If they'd given us a 2K screen like the Spin 713 or at least a higher brightness, that would help take some of the edge off, but alas, it's the same 14-inch 1080p screen we saw earlier this year. Of course, Intel processors cost more, but that's still not enough to cover quite that big of an upcharge. While I'm happy the Spin 514 fixed the flaws of its predecessor, it's a full $200 more expensive. Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central (Image credit: Source: Ara Wagoner / Android Central) Acer Chromebook Spin 514 Not going far enough If you are, you'll want to grab a 16GB model - and please seek professional help because you should really learn to let go and close your tabs when you're done. My review unit came with 8GB of RAM, which is great unless you're an absolute tab-hoarder. The battery is rated to last 'up to 10 hours,' and I usually got 8-9 on light work, frequent tab-hopping, and me getting distracted over to Twitter about twice an hour.

Thankfully, Acer has managed the heat and the processor well enough that it won't overheat, even if you run it for 16 hours alternating between tables and lap use like I did today. Unfortunately, fanless models can be a bit of a double-edged sword: no fan means no noise, but it also means that if the manufacturer gets anything wrong, the laptop can literally get too hot to handle, which is what happened to the original Galaxy Chromebook.

That 11th Gen i5 used here is a fanless model, which is more great news for me and anyone else prone to using their Chromebook in their lap while on the couch, in bed, sitting at the gate waiting for your next flight, or while chilling on the back porch while your kids play with the dog. Between the i5 and storage, this laptop is ready and waiting for Google and Steam to finally give us the Chromebook gaming fans have wanted, not just game streaming via Stadia, Game Pass, or GeForce Now.įinally, a fanless Intel Chromebook done properly! There's no microSD card slot here, which you shouldn't miss, given that the SSD storage starts at 256GB. The ports are predictably placed: a USB-C Thunderbolt 4 port on each side near the hinge, followed by HDMI and 3.5mm on the left and USB-A on the right.

Acer spin 514 release date