Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Two-minute review

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 may be far from the cheapest Chromebook out there, but it’s worth the extra cash. It goes above and beyond the typical ChromeOS machine to deliver speedy performance while powering a higher-resolution screen and webcam. If you’re willing to spend a little, this laptop offers excellent value. And really, the price is not bad at all.

The best Windows laptops at this price point would be more limited in terms of hardware. To start, you would probably be stuck with a 1080p resolution. And, if you get one with the same internal components, they’re going to go as far performance-wise with a Windows-based machine.

All things considered, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 gives the kind of experience you would expect from one of the best Chromebooks. Along with its solid performance, it’s versatile the way you would expect the best 2-in-1 laptops to be. The hinge is rock solid, the screen looks and feels good, and the keyboard and trackpad are pretty good quality. 

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Price & availability

• How much does it cost?   $699.99 (about £549 / AU$1063) 
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it?  Current configuration only available in the US at the time of writing 

The benchmark for what constitutes a budget machine is much lower for Chromebooks than it is for other types of laptops. So, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714’s price tag of $699.99 (about £549 / AU$1063) is solidly mid-range.

That said, it’s a much better laptop than the sub-$200 or sub-$300 options that make up a large part of the Chromebook market. It’s worth the price. You’ll end up with a better screen, better hardware, and a better overall design for what isn’t a lot when it comes to computers.

Consider the Acer Chromebook 515. It’s a bit cheaper at £449 (around $550 / AU$790) but has a weaker and older processor with its 11th-Gen Intel Core i3, a smaller 128GB SSD, and a lower resolution 1080p screen that doesn’t have touch capability. And, it’s only around $150 cheaper. Many of the cheapest Chromebooks use CPUs from Qualcomm that are otherwise used to power smartphones.

Really, the only downside to the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is that this newest generation is only available in the US. UK shoppers will have to, for the moment at least, live with the previous version sporting a 12th-Gen Intel Core i5 and 512GB that goes for £1,099.99 (about  $1,402 / AU$2,130) while those living in Australia don’t have access to any version of the Chromebook Spin 714 at the time of writing.

• Price score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Specs

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 comes in just one configuration.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Design

• Very durable
• Strong 2-in-1 versatility
• Keyboard a little stiff but decent to type on

While the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is not quite at the level of a MacBook Air or Pro aesthetically, it’s not far off thanks in part to its dark gray colorway and aluminum chassis covers (lid and keyboard side of the bottom). Though this laptop doesn’t do much outside of its gold hinges to set itself apart, it’s still a relatively smart-looking notebook.

It looks good as a tablet as well, if a little big. Since it has 360-degree hinges, using this portable in laptop mode, tablet mode, display mode, and tent mode is as easy as adjusting the screen until it’s in the proper position. Since the hinges are rock solid, the screen stays in place even when picked up and carried around.

Just as importantly, especially for any students or parents of students considering this Chromebook, it’s durable. It seems to be made of premium materials from the mostly aluminum chassis and Corning Gorilla glass used for the display to the smooth touchpad and solid-feeling keyboard. While I didn’t drop it from any rooftops, Acer has verified that the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 has military-grade durability.

Speaking of the touchpad and keyboard, they could have gone either way at this price point. Luckily, they’re both well executed. The keyboard is not necessarily the most comfortable since it has pretty short travel and feels a little stiff, but it’s accurate and easy to type on. The touchpad, on the other hand, has a nice, smooth feel to it, though it can be a little oversensitive at times.

Lastly, the port selection is limited on the surface, but appropriate for the kind of users that would gravitate towards this laptop. There are two USB-C ports that support Thunderbolt 4 and power delivery. Thankfully, Acer decided to put one on each side instead of clustering them together as I’ve seen on some laptops.  There’s also one regular USB port and an HDMI port, not to mention a headphone jack.

• Design score: 4 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Performance

• Speedy performance
• High resolution screen and webcam
• Speakers are underwhelming

With its 13th-Gen Intel Core i5 and 8GB of RAM, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is as close to a powerhouse as I’ve found when it comes to ChromeOS-based computers. You’re not going to be playing AAA games on this, but you probably wouldn’t be doing that or other extremely demanding tasks like heavy video editing on a Chromebook anyway.

But, in day-to-day productivity, the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 was solid as a rock. I was able to not only have over 20 tabs open at once with three of them being video streams, but I could go between any tab without experiencing a lag, which was especially impressive when switching between the different streams.

On top of that, the 14-inch touch display is a pleasure to use. Not only does it look good with its 1920 x 1200p resolution with 100% sRGB color coverage, not to mention slightly extra screen real estate thanks to its 16:10 aspect ratio, but interacting with it is a treat. The touchscreen is accurate and responsive no matter if you’re using it in laptop or tablet mode. And, since it’s Corning Gorilla Glass, it has a soft yet solid feel.

