I wish I could benchmark the laptop because it sure felt fast. Toss in 16GB, as in my review unit, and the sky’s the limit. You should be able to open numerous Chrome tabs, along with tons of Android apps, without slowing down, especially with the minimum of 8GB of RAM that Acer is providing with the Chromebook Spin 514. Its Vega integrated graphics should be able to handle some Android gaming as well. The eight-core, 16-thread AMD Ryzen 7 5825C in my review unit promises to be a speedy CPU indeed for Chrome OS, powering through whatever you throw at it. That doesn’t mean it can’t take advantage of faster processors and more RAM. Performance and battery lifeĪs mentioned in the introduction, Chrome OS doesn’t require high-end specs to provide decent performance. Wireless connectivity includes Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth. Overall, I’d rate the Chromebook Spin 514 as a well-built Chrome OS 2-in-1.Ĭonnectivity is solid, with two USB-C ports, a USB-A port, an (optional) HDMI port, and a 3.5mm audio jack. It does manage to hold the display in place in all four modes - clamshell, tent, media, and tablet. The hinge allows opening the lid with one hand, but it’s a bit loose, with some wobble, while you’re typing. Acer subjects the Chromebook Spin 514 to MIL-STD-810H military-grade durability tests, something you don’t often see in Chromebooks. There’s a tiny bit of bending in the display and flexing in the keyboard deck, but it’s nothing you’ll notice in real-world use. The chassis is all aluminum, and it feels robust for a laptop that’s likely to run less than $1,000, even fully configured. The speaker grills alongside the keyboard give an upscale appearance, but otherwise, there are zero extra adornments. There’s an angle cut into the back of the chassis that adds some flair, the hinges have been redesigned with a notch down the center, and some new vents have appeared along the rear edge - possibly to accommodate the faster CPU. HP Omen 16 (2022) hands-on review: Cool and colorfulĪcer launches the first 17-inch Chromebook, and it’s just $380Īcer’s new Chromebook Spin 514 is powered by AMD’s Ryzen processors

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