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Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) Laptop Review

Tested using Methodology v0.8.2
Reviewed Sep 18, 2024 at 09:15 am
Latest change: Retest Sep 20, 2024 at 08:52 am
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) Picture
7.7
School
5.1
Gaming
7.3
Multimedia
7.1
Workstation
7.5
Business

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) is a 16-inch cloud gaming Chromebook. It's available with Intel Core CPUs (Raptor Lake refresh - Series 1) up to a Core 7 with integrated graphics, 16GB of RAM, and 2TB of storage. It has a 120Hz QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS display, Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity, and a 1080p webcam. This laptop has one USB-A port, two USB-C ports, a headphone jack, an HDMI port, and an Ethernet port. The USB-C ports support video output and charging but not Thunderbolt 4.

See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section below.

Our Verdict

7.7 School

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is good for school use. While its 16-inch form factor may make it difficult to fit into some bags, it offers all-day battery life, so you can leave the charger at home. The overall user experience is good. Its large screen gives you plenty of real estate for multitasking, and it's bright enough to use in almost any indoor setting. The keyboard is easy to use, and while the touchpad is good, it's not great; most gestures and inputs are fine, but it often struggles with dragging and dropping files. Finally, while the Intel Core CPUs offer good performance, these laptops are limited by ChromeOS' software compatibility; if you need any specialized software for your courses, make sure to check OS compatibility.

Pros
  • Bright display.
  • All-day battery life.
  • Good keyboard.
  • Solid build quality.
Cons
  • Finish prone to scratching.
  • Touchpad struggles with dragging and dropping items.
5.1 Gaming

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is not a gaming laptop in the traditional sense. Instead, it's designed for gaming using cloud gaming services like NVIDIA GeForce Now. It has a nice 120Hz display and a comfortable keyboard, and it doesn't get hot or loud under load. It has Wi-Fi 6E wireless connectivity and an Ethernet port, which is great as cloud gaming performance will depend heavily on your internet connection. However, if you want to game locally, this laptop lacks several features you'd want in a gaming laptop. For example, it's only available with low-power CPUs and integrated graphics, which aren't powerful enough to handle demanding games. You can play some Android-based games (they may not all run properly as they're primarily designed for Android devices) or light puzzle games, but that's it. Also, its IPS panel has a slow response time, causing noticeable ghosting, and there is no VRR to reduce screen tearing.

Pros
  • Laptop stays quiet and cool under load.
  • 120Hz display.
Cons
  • No VRR support.
  • Only available with low power CPUs and integrated graphics.
  • Limited to 16GB of RAM.
  • No user-replaceable RAM.
  • Slow SSD despite using PCIe Gen 4 drives.
7.3 Multimedia

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is decent for multimedia consumption. The screen gets bright and offers full coverage of the sRGB color space, so streaming content looks great. Its battery life is also good, so you don't need to worry about keeping the laptop plugged in to enjoy your favorite shows. That being said, the laptop is quite large, so it isn't the best choice for watching videos or streaming content on the go. Finally, while the speakers get loud and have almost no distortion at maximum volume, they lack bass and sound boxy.

Pros
  • Bright display.
  • All-day battery life.
Cons
  • Speakers sound boxy and lack bass.
7.1 Workstation

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE isn't designed as a workstation. While the low-power Intel Core processors offer good performance, they aren't ideal for handling demanding tasks. Additionally, you can only get this laptop with an integrated GPU and a maximum of 16GB of RAM — the memory isn't user-replaceable, further limiting functionality. In addition, many workstation applications aren't compatible with ChromeOS.

Pros
  • Laptop stays quiet and cool under load.
Cons
  • Limited to 16GB of RAM.
  • No user-replaceable RAM.
  • Slow SSD despite using PCIe Gen 4 drives.
7.5 Business

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is decent for business use. It offers great performance for general productivity tasks like spreadsheets and word processing. Its keyboard and touchpad are also easy to adapt to and comfortable to use, though the touchpad struggles with dragging and dropping items. Its battery life is great at just under 10 hours of light use on a single charge. The webcam is good, offering a clear image, but the microphone isn't great, though; it has a lot of static and is quiet. Additionally, while the 16-inch display is large and offers additional vertical screen real estate for multitasking, this larger form factor makes it more cumbersome to carry around with you; it may not be to everyone's taste.

