There are many popular Chromebook models from HP, Dell, and Lenovo, but you can’t forget Acer, either. Acer is not only making PC laptops but is actually the third biggest Chromebook maker and is behind some of the most popular options you can find on the market right now. From the Acer Spin lineup to regular clamshell Chromebooks, and even education-friendly models, there’s a lot you can choose from.
So, if you fancy an Acer Chromebook right now, you’ve come to the right spot. This guide will look at the best overall Chromebook you can buy, the best budget-friendly Chromebook, and a lot of other different categories. There’s an Acer Chromebook for everyone, and we invite you to follow along with our guide to help you in your buying decision.
Navigate this article:
- Best overall: Acer Chromebook Spin 714
- Best mid-range 2-in-1: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
- Best 17-inch: Acer Chromebook 317 Laptop
- Best 15-inch: Acer Chromebook 315
- Best cheap: Acer 512 Chromebook
- Best for education: Acer Chromebook 314
- Best Chromebox: Acer CXI4-I58G
- Best last-gen: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
Best overall: Acer Chromebook Spin 714
Starting first with the best Acer Chromebook you can buy right now with your money, it’s the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. This is one of the latest Chromebooks from Acer, and it’s priced accordingly at $729. There’s a lot to like for the price, too, from the CPU powering it, the garaged pen, the display, the overall design, and more. Here’s the scoop.
Looking at what’s under the hood, these are the latest and greatest for a Chromebook. You’re getting a similar CPU to what’s found in a Windows 2-in-1, but for a fraction of the price. We’re talking about 12th-generation Intel processors. To be more specific, it’s the 12th generation Intel Core i5-1235U CPU. These CPUs benefit from performance cores and efficient cores to help make your everyday web browsing fast and efficient. It’s rare to find this CPU in a Chromebook, too. As for the RAM, there’s a total of 8GB on this specific model, which is great for supporting basic multitasking, and even running Android apps. Unlike some of the other Chromebooks on our list, this Acer is also using a traditional SSD. What that means is that you’ll get faster speeds and bootup times, and faster file transfers, too.
The other thing we like about this Chromebook is the display and the keyboard. Your typical Chromebook might have a low-resolution screen, but this one is anything but. It’s also tuned to the newer 16:10 aspect ratio, which is much taller, so you can fit more content on the screen at once. But going back to the resolution, it’s set to 1920 x 1200. Since this is a 2-in-1, that high resolution means you’ll be able to enjoy all the content you watch on the screen in any of the various modes of use (tent, stand, tablet, or laptop.) It’s a really slim-bezel panel, with no annoying black bars along the edge of the display, either.
As for the keyboard, it’s the typical island style, but seeing as though this is a premium Chromebook, it’s a bit special. You’ll find it has Google’s everything key for quick access to Google Assistant. The keyboard is also backlit, so you’ll be able to work in the dark. Not every Chromebook has this feature, and it looks pretty great.
Even the ports are great on this Chromebook. Despite it being thin and light at 3.04 pounds and about 0.70 inches thick, there’s a great selection. You’ll find 1 USB-A, 2 Thunderbolt ports, a headphone jack, and HDMI. As we usually look out for, this means you won’t need a dongle if you opt to buy this device.
Other things we want to mention include the garaged stylus. You’ll be able to use this to draw on the screen without worry. Typically, you’d have to attach the pen to the side of a Chromebook or the top of the screen. This stylus comes built into the chassis, and you can keep it secure when you want to ink on the screen.
- The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is the best Acer Chromebook you can buy for your money
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Best mid-range 2-in-1: Acer Chromebook Spin 514
At a close second on our list is the Acer Chromebook Spin 514. This Chromebook is very similar to our top pick in a few ways, but it sports some older specifications which lands it in this spot. It’s also cheaper, and you can find it for $549 when on sale. Hear us out on why you might want to buy this Chromebook.
Powering this Chromebook are AMD Ryzen processors. Yes, you heard that right. These Ryzen CPUs are typically what you’ll find in similar mid-range Windows laptops, but they’re in many Chromebooks now, too. The one in this one is a lower-tier AMD Ryzen 3 5000 series CPU, the Ryzen 3 512C Dual-Core. Don’t let that fool you though, as ChromeOS is really optimized for these kinds of processors. Using Chrome for your everyday tasks won’t bring you any issues on this device. That’s because Acer’s configured the unit with 8GB of RAM, which is the basic that we look for in most new laptops. Storage also comes in at 128GB, but it’s the slower eMMC type. That shouldn’t be a worry, though, as the CPU has the power to pick up things on this Chromebook.
