Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 review: This 2-in-1 nearly nails it

When it comes to 2-in-1 laptops, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 gets it right where it counts. The transition from clamshell mode to tent mode is totally effortless. The battery life is also terrific and day-to-day performance is smooth and lag free. Sure, the design could be sexier and the speakers could be punchier, but I don’t have many earth-shattering complaints here. It certainly delivers in the right areas, but is it perfect? The answer is a bit complicated.

Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best Chromebooks for comparison.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Specs

The Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is Acer’s mid-range convertible Chromebook, but our review unit falls more in the entry-level category given the specs. You’ll find an Intel Core 3 100U 6 processor, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of flash storage inside the machine I’m reviewing here. This configuration will cost you $549.99 retail, which is pretty pricey for a Chromebook, but it does go on sale often. Below you’ll find the exact specifications of my exact review unit:

• Model number: CP514-4HN-30UC
• CPU: Intel Core 3 100U processor (6 core, 1.20GHz)
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR5X RAM
• Graphics: Intel Graphics
• Display: 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS display
• Storage: 128GB universal flash storage
• Webcam: 1080p at 60 FPS
• Connectivity: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI
• Dimensions: 12.59 x 9.05 x 0.82 inches
• Weight: 3.45 pounds
• Battery: 53 watt hours
• MSRP: $549.99

You can also configure Chromebook Plus Spin 514 with up to 16GB of RAM, up to 256GB of SSD storage, and up to Intel Core 7 150Uprocessors. However, the price shoots up significantly with these upgrades. 

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: AI features

The “Plus” models come with a slew of AI features, most of which I found to be unnecessary. I did use the Live Translate feature, though. This feature enables real-time translation of whatever’s playing on the screen, which I find useful because I struggle with auditory processing. The generative AI wallpapers and video backgrounds are fun to play around with, but it’s not very useful to me in my day-to-day life.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Design, build quality

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The design is fine, but it’s nothing remarkable–it’s just a gray rectangular shell with slightly rounded edges at the lid. In fact, it looks almost identical to the Acer Chromebook Spin 312. The only difference is that it doesn’t have the colorful Chromebook logo in the right-hand corner. Without this splash of color, the design is more understated. It won’t be turning any heads, that’s for sure, but some folks may prefer that. 

Thankfully, the build quality is more impressive than the Spin’s blah aesthetics. When I first pulled the laptop out of its recycled packaging, I couldn’t help but notice how solid it felt in my hands. This thing feels like a tank and is kind of built like one, too. I noticed no flex in the keyboard deck and only a slight bend to the display when I gently twisted it. The bottom of the chassis, the palm rest, and the surrounding display are made of plastic. The top cover, however, is made of aluminum, giving it that premium touch. Still, for a mostly plastic machine, it held up great during daily use. 

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

Acer gets the 2-in-1 form factor right. The transition from clamshell mode to tent or tablet mode was seamless and the 360 degree hinge connecting the display to the keyboard was firm and secure. The weight distribution (when the laptop was in tablet mode) felt even and I was able to comfortably use it in both portrait and landscape orientations. Switching to tablet mode will automatically activate the tablet version of the operating system. My only complaint is that the laptop feels a bit thick when used as a tablet.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Keyboard, touchpad

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The keyboard is pretty comfortable to type on for long periods of time. I spent several afternoons using it to write this review and chat with coworkers on Slack or friends on Discord. I quickly adjusted to the keyboard’s layout, too–-similar to my experience with the Acer Chromebook Spin 312. The keys have a pleasant bounciness to them and they produce a nice clicking sound when depressed, which I love listening to as my fingers dance across the board. 

The touchpad is a good size (not too big, not too small) and it sits in the center of the keyboard deck, giving my hands a comfortable place to rest. The surface of the touchpad feels like glass, but it’s actually made out of ocean-bound plastics. There were a few misfires here and there, but nothing major that I can recall.  

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Display, webcam, speakers

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The 14-inch 1920×1200 IPS display is my favorite thing about this laptop. Not only does it produce a sharp-looking picture, but the bezels are also skinny (more screen!) and the taller 16:10 aspect ratio makes it easier to scroll through longer documents and web pages. I wouldn’t say it’s the brightest screen I’ve ever seen (Acer claims 340 nits), but it’s fine for day-to-day tasks and binge-watching your favorite Netflix shows. The touch capabilities on this display are very responsive as well–I didn’t notice much lag when swiping or tapping. 

The one negative thing I have to say about the display is that there’s glare in direct sunlight, which is why I wouldn’t recommend using this laptop outdoors. It does have Antimicrobial Gorilla Glass as well as USI Active Stylus support, so at least there’s that.

The webcam is fine for the occasional Zoom call, but not much else–the picture it produces is a bit fuzzy-looking. As for the microphone, my voice sounded more hollow than I liked but you could still make out what I was saying. I live in a quiet neighborhood, though. If you live in a noisy city or if you’re working in a busy café, the background sound may drown out your speaking voice. The one silver lining here is the physical privacy shutter, which you can slide over the webcam when it’s not in use. 

I don’t love the upwards firing speakers, as they’re just not punchy enough for my taste. I like to listen to music while I cook dinner and, unfortunately, I had to keep bumping up the volume because I couldn’t hear Enya’s ethereal vocals or the sharp synthesizers of her music very well (I’m in an Enya phase, leave me alone). It’s nothing a pair of headphones or external speakers couldn’t fix, but I wish the speakers were better. Upwards firing speakers are generally better than the downwards firing kind, so I was a bit disappointed. 

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Connectivity

IDG / Ashley Biancuzzo

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 has enough ports to keep most folks happy. There are two USB Type-C 3.2 Gen 2 and one audio jack on the left side. The right side features one USB Type-A 3.2 Gen 1, one 1.4 HDMI, and one Kensington lock. No complaints here–it’s a great mix of ports for an entry-level laptop. 

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Performance

Performance-wise, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 is comparable to the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus ($699), as it has the same Intel Core 3 100U processor. The Intel Core 3 100U offers good single-threaded performance, so it’s designed to handle everyday computer tasks like basic text editing, video playback, and web browsing.

• CrXPRT 2: 169
• Speedometer 2.0: 333
• Basemark Web 3.0: 1213
• Kraken: 404.7ms
• Jetstream 2: 295.228

In use, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 performs fine. I was able to jump from tab to tab with ease and the bootup times were pretty fast. Again, my daily work tasks mostly involve editing and writing, which aren’t very demanding to begin with. The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 should breeze through lighter workloads, though you may need to temper your expectations or look elsewhere if your workload is more resource intensive.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514: Battery life

The 53 watt-hour battery isn’t particularly big, but it chugged along well into the night and that alone surprised me. In our battery test, which continuously loops videos and various tasks, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 lasted for a little over 15 hours on a single charge–a phenomenal result! That’s better than the more expensive Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus ($699), which died at the 13 hour mark. However, that’s with the brightness turned down. At full brightness, you can expect about six or seven hours out of this machine.