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Acer Chromebook Plus 514: Two-minute review
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 has some strong specs that make it suitable for all kinds of workloads. For a 14-inch device, it has a rather slender and light frame. The lid material also looks premium and is outlined with a gloss rim that adds a touch of elegance.
The keyboard looks cheaper by comparison but, still, it feels built to a sufficiently high standard. The touchpad is better on this front, with its smooth finish and solid construction.
The Chromebook Plus 514 has two USB-A and two USB-C ports, which helps to make it a practical machine to live with. It also has an HDMI port and a 3.5mm audio jack, both of which are also welcome additions – but it’s a slight shame there’s no SD card slot of any kind.
In action, the Chromebook Plus 514 is quite impressive, even compared to some of the best Chromebooks. It handled most tasks I threw at it with admirable composure. Multitasking is also possible, as it can switch between apps with speed and takes multiple browser tabs in its stride. However, fan noise is certainly noticeable when workloads become demanding, but thankfully I didn’t find it disruptive; the same goes for the mild heat it produces.
It also has some impressive gaming performance, allowing me to play mobile games with high settings and frame rates. It also streams 4K content without stuttering or buffering.
Such content is even more of a joy to experience thanks to the excellent WUXGA display in my unit, which is very clear and sharp with plenty of contrast. Colors are also rendered vibrantly, although perhaps not quite to the degree of some of the best Chromebook displays.
Typing on the Chromebook Plus 514 is pleasant enough, with the well-spaced keys and relatively long travel helping with feedback, although the lack of dampening can make it feel a little unrefined at times. The touchpad, although large, didn’t get in the way when hammering away at the keys, and it’s also easy to use thanks to its large size and smooth texture.
The battery life of the Chromebook Plus 514 is reasonable, lasting about eight and a half hours according to our tests. This is better than some of its competitors, but there are others that can beat it on this front.
With a starting price of $399 / £399 (about AU$560), the Chromebook Plus 514 sits in the middle of the Chromebook Plus market, but when you consider its performance for a Chromebook and sharp display, it’s certainly a device worth considering for work and play.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Price and availability
- $399 / £399 (about AU$560)
- Available now with multiple configurations
- Middle of the Chromebook Plus market
The Chromebook Plus 514 starts from $399 / £399 (about AU$560) and is available in two colorways: Iron and Silver. Various configurations are possible, including a choice between Intel or AMD hardware and Full HD or WUXGA displays.
This is a mid-range price for a Chromebook Plus. It’s cheaper than the HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch, for instance, which boasts a similar performance but does of course have a larger display, although it doesn’t have quite as high a resolution.
If you’re looking for a more budget-friendly – but still very capable – Chromebook Plus, then the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is a great choice, and is our pick as the best student Chromebook. However, this doesn’t have an especially impressive battery life.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Specs
My review unit of the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 was specified with an Intel Core 3 CPU, WUXGA display, and 128GB of storage:
Price | $399 / £399 (about AU$560) |
CPU | Intel Core 3 100U (8 threads, 4.7GHz) |
Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics |
RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 |
Screen | 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10 |
Storage | 128GB UFS |
Ports | 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm audio |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Camera | HD 1080p |
Weight | 3.15lbs (1.43kg) |
Dimensions | 12.9 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches (32.7 x 22.5 x 2cm) |
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Design
- Premium from the outside
- Strong yet smooth hinge
- Good port selection
The Chromebook Plus 514 has a slender, dynamic figure considering its 14-inch size. It’s also surprisingly light and thin, although the lid is a little thicker than I’ve seen on other Chromebooks. All its sides are pleasingly neat, although there are a few juts and ridges that spoil its clean lines.
The finish of the lid looks and feels premium, with its metallic edges doing a subtle but noticeable job of enhancing its quality. It’s easy to open thanks to the smooth hinge mechanism, which also provides plenty of stability at any angle – even when it’s opened to its full 180 degrees, which is impressive for a Chromebook this size. However, this isn’t a convertible device, so it won’t be able to rival the usability of the best tablets.
The keyboard looks and feels less impressive, with the faux-metallic keycaps appearing quite cheap, and the lack of backlighting on my model was also something I lamented (although this can be optioned on certain models). However, the keys feel well made and their selection is reasonable, with their various shortcut functions clearly labeled. The touchpad is large and smooth, and seems to be engineered to an even higher standard than the keys.
The Chromebook Plus 514 also features the Quick Insert key, which can be used to summon a search box, with useful suggestions provided based on your recent files and web pages, among other items.
Underneath you’ll find vents and two large rubber bars in place of four individual feet. The back one is thicker than the front, which means the whole unit sits with a slight forward tilt, but this is barely noticeable in use.
I was pleased with the port selection for the most part. There’s no SD card slot, which is a little disappointing, but it has an HDMI port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and two USB-A and two USB-C ports, which lends the Chromebook Plus 514 versatile connectivity.
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Performance
- Handles productivity, video, and light gaming
- Sharp and bright display
- Noisy at times
Benchmarks
These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Acer Chromebook Plus 514:
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 8 hours and 30 minutes
Jetstream2 Benchmark: 275.980
Kraken Benchmark: 438.7ms
Speedometer 3.0: 16.5 (±1.3)
I found the performance of the Chromebook Plus 514 quite impressive. Apps are quick to launch and switch between, and it handles multiple browser tabs without issue. This is thanks to its 8GB of RAM, which allows for seamless multitasking for the most part. Light productivity tasks, such as spreadsheet editing, are also dispatched without issue.
