Perfect for productivity, with 8GB RAM and 128GB storage
Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (3H)
From the consistent leader in quality laptops, Acer’s latest Chromebook Spin 514 is equipped with an efficient Ryzen APU alongside plenty of memory and storage capacity. It’s kitted out with some of the latest tech, including Wi-Fi 6 connectivity. A 1080p resolution for its 14-inch screen, coupled with a durable 360-degree hinge, make it perfect for enjoying your favorite media. With an impressive $200 discount right now, there are few better Chromebook values available.
Chrome OS is one system that know how to play nicely with hardware of all kinds, and you can theoretically get by with a bargain-basement Chromebook with meager specs. But a small step up in performance sees big gains in the user experience, which is why Acer’s midrange Chrome Spin 514 is so great. For its third generation, it leverages a Ryzen 5125C chipset. Like the rest of Acer’s Chrome OS lineup, it’s one of the best Chromebooks available, and at just $350 for a limited time, you should pull the trigger if you’re looking for something powerful and efficient.
Why the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is worth it
The cheapest Chromebooks tend to cut a lot of corners, but with a list price of $550, you can be assured that Acer’s midrange 2-in-1 clamshell does not. Its 14-inch screen looks great, thanks in large part to the 1080p resolution that delivers a clean viewing experience. The rotating hinge makes it especially nice for enjoying movies and shows without taking up tons of space. Build quality is nothing to be ashamed of, either, as the Spin 514 looks and feels like a quality piece of hardware.
But it’s more than just physically well-built; the Ryzen 5125C APU inside may be on the lowest tier of Ryzen processors, but it’s also the lowest tier of new Ryzen processors released in 2022. Its dual-core, four-thread setup tops out at 3GHz and makes short work of modest Chrome apps and popular software suites. You’ll also get more storage and system memory than is typical of a Chromebook, with 128GB and 8GB, respectively.
Impressively, there aren’t any glaring faults with the Spin 514, either. If we had to nitpick, the roughly 10-hour battery life could be better, but the tradeoff comes in processing power and screen resolution. It’s also a tad bit heavier than ideal, especially for one-handed tablet use, but that’s pretty common with midrange Chromebooks. Altogether, $350 is a smoking deal for a 2-in-1 that would make the perfect tool for remote workers or digital nomads.
