Big savings return for my favorite Chromebook: the Acer 516 GE

You know, I beat around the bush a lot when talking about which of the current crop of Chromebooks is my favorite, but deep down I’ve known which one holds that title. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE has been a faithful companion at the office, on the road, and on vacations for well over a year for me at this point, and every time I return to it, I’m reminded of how great it is to use.

Sure, if you need a smaller device or a convertible (or a touchscreen), this one may not be for you. But I’d wager if you don’t need a device that can double over as a tablet, you may find that you don’t really need that touchscreen, either. Is it nice to have? Sure, but with my use of Chromebooks, I find the touchscreen to largely go untouched on devices I use most days. I know that’s a deal breaker for some of you, but if those few missing features don’t turn you away, you need to take another look at the Acer 516 GE.

From top to bottom, this 16-inch Chromebook absolutely nails the rest of the equation. The build qualilty is firm and rigid without being heavy at just 3.75 pounds. For a 16-inch laptop, that’s impressive. The 1080p camera is solid, the upward-firing speakers sound fantastic, the RGB keyboard is great to use while adding a fun splash of color, the Ocean Glass trackpad is large, clicky, and stays smooth all day, and the screen on this Chromebook is absolutely mesmerizing.

At 16:10, QHD (2560×1600), 350+ nits and 120Hz, there’s no other screen I want when I’m away from the office. I work most days with an extended QHD screen on my desk that I keep at 120Hz, and once you get used to those buttery-smooth animations, all other screens just look a little jittery in comparison. With the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, I get to take that smoothness wherever I go, and I absolutely love it.

And all of that is to say nothing of the very-fast internals on this one: a 12th-gen Intel Core i5-1240P, 8GB of RAM and 256GB of NVMe storage. It all comes together with a full port selection to make a Chromebook experience that is simply second to none in my eyes. Sure, devices like the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook or the Acer Spin 714 are arguably better hardware/spec combos on paper, but there’s something so good about the 516 GE that draws me back to it time and time again; and part of that comes down to the asking price.

Which, right now, is incredibly low for a device with so much upside. You can snag the 516 GE for just $469 – a full $180 off the regular price of $649. That’s an incredible offer when you consider what you are getting, and I’ve told people on numerous occasions that they’d be happy with this Chromebook at full price for sure. Saving $180 just makes the whole thing that much sweeter. It’s been a little while since we’ve had the 516 GE on sale, so if you’ve been waiting on it, don’t miss out! I promise you’ll love it.