Acer Chromebook Plus 515 Review

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 ($399.99) and a gaggle of next-gen Chromebooks had been introduced at a lately held Google match in New York Town. After paying attention to Google’s crew presentation, I used to be extremely skeptical about all their claims, smiling faces, and promised functions. I’m a skeptic not more. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515’s twelfth Gen Intel Core i3, 8GB of RAM, with Intel UHD graphics, powered me thru all of the duties I set earlier than it after which some. I’ve by no means been ready to edit footage and movies on a Chromebook intuitively and easily till now.

Even supposing the specifications appear underwhelming, with Google’s masterful software of AI in Chrome OS, this may increasingly mark the start of a brand new technology for Chromebooks, so let’s take a deeper dive into the Acer Chromebook Plus 515.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 pricing and configurations

The $399.99 Acer Chromebook Plus 515 comes with a fifteen.6-inch IPS (1920 x 1080) show, a twelfth Gen Intel Core i3-11215U CPU with built-in Intel UHD graphics, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD for garage.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 design

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 comes with some great, blank styling that appears costlier than it’s. At the lid, we discover the chromed-out Acer emblem at the left middle with a Chromebook Plus emblem above it close to the highest left. The darkish silver-grey metal flecked 515 additionally has some angled etched-in design traces at the proper that give the duvet some pizzazz and texture.

Whilst you pop the clamshell-designed 515 open, your eyes are greeted through a targeted chicklet-style keyboard with white font at the keys. Speaker grills on each side of the keyboard space the DTS-tuned audio system. When your eyes slide down, they are going to see the sea glass touchpad with a pleasing chrome define that pops in opposition to its silver-grey coloring.

Having a look up on the 15.6-inch FHD (1920 x 1080) with a 16:9 side ratio and held in position through skinny bezels. Within the best middle of the bezel, we discover the FHD (1920 x 1080) webcam with a bodily safety shutter. 

The 515 measures 14.2 x 9.39 x 0.79 inches and weighs 3.7 kilos. The 515 isn’t the lightest machine in our Chromebook take a look at staff. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714was once our maximum svelte Chromebook, weighing 3.2 kilos and measuring 12.3 x 8.8 x 0.71 inches. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus weighed 3.5 kilos and measured 12.4 x 9.0 x 0.8 inches. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 safety

There’s a bodily webcam shutter to offer safety while you’re achieved with video calls and a nano Kensington lock. In fact, you’ll make sure your recordsdata are saved secure through putting in place a safety pin and password. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 ports

The Acer’s Chromebook Plus 515 has all of the vital ports it’s possible you’ll require.

At the proper, we find the AC energy port, USB Sort-C port, and the nano Kensington lock.

At the left is the place we discover a USB Sort-A port, an HDMI port, and a USB Sort-C port.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 show

The 515’s 15.6-inch, 1080p show is crispy, bright, and quite shiny. I loved gazing movies at the unit; the display screen makes it a nice pc to binge-watch your favourite presentations while you’re no longer busy pushing paperwork or enhancing pictures or movies.

I watched the remaining episode of Ahsoka on Disney Plus, and Rosario Dawson’s personality’s large blue eyes confirmed thru in each scene as they popped in opposition to her clay-colored pores and skin.

The near-final scene the place we see the now deceased Ray Stevenson introduced tears to my eyes as his Baylan Skoll stood within the hand of a cracked stone statue of the outdated gods. On the other hand, I realized one small factor concerning the show, which we will be able to contact on subsequent. 

Throughout our checking out, I wasn’t shocked that the 515 coated a disappointing 43.4% of the DCI-P3 colour gamut, under the 64.8% Chromebook reasonable. Whilst gazing Ahsoka and enhancing movies, I picked up at the low colour saturation. The colour is solely flat, which is one thing that may be stepped forward upon at some point, being that we’re simply seeing the primary iteration of Chromebook Plus gadgets. The Spin 714 led our staff with 76%, adopted through the Flex 5i’s uninspiring 46.5%. 

Our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 produced 270.6 nits of brightness all through our checking out, which put it means under the Chromebook reasonable of 435 nits. The Spin led our staff once more, averaging 389 nits of brightness, with the IdeaPad Flex 5i coming in at 306 nits. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 audio

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is a budget-friendly pc, no longer a growth field, however it does a forged activity because it produces transparent, distortion-free audio I will pay attention throughout my tiny studio rental. Tonal separation is apparent; you’ll inform the variation between highs, mids, and lows. 

Even supposing, there isn’t a lot bass to talk of as I listened to Cardi B’s “Bongo’s.” The mid-range tones ruled the observe, which most effective helped the highly spiced lyrics, which had me blushing. The DTS-tuned audio system are forged, however I recommend the usage of headphones if you happen to require a greater audio revel in. 

Whilst gazing Ahsoka, voices had been very cleanly reproduced with great intensity, and particular results audio was once additionally very cleanly reproduced with out distortion, even with the amount maxed out. I will be able to say the mic array at the 515 is superb all through video calls. Google makes use of AI-powered noise canceling, and it actually is helping stay background noise to a minimal from each ends of a video name.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 keyboard and touchpad

The Chiclet-style keyboard is a pleasure to kind on. Acer did a actually superb activity with this keyboard. The 515’s keyboard has superb trip and is tremendous responsive and bouncy. Once I put my coal smashers to it all through the 10fastfingers typing take a look at, I scored 89 phrases in line with minute, with 93% accuracy, which falls inside of my standard charges of 88 phrases in line with minute and 90% accuracy.

