Verdict
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE provides loads of energy and stable battery life for the worth. The chassis is sturdy, whereas there’s additionally a chic number of ports, and an excellent show. Nevertheless, its heavy advertising and marketing as a gaming system feels slightly deceptive contemplating it’s solely appropriate for streaming video games through the cloud.
Professionals
- Beautiful seems
- Loads of energy below the hood
- Good battery life
Cons
- Costly for a Chromebook
- 120Hz refresh fee can’t be utilized in some streaming companies
-
16-inch 120Hz show:Incorporates a 16-inch display, full with a 2560×1600 decision and 120Hz refresh fee -
Snappy efficiency:Powered by an twelfth Gen Intel Core i5 processor which provides wonderful relative efficiency.
-
Moveable design:It weighs 1.7kg, which is on the heavier facet for a laptop computer, however needs to be greater than positive for these on the go.
Introduction
A gaming Chromebook? Has the world gone mad?
Effectively, no, however with the appearance of cloud gaming companies within the trendy age, the necessity for zanily highly effective {hardware} to run the most recent AAA video games has turn out to be much less vital. Acer has recognised this want, and is main the cost with an entire new model of gaming laptops designed to supply each the comfort of ChromeOS with the liberty for customers to play the most recent titles on quite a few cloud companies equivalent to Sport Move and GeForce Now.
Enter the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, a large-screen Chromebook that brings with it a good bit of grunt for a laptop computer of its sort, in addition to a noticeably higher show. Whereas Chromebooks are extra historically inexpensive fayre, the 516 GE bucks that pattern with a retail value that’s pushing 4 figures. Whether or not that’s justified to make it among the finest Chromebooks we’ve examined stays to be seen – let’s delve in deeper.
Design
- Smooth, Macbook Professional-inspired design
- Glorious port choice
- Snug-feeling keyboard
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE doesn’t precisely give off the impression that it’s a gaming-type laptop computer. It as a substitute gives extra of a company, virtually enterprise laptop-like model, with a gray chassis, full with two-tone brushed end on the 516 GE’s high casing.
A weight of 1.7kg for a 16-inch laptop computer isn’t too unhealthy, however usually places the 516 GE on the heavier facet by way of laptops. With this in thoughts although, it’s nonetheless transportable sufficient to chuck right into a bag and carry round with you.
A 16-inch display makes this one of many bigger Chromebooks I’ve examined, and with it come some fairly slim bezels across the high and sides of the 516 GE. This simply helps alongside this Chromebook’s trendy aesthetics, and contrasts nicely with the extra rugged seems normally related to gaming laptops.
For a Chromebook, the port choice that the 516 GE gives is great. On the left hand facet, there’s a USB-C port for charging, in addition to a 2.5-gig Ethernet port, and a headphone jack. In the meantime, on the appropriate hand facet, this Acer Chromebook gives an additional USB-C, in addition to a USB-A port, HDMI out, and a Kensington lock.
This is likely one of the greatest port choices I’ve skilled on a Chromebook, and gives all method of connectivity for the worth. A secondary USB-A would have been good, though the very fact there’s a correct Ethernet port is the trade-off right here.
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE’s keyboard is extra of a compact possibility, with a 65%-style structure providing you the keys you want, with out going overboard. It provides some first rate journey and tactility, and doesn’t really feel notably mushy not like another, albeit cheaper, Chromebooks I’ve examined.
Acer additionally says the keyboard right here is backlit, though I did have a tough time experiencing any of the RGB on provide – the lighting simply appeared a bit too dim.
The trackpad right here is of measurement, and provides loads of house to your capabilities. The buttons current really feel good too, with no actual sponginess. My solely situation is that as it is a Gorilla Glass trackpad, it may possibly really feel slightly too easy at instances, main finger actions to seem slightly skittish.
Show
- Marvellous colors
- Strong element and display measurement
- 120Hz refresh fee provides particularly easy movement
It’s normally on the show entrance the place some Chromebooks can fall flat, however that isn’t the case with the 516 GE. With the choice on provide right here, Acer has introduced the panel in keeping with the place you’d count on it to be, given the worth this laptop computer is obtainable at.
It brings with it a 2560×1600 decision, providing stable element ranges and a few wonderful colors to my eye. Acer quotes the brightness of the 516 GE to sit down at 350 nits, which meets our anticipated goal for laptop computer shows, and certain sufficient, the panel right here provided good brightness, serving to colors to pop slightly.
The large factor in comparison with extra typical Chromebooks is the addition of a 120Hz refresh fee. This makes on-screen movement a good bit smoother in comparison with the extra commonplace 60Hz felt on different non-gaming laptop computer shows. After all, that is greatest skilled in video games, though even in daily working with the 516 GE, the enhance in refresh fee was welcome for sharper output.
As an IPS panel too, its viewing angles have been wonderful, as confirmed by viewing the most recent Grand Tour particular, Eurocrash, on Amazon Prime Video, in addition to when enjoying video games equivalent to Assetto Corsa Competitzione.
Efficiency
- Numerous energy for a Chromebook
- Splendidly nippy in any duties
- Nice storage and RAM configuration
The large factor with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is the way it handles video games. This can be a gadget designed for use with cloud gaming companies equivalent to Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, and in the event you so want, you’ll be able to even get Steam on Chromebooks now.