Pros
  • Bright display.
  • All-day battery life.
  • Good keyboard.
Cons
  • Poor microphone performance.
  • Finish prone to scratching.
  • Touchpad struggles with dragging and dropping items.
  • 7.7 School
  • 5.1 Gaming
  • 7.3 Multimedia
  • 7.1 Workstation
  • 7.5 Business
  1. Updated Sep 20, 2024: We've corrected a mistake in the Serviceability and Storage sections. The storage drive is user-replaceable; the slot supports M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs.
  2. Updated Sep 18, 2024: Review published.
  3. Updated Sep 11, 2024: Early access published.
  4. Updated Aug 29, 2024: Our testers have started testing this product.
  5. Updated Aug 27, 2024: The product has arrived in our lab, and our testers will start evaluating it soon.
  6. Updated Aug 15, 2024: We've purchased the product and are waiting for it to arrive in our lab.

Differences Between Sizes And Variants

We tested the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (model number CBG516-2H-59S4) with a QHD+ IPS Display, an Intel Core 5 120U processor, integrated Intel Graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. Our review applies to all versions of the CBG516-2H model. The CPU, memory, and storage are configurable; you can see the options in the table below:

Display
  • 16.0" IPS 2560 x 1600 120Hz Touchscreen (100% sRGB)
CPU
  • Intel Core 5 120U (10 cores/12 threads, up to 5 GHz, 12MB cache)
  • Intel Core 7 150U (10 cores/12 threads, up to 5.4 GHz, 12MB cache)
GPU
  • Intel Graphics (integrated)
RAM
  • 8GB dual-channel LP-DDR4X SDRAM
  • 16GB dual-channel LP-DDR4X SDRAM
Storage
  • 256 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
  • 512 M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
  • 1TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
  • 2TB M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSD
Color
  • Obsidian Black

Check out our unit's label for more information.

Compared To Other Laptops

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is a decent Chromebook overall. It has a better display than most Chromebooks on the market because it's designed for gaming, and its battery life is much improved over the previous generation Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022). That being said, while light and rather thin for a 16-inch gaming laptop, this isn't the most portable Chromebook, and its CPU isn't as powerful as the 2022 model.

For more options, see our recommendations for the best gaming laptops, the best budget and cheap gaming laptops, and the best Chromebooks.

ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (2023)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) and the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (2023) are very different Chromebooks. The ASUS is a 14-inch 2-in-1 convertible; this smaller form factor makes it more portable. It also has a 144Hz FHD+ display that's faster and brighter than the Acer. That being said, you only get the high refresh rate when the laptop is plugged in; the display is capped at 60Hz when running on battery. The Acer is a larger 16-inch laptop with a sharper QHD+ display. This makes it a better choice for multitasking. Also, its battery life is much better, so despite its size, it's better for on-the-go use.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) is the newer generation of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022). Overall, these two gaming Chromebooks are very similar. They offer similar user experiences with a bright 120Hz display, a good keyboard, and a decent touchpad. Where the newer Plus model excels is in battery life, as it lasts almost 10 hours on a single charge, making it the better choice for on-the-go use. By contrast, the older Chromebook 516 actually offers better CPU performance overall.

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (2023)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) and the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (2023) are very different Chromebooks. The ASUS is more portable since it's a smaller 14-inch device and has one more USB-A port. The Acer is a cloud gaming Chromebook and comes with a few nice features in this regard. You get a 120Hz display that's brighter and more color-accurate. It also has much better battery life and a wider port selection, including an Ethernet port to help keep latency in check while gaming.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) and the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (2024) are very different. The Spin 714 is a 2-in-1 convertible that's more portable since it's a smaller device. It's the better choice for on-the-go use. The Spin 714 also supports Thunderbolt 4, allowing you to transfer files quickly and connect up to two 4k displays at 60Hz with a single cable. By contrast, the 516 GE has a better and larger display; it's sharper, is brighter, and has a 120Hz refresh rate with a much faster response time. As this Chromebook has cloud gaming in mind, the higher refresh rate will help deliver a smoother gaming experience.

