The Acer Chromebase 24, overall, is an exercise in safety. There’s no innovation or taken risks, but there are also very few misses as a result. A solid build, solid performer, and overall ‘pretty good’ experience makes this device a forgettable one, but a functional one as well.
For our review, we tested the absolute base model obtained from Walmart for only $429. And, being honest, that is one of it’s biggest selling points. For $429, this thing is really good.
Here’s the spec rundown:
- 24″ 1080p IPS Display at 250 nits
- 5th Gen Intel Celeron 3215U
- 4GB RAM
- 16GB Internal Storage
- 4 USB Ports (3 are 3.0)
- HDMI Out
- Full Size SD Slot
- Aluminum Adjustable Stand
For fuller details you can watch the review in video form below, but there’s also a quick rundown right after.
Screen
The first element you see is the screen, and it is pretty good. At this size, I prefer QHD (2560×1440) because this size of a screen really can make great use of all those extra pixels. I work from a 25″ QHD screen every day and the difference was quickly apparent. Though it wasn’t as sharp as I’d like, it wasn’t that bad. The colors were pretty warm, but again, if I didn’t have it next to a $400 monitor, perhaps it wouldn’t have been so noticeable.
The model we tested didn’t include the touch screen, but you can get this exact model with touch for $499. One of the biggest issues was glare. As you can see in the video, there is a sizable gap between the outer panel and the actual screen. This is always a recipe for glare. The stand also gives about 30 degrees of adjustment which helps offset the glare a bit.
Build Quality
Overall, the build of the Chromebase 24 is pretty solid. The base is all aluminum and substantial. There’s no wobbling or cheap-feeling elements here. The sizable bezel is one of the few things that gives off a cheap vibe. It’s just shy of 2 inches thick and for no real apparent reason. Again, it didn’t bother me until I set it next to my monitor that has 1/4″ bezels. At that point it looked almost ridiculous.
The speaker grill under the screen is pretty attractive and the speakers inside are pretty decent. I wish there was an upgradable option, because with that space they could get some nice sound. As it stands, they are average.
Performance
For a base model, the device performed very, very well. I worked from the Chromebase 24 exclusively for a full week and never really had an issue. I believe Chrome OS is getting better at RAM management and this has been very apparent with the Chromebase 24. Not once did I think about memory. And, with a consistent Octane score of just over 16K, it chewed through everything I threw at it.
The day of cheaper Chrome OS devices being all you need is finally arriving, I think. I was honestly very impressed.
Wrap Up
So, the short version is: The Acer Chromebase 24 is a competent, useful machine. Almost everything screams ‘pretty good.’ There wasn’t a standout feature or a point I found myself amazed, but I wasn’t disappointed either.
And, as a critical person, that is saying something.
