Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 will get an NPU: Arms on and first impressions

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Acer is upgrading one in all its premium convertible Chromebooks with extra AI prowess. Introduced right now at IFA 2025 in Berlin, the most recent Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN) packs a brand new MediaTek Kompanio Extremely chip that has a neural processing unit (NPU) with as much as 50 TOPS (or trillions of operations per second), enabling a pair of unique software program options.

The Spin 514 is the one Chromebook Plus with an NPU in addition to the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which has the identical processor. Like its counterpart, the Spin 514 comes with a free trial of Google AI Professional that unlocks 12 months of entry to superior AI instruments like Veo 3 Quick and NotebookLM. It is an AI smorgasbord.

“With highly effective efficiency, AI instruments, and sturdy and premium construct, the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 will empower creators, staff, and academics to create, work, and be productive from anyplace,” James Lin, Basic Supervisor of Notebooks at Acer, mentioned in a press launch Tuesday.

One configuration of the Spin 514 launches on Acer’s web site this week at $749.99; one other will hit Finest Purchase’s cabinets later this month for $50 much less, and I used to be one of many first folks to strive it earlier than its formal launch. I’ve solely spent a day with it to this point, so I have never given it a proper ranking simply but (as per our laptop computer testing methodology), however my preliminary impressions of it are optimistic. Splashy AI options apart, it is only a very nice finances 2-in-1 laptop computer.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 specs and availability

Acer despatched me a Spin 514 (mannequin quantity CP514-1HN-K6DY) with the next specs:

• MediaTek Kompanio Extremely 910 processor

• Arm Immortalis-G925 MC11 built-in graphics

• 12GB RAM

• 256GB UFS storage

• 14-inch 1920 x 1200 IPS touchscreen show with a 120Hz refresh charge, 16:10 facet ratio, and stylus help (bought individually)

• 1080p webcam (see beneath)

• WiFi 7 and Bluetooth 5.4

• Non-backlit keyboard

• Two USB-C ports and a headphone jack on the left aspect; two USB-A ports and a Kensington lock slot on the best

Whereas my assessment unit got here geared up with a 1080p webcam, the ultimate model you possibly can quickly buy at Finest Purchase may have a greater 5MP webcam. It is priced at $699.99 and set to launch someday later this month.

Acer began promoting one other configuration on its web site for $799.99 on Sept. 4 (mannequin quantity CP514-5HN-K4ZE). It comes with 16GB of RAM, a fingerprint reader, and a backlit keyboard, and its show has a better 2.8K decision however a decrease 60Hz refresh charge.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 design

The 2025 Spin 514 measures 12.32 x 9.13 x 0.61 inches and weighs three kilos, making it solely barely bulkier than an M4 MacBook Air. (Apple’s 13-inch mannequin weighs 2.7 kilos and measures 0.44 inches skinny.) It is definitely svelte and moveable, even when it is not probably the most thin-and-light laptop computer obtainable.

The Spin 514 is on the pricier aspect for a Chromebook, however its design feels aptly premium, and I am impressed by its construct high quality. There’s zero give to its lid once I press down within the middle of it. Its hinge wiggles just a little bit once I alter or faucet its display, but it surely holds very sturdy and does not creak once I flip the show round into tent mode. The Spin 514’s lid can rotate a full 360 levels to put flat in pill mode, too.

The Spin 514 is military-grade MIL-STD810H compliant, which principally means it has been examined for excessive sturdiness. Acer says it will probably survive four-foot drops and 25,000 open/shut cycles, to which I say: Let’s get YouTube’s tech-it on the case.

Aesthetically, the Spin 514 is a beautiful laptop computer that is simply flashy sufficient for my style. It has an aluminum exterior with reflective metallic accents on its hinges and the outer edges of its high cowl, which match the iridescent “Acer” brand in the course of the lid. Its Platinum Silver end picks up fingerprints fairly simply, although.

The Spin 514’s keyboard cowl is comprised of matte plastic, but it surely does not really feel low-cost and matches the remainder of the chassis for a cohesive look. I needed to maintain it proper as much as my eyeballs to even discover that it is a completely different materials.

Mashable Gentle Pace

Show

The Spin 514’s higher and decrease bezels are just a little chunky, however the touchscreen itself is fairly and responsive. My assessment unit did not include a stylus, so I did all of my scrolling and tapping with a fingertip. Large ups to the truth that it has a 120Hz refresh charge, which made a Fortnite match and some fast-moving scenes in YouTube movies look silky clean. (The Spin 514 is not technically a gaming Chromebook, but it surely’s workable for gentle cloud gaming.) It is all the time good to see this spec on cheaper laptops.