Test Results

perceptual testing image
Design
Design
Style
Form Factor
Traditional (Clamshell)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) is only available in Obsidian Black. Here's a photo of the bottom of the laptop.

7.5
Design
Build Quality

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE feels well-built. It has a metal lid, bottom, and deck with plastic trim and hinges; this combination of materials feels durable and exhibits minimal flex when pushing on the top or bottom covers and through the keyboard deck. The finish isn't the most scratch-resistant, though, and it's a fingerprint magnet. The feet feel solid and stick firmly to the bottom.

6.9
Design
Hinge
Range
180°
Stability
Good
One Finger Lift
No

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE has a decent hinge. It's quite stable, displaying minimal wobble when typing aggressively, and there's a fair bit of hinge resistance. While the hinge resistance means it's easy to adjust, the downside is it's too heavy to lift with a single finger.

7.9
Design
Portability
Size
16"
Thickness
1.0" (2.5 cm)
Width
14.1" (35.7 cm)
Depth
9.9" (25.1 cm)
Volume
120.3 in³ (1,971.4 cm³)
Weight
3.8 lbs (1.7 kg)
Charger Size
8.1 in³ (132.7 cm³)
Charger Weight
0.6 lbs (0.3 kg)
5.8
Design
Serviceability
Ease Of Access
7.5
RAM Slots
0
Storage Slots
1
Replaceable Battery
Yes
Replaceable Wireless Adapter
No

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE has bad serviceability, as there are almost no user-replaceable components. Nevertheless, accessing the internals is straightforward; you only need to remove 11 Philips screws and undo the clips holding the bottom panel with a prying tool. You can download the user manual from Acer's website for more information.

Design
In The Box

  • Documentation
  • Carrying case
  • 65W USB-C power adapter and cable

Display
Display
Screen Specs
Resolution
2560 x 1600
Aspect Ratio
16:10
Pixel Density
188 PPI
Panel Type
IPS
Touch Screen
No
Screen-To-Body Ratio
88%

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is only available with a QHD+ IPS display with 100% sRGB coverage. It looks sharp for the 16-inch display size, and its 16:10 aspect ratio gives you some extra vertical screen real estate for browsing websites or reading documents. The downside is that you'll almost always have black bars at the top and bottom when viewing videos.

7.7
Display
Refresh Rate
Refresh Rate
120 Hz
Variable Refresh Rate
No

Although the display has a 120Hz refresh rate, its response time is slow, resulting in visible ghosting behind fast-moving objects. Even though the display is a 120Hz panel, it doesn't mean you'll get 120 fps (and the responsiveness of a 120Hz display) all the time when using cloud gaming services; the frame rate and input lag depend on your internet connection.

7.0
Display
Contrast
Native Contrast
1,120 : 1

The display's contrast ratio is decent and within a normal range for IPS panels. However, it's low compared to other display technologies like VA or OLED. The effect of this lower contrast is that blacks look gray in dark environments.

7.6
Display
Brightness
Maximum Brightness
355 cd/m²
Minimum Brightness
10 cd/m²

The display gets bright enough for use in most indoor settings but not outdoors in broad daylight. It gets very dim at the lowest brightness setting, which is great for dark room viewing as it causes less eye strain.

7.3
Display
Reflections
Screen Finish
Matte
Total Reflections
5.32%
Indirect Reflections
4.06%
Calculated Direct Reflections
1.26%

This display's reflection handling is decent. The matte finish diffuses reflections from direct light sources across its surface. In practice, reflections are still faintly visible when the screen is at maximum brightness, but it isn't too noticeable. Reflections will be noticeable and distracting when viewing dark content, however.

8.6
Display
Black Uniformity
Uniformity (Std. Dev.)
0.729%
6.8
Display
Horizontal Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Left
28°
Color Washout From Right
26°
Color Shift From Left
43°
Color Shift From Right
46°
Brightness Loss From Left
31°
Brightness Loss From Right
29°
Black Level Raise From Left
60°
Black Level Raise From Right
60°
Gamma Shift From Left
30°
Gamma Shift From Right
29°

The display's horizontal viewing angle is okay. The image dims and washes out relatively quickly as you move to the side, so you need to be more or less directly in front of the screen to see an accurate image.