Moving on to look at the display, you’ll be getting a Full HD 1920 x 1080 panel on this Chromebook. Unlike our top pick which has a more immersive display, this one is still flanked by bezels, but it’s a 2-in-1, so you can use it in various modes, tent, tablet, stand, or laptop. Those thicker bezels help if you plan to hold the device as a tablet, as it gives you room to grip the screen with your hands. Keep in mind that there’s no pen support, however, but that will be a sacrifice for this price. It does help with battery, though, as this unit is rated for 10 hours of battery life. The in-screen pen technology usually can drain the battery on a Chromebook.
Onto the keyboard and ports, you’ll be getting a backlit keyboard. That means you can use this Chromebook at night for late-night studying, and other tasks. In an interesting design choice, the keyboard is flanked by speakers, too, which can help make the content you’re watching sound better. But going back to ports, there’s not enough to help avoid using a dongle here. The mix includes 2 USB-C, USB-A, and a headphone jack. There’s no HDMI, so you’ll need to buy a dongle if you plan to use this Chromebook at home or work with a monitor.
Best 17-inch: Acer Chromebook 317 Laptop
Maybe you’re the person that doesn’t like to hook up to external monitors, and you need the biggest Chromebook available. Well, that’s where our number 3 pick fits in. The Acer Chromebook 317 is one of the best 17-inch Chromebooks you can buy for your money right now. It sports an amazing 17.3-inch screen, as well as a number pad on the keyboard, and those are just two reasons why we like it for the price of $500.
If you’re wondering what’s powering this Chromebook, then it’s the Intel Pentium Silver N6000 processor. This is a lower-end CPU, but it’s better than the Celeron CPUs you might find in other budget Chromebooks. Keep in mind that this CPU is also quad-core, so you’ll still be able to multitask and get a lot of work done on this Chromebooks’ massive display, just as you would on a more expensive device. Other specs of note on the Chromebook 317 include the 8GB of RAM and the 64GB of eMMC storage. Again, 8GB is the basics for getting good performance and multitasking, and the eMMC storage might not be all too important, either. Chromebooks are mainly cloud-based devices.
The keyboard is the other reason why we like the Chromebook 317. It is full-size, massive, and gives a lot of room to type up documents in Google Docs. The number pad is the other huge benefit, too, as you can crunch numbers in spreadsheets more easily without using the shift key. Oh, and this is a backlit keyboard, too, which is great for this $500 price. Not many 17-inch Chromebooks have a backlit keyboard.
Generally speaking, this isn’t too much of a heavy device for a 17-inch Chromebook either. Your typical 17-inch Windows laptop might come in closer to 6 pounds due to having GPUs, but this one is just under 5 pounds at 4.85 pounds. It’s also not that thick, at about 0.89 inches, making it portable for the right person.
Other than the keyboard and CPU, we also want to highlight the display. It’s 17.3 inches and comes in at 1920 x 1080 resolution. Such a big screen gives you a lot of room to stack windows side by side, and multitask. Note that the screen is touch, too, which helps in moving things around when you might not want to touch your mouse.
We do like the port selection here, too, though the absence of HDMI means you’ll need a dongle. A 17.3-inch design gives Acer a lot of room for ports, and they did deliver. On the left side are a USB Type-C, USB-A, microSD, and a headphone jack. The right side has another USB-A port and USB-C. Both USB-A ports are USB 3.0, so you get a little extra speed.
Best 15-inch: Acer Chromebook 315
For most people, a 15-inch screen hits the sweet spot when it comes to Chromebooks. It’s not too big, nor is it too small. That’s why we’ve picked the Acer Chromebook 315 as our best 15-inch Chromebook. It comes in at an affordable price of $249, too and there is a touch screen option if you need it for another $250 more.
But for $250, you can’t expect to get the latest and greatest Intel processor. You’ll have to settle for an entry-level CPU instead. If you need raw power, then check for a Chromebook higher up our list. Anyway, this Chromebook has the Intel Celeron CPU, which is dual-core and runs at 2.6 GHz. Some people might think that this CPU isn’t good, but don’t worry. ChromeOS is an optimized operating system, and most things will run well, especially common web browsing. The 4GB of RAM will back that up. Storage, meanwhile, is 32GB eMMC. That’s a small amount, yes, but the MicroSD card slot will help with expansion if you need it.