The webcam is equally crisp with its 1440p resolution, making this a good laptop for use with video conferencing. Its refresh rate is capped at 30Hz, but the results were still relatively smooth when moving quickly in frame.

If there’s one area for complaint, it’s the speakers. It seems that very few laptop manufacturers have been able to get good audio out of their portables and that’s the case here. Not only is the volume on the quiet side, but the audio is a bit hollow sounding. There’s not a lot of low-end as well, but that’s to be expected with a laptop. I would recommend using headphones or speakers when possible.

• Performance score: 4.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Battery life

• Very good battery life
• 65 watt power delivery via USB-C ports for quick charging

The battery life on the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is very good. In our benchmark test for battery life, it lasted a good 12 hours and 41 minutes. That’s almost MacBook Air numbers, which is pretty impressive. While flagship laptops are now reaching past the 15-hour mark, getting 12 hours out of a mid-range laptop isn’t bad at all. And, it’s certainly more than enough to last a full day at work or school. Plus, it charges up pretty quickly thanks to the 65 watt power delivery from those USB-C ports, specifically being able to give a further four hours of use after 30 minutes of charging.

• Battery score: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023): Also consider

If the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023)

• Tested for a week
• Used it as my main laptop for stretches at a time
• Tested the various form factors

I used the Acer Chromebook Spin 714 for about a week, using it for my day-to-day productivity to see how I liked using it. I got a feel for not only the touch screen, but the keyboard and touchpad. I also tried to push it to its limits by opening up over 20 tabs with some of them streaming video to see if I could slow it down.

As this is a 2-in-1 laptop, I also tried out the other form factors including tent and display mode to watch some streaming video while relaxing. I also tested out the webcam and speakers to get an idea of how they performed as well.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear of all sorts so I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed August 2023

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Two-minute review

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) - or as Acer officially refers to it, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (CP514-3H) - may not be the most kitted-out Chromebook we’ve seen, and it’s certainly not among the cheapest either. However, it’s clever enough to rival $1,000/£1,000 models in performance while keeping the price a little closer to the ground, which makes it a better proposition in terms of value, which in turn makes it among the best Chromebooks right now.

This 2-in-1 laptop offsets some of the production cost by keeping its features down to the essentials. There are neither novel nor particularly newsworthy features here – just the most vital ones are present, and they’re well-implemented. The 14-inch 1080p Corning Gorilla Glass display, as an example, is made for Netflix binges. Meanwhile, the webcam is made for the post-pandemic worker with its 1080p video resolution.

It doesn’t scrimp on build quality and power either, which is why it’s kind of bizarre that Acer has managed to keep it relatively affordable. While you don’t look at that chassis and start to drool, it doesn’t feel cheap. Nor does it feel too clunky and heavy – though I wouldn’t call it Ultrabook-level light, it’s still travel-friendly.

Mind you, it doesn’t surpass something like the much pricier HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook in performance. But the difference is so small and, to non-technophile users, practically negligible, that you kind of wonder why you want to pay a lot for the latter if you mostly care about getting your workload done.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) makes a clean sweep for the (upper) mid-range, and this is the Chromebook for everyone - whether you’re a pro, a casual user, or just someone looking for the best Chromebook for students. 

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Price & availability

• How much does it cost? $699.99 (about £570 / AU$1,050)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US 

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) may be an expensive piece of kit as far as Chromebooks go, but there are much pricier models so I would put this in the higher mid-range. At $699.99 (about £570 / AU$1,050), it sits in the same price range as less capable Windows laptops, but that’s more because their internals handle a much more robust operating system that requires more resources than Chrome OS. And, if most of your workload, whether for work or school, can be done on the Chrome browser, you may get more out of this one than its Windows counterparts.

Unfortunately for UK and Australian consumers, this particular model is only available in the US and seems exclusively sold at the Acer online store. Those in the US who want something even cheaper can purchase its AMD Ryzen 3 version at Best Buy for $549.99 (about £450 / AU$825).

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Specs

Trying to figure out the wide variety of configurations the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 has can be a gnarly process, as there are so many of them and they differ from region to region. So we’re focusing this review on our version, which is the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 CP514-3HH-R6VK. 

The Ryzen 5 5625C chip that powers it, which hit the shelves in 2022, may not be the most powerful. However, it is more than enough to handle the most demanding Chrome OS tasks, including streaming different video content all at once. 

There's integrated AMD Radeon Graphics inside as well – a necessary addition since this is one of Acer’s Chromebooks that support Steam on Chrome in Beta. It is disappointing that something poised to be a gaming Chromebook only has 8GB of memory and 128GB of eMMC storage, though. You probably shouldn’t rely on this as your primary device for gaming.

However, for productivity and casual use, those specs are more than enough to keep users happy – even more so because there’s a decent selection of ports on it including an HDMI 2.0 port.