That mentioned, don’t count on this laptop computer to be highly effective sufficient to play many video games offline. It has no discrete GPU, and ChromeOS is simply supported by a smattering of titles. In order for you high-end gaming with out the necessity for cloud streaming, try our Finest Gaming Laptops as a substitute.
It’s a special story if you’re completely happy to stay to cloud gaming although. The 516 GE felt responsive in my playthroughs of Assetto Corsa Competitzione from Nvidia GeForce Now when related with my Steam library, in addition to on Forza Horizon 5 on Xbox Cloud Gaming. These titles have been greater than playable, with a responsive expertise, with none noticeable enter lag or latency. Nevertheless, that’s arguably to do extra with the pace of my community connection than the 516 GE itself.
Delving into the specs, the 516 GE carries loads of grunt for a Chromebook, packing in an Intel Core i5-1240P processor. This brings with it a complete of 12 cores, break up asymmetrically between 4 Efficiency and eight Effectivity cores, in addition to a lift clock of 4.4GHz. For a Chromebook, that is numerous energy, which makes day-to-day working an absolute breeze, particularly contemplating ChromeOS is a a lot lighter OS than Home windows or macOS.
The nippy nature of the 516 GE’s processor is mirrored throughout the laptop computer’s Geekbench 5 scores, particularly in its multi-core outcomes that places it extra towards Home windows-based ultrabooks such because the Dell XPS 13 Plus and the Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED than different Chromebooks. After all, it’s arduous to disregard the very fact that is fairly an costly Chromebook, and with Home windows laptops providing higher OS-based capabilities with related efficiency, it brings into query the viability of the 516 GE slightly.
8GB of RAM is sufficient so that you can sort out extra intensive duties, even when ChromeOS itself goes to carry you again as some apps merely aren’t supported right here. For the informal computing duties that ChromeOS is extra historically suited to, it proved to be greater than sufficient to deal with a large number of Chrome tabs, in addition to Spotify open enjoying music within the background.
A 256GB SSD is particularly good to see, and gives you with a good quantity of house (no less than for a Chromebook) on which to place apps and vital information. It’s price noting although that Google’s G Suite together with Docs and Sheets means you after all could not want to put in any actual software program in addition to the truth that the video games you’ll be enjoying on the 516 GE don’t must be put in domestically with the intention to be performed, supplying you with much more storage to play with.
It’s additionally nice to see Acer utilizing Wi-Fi 6E for wi-fi connectivity, making certain you get the quickest doable web speeds when paired with a appropriate router.
Battery Life
- Lasted 10 hours 11 minutes in our battery check
- Able to lasting for simply over one working day
Contemplating the extra power-hungry parts packed contained in the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, in addition to a extra highly effective show and the addition of an RGB-keyboard, it is sensible to count on this laptop computer to eat by its battery.
Nevertheless, I’m happy to report that this wasn’t the case. The 516 GE lasted for a contact over 10 hours in a video loop check after I turned the keyboard backlighting down and dialled the display brightness all the way down to half.
There’s sufficient juice within the tank to permit the 516 GE to final for a working day and for slightly bit longer when you get residence earlier than it’s essential to attain for the charging cable. In my testing, I solely needed to attain for it as soon as I’d completed working for the day to cost the laptop computer up in a single day. That’s some stable endurance.
Newest offers
Must you purchase it?
You need a highly effective Chromebook: The concept of gaming on a Chromebook through cloud streaming is an fascinating curiosity, and if you wish to strive it, the 516 GE is a stable alternative.
You need the performance of Home windows, or a correct gaming laptop computer: The 516 GE is proscribed by the very fact it gained’t run video games natively that nicely, in addition to the inhibition afforded by a lighter OS.
Last Ideas
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE provides some severe energy for a laptop computer of its sort, and gives grunt that’s extra similar to Home windows ultrabooks than the vast majority of different Chromebooks. Mixed with this, it provides an excellent show with good colors and easy movement, in addition to a sturdy body and marvellous port choice.
It’s, nonetheless, only a bit odd. This can be a Chromebook that prices practically 4 figures, and its greatest function isn’t even one thing that’s to do with the laptop computer’s inner parts itself. It might probably run the likes of Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, however so can loads of different Chromebooks – the photographs introduced might not be as sharp although on lower-cost ones.
The underside line right here is that if you wish to check out the expertise of cloud gaming on Chromebook, or simply fancy one of the vital highly effective Chromebooks in the marketplace, then the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a positive alternative. If you wish to play video games natively, try our Finest Gaming Laptops listing. And for a less expensive laptop computer possibility, try our Finest Chromebook rating.
How we check
Each laptop computer we evaluation goes by a collection of uniform checks designed to gauge key issues together with construct high quality, efficiency, display high quality and battery life.
These embody formal artificial benchmarks and scripted assessments, plus a collection of real-world checks, equivalent to how nicely it runs fashionable apps.
We used as our major laptop computer for no less than every week.
Examined the efficiency through each benchmark assessments and real-world use.
We examined the battery with a benchmark check and real-world use.
FAQs
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is sweet for cloud gaming, and provides a responsive expertise. That is arguably extra to do with the pace of the community connection, versus the laptop computer itself, nonetheless. It’s not highly effective sufficient for offline native gaming.
With gaming on a Chromebook, you have got two choices. Both, you’ll be able to set up cell video games from the Play Retailer, or you’ll be able to stream them through companies equivalent to Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Enjoying the most recent blockbuster video games on Steam just isn’t an possibility.