The Chromebook Plus 514 streams ultra-high-definition content with aplomb, too, and it even has capable gaming performance. I managed to play Asphalt Legends Unite on high graphics settings with next to no slowdown, which was impressive.
However, the downside of all this power is that the Chromebook Plus 514 can get quite loud as the fans kick in. It’s not as loud as other devices I’ve tried though, and the pitch at which they whir isn’t grating. The chassis can also get quite warm at the rear, but again not to a bothersome degree.
On the other hand, the display is hard to fault in any regard. The WUGXA resolution is very clean and sharp, capable of surprisingly high brightness levels for a Chromebook. Contrast is also strong and colors are vivid, although perhaps not quite to the extent of some displays.
However, plenty of viewing angles are possible and it does a respectable job of eliminating glare in unfavorable lighting conditions. In essence, it rivals the displays of not only the best Chromebooks, but also some of the best laptops.
Typing on the Chromebook Plus 514 is a mostly pleasant experience, thanks to the generous spacing of the keys. Their travel is quite deep, which helps with tactility; however, they lack dampening, which can make them feel a little harsh when you’re thumping away rapidly.
Thankfully, despite its large size, the trackpad didn’t get in my way while typing. It’s also precise and responsive, as well as offering smooth gliding. Its large surface area helps to make navigation that little bit easier, too.
Unfortunately, the speakers on the Chromebook Plus 514 aren’t particularly impressive, producing a tinny sound owing to the lack of bass response. Small amounts of distortion can also be heard at times, but the overall audio quality is clear enough to be usable, if not enjoyable.
- Performance score: 4.5 / 5
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Battery life
The battery life of the Chromebook Plus 514 is reasonable. During our test, which involved running a movie on a continuous loop, it managed to last about eight and a half hours, which is about average compared to other Chromebooks we’ve tried.
It’s a markedly better performance than the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, which we rate as the best student Chromebook, as that device only managed a paltry five hours. However, it’s worse than the Acer Chromebook Spin 314 (2023), which managed to exceed over ten hours.
Should I buy the Acer Chromebook Plus 514?
Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
Price | The Chromebook Plus 514 has a reasonable starting price, placing it somewhere in the middle of the Chromebook Plus market. | 3.5 / 5 |
Design | The Chromebook Plus 514 looks good from the outside, although the keyboard is a little drab. Overall build quality is good, though, and the port selection is useful. | 4 / 5 |
Performance | For a Chromebook, it’s fast no matter the task, and it can handle multiple workloads quite well, although it can get a little noisy in such cases. | 4.5 / 5 |
Battery life | Battery life is fairly average relative to other Chromebooks, outlasting the weakest among them but falling short of the strongest. | 3.5 / 5 |
Total Score | The Chromebook Plus 514 is fast at all kinds of tasks and has a fantastic WUXGA display. Starting prices are reasonable as well, all of which makes it worth your consideration. | 4 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Acer Chromebook Plus 514 | HP Chromebook Plus 15.6-inch | Acer Chromebook Plus 515 |
|---|---|---|---|
Price | $399 / £399 (about AU$560) | $549.99 / £449.99 / AU$749 | $399.99 / £399.99 (around AU$633) |
CPU | Intel Core 3 100U (8 threads, 4.7GHz) | Intel Core i3-N305 (8 threads, 3.80GHz) | Intel Core i3-1215U |
Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics | Integrated, Intel UHD Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics |
RAM | 8GB LPDDR5 | 8GB LPDDR5 | 8GB |
Screen | 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) IPS, 16:10 | 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 144Hz, 16:9, non-touch screen | 15.6-inch FHD (1920×1080) IPS, 16:9 |
Storage | 128GB UFS | 128GB UFS | 128GB |
Ports | 2x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x HDMI, 1x 3.5mm audio | 1x USB-A, 2x USB-C, 1x microSD, 1x 3.5mm audio | 1x Type-A USB port, 2x Type-C ports, 1x HDMI port, and 1x headset jack |
Wireless | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth | MediaTek Wi-Fi 6 MT7921 (2×2), Bluetooth 5.3 | Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211, Bluetooth 5.1 |
Camera | HD 1080p | 1080p FHD camera with privacy shutter | 1080p HD video at 60 fps |
Weight | 3.15lbs (1.43kg) | 3.81lbs (1.73kg) | 3.7lbs (1.68 kg) |
Dimensions | 12.9 x 8.9 x 0.8 inches (32.7 x 22.5 x 2cm) | 14.28 x 9.5 x 0.78 inches (36.26 x 24.15 x 1.98cm) | 14.2 x 9.39 x 0.79 inches (360.6 x 238.5 x 19.99 mm; W x D x H) |
How I tested the Acer Chromebook Plus 514
- Tested for two days
- Used for work and entertainment
- Chromebook reviewing experience
I tested the Chromebook Plus 514 for two days, during which time I used it for working and for entertainment.
I streamed 4K content on YouTube and played games such as Asphalt Legends Unite. I also connected it to various peripherals via Bluetooth and its ports.
I have plentiful experience with Chromebooks and other mobile devices, and have reviewed a number of them as well.
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