7.1
Display
Vertical Viewing Angle
Color Washout From Below
28°
Color Washout From Above
29°
Color Shift From Below
45°
Color Shift From Above
36°
Brightness Loss From Below
30°
Brightness Loss From Above
30°
Black Level Raise From Below
45°
Black Level Raise From Above
45°
Gamma Shift From Below
37°
Gamma Shift From Above
37°

The vertical viewing angle is okay. Again, the image looks dimmer and more washed out from above or below. You need to look at the screen more or less straight on if you need perfect accuracy, which can be hard in tight spaces with very little room to tilt the screen, like on a bus or airplane.

7.4
Display
Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy
Avg. White Balance dE
3.45
Avg. Gamma
2.34
Avg. Color dE
2.74
Avg. Color Temperature
6,106.1 K

The out-of-the-box display accuracy is decent. Most color inaccuracies are minor. The color temperature is on the warmer side, giving the image a slight yellowish hue. As for gamma, it's too high in almost every scenario, so content looks darker than intended; the exception is in very dark scenes, where the gamma is too low, resulting in content that's brighter than it should be.

8.5
Display
Color Gamut
sRGB xy
99.38%
sRGB uv
98.73%
Adobe RGB xy
77.86%
Adobe RGB uv
88.4%
DCI P3 xy
78.48%
DCI P3 uv
83.42%
Rec. 2020 xy
56.39%
Rec. 2020 uv
61.11%

This display offers full coverage of the commonly used sRGB color space, so it's great for SDR content. It also offers good coverage of the Adobe RGB and DCI P3 color spaces; however, it's insufficient for professional print photography or HDR video production.

10
Display
Flicker
Flicker-Free
Yes
Flicker Frequency
No Flicker
Flicker Active Below
0%
Interface
8.3
Interface
Keyboard
Typing Quality
8.0
Numpad
No
Backlighting
RGB Zones
Operating Force
67 gf
Actuation Force
32 gf
Pre-Travel
1.19 mm
Total Travel
1.87 mm

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE (2024) provides a great typing experience. Its keyboard layout is fairly standard, and the keys are a good size; it's easy to get used to. There's a good amount of key travel, and while the keys feel responsive, there's a fair bit of resistance; depending on your preference, the keyboard could be tiring to use for long periods of time. The backlighting is good. You can see the LEDs from all sides of the keys, and while they're bright enough to be serviceable, they could be brighter. This would make it easier to see the key legends with the RGB backlighting. Finally, there are four RGB zones that you can set to a variety of colors or to match your wallpaper.

7.7
Interface
Touchpad
Tracking Quality
7.5
Size
16.0 in² (103.3 cm²)
Material
Plastic
Dedicated Buttons
No

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE has a good touchpad overall. It tracks movements and gestures well, and palm rejection works great. Unfortunately, dragging and dropping is a problem, as the item often gets dropped prematurely. As for the fit, it would've been better to see a larger touchpad that fills up the lower deck more. This is a diving board touchpad, so you can only click towards the bottom. The touchpad provides decent feedback (clicks are crisp enough), but you have to press down harder than expected for your input to register.

8.1
Interface
Speakers
Max Volume
80 dB SPL
Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
4.1 dB
Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB)
-2.0
Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.)
359 Hz
Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.)
10 kHz
Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol.
4.6 dB

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE's speakers get loud with minimal compression at high volumes. However, they sound boxy, particularly at higher volumes, and while there's some bass, there isn't enough to provide a full sound.

6.5
Interface
Webcam & Microphone
Video Quality
6.5
Resolution
1080p
Position
Top Center
Privacy Cover
No
Face Unlock
No

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE has an okay webcam. Fine details are generally clear, albeit a bit soft at times, and there's visible noise in the image. There's also a noticeable green tint, particularly in darker areas of the image, and the exposure is generally too low resulting in a darker image overall. The microphone is not great, however. While you can understand what's being said, there's noticeable white noise in the background.