• Specs: 4 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Design

• Solid if run-of-the-mill design
• Excellent display with intuitive touchscreen
• Great keyboard and trackpad, ok speakers

Though other premium Chromebooks come in attractive luxe packages, the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) focuses on what matters more to sensible consumers. As a result, it’s not the fanciest-looking option out there with its typical laptop design and 'Sparkly Silver' finish. 

It is pretty robust, however, with its verified military-grade (MIL-STD-810H) durability, which makes it the perfect portable for working on the go. Adding to its travel-friendliness is its decently lightweight design. Not that I’d call this an ultra-lightweight model, but I don’t mind lugging this around when I’m traveling (and I did).

The chassis might not be anything special, but it also doesn’t feel cheap. And, as an extra precaution for when it’s tackling demanding workloads, it’s designed to lift at the front base for better air circulation when in laptop mode. It got a little warm from time to time during testing, but never did it get hot.

Speaking of modes, this is a 2-in-1 laptop, giving it even more value. Is it too big and thick to be a tablet that’s comfortable to use? Perhaps. But, it’s really not that bad, especially if you’re just writing down notes or organizing your digital planner. I’m more concerned about the lack of a stylus in the box; while the Acer CineCrystal touch display supports the USI Stylus, you have to purchase it separately, which is disappointing.

Still, that display dazzles. 

I don’t always expect a great display on a Chromebook, but this 1080p one boasts vibrant colors that are a little on the cooler side and a great dynamic range so dark scenes in shows like Stranger Things and Wednesday still have a lot of detail in them. It’s great for media consumption, as well as note-taking with its intuitive and responsive touch capability.

The 1080p webcam is equally great, giving you 60fps video capability to get rid of ghosting issues and great overall picture quality that allow me to look my best, whether on work video conference calls or video chats with loved ones. It's certainly better than most 720p cameras you'll find on many laptops. I still prefer a stand-alone webcam, but this should do nicely when I'm at a cafe or traveling.

Not that you’d use that feature a lot since the keyboard on this is very comfortable and satisfying to type on. The keys have the slightest resistance before bottoming out, but it’s nothing you won’t get used to within the first hour if you’re a linear lover like me. I also appreciate the trackpad here, which is spacious, responsive, and nice to the touch. More importantly, it’s sitting right at the center, giving both my wrists enough space and not aggravating my OCD side.

Finally, the speakers – there are two upward-firing speakers built in that according to Acer are optimized for bass and treble response. In practice, they’re not too bad. They have plenty of volume on tap if not a lot of bass. And though the mid-range sounds a bit hollow and the overall audio quality is a little compressed, the high end is actually ok.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Performance

• Performance almost comparable to pricier Chromebooks
• All-day battery life

Jumping into the fray of premium Chromebooks isn’t easy, especially with less powerful yet still capable internals. But the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 is proving that it might just be the way to go, considering its price-to-performance ratio.

Comparing its benchmark results with the much more expensive HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, you can see that there isn’t a massive difference in performance. That is, the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook scores higher in the Geekbench single-core and multi-core tests, but not by as much as I would expect considering the difference in price. Same with the WebGL Aquarium FPS test – although the Chromebook Spin 514 does fall a little further behind when rendering 30K fish. With JetStream 2, a test focused on web applications, it even goes toe-to-toe with the even pricier HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook.

In real-world scenarios, the Chromebook Spin 514 breezes through mostly browser-based workloads without a hitch. It’s able to manage 20 tabs of websites with varying graphical and processing demands while keeping things relatively cool and quiet. It managed to run three different streaming services while I’ve got online shops, manufacturer websites, and my work-related pages smoothly and lag-free.

It even showcased better longevity than the Dragonfly Pro Chromebook, lasting two hours and 15 minutes longer during our short movie battery test. And although eight hours and 20 minutes is already long enough for most people, giving them that whole workday battery life, I’ve found when just doing purely work stuff on this Chromebook that it’ll have a bit of extra juice left for the next morning.

• Performance: 4 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022)?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022): Also consider

If my Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) has you considering other options, here are two more laptops to consider...

How I tested the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022)

• Spent a week testing the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022)
• Tested it for work and casual browsing and media consumption
• Used a mix of in-house and commercial benchmarking tools

It only took me a week to test the Acer Chromebook Spin 514 (2022) as it was clear from the get-go that it's a capable machine for many types of users. Probably the longest part of my testing was our battery test, which took all day. The rest of the week I spent using it as my main device.

To put it through the paces, I used it for work, writing up emails and articles, using it for research, and handling social media platforms. I also used it to stream movies and shows. I also ran it through our suite of benchmark and battery tests.

I've been testing and reviewing computing devices, including laptops and Chromebooks, for years now, first as a freelancer for different tech publications and now as one of the Computing editors at TechRadar. I'm a regular laptop and Chromebook user myself.

Read more about how we test

First reviewed March 2023