Acer’s Chromebook Plus 514 and 515 are great additions to the Chromebook Plus selection

Acer does it again with new budget Chromebooks

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Googleunveiled its brand newChromebook Plusselection, one of the industry’s worst kept secrets, which has been revamped with updated specs and features. Adjacent to this are several of Acer’s own offerings to the lineup including the Chromebook Plus 515 (CB515-2H/T) and the Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-3H/T).

According toAcer, both models come with a 1080p webcam with Temporal Noise Reduction, high-resolution IPS displays, and built-in AI-powered tools that enhance video conferencing, such as improved lighting and the ability to create new backgrounds.

And thanks to the improved specs, they can handle both streaming and native gaming even better. The latter works withSteam’s Borealis, a virtual machine that runs on ArchLinux and allows Chromebook users to run PC games natively.

Chromebook Plus 515 (CB515-2H/T)

12th or 13th-GenIntelCore CPUs15.6-inch Full HD IPS display (touch optional)8GB-16GB LPDDR5X memory128GB-512GB storage1080p webcam with temporal noise reduction, blue glass lens, and a privacy shutterUp to 10 hours of battery lifeWiFi 6EPorts: Two USB Type-C, one USB 3.2, one HDMI, and a headphone/speaker jack

The first configuration coming to the market features a 12th-Gen Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB RAM, 128GB of storage, and a non-touch 15.6-inch display. It will retail for $399.99.

Chromebook Plus 514 (CB514-3H-R6G5/CB514-3H/T)

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AMDRyzen 7000 series CPUs14-inch WUXGA 1920x1200 IPS display (touch optional)8GB-16GB LPDDR5X memory128GB-512GB storage1080p webcam with temporal noise reduction, blue glass lens, and a privacy shutterUp to 12 hours of battery lifeWiFi 6EPorts: Two USB Type-C, one USB 3.2, one HDMI, and a headphone/speaker jack

The CB514-3H-R6G5 model released will have an AMD Ryzen 3 7320C, 8GB RAM, 256GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, and touch 14-inch display. It will retail starting at $399.99.

The Plus 514 and Plus 515 are refreshes of previous Acer Chromebooks, theAcer Chromebook 514andAcer Chromebook 515, both receiving four out of five stars in reviews and the latter of which received a spot in ourbest Chromebooklist. Seeing Acer rerelease such high-quality and cost-friendly laptops and revamping them while keeping the price relatively low is great to see, especially considering how expensive laptops have gotten over the years.

Acer is one of the few laptop manufacturers that has consistently released budget-friendly laptops for years, including both Windows-based and Chromium-based models. Most recently it revealed theAcer Nitro V 15, a line of budget gaming laptops that the market sorely needed.

Two models will be launching on Monday, October 2 at 6AM PT / 9AM ET, which coincides with Google’s official announcement of the Chromebook Plus selection. The third, a Chromebook Plus 514 CB514-3H-R6G5 and the first of the Plus 514 series, will launch a week after on October 8 at 6AM PT / 9AM ET.

Edit: Models, pricing, and launch dates have been clarified.

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Named by the CTA as a CES 2023 Media Trailblazer, Allisa is a Computing Staff Writer who covers breaking news and rumors in the computing industry, as well as reviews, hands-on previews, featured articles, and the latest deals and trends. In her spare time you can find her chatting it up on her two podcasts, Megaten Marathon and Combo Chain, as well as playing any JRPGs she can get her hands on.

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