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Acer Chromebook 314 Review

By no means a terrible option, but we suggest you pay more for faster speeds and a better screen. The Acer Chromebook 314-H promises a lot of Chromebook for under $300, stepping up from then.6in screens of the ultra budget models to a more expansive in display, and all encased in a slim-and-light plastic chassis that, if you squint, you might almost mistake for aluminum. It looks considerably more expensive than it is. Beyond the flexible lid, it doesn’t even feel that cheap.

Our Review

However, switch it on and the illusion starts to dissipate, mainly because of the screen. It’s nice to have the i4in screen size, but a 1,366 x 768 resolution that looks crisp on an 11.6-inch Chromebook looks pixelated spread across i4in. Worse, it’s really dim. not even getting above 2oocd/m2 in our tests. sRGB gamut coverage is poor at just 55%, and there’s a noticeable blue cast across the screen. Acer sells a step-up model with a Full HD screen for around $50 more and we’d definitely recommend making the jump.

The Looks

It’s not all bad news, though. The keyboard is fine, with a spacious layout and a short but crisp typing action. It’s definitely easier to work on than the keyboard on the lower-end n.6in devices. The touchpad is also pretty decent, with a good, smooth surface and a squarer shape that makes it easier to move vertically around the screen. You also get more physical connectivity than on the smaller Chromebooks, with two USB – A 3.1 and two USB-C 3.1 ports, along with a microSD card slot and the audio jack. It also supports 2×2 MU-MIMO 802.11ac Wi-Fi for higher connection speeds.

Battery

Meanwhile, the battery life is extraordinary. We set the benchmark running in the early morning and it was still going nearly 13 hours later – long past the stated ten.

Summary

Sadly, if you were expecting any step up in terms of performance from the cheapest Chromebooks then prepare for disappointment. We’re back with our old friend from 2017, the Celeron N4000, and even with 4GB of RAM you won’t get great results. As with any Chromebook, this isn’t necessarily disastrous. You can run a browser with five or six tabs open or run Google Docs and Google Sheets side-by side on the same screen and you’re really not going to experience much slowdown. However, anything more demanding could push the Acer past its limits, and it definitely feels less than snappy. It’s not a bad Chromebook. but it needs more oomph.

Author

    by
  • Paul Alcorn

    As a teenager, Paul scraped up enough money to buy a 486-powered PC with a turbo button (yes, a turbo button). Back when floppies were still popular he was already chasing after the fastest spinners for his personal computer, which led him down the long and winding storage road, covering enterprise storage. His current focus is on consumer processors, though he still keeps a close eye on the latest storage news. In his spare time, you’ll find Paul hanging out with his kids or indulging his love of the Kansas City Chiefs and Royals.

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