Acer Chromebook Plus 514 – Review

Acer has introduced its latest fold of Chromebooks called Chromebook Plus and the Chromebook Plus 514 is one of the smaller entries in this series. It is undoubtedly facing a lot of competition, given its price point, but it proves to be one of the best devices that exist today.

Design

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 has followed the Plus 515 in terms of design, as it boasts stylish looks and also has a solid build quality. While the chassis is made of plastic completely, it is not hollow. In fact, it feels sturdy and looks like metal alloy from a distance. Its pattern also has a two-tone nature and the lid has a striped pattern, which adds a little bit of flair.

Considering that it weighs 1.45kg, it is one of the heavier Chromebooks, but it is still enough lightweight and compact for you to carry it around. While it is thin, it is thick enough to offer you a decent port selection. There is a USB-C port for charging on the left side, along with a USB-A port and full-size HDMI port for connecting external devices. There is another USB-C port on the right, along with a Kensington lock and a headphone jack.

Screen and Sound

A Chromebook Plus device needs to have a Full HD (1080p) resolution to be classified as such, but Acer has actually managed to exceed the requirement with the Chromebook Plus 514. It boasts a 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS screen. While it may not be the most vivid display in the market, it is good enough for productivity and day-to-day working.

You can enjoy excellent viewing angles and the colors are solid. The aspect ratio is slightly taller at 16:10 and this is actually convenient because it offers more real estate for work. As far as speakers are concerned, they are good for listening to music and watching movies. They do lack bass, but they are upward-firing and this also adds convenience.

Performance

The specs of the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 are decent for a mid-range device. Acer has opted for AMD, as it boasts the quad-core 3 7320C. This new Ryzen powered chip has made the laptop a nippy one when you are running various Chrome tabs and also have Spotify and Google Docs running. Thanks to the 8GB of RAM included, you can do plenty of multi-tasking. The 128GB SSD may feel a bit stingy, but it is enough to install apps.

The laptop usually remains quiet when it is under load, but there is a bit of fan noise when you start it up initially. It also does not get very warm, so you can keep it in your lap comfortably.

Battery Life

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 has solid endurance. According to Acer, it can last for about 12 hours, which means you can use it for one or two working days, depending on your work. A power brick is provided with a USB-C charger, so you are free to use your own cable if you want.