5-1235U can handle nearly everything that you can do on Chrome OS. The Core i3 will be slower, especially in multi-thread performance, while the Core i7s will be faster. As for the GPU, although the compute test doesn't work on Chrome OS, we know that it performs poorly and isn't suitable for any demanding computing tasks.

Cinebench R23 doesn't support Chrome OS.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 performs poorly in Blender. The intel Core i5-1235U takes a long time to render the simple bmw27 scene, which isn't ideal for professionals with more complex material and strict deadlines. Blender doesn't support the integrated GPU, although it'll likely take even longer. The Intel Core i7-1260P will perform significantly better; however, it still won't beat laptops with a dedicated GPU, especially those supporting NVIDIA Optix hardware acceleration, like the MSI WS76 (2021) .

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 performs poorly in the Basemark GPU benchmark. None of the configurations are suitable for demanding AAA games; however, they can handle Android-based games from the Google Play Store. The Core i3 will be slower, so you might experience some stutters in graphically intensive titles.

The 256GB PCIe Gen. 3 x4 SSD performs poorly. Its sequential read speed is decent, meaning it can launch locally-installed applications quickly, but everything else is slow, so it'll take a long time to retrieve random data or write data to the drive. That said, the system still feels very snappy and responsive because most tasks are done through the Chrome browser. If you need better performance, the 512GB drive is a faster PCIe Gen. 4 x4 SSD, and you can also put in a custom one since it's user-replaceable.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714's battery life is outstanding. You can easily get through a full day of light use with plenty to spare. It also lasts very long for video playback, enough time to get through multiple full-length movies. The gaming battery life is excellent, though not quite as good as other Chromebooks because the Intel U-series CPUs draw more power than the Celeron, Pentium, and ARM-based processors found in most Chromebooks. Models with an Intel Core i7-1260P and/or QHD display will have shorter battery life.

Borderlands 3 doesn't run on Chrome OS.

Civilization VI doesn't run on Chrome OS.

CS:GO doesn't run on Chrome OS.

Shadow of the Tomb Raider doesn't run on Chrome OS.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has great thermal and noise handling. The keyboard is cool when idle, and the fans are completely silent. The keyboard only gets mild warm under load, and while the fan is audible, it's very quiet and not at all bothersome.

We can't test the performance over time because UNIGINE Heaven and Cinebench R23 aren't compatible with Chrome OS. Like most thin and light laptops, there's likely some CPU and GPU throttling. The performance loss isn't noticeable if you only perform light tasks like web browsing and video playback; it's only noticeable when you push the system to near maximum capacity, like when gaming.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 runs on the 64-bit version of Chrome OS. There aren't any pre-installed applications other than those that typically come with Chrome OS.

Every Chromebook has an 'expiration date' at which it stops receiving software updates, and according to Google's official document , the Spin 714's end-of-life is June 2030. Google may extend this date as they have in the past for other Chromebooks; it's best to check their official document for any changes.

This laptop supports pen input and comes with a stylus. You can store the pen in its charging slot at the front right side of the device.