The current version of Acer’s AMD-based Chromebook Spin 514 is good but there’s definitely room for improvement. In fact, for a recently released Intel-powered version of the 14-inch convertible Chromebook, Acer overhauled it with 11th-gen Intel processors and upgrades. Those upgrades include a 1080p webcam, dual mics and stereo speakers flanking the keyboard. Dual USB-C ports, Wi-Fi 6, a backlit keyboard, a Gorilla Glass touchpad and a reinforced aluminum body make it a better choice for work and school.
Now, Acer is taking the updated Spin 514 and dropping in the world’s first eight-core x86 processors for Chromebooks, the AMD Ryzen 5000 C series. Using its Zen 3 architecture, the chips promise improved multitasking and leading productivity performance, up to 13 hours of battery life and improved integrated graphics including support for up to three 4K monitors, AMD said in its announcement.
Acer
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 base model will feature the AMD Ryzen 3 5125C, 8GB of dual-channel RAM and a 128GB PCIe Gen 3 NVMe SSD for $580 when it’s available in the third quarter of 2022. (That price converts to roughly £460 or AU$800.) Configurations will be available with up to the top-of-the-line Ryzen 7 5825C processor, up to 16GB of memory and up to a 256GB SSD.
The features found on the Intel version will also be part of the AMD configurations including the full-HD webcam with a privacy shutter, Wi-Fi 6, a backlit keyboard and a 1080p display with 100% sRGB color space.
An enterprise version of the Chromebook Spin 514 with AMD inside will also be available starting at $900.