Connectivity
7.0
Connectivity
Ports
USB-A Ports
1
USB-C Ports
2
Thunderbolt
No
USB-C Charging
Yes
USB-C Display Out
Yes
HDMI
2.0
DisplayPort
No
3.5mm Jack
Combo mic/headphone
Card Reader
No
Ethernet
Yes
Proprietary Port
No
Security Lock
Yes

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516GE has a decent port selection. The USB-A port supports USB 3.2 Gen 2 data transfer speed of up to 10 Gbps. The two USB-C ports also support USB 3.2 Gen 2 data transfer speed, as well as DisplayPort Alt Mode and charging.

Connectivity
Wireless Communication
Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi 6E (802.11ax)
Bluetooth
5.3

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE's wireless adapter is an Intel Wi-Fi 6E AX211. Wi-Fi 6E gives you access to the 6GHz band, providing faster speeds, lower latency, and less signal interference than previous wireless standards; however, you need a router that supports Wi-Fi 6E to benefit from these features.

Configuration
Configuration
CPU
Brand
Intel
Model
Core 5 120U
Core Count
10
Thread Count
12

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is available with the following CPUs:

  • Intel Core 5 120U (10 cores/12 threads, up to 5.0GHz, 12MB cache)
  • Intel Core 7 150U (10 cores/12 threads, up to 5.4GHz, 12MB cache)

These processors belong to Intel's Raptor Lake refresh that was released alongside the newer Meteor Lake architecture. They use a hybrid architecture, with two performance and eight efficiency cores; unlike Meteor Lake processors, there's no NPU (for AI tasks) or low-power Efficiency cores (LP-E). These U-series CPUs are low-wattage processors (15-watt TDP) intended for general productivity and multitasking. The Core 7 150U is faster than the Core 5 due to its higher clock speeds, but the difference isn't huge. Performance-wise, they have more than enough processing power for a lightweight operating system like Chrome OS and nearly any productivity tasks you can do on it. Cloud gaming isn't particularly CPU-intensive; you just need a good internet connection.

You can read more about Intel's new naming scheme on their website and more about the hybrid architecture employed in these U-series processors in the product brief.

Configuration
GPU
Brand
Intel
Model
Graphics
Dedicated/Integrated
Integrated
VRAM Size
N/A

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is only available with integrated graphics.

Configuration
RAM
Capacity
8 GB
Modules
8 (Soldered)
Type
LP-DDR4X
Speed
N/A

You can get this laptop with 8GB or 16GB of RAM. The memory isn't user-replaceable.

Configuration
Storage
Advertised Capacity
256 GB
Usable Capacity
192 GB
Drive 1
Western Digital PC SN740 SDDQNQD-256G-1014
Drive 1 Type SSD
Drive 2
No 2nd Drive
Drive 2 Type No 2nd Drive

You can get this laptop with 256GB, 512GB, 1TB, or 2TB of storage. The SSD is user-replaceable; the slot supports M.2 2280 PCIe Gen 4 NVMe SSDs.

Performance
8.1
Performance
Geekbench 5 (Synthetics)
CPU Single-Thread
1,630 points
CPU Multi-Thread
6,791 points
GPU Compute
8,429 points

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE has a great overall score in the Geekbench 5 benchmarks. However, while single-core performance is higher, the 12th generation Intel Core CPUs found in the older Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022) actually offer better multi-threaded and GPU performance. Nevertheless, the Intel Core 5 120U has no problem handling general productivity tasks like text processing, web browsing, and video playback, and it can also handle some light photo and video editing. The Core 7 150U is only slightly faster thanks to its increase in clock speeds. As for GPU performance, the integrated Intel Graphics aren't suitable for demanding workloads. If you need a lot of GPU processing power, it's best to get a Windows laptop with a discrete GPU or an Apple MacBook Pro with an Apple ARM-based SoC.

not tested
Performance
Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering)
Single-Thread
N/A
Multi-Thread
N/A

Cinebench R23 doesn't run on Chrome OS.