Another thing of note on this Chromebook model is the keyboard. While we highlighted the 17-inch option from Acer that has a number pad to the side, this Chromebook also has one, too, so it’s a solid option if that’s something you need. Just keep in mind, though that for this price, the keyboard will not be backlit. You’ll have to keep the lights on when working at night.
Such low specs do help with living life free of the charger. Battery life on this device is rated at 12.5 hours. That’s thanks to the CPU choice, as well as the screen. It’s a much lower resolution at 1366 x 768. Packing fewer pixels makes the screen a lot less power-hungry, but don’t worry about pixels too much. The bigger screen leaves more room for you to stack your windows around and get more work done.
The 15-inch chassis also means a lot of good things for ports. You’ll find USB-C, USB-A, and a microSD card slot on the left, as well as a headphone jack. The right, meanwhile, has USB-A, and USB-C. These USB-A ports are USB 3.0, which is nifty for transferring files at a quick speed.
Best cheap: Acer 512 Chromebook
Need a cheap Chromebook? That’s what the Acer 512 Chromebook is all about. You can find this Chromebook for less than $150 at most retailers, and it packs some very basic specs, too. This makes this Chromebook a great introductory option for most people, before buying into a newer Chromebook later on.
Powering this Chromebook is the Intel Celeron N4020 CPU. That’s then paired with a total of 4GB of RAM, and 32GB of eMMC storage. Again, for the basics, this is a great Chromebook. You might not be able to multitask on it, but you will be able to open webpages, and even push your luck at trying Android apps. Chromebooks are cloud-based and web-based machines, where things like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides come first, and we think all of that will work fine on his device. We just don’t suggest multitasking with 10+ tabs, as that might slow things down a bit.
The other thing that’s great about this Chromebook? It’s a durable machine. It’s MIL-STD 810G complaint and can stand drops up to 122 CM. The keyboard is also spillproof with drainage, for those times when accidents might happen. This makes it a great option for students.
Other than those, the display has something you’d typically see on higher-end Chromebook models, a 3:2 aspect ratio. This means there’s a bit more vertical space to read documents and scroll web pages. It’s 18% more vertical height, according to Acer. Of course with a small 12-inch 1255 x 912 resolution screen, you might not multitask much, but for reading single web pages, you’d be just fine.
Another thing of note is the ports and webcam. The left side has a USB-C port, a USB-A port, and a microSD card expansion. The right side has USB-A and USB-C. It is a nice modern mix for this price. Even the webcam is great, as it’s 1080p, which makes it great for use in education if our next pick isn’t right for you.
As far as battery life goes, it’s rated at 12 hours. With a much lower-powered CPU and a low-resolution screen, this is one of the benefits of buying a low-end Chromebook like this one. You can live life away from power outlets, or recharge with a USB-C power bank when on the go.
- The Aver Chromebook 512 is a great first Chromebook and budget Chromebook
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Best for education: Acer Chromebook 314
If you need a Chromebook for education, then you might need a good mix of everything. The Acer Chromebook 14 delivers on most of that and lands as our top education pick. And, all of this for a price of $319, or $270 when on sale.
The Intel Celeron N4020 is what powers this Chromebook. It’s also paired with 4GB of RAM, and 128GB of flash storage. The storage is really great for this price, as it leaves a lot of room for a student to end up keeping documents offline, and not on cloud storage. Even the 4GB of RAM is good enough, ensuring efficient multitasking so that a student won’t stray too far from important work and download and use unnecessary apps on the Google Play Store.
With display, Acer notes that it’s designed for work in bright-light conditions. It’s a large 14-inch display, with 7.3mm bezels. That’s not that impressive, despite the bottom chin. We still think it will help in getting most tasks done right, as the 14-inch screen is bigger than that of the typical 11-inch or 12-inch Chromebook. Resolution is rated at 1366 x 768, too, which is typical for an educational device. It might not be the most pixel-dense display, but it does give plenty of room for opening documents and other school files.