Textual content and tinier particulars did not appear blurry on my Spin 514, so with out having tried its different configuration, I would not spend an additional $100 for a higher-res show with a worse refresh charge. Perhaps contemplate upgrading should you desperately want the additional 4 gigs of RAM, however 12GB is already lots for a Chromebook (and so is $700).

The display on my Spin 514 is rated at solely 300 nits of brightness, so I often used it cranked all the way in which as much as max. The pricier mannequin’s show presents as much as 340 nits, which is a negligible distinction.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Spin 514’s keyboard is nice, for probably the most half — snappy, snug, and well-spaced — but it surely will get docked a couple of factors for having a hollow-sounding house bar and missing backlighting in addition to a fingerprint reader. Once more, each can be found within the pricier configuration.

Of particular notice, there are devoted keys for the Launcher (a searchable begin menu) and for a “Fast Insert” software. The latter shares a spot with the caps lock.

The keyboard is comprised of Acer’s “OceanGlass” materials. It is technically ocean-bound plastic, but it surely actually does really feel quite a bit like glass: It is tender and clean like velvet. Acer says it is moisture-resistant, so unintentional espresso spills most likely will not be a trigger for panic.

Audio system

The Spin 514 has upward-firing audio system working down each side of its keyboard. They’re just a little tinny, however they don’t seem to be the worst-sounding laptop computer audio system I’ve ever tried (and there are some absolute stinkers on the market). I have been listening to Fleetwood Mac’s 1997 dwell efficiency of “Silver Springs” virtually daily for the previous couple of weeks whereas studying it on the piano; on the Spin 514, the audio is lacking some bass and depth however in any other case clear. The positioning of the audio system prevents them from sounding muffled.

Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 efficiency

The Spin 514 has a fan, in contrast to Lenovo’s Chromebook Plus 14, however I could not get it to activate throughout a fast stress check with 20 Chrome tabs open and two apps working (YouTube and Recorder). It ran quiet and virtually fully cool; the fan vent on the underside aspect of the machine barely acquired heat.

Within the Android model of Primate Labs’ Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark, our different efficiency check for Chromebooks, the Spin 514 acquired a multi-core rating of seven,187. That makes it the second-fastest mannequin we have tried after the heftier Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, which notched a rating of seven,660. It beats eight different fashions we have tried over the course of the previous two years, together with an $819 HP Chromebook x360 14c (4,318) and a $699 Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 714 (5,223).

Google AI options

Chromebook Plus fashions help a collection of AI options that you simply will not discover on common Chromebooks. The Spin 514’s NPU provides two additional exclusives to the combo: a tab-sorting mission administration software referred to as “good grouping” and an on-device picture editor inside the Gallery app. I briefly tried each.

To check good grouping, I pulled up 5 tabs about the identical matter (horseback using close to me) and three unrelated tabs in a single Chrome window. Once I pressed the F4 key, a bubble appeared within the decrease left-hand nook, prompting me to prepare a subject referred to as “Chicago Horse Using Info” in a brand new “desk.” Clicking that button pulled all the horseback riding-related tabs right into a separate workspace whereas retaining the opposite tabs in my authentic desk. I are typically a tab minimalist, however I can see how this could be immensely helpful for multitaskers who preserve a mishmash of internet sites and home windows open directly.

The Gallery app’s AI picture editor contains instruments that may develop and take away footage’ backgrounds, erase elements of a scene, and make stickers. I performed round with them utilizing a photograph of a scorching canine I took at a Cubs recreation final month, and a lot of the outcomes had been fairly clunky and fake-looking.

Good grouping and the Gallery app’s picture editor are each nonetheless “experimental” (in beta) and will enhance with time.

Battery life

I have never run a proper battery life check on the Spin 514 but, however Acer has it rated at as much as 17 hours of net shopping per cost. If it lives as much as that quantity, that might put it properly over the nine-hour minimal we anticipate to squeeze from Chromebooks.

Who ought to get the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514?

Primarily based on my few hours with the Spin 514 to this point, I believe it is an incredible decide for early AI adopters, but in addition simply anybody who needs a stable finances 2-in-1 laptop computer with a premium design and good quantity of energy for the worth. Its essential rival is clearly the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14, which presents a brighter (non-touch) OLED show, quad audio system with Dolby Atmos, and a backlit keyboard for $649.99, or $50 cheaper. Nevertheless, it begins with half the storage and might’t double as a pill.

The Spin 514’s battery life might be a giant figuring out think about my closing evaluation, so keep tuned.

UPDATE: Sep. 4, 2025, 1:05 p.m. EDT Listings for the Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 (CP514-5HN) at the moment are dwell. Acer initially priced the upgraded mannequin at $749.99, but it surely’s really retailing for $799.99 on its web site. We have up to date this story accordingly.

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