The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2023) is a budget Chrome OS laptop. It's configurable with an AMD Ryzen 3 7320C or Ryzen 5 7520C CPU, paired with 8GB or 16GB of memory and up to 512GB of storage. It has an FHD+ IPS display (with or without touch input), a 1080p webcam, Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, and a 50Wh battery. Ports include one USB-A, two USB-Cs, an HDMI 1.4, and a 3.5mm headphone jack.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is decent for school use. It's very portable, and its battery lasts a little over 10 hours of light use. The display looks sharp, the keyboard feels comfortable to type on (albeit slightly mushy), and the touchpad is responsive. Its AMD CPU can only handle general productivity tasks like web browsing and text processing, so it isn't ideal for students in more specialized fields like engineering or 3D modeling.
- Easy to carry around.
- Battery lasts around 10 hours in light uses.
- Good 1080p webcam.
- CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding tasks.
- Screen looks dim and washed out.
- Can't run specialized x86 programs on Chrome OS.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is bad for gaming. You can't install DirectX games on Chrome OS, and while you can play Android-based games from the Google Play Store, some might not run properly, as they're games designed for Android smartphones and tablets. Also, its low-power CPU and GPU can't handle demanding games. The display is limited to a 60Hz refresh rate, and its response time is rather slow, resulting in a blurry image with visible ghosting in fast-moving scenes.
- Doesn't get hot or loud under load.
- CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding tasks.
- Most games don't run on Chrome OS.
- 60Hz display with slow response time.
- Can only get up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is okay for media consumption. It's a relatively compact device that's easy to carry around, and its battery lasts over nine hours of video playback. Its FHD+ display looks pretty sharp but slightly washed out due to its narrow color gamut. It's also on the dim side, which means visibility might be an issue in well-lit environments. Like all IPS panels, it isn't the best for dark room viewing, as its low contrast makes blacks look gray. As for the speakers, while the speakers get very loud with minimal compression, they sound unnatural, with no bass whatsoever.
- Easy to carry around.
- Battery lasts over nine hours of video playback.
- Speakers get very loud with minimal compression.
- Speakers sound unnatural, with no bass and very little treble.
- Screen looks dim and washed out.
- Not ideal for dark room viewing due to display's low contrast.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 isn't designed for use as a workstation. Its low-power CPU and integrated graphics aren't powerful enough to handle demanding tasks, and you can only get up to 16GB of memory and 512GB of storage. Also, most professional applications don't run on Chrome OS. While sharp, the display's narrow color gamut makes it unsuitable for color-correction work.
- Doesn't get hot or loud under load.
- CPU and integrated GPU can't handle demanding tasks.
- Most professional programs lack Chrome OS support.
- Can only get up to 16GB of RAM and 512GB of storage.
- Display isn't suitable for color-critical work.
- No thunderbolt 4 or USB4 support.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is okay for business use. It's very portable, and its battery lasts easily through a typical eight-hour workday. While it doesn't feel particularly well-built, it'll likely survive a few business trips with no major issues. The overall user experience is good; however, the screen is on the dim side, meaning you may have visibility issues in well-lit settings. Performance-wise, its AMD CPU can handle general productivity tasks like text processing, spreadsheets, and presentations; just don't expect to do any heavy multitasking.
- Easy to carry around.
- Battery lasts around 10 hours in light uses.
- Good 1080p webcam.
- Screen looks dim and washed out.
- Can't run specialized x86 programs on Chrome OS.
Changelog
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Updated Aug 29, 2025:
Added mention of the Lenovo Chromebook Duet Gen 9 11 (2024) as a more compact alternative in the Portability section.
- Updated Jul 10, 2024: Review published.
- Updated Jul 05, 2024: Early access published.
- Updated Jun 27, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (model CB514-3HT-R8RB) with an FHD+ touchscreen, an AMD Ryzen 3 7320C CPU, 8GB of memory, and 128GB of storage. The display, CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; the available options are in the table below.
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See our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is a decent budget Chromebook. There isn't a single feature that makes it stand out amongst the competition; however, the laptop as a whole delivers a good experience for the price. It's a great option for younger students who only need a simple device to access the web.
See our recommendations for the best Chromebooks, the best laptops for college, and the best budget and cheap laptops.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2023) and the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (2023) are very similar overall. The ASUS feels a bit sturdier build-wise, and it provides a snappier desktop experience, as its Intel CPUs are noticeably faster than the Acer's AMD Ryzen processors. However, the Acer's battery lasts a little over ten hours of light use, which is enough to get you through a typical day, whereas the ASUS lasts only seven hours on a full charge.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2022) is much better than the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2023). The Spin 714 is a higher-end device with a sturdier build and significantly more processing power. It's more versatile since it's a 2-in-1 convertible with pen input support. Overall, it provides a better user experience with a nicer, brighter display, a more tactile keyboard, a better webcam, and longer battery life.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2023) and the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3i Chromebook 14 (2023) are both budget 14-inch Chrome OS laptops. The Acer is slightly more compact, making it easier to carry around, and it provides a better user experience overall, with a snappier performance, a more comfortable keyboard, a larger touchpad, and a 16:10 display. However, the Lenovo might be a better option if you mainly use the device for media consumption, as its top-end IPS panel looks more vibrant and gets brighter to combat glare. As for battery life, while the Lenovo lasts three hours longer, both laptops can easily get you through a typical 8-hour day.
The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2023) and the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (2023) are both budget Chromebooks that provide a similar user experience overall. The 515 feels snappier and more responsive because its Intel CPUs are faster than the 514's AMD Ryzen processors; however, it has shorter battery life, lasting around eight hours of light use, almost two hours shorter than the 514. The 514 has arguably a better display—although both laptops have an FHD panel, the 514 looks sharper since it's a smaller screen. Also, the 514 has a 16:10 aspect ratio, which is better suited for productivity than the 515's standard 16:9 format, as you can see more information at once when reading a document or website.
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