And the design, this is one of Acer’s most compact devices. Acer says that it’s about the size of a sheet of A4 paper. It also weighs just under 2 pounds, which is great for portability and sliding this laptop into small bags. We account for battery life in portability, too, and here, Acer says you can get 12 hours on a single charge. That’s above the 10-hour average that we look for in a Chromebook.
Of course, you’ll probably need to think about the speakers and ports on an education Chromebook, In this matter, we are happy to say this model pleases us. There are 2 speakers on board, both of which are stereo, so lessons will sound clear. As for ports, students will not have to worry about connecting up their accessories at all. There’s USB-C, USB-A, a headphone jack on the left, and USB-A, and USB-C on the right. For use with monitors, a dongle will be needed.
One of the only downsides to this Chromebook has to do with the webcam. It is rated at 1280 x 720 resolution. The standard now is 1080p, but 720p is still fine for basic web calls in the right lighting conditions.
Best Chromebox: Acer Chromebox CXI4-I58G
Not everyone will need a traditional Chromebook, which is why we suggest buying a Chromebox. Acer makes a lot of these, and a Chromebox is perfect for those who have their own monitor and keyboard on hand, and are mainly based at a desk, and not out and about. Chromeboxes can be much more customizable than Chromebooks, too, which is why we want to give the Acer Chromebox CXI4-I58G a special mention.
This specific Chromebox has a lot of processing power under the hood. It’s powered by an Intel Core i5-10210U processor, as well as 8GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD. This is a quad-core CPU, so you can run a lot of apps at the same time without worry. You’ll also be able to run Android apps, too, since the chip is quad-core. Or, if you’re planning to use this in business, put it at the back of a monitor for a kiosk or a display and have it run all day. Interestingly, though, this Chromebox also comes with options for Nvidia’s MX330 graphics, which means it can push a little more power and is ideal for running more demanding business apps.
We do also like the design of this Asus Chromebox. We already mentioned how you can tuck it under a display, but the compact size and included stand means you can place it almost anywhere that a regular Chromebook can’t go. It measures 1.6 inches in height, 5.8 inches in width, and 5.9 inches in depth and the weight is just 1.34 pounds. You even can get a VESA mount kit if you want, as this Chromebox is compatible with one.
That’s about it for this Chromebox, but the ports are of note, too. There are 5 total USB ports, an RJ45 Jack, Audio Line out, and 2 HDMI ports. That means this Chromebox can be chained to multiple displays.
- The Acer Chromebox CXI4 is a great Chromebox with modern specs and a compact design
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Best last-gen: Acer Chromebook Spin 713
Alas, the last pick on our list is actually a last-generation device. We have this device on here if you think that our top choice the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is too expensive for you. It has last-generation specs and used to be a flagship, which means it’s still a good device, and you’ll often find it on sale.
Inside you’ll find up to an Intel Core i7-10510U processor. It is quad-core at 1.80 GH, and along with this powerful processor, the Spin 713 also packs 16 GB, DDR4 SDRAM, and a 128 GB SSD for storage. As we’ve mentioned so far, quad-core processors are great for efficient multitasking, and even running Android apps on a Chromebook. If there’s something that needs a lot of power that you want to do, then this Chromebook will help you finish it.
In terms of display on this Chromebook, you get a 13.5-inch 2K 2256 x 1504 3:2 IPS touchscreen panel. It has some excellent maximum brightness and clean viewing angles. The display is also protected by Corning’s Gorilla Glass, as is the trackpad. As a 2-in-1, with 360-degree convertible modes, you can also work in space-limited environments such as in-flight or on the train, while also easily making presentations or sharing your screen in convenient and collaborative ways.
If you need to stay connected on the go, this Chromebook comes with an insane number of functional features including Wi-Fi 6, a backlit keyboard, a built-in HDMI port, as well as dual USB Type-C ports to deal with productivity needs. Battery life is excellent for a high-performance Chromebook with over 10 hours of usage on average. On top of all of this, you can also run Chrome Enterprise seamlessly out of the box, making this an appealing option for business customers. All of these features are packed in a beautifully designed metal chassis that makes this the best overall Acer Chromebook, even if it’s the last generation.
- The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a solid top-end Chromebook, even if it has last-gen specficiations.
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Well, there you have it. These are the best Acer Chromebooks you can buy. From premium to budget and education, our list was quite full. If we didn’t list something you liked, then look at our list for the best Chromebooks you can buy.
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