Acer announces Chromebook Plus 515 and Chromebook Plus 514 — two budget-friendly everyday laptops

Acer Chromebook plus 514 and Chromebook Plus 515
(Image credit: Acer)

Acer announced Monday, release date and pricing info for the Acer Chromebook 515 and Acer Chromebook 514. Prices start from $399 for these ChromeOS-powered laptops for students, teachers, creators, and families.

By no means does the Chromebook Plus series sacrifice performance for price. These Chromebooks pack high-resolution displays and powerful hardware for day-to-day productivity and play. Simply put, Acer's new Chromebooks are budget-friendly alternatives to pricier mainstream laptops.

Acer Chromebook Plus 515 laptop against green background

(Image credit: Acer)

The Acer Chromebook Plus 515 has a 15-inch Full HD display (touch optional) and 1080p webcam with privacy shutter. Hardware configurations offer 12th and 13th Gen Intel Core processors, 8GB to 16GB of RAM, and 128GB to 512GB of storage.

For connecting external devices, the Chromebook Plus 515 supplies you with: 2 x USB Type-C ports, 1 x USB 3.2, 1 x HDMI ports, and a headphone/speaker jack. Wi-Fi 6E facilitates fast wireless connectivity for up to 8K streaming. 

Acer rates the Chromebook Plus 515 as having a battery life of up to 10 hours on a full charge. 

Acer Chromebook Plus 514 laptop against green background

(Image credit: Acer)

If you prefer an AMD-powered laptop, the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is one to consider. The $399 base model packs a 14-inch display, AMD Ryzen 3 7320C quad-core CPU, 8GB RAM, and 128GB SSD. 

Meanwhile, the $449 model bumps you up to a 14-inch WUXGA (1920 x 1200) display (touch optional) and a 1080p webcam with a privacy shutter. AMD Ryzen 7000 series CPUs alongside 8GB-16GB of RAM power this Chromebook. Storage options range from 128GB-512GB for housing important files.

Acer engineers outfitted the Chromebook Plus 514 with 2 x USB Type-C ports, 1 x USB 3.2 port, 1 x HDMI, and a headphone jack/speaker jack. Battery life is long with this one with up to 12 hours on a full charge, as Acer rates it.

"Creativity, productivity and connectivity are the hallmarks of our customers’ dynamic lifestyles – and the capabilities in the new Acer Chromebook Plus laptops sure help our customers do more of what they love,” Acer notebooks general manager, James Lin said in a statement Monday.

Hilda Scott

Hilda Scott uses her combined passion for gadgets and bargain shopping to bring you the best prices on all things tech. She has a bachelor’s degree in film and media studies from Hunter College and 11 years of tech and entertainment journalism. Her work has been featured on Tom’s Guide, iTechPost, Examiner.com, Parlemag, Enstars, and Latin Times. When she's not scouting for the best deals, Hilda’s catching up on her favorite TV shows and pro-wrestling matches.