Acer Chromebook Plus 514 Review: Getting Work Done for Less – CNET

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Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-4HT-359X)

The Core i3-N305 used in this 514 trades the P-cores for additional efficient cores, unsurprisingly designed for efficiency and better for smaller operations and background tasks. The result is slower performance compared to the U-series chips. For basic productivity work, you’re unlikely to notice. I certainly didn’t. The N305 is not as capable with more demanding tasks, however. Its P-cores and E-cores split up the work demands, using the latter to handle background tasks. You can see the results of our benchmark testing at the end of the review. 

The positive is you get better battery life. Acer claimed up to 11 hours, and the Chromebook Plus 514 ran for 11 hours and 1 minute on our video streaming battery rundown test. Battery time always comes down to what you’re doing, and in my anecdotal testing, you can expect between 7 to 8 hours of general use. Plus, it does recharge quickly via USB-C. (The USB-C ports are 3.2 Gen 1, though, limiting their transfer speed to 5 Gbps.) 

Similarly, the built-in dual mics get the job done but are nothing special. My voice sounded clear to everyone I spoke with, though one person said I sounded stuffy (it is allergy season). The webcam, on the other hand, is remarkably good, even in low light. It’s a 1080p camera, as promised, and in good lighting the video looks sharp and detailed. 

In low light or when backlit, there are settings to brighten your shot and reframe you, too, if you happen to move around. Although the picture does soften in dim lighting, the noise is generally kept in check. Also, there’s a physical privacy slider so you can instantly block the lens.

The 14-inch full-HD display is, like the rest of the package, simply good. My review model has touch, which is a nice extra, especially with the screen’s matte finish. Combined with its 300-nit brightness, you can actually use the display in bright conditions and still see what you’re working on. Although my preference is for a 16:10 display for work, if you’re considering this for work and streaming video or cloud gaming, this model’s 16:9 ratio is a better fit. 

The keyboard and touchpad are serviceable. The keys have a decent amount of travel and a pleasing tactile pop to them. It’s not backlit, but it is an option Acer offers, so you just need to track down a model with it. The touchpad has a smooth glass-like feel and is adequately responsive. Like many hinged touchpads, there’s a dead zone for clicks at the very top. Also, there’s a noticeable amount of flex in the keyboard and touchpad. It doesn’t bother me, though, and doesn’t seem indicative of the system’s overall durability. In fact, Acer says it’s been independently verified for MIL-STD 810H6 military-grade durability.

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is better than its price, and that’s about the best you could hope for at $400. My rating would’ve been slightly higher if it had a backlit keyboard and maybe one USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB-C port. As it stands, though, it’s still pretty easy for me to recommend it, especially if you’re able to pick it up for even less on sale.