Acer - Acer Chromebook 514

Acer

Acer Chromebook 514: a high-end chromebook

Aprox. 399€

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It has been a long time since a Chromebook had made its way to the dev.rankuzz.com lab. It's done today, since we are testing the Acer Chromebook 514, a very solid mid-range.

Our review

Presentation

Chromebooks, very popular in the United States, are still struggling to establish themselves in Spain. However, these computers have good arguments to make: inexpensive because not very powerful, they still offer a smooth experience thanks to Chrome OS, the operating system created by Google.

Still perceived as an OS less efficient and more restrictive than Windows, Chrome OS has however evolved a lot in recent years, by offering, for example, compatibility with applications from the Google Play Store. Enough for office automation and a bit of leisure.

With the Chromebook 514, Acer is looking to offer a high-end chromebook for less than € 500. Bet largely won for the Taiwanese firm.


Construction

With an aluminum finish of the most beautiful effect, the Acer Chromebook 514 looks good and recalls the high-end ultraportables on the market. Its design is just as successful once the computer is open. In hands, the high-end appearance is still felt, the chassis being of excellent quality and not creaking under the fingers.

The angular and sober design is extremely successful. Only the Chrome logo on the hood betrays the presence of Chrome OS on this computer, which could very well pass for a Windows PC at € 1,000.

Connectivity side, this chromebook is complete for a computer in its range, offering two USB Type-C 3.1 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, a microSD reader and a mini-Jack port.

As for the keyboard, Acer has done no miracle. The latter is certainly not unpleasant, but a little soft. However, it retains a relatively long distance for it and remains passable; just like the trackpad, whose finish is correct, nothing more. It reacts well to use, however, and that is essential.

Equipped with a modest Intel Pentium N4200 processor, this chromebook arrives with a promise of freshness. The thing is verified as soon as we pass it under the eye of our thermal camera. During our test protocol (3D Mark benchmark for one hour), the laptop was able to stay cool, the temperature painfully reaching 36 ° C. As for noise, it does not exceed 37 dB, an almost inaudible level.


Screen

The Acer Chromebook is equipped with a 14 inch IPS touch screen with a definition of 1,920 x 1,080 px. Acer is focusing on thin screen edges. The screen / front ratio here is 78%, which is good without being excellent. Acer however offers a very neat panel. Note that the presence of a screen that is both mat and touch, which is extremely rare.

contrast 1285: 1 Delta E 6.1 temperature 6.790 K

The results obtained after passing the slab under the lens of our probe are very good: the contrast was measured at 1285: 1 and thus offers a good vision of the shades of gray. The temperature is also controlled (6,790 K, close to 6,500 K of the video standard). On the other hand, the weakness of the screen is in the respect of colors, with an average delta E at 6.1. A false note on a table which until now has been very good.

The maximum brightness is 254 cd / m², which is a bit tight, but sufficient for working outdoors. The remanence was measured at 17 ms. A rather bad result, but without impact on a PC not dedicated to games.


Performances

The Chromebook 514 is equipped with an Intel Pentium N4200 processor supported by 4 GB of RAM and 32 GB of storage in eMMC. A very modest configuration, but ultimately sufficient for Chrome OS.

It would be irrelevant here to compare the performance of the Chromebook 514 with that of Windows PCs already in our labs. Chrome OS has the quality of being able to run on very low power machines. In use, the product from Acer is extremely fluid, launching videos and Internet pages in less than a second (with a fiber connection). The start of the Chromebook has been calculated by us at 10 seconds, while the waking from sleep is instantaneous.

Chrome OS has also improved significantly over the years. Perfect for office automation, the OS can easily replace Windows 10 for working or relaxing. From now on, it leaves the possibility for the user to download all the Android applications from the Google Play Store, which considerably widens the possibilities for the user, even if certain applications, such as games, are not necessarily usable with the mouse.


Mobility / Autonomy

With its weight of 1.4 kg and its dimensions of 32.3 x 1.69 x 23.2 cm, the Acer Chromebook 514 can be easily carried in a bag. It should still be noted a fairly prominent diet.

When it comes to battery life, the Acer Chromebook is doing very well. During our usual test protocol (Netflix in Chrome, backlight off, headphones plugged in and brightness set to 200 cd / m²), the PC shut down after 10 hours and 54 minutes. An excellent result which places it among the most autonomous products on the market. Autonomy is an argument used by Google for its Chromebooks and it is justified here.


Audio

The Chromebook 514 has speakers in the front, under the chassis. A positioning which is not very relevant since the rendering depends a lot on the surface on which the PC is placed; the sound is more pleasant on a wooden table than on a tablecloth, for example.

The Chromebook 514 has a ridiculous power reserve, which it tries to compensate with a very present dynamic compression. Impossible to deactivate in the settings of Chrome OS, it brings a very unpleasant pumping effect which does not allow a serene listening when the volume is at more than two thirds of its power. What is more, the reproduction is very concentrated on the mediums - which is typical of this kind of product -, giving the whole a very narrow character. The only slight point of consolation, the distortion in the month has the merit of being slight.

The headphone jack is good, and displays correct results in the lab, despite a somewhat fair power that does not allow you to connect overly greedy headsets. Nomad helmets will, however, adapt very well.


Conclusion

Acer delivers a very attractive Chromebook with its 514. Despite obvious faults, such as mediocre speakers or a keyboard that deserved more care, it manages to convince thanks to its exemplary construction as well as its screen well calibrated. Chrome OS brings a pleasant experience, which represents an affordable and interesting alternative to Windows.


Specifications