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Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) Review

Chromebook Plus · 2025 · Released 2025-03-28 · Tested 2025-12-05 · Test Bench 1.2 · published

7.5/10

Overall · Test Bench 1.2

Best for
School, browsing, budget buyers
Not ideal for
Gaming and professional software
Tested config
MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910, 8GB, 128GB
Current price
$449
MSRP
$549
Warranty
1-year limited

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BestLaptop.ca Test Team

Reviewed and tested in-house · Updated 2025-12-05 · Test Bench 1.2

How we test →

Quick Verdict

The Chromebook Plus 514 is an efficient, affordable Chromebook with very long battery life and a touchscreen. It is a strong pick for students who live in the browser and want all-day endurance under $500.

Pros

  • Excellent battery life
  • Affordable
  • Touchscreen included
  • Quiet and cool

Cons

  • ChromeOS app limits
  • Only 128GB storage
  • 8GB RAM
  • Average display

Score Breakdown

Each sub-score is weighted to produce the overall score. How scoring works.

Performance(20%)6.4 Decent
Display(15%)6.8 Decent
Battery life(15%)9.0 Exceptional
Keyboard & touchpad(10%)7.2 Good
Build quality(10%)6.6 Decent
Portability(10%)7.6 Good
Thermals & noise(10%)8.8 Great
Ports & connectivity(5%)7.4 Good
Canadian value(5%)8.8 Great

Use-Case Scores

How this laptop performs for specific needs. Each score weights our test categories differently.

School8.4

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits school use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Business5.8

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits business use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Gaming2.6

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits gaming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Multimedia6.4

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits multimedia use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Workstation3.2

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits workstation use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Programming5.6

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits programming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Travel7.8

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits travel use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Battery9.0

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits battery use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Value8.8

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) suits value use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Design, Build & Portability

The Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) uses a aluminium / plastic chassis, weighs 1.35 kg, and measures 321 x 212 x 17 mm. It earned a build score of 6.6 and a portability score of 7.6 in our testing.

Students who want an affordable, long-lasting browser-first laptop.

Display

The 14-inch IPS panel runs at 1920 x 1080 (16:9) and 60Hz. We measured 316 nits of brightness, 70% sRGB and 50% DCI-P3 coverage, and a colour accuracy of Delta E 2.8.

It has a touchscreen. See full display measurements →

Keyboard, Touchpad, Webcam & Speakers

The keyboard scored 7.2 in our typing tests. The webcam, speakers, and microphone feed the multimedia score of 6.4, which matters most for video calls and media.

Ports & Connectivity

Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2, 1x USB-A 3.2, 3.5mm audio. Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3. Connectivity earned a score of 7.4.

Performance, Gaming & Creative Work

With the MediaTek Kompanio Ultra 910 and Arm Mali (integrated), the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) scored 6.4 for performance. It posted a Geekbench multi-core score of 6,000, a Cinebench multi-core score of 4,600, and averaged 12 FPS across our 1080p gaming suite. Our 4K video export test finished in 22 minutes.

SSD read/write speeds measured 2,100 / 1,300 MB/s.

Battery Life & Charging

In our fixed-brightness tests, the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) lasted 16.2 hours of web browsing and 18.6 hours of video playback, earning a battery score of 9.0. It charged to 80% in about 64 minutes.

Thermals & Noise

Under sustained load we measured 0 dB of fan noise (0 dB at idle), a CPU temperature of 78°C, and a keyboard surface temperature of 36°C. Thermals and noise scored 8.8.

Software, Configuration & Upgradeability

It runs ChromeOS. RAM (8GB LPDDR5) is soldered and not upgradeable, so size up at purchase. Storage (128GB UFS) is not user-replaceable.

Canadian Pricing & Availability

The Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) carries an MSRP of $549 and currently sells for around $449 in Canada. It represents solid value at current pricing.

Compared to Similar Laptops

LaptopOverallBattery (web)WeightPrice
Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2025)7.516.2 h1.35 kg$449
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 128.411.8 h1.09 kg$2,199
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)8.518.4 h1.51 kg$1,649
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)8.18.6 h1.5 kg$2,699

Final Verdict

The Chromebook Plus 514 is an efficient, affordable Chromebook with very long battery life and a touchscreen. It is a strong pick for students who live in the browser and want all-day endurance under $500.

Buy it if: Students who want an affordable, long-lasting browser-first laptop. Skip it if: Anyone who needs Windows or macOS apps or lots of storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) worth it?

The Chromebook Plus 514 is an efficient, affordable Chromebook with very long battery life and a touchscreen. It is a strong pick for students who live in the browser and want all-day endurance under $500.

Who should buy the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025)?

Students who want an affordable, long-lasting browser-first laptop.

What is the battery life of the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025)?

In our web browsing test at a fixed brightness, it lasted 16.2 hours; video playback lasted 18.6 hours.

How much does the Chromebook Plus 514 (2025) cost in Canada?

It currently starts around $449 in Canada, down from an MSRP of $549.

Discussion

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