It’s not hard to see the charm of the Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-2H. Here is a budget-friendly, easy-to-use laptop for users who are mostly looking for a word processor and a way to get online. Offering decent performance with its combination of ‎MediaTek MT8183 processor and 4GB RAM, this Chromebook is ideal for basic tasks.
Well, it’s not going to handle more demanding tasks such as creative applications and gaming, but if you’re fine with sticking to the basics, this could easily be one of the best Chromebooks available.
And while it’s found lacking when compared to beefier and more costly Chromebooks, this compact laptop knows who it’s for; this is one of the best laptops for students on the market, and definitely one of the best at that.
About the Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-2H
Here are the key specs and features on this Chromebook:
- Processor: ‎MediaTek MT8183
- Graphics: Integrated
- RAM: 4GB
- Storage: 64GB Flash storage
- Display: 14-inch 1366 x 768 pixels
- Wireless connectivity: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
- Weight: 2.28kg
- Size: 32.54 x 1.97 x 22.3 cm
For under £200, this is the available configuration. The display isn’t a touchscreen and it can’t flip back 180 degrees like more pricier Chromebooks, but it gets the job done without any issues.
What We Like
Comfortable, durable build
The Chromebook 314 is clearly built for comfort. Its keyboard is satisfying and well-spaced, eliminating the feeling of being too cramped. It is the size of a small PC laptop, and interestingly just a little larger than a notebook. With a metallic silver finish, this Chromebook feels suave and gives the feel of an aluminum finish, even though it’s not, the Acer CB314-2H is all-plastic.
The form of this laptop-like Chromebook is nice in the hand, but it’s a little heavier than the more powerful touch-enabled Acer Chromebook Spin 713 (2.28 kg and 1.3kg respectively). There’s a little bulk feel to this Chromebook, but it still looks and feels premium. It’s hard to tell where the weight comes from, given the all-plastic construction, heavier than even the aluminum Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook. But, it is still portable enough to stash into a backpack on daily commute.
Adequate everyday performance
There are no real expectations for the Chromebook 314 to outperform any of the competition; it just manages to do the basics well, not only given its costs but also the simple point of it being a Chromebook.
Under the hood, it packs a 2.0 GHz MTK MT8183 processor running ChromeOS, which is sufficient for day-to-day tasks, delivering a snappy user experience. Its 4GB of RAM is plenty for web browsing and video viewing, and even loading a dozen Chrome tabs won’t slow the Chromebook 314 down too much – it will only cause the image to take a smidge longer to load, but overall, the slowdown is negligible.
However, keep in mind that ChromeOS isn’t as flexible as Windows on laptops like the Acer Aspire 3, limiting downloads to what’s available on the Google Play Store. That said, all of the common apps are available, such as Spotify and Netflix, but you may be out of luck if looking for something more.
Battery life is terrific
The Chromebook 314 holds the honor of being one of the best budget machines out there when it comes to battery life. With brightness set at 50%, the 314 can last a total of 12 and a half hours before shutting down.
We usually look for a laptop to last for at least 10 hours on a single charge, so this is more than incredible. We’ve seen AMD-powered laptops such as the Lenovo Yoga Slim 7 achieve admittedly longer battery life, but they’re also more than triple the cost of the 314.
What We Don’t Like
Lackluster display
It’s once you open the Chromebook CB314-2H that you get a feel of the corners Acer made to make this Chromebook affordable. It’s nice to have the 14-inch screen size; you get a good working area without the need for regular squinting and without the additional size and weight of a 15.6-inch laptop.
Sadly, though, the 1,366 x 768 resolution that can look crisp on an 11.6-inch Chromebook starts to look horrible and pixelated when spread across this much screen. Worse, it’s really dim, not even getting above 200cdm2, and contrast levels are way below average.
Should you buy the Acer Chromebook 314?
Yes, this is money well spent (or saved), for basic users.
For the price, the Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-2H is a fine Chromebook. It’s usable, and while not exactly speedy, it’s fast enough for simple, everyday tasks. Yet, we still keep coming back to that underwhelming screen and feel that it would have been a much better option with a bit more oomph.
If budgets are tight and you just need something workable for college or surfing the web, reading emails, and watching videos, there’s enough to like about this 314. Beyond that, there’s not enough here for this Chromebook to stand out.
Recommended Configuration
acer Chromebook 314 CB314-4H-C2UW Laptop | Intel Processor N100 | 14" Full HD (1920 x 1080) IPS Display | 4GB LPDDR5 | 64GB eMMC | Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6E AX211 | Chrome OS | Pure Silver
$205.99 in stock
3 used from $194.59
The Review
Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-2H
The Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-2H sports a nice design and battery life than most low-cost Chromebooks, but the screen leaves a lot to be desired.
PROS
- Great display
- Comfortable typing experience
- Very portable
CONS
- ChromeOS has its limitations
Review Breakdown
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ARS RATING
