Acer today announced the Chromebook Spin 514, its first Chromebook to utilize AMD 3000-series processing and AMD graphics.
This Chromebook is a convertible 2-in-1 system thanks to the 360-degree hinge on its 1080p touch display. The aluminum-frame chassis is MIL-STD compliant for durability; it measures just 0.68 inches thick and weighs 3.42 pounds.
The Spin 514 is available in three colors: Pure Silver, Steel Gray, and Mist Green. The starting price will be $479.99 when it releases in February.
Business and IT-Friendly Options, Too
This system is also available as the business-focused Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514. This version will feature the Chrome Enterprise Upgrade, which unlocks the business capabilities of Chrome OS for professional users.
This adds increased security, as well as apps and controls that make it easier for IT departments to roll out and maintain. It also includes the “zero-touch enrollment” feature, which allows IT administrators to deliver the laptop directly to the end user, when it will automatically enroll itself into the enterprise administration when connected to the internet.
An All-AMD Focus
More specifically on the AMD offerings, the base model includes the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C processor, while a step-up option offers the Ryzen 7 3700C for users who need more processing performance and boosted graphics power. Both of these chips include four cores and eight threads for processing, but the Ryzen 7 3700C boasts a slightly higher clock speed and 10 GPU cores instead of just eight.
This system can be equipped with up to 16GB of memory and 256GB of storage—perhaps light for other laptops, but more than enough for Chrome OS purposes. Acer estimates roughly 10 hours of battery life for this machine.
We’ll have to confirm that battery life ourselves, so check back for that result and more when the Spin 514 becomes available for review.