The 5.1 x 3.4-inch touchpad is spacious, responsive, and correct when navigating web sites or paperwork. It carried out smartly when the usage of two-finger gestures and enhancing footage and movies. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 efficiency

With a twelfth Gen Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB of RAM, a 128GB SSD, and built-in Intel UHD Graphics working the featherweight Chrome OS, the Acer’s efficiency is spunky with nearly-instant boot instances. The 515 had no factor after I had 30 Google Chrome tabs opened with 5 1080p movies taking part in. I labored on paperwork in Google Medical doctors with out noticing any lag or sputtering efficiency.

Additionally, I may do issues I by no means may earlier than, due to Google Chrome being infused and enhanced with AI. I may briefly open up Adobe Inventive Suite and use PhotoShop, then proportion pictures throughout the suite to Adobe Specific and fine-tune the ones pictures with the assistance of Adobe’s AI FireFly. Like I latterly noticed in an indication, I took a picture, edited it in Photoshop, flipped it to Specific, created a flyer, and became it into a brief video in mins. It was once rapid, and I used to be extremely joyful, and should praise Google and Adobe for the superb paintings.

Subsequent, I downloaded LumaFusion, a video enhancing suite for Chrome, and edited a few 4K movies sitting in my Google Force. LumaFusion isn’t exhausting to be told, even if it did take some adjustment. It isn’t but as intuitive as Davinci Get to the bottom of, however you’ll make some just right fast cuts and edits with it in a pinch. I haven’t totally dived into it, however a tender writer may get a lot use out of it. Additionally, there are a ton of YouTube instructional movies to be had. The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 operated easily all through video enhancing. I used to be thankfully shocked, and once more, superb activity, everybody; you accomplished one thing game-changing. 

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Finally, sure, you’ll recreation at the Acer, as I downloaded Nvidia GeForce Now and performed GhostRunner, and the entire revel in was once superb, with snappy efficiency with none lag. 

Throughout Geekbench 6, a man-made total efficiency take a look at, the 515 registered 5,052, scoring under the 5,246 Chromebook reasonable.  The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (Core i5-1335U) rating of 6,335. The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i  (Intel Core i3-1315U) scored 5,384, concluding this benchmark. 

Throughout our Jetstream 2.0 benchmark, our Acer registered 275.37, above the Chromebook reasonable of 231.1. This was once adopted through the Lenovo, which tallied 272.91, with the Spin 714 rounding issues out with 250.18.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 battery existence

Chromebooks are identified for battery existence, with the Chromebook reasonable being 9:50. Our Acer Chromebook Plus 515 fell a little bit quick, averaging 8 hours and 21 mins of battery existence. It is nonetheless a color over the standard paintings day, however slightly any extra time.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 led our staff with a stunning 12 hours and 43 mins of run time, with the IdeaPad checking in at 9 hours and 43 mins.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 warmth

The Acer is an overly cool pc that stayed under our 95-degree threshold the entire time we examined it. Throughout our warmth take a look at, which is composed of working a fullscreen HD video for quarter-hour, the touchpad measured 76.6 levels Fahrenheit, whilst the distance between the G and H keys measured 89.4 levels. The pc’s backside reached 92.5 levels. I in fact by no means heard the fanatics activate, no longer even whilst enhancing combined media. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 webcam

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515’s webcam produces superb footage and movies, totally using Google’s AI. Whilst the usage of Google Meet, I seemed flawless, and truthfully, it is one of the vital higher integrated webcam reports, with the webcam generating easiest pores and skin tones and colour accuracy. I be expecting that this can be a commonplace theme throughout the Chromebook Plus ecosystem.

Additionally, you currently have get right of entry to to ChromeOS AI-enhanced digicam settings and enhancing choices like Magic Eraser to profit from and fine-tune pictures and video. 

On the other hand, if you wish to bump issues as much as 4k, I might imagine looking at our highest exterior webcams web page.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 device and guaranty

Chrome OS has won recognition and will also be discovered within the trade global with undertaking toughen. Chrome OS and Google Workspace are staking a marketplace proportion declare in each the trade and training sectors. Now, due to Google’s clever use of AI, ChromeOS is turning into a viable possibility for content material creators. I by no means concept I might write that, however right here we’re, which is incredible. 

Chrome OS has been a forged possibility for customers on the cheap, scholars, or mild productiveness customers. With the addition of AI, you’ll now briefly and easily edit footage and movies. It’s game-changing if you find yourself a tender writer on a decent funds to have get right of entry to to an reasonably priced device.  

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 comes with a 1-year guaranty. You’ll be able to see how Acer fared on our annual particular studies: Tech Make stronger Showdown and Very best and Worst Manufacturers.

Final analysis

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 adheres to Google’s new mantra of double energy and double the efficiency. I may edit footage and movies whilst pushing out paperwork and gazing hours of content material on my favourite streaming website online. It by no means struggled with any of the duties I put earlier than it, and even if the battery existence is underneath 10 hours, which is what I used to be hoping for, I will’t cling that in opposition to it in any respect. 

For a pc that prices underneath $400, you’ll mainly do no matter your center needs, from report pushing, video, and picture enhancing to even some gaming. You’ll be able to get all that for simply $399. Google and its OEM companions simply put Apple and Microsoft on realize.