7.7
Performance
Blender (3D Rendering)
CPU Render Time
4.6 min
GPU Render Time
N/A
GPU Render Time (Optix)
N/A

The Acer Chromebook 516 GE's Intel Core 5 120U performs well in Blender, and the Core 7 150U should be somewhat faster due to its increase in clock frequency. However, it's still far slower than rendering on a Windows device with a dedicated GPU; even an entry-level discrete GPU, like an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2050, can render images much faster.

5.0
Performance
Basemark GPU (Game Scene)
Overall Score
15,503

The Acer Chromebook 516 Plus GE performs poorly in the Basemark GPU benchmark. Its Intel iGPU isn't designed for gaming. It can handle most mobile games from the Google Play Store, but you may have to lower the graphics settings slightly to get smooth gameplay.

5.7
Performance
Storage Drive Performance
Sequential Write Speed
261.9 MB/s
Sequential Read Speed
573.4 MB/s
Random Write Speed
1.8 MB/s
Random Read Speed
23.9 MB/s
7.9
Performance
Battery
Capacity
65 Wh
Battery Life (Web Browsing)
9.6 hrs
Battery Life (Video Playback)
8.0 hrs
Battery Life (Gaming)
5.3 hrs
Charge Time
2.2 hrs
0
Performance
Borderlands 3
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Very Low
N/A

Borderlands 3 doesn't run on Chrome OS.

0
Performance
Civilization VI
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Minimum
N/A
Avg. Turn Time
N/A

Civilization VI doesn't run on Chrome OS.

0
Performance
Counter-Strike 2
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Low
N/A

Counter-Strike 2 doesn't run on Chrome OS.

0
Performance
Shadow Of The Tomb Raider
Avg. FPS
N/A
1% Low
N/A
0.1% Low
N/A
1% Low Delta
N/A
0.1% Low Delta
N/A
Avg. FPS On Lowest
N/A

Shadow of the Tomb Raider doesn't run on Chrome OS.

8.8
Performance
Thermals And Noise
Keyboard Temp While Idle
28 °C (82 °F)
Keyboard Temp Under Load
37 °C (99 °F)
Fan Noise While Idle
25.0 dBA
Fan Noise Under Load
38.0 dBA
Power & Fan Control App
No

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is silent when idle; the fans ramp up under load, but not to a level that is bothersome or annoying.

not tested
Performance
Performance Over Time
CPU Temp (Cinebench)
N/A
CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench)
N/A
GPU Temp (Heaven)
N/A
GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven)
N/A

We can't test the performance over time because our testing software isn't compatible with Chrome OS. Like most thin and light laptops, there's likely some thermal throttling on the CPU and GPU. The performance loss isn't noticeable if you only perform light tasks like web browsing and video playback, but it is when you push the system to near-maximum capacity, like when gaming.

Additional Features And Software
Additional Features And Software
Software
Operating System
Chrome OS
Additional Software
Yes

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE runs on the 64-bit version of Chrome OS. There aren't any pre-installed applications other than those that typically come with Chrome OS. However, it does come with a few trial periods, like NVIDIA GeForce NOW.

GeForce NOW is a cloud-gaming service; NVIDIA has a few subscription tiers, and the highest tier offers game streaming at up to 4k @ 120 fps, or up to 240 fps at lower resolutions if you prefer a higher frame rate over visual fidelity. Unfortunately, the ChromeOS version of the app caps the frame rate and resolution to 120 fps at QHD+. As with any cloud-based streaming service, your internet connection is the limiting factor; NVIDIA states that an internet connection of 35 Mbps and no more than 80 ms of latency when connecting to their servers are the minimum requirements for QHD+ streaming on the ChromeOS app. In addition to keyboard and mouse support, NVIDIA advertises controller support for XBOX and Sony controllers, as well as a series of Bluetooth controllers designed for mobile devices.

Finally, every Chromebook has an 'expiration date' at which it stops receiving software updates. According to Google's official document, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE's end-of-life is June 2032. Google may extend this date as they have for other Chromebooks; it's best to check their official document for any changes.

Additional Features And Software
Extra Features
RGB Illumination
No
Touch Pen
No
Secondary Display
No
Biometrics
No