Support our independent tech coverage. Chrome Unboxed is written by real people, for real people—not search algorithms. Join Chrome Unboxed Plus for just $2 a month to get an ad-free experience, access to our private Discord, and more. Learn more about membership here.
START FREE TRIAL (MONTHLY)START FREE TRIAL (ANNUAL)
AMD isn’t exactly a powerhouse in the Chromebook space. The premium flagship space, for the most part, is owned by Intel. Of course, you have a sprinkling of great ARM devices such as the Snapdragon-powered Lenovo Chromebook Duets that are absolute gems and MediaTek is carving a solid space in the mid-range market but Intel is the go-to if you want power and performance. That said, the latest chips from AMD are no slouches. If you can find one of the rare devices powered by the Ryzen 5000 series on sale, you’d be doing yourself a disservice by not giving it at least some consideration when shopping for your next device.
The AMD-powered Acer Chromebook Spin 514 happens to be exactly one of those devices. The 14-inch ChromeOS 2-in-1 looks and feels just like any premium Chromebook from Acer and offers up many of the same features found on its Intel-powered siblings from years past. The Spin 514 is powered by the latest AMD Chromebook processors and equipped with a very respectable 8GB of RAM and up to 128GB of eMMC storage. Built with an aluminum lid and bottom cover, the 514 gives off that premium, business-like vibe and the FullHD 100% sRGB screen offers up a crisp, clear viewing experience we’ve become accustomed to from Acer’s 500 and 700 series Chromebooks.
Of course, this convertible does have a touchscreen and it is compatible with any USI 1.0 stylus so you can buy the pen that you prefer. You’ll get two USB-C ports, a single USB-A, and a headphone jack – pretty standard fare for a device like this one. Back to the processors, AMD has always been a few steps behind Intel in the ChromeOS space buy these 5000-series chips boast some impressive power. The Ryzen 5 AMD puts up benchmarks comparable to an 11th Gen Intel Core i5 and that CPU has no problem handling just about any task you can throw at it.
Normally, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 sells for a starting price of $549 over at Best Buy. At that price, it’s tough to recommend this device when there are so many deals to be had on Chromebooks with newer processors or more features. However, grab one of these sturdy convertibles on sale and you’ve got yourself a great Chromebook at a very affordable price. Right now, you can do just that. The Ryzen 3 Acer 514 is currently on sale for $399 which saves you a whopping $150. If more power is your thing, the Ryzen 5 model is reduced by $125, bringing the price down to a smooth $575. Either device will serve you very well and handle a moderate to heavy workload with ease. You can see them both over at Best Buy via the links below before this sale is no more.
