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July 26, 2025

Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE review: for the gamers Macky Briones | usagoldmines.com

Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE

MSRP $549.00

“The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE has a show and audio that makes Nvidia GeForce Now very reasonably priced.”

Execs

Superb 16-inch show

Surprisingly good audio

RGB keyboard lighting

Quick sufficient efficiency

Very reasonably priced

Cons

Plastic construct high quality

Keyboard is not one of the best

With a lot exercise round Home windows and macOS in relation to new chipset and AI, it’s able to overlook that there’s a 3rd platform in Chrome OS that additionally has its adherents. Google only recently added new premium Chromebook Plus features to its working system that make the platform a bit extra enticing to quite a lot of customers.

Even with out the brand new options, Chrome OS has its benefits, akin to straightforward of administration and lesser {hardware} necessities. However the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE takes a special tack. It needs to be a bona fide gaming laptop, and in that respect, it’s undoubtedly a standout machine.

Specs and configurations

 
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE CBG516-2H)

Dimensions
14.04 inches x 9.83 inches x 0.84 inches

Weight
3.81 kilos

Processor
Intel Core 5 120U

Graphics
Intel Graphics

RAM
8GB

Show
16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS, 120Hz

Storage
256GB SSD

Contact
Sure

Ports
2 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1
1 x HDMI 2.1
1 x RJ-45 Gigabit Ethernet
1 x 3.5mm audio jack

Wi-fi
Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2

Webcam
1080p

Home windows 1

Battery
65 watt-hour

Value

$549

There’s one configuration of the Chromebook Plus 516 GE obtainable at present. It’s $549 with an Intel Core 5 120U, 8GB of RAM, a 256GB SSD, and a 16-inch QHD+ IPS show.

These may sound like they’re slightly low-end specs, however Chrome OS doesn’t demand as a lot RAM and storage as Home windows or macOS. And $549 is an affordable worth for a laptop computer that may meet typical productiveness wants whereas additionally providing a special twist on gaming. As we’ll see, there aren’t many laptops for such a low worth that may compete with this one.

Design

Mark Coppock / Digital Traits

Like plenty of gaming laptops, the Chromebook Plus 516 GE doesn’t even fake to be svelte. Its plastic show bezels aren’t enormous however they’re not tiny both, contributing to a chassis that’s fairly giant in all dimensions. That’s true in width and depth, and likewise in thickness and weight at 0.84 inches and three.81 kilos. After all, some Home windows gaming laptops, just like the Lenovo Legion Pro 5, are equally thick and even heavier (5.51 kilos), however in addition they have way more highly effective parts together with very quick CPUs and discrete GPUs.

Additionally, if you’re paying $549 for a laptop computer, you don’t essentially count on probably the most stable construct high quality. And also you don’t get it with the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. The lid is simply too versatile, the chassis provides in to mild strain, and typing on the keyboard feels fairly bouncy. All of that’s all the way down to a plastic building that confirms the price range worth. However positive, a laptop computer just like the Razer Blade 15 is a spectacularly constructed machine, but it surely’s additionally upward of six occasions as costly.

Aesthetically, issues aren’t significantly better. The principally all-black chassis has some chrome touches that appear a bit anachronistic at present, when most producers keep away from such accents. Not like many different gaming laptops, there’s no exterior LED lighting to present a gaming vibe, and there additionally isn’t the standard aggressive venting — however that’s primarily as a result of, once more, the parts aren’t very highly effective and there’s far much less purpose to implement a robust cooling system. This laptop computer focuses on gaming, but it surely’s not utilizing its inner parts to get there.

Keyboard and touchpad

One of many largest nods to gaming is the keyboard, which provides up 4-zone RGB lighting for a extra vibrant gaming expertise. It seems to be like a gaming keyboard, however sadly, I’m unsure it seems like one. The switches aren’t terribly deep and so they’re not all that clicky, and so there’s not a ton of suggestions. For normal typing, I discovered them much less exact than I like. The format is okay and there’s loads of spacing, however I’m not an enormous fan.

The touchpad is OK. It’s not all that giant for a 16-inch machine, and the buttons are a bit laborious to press. Once more, I’m underwhelmed.

Connectivity and webcam

The Chromebook Plus 516 GE has loads of connectivity, consistent with a bigger laptop computer. There’s no Thunderbolt 4, however in any other case most connectivity wants are coated nicely. The wired Ethernet connectivity will likely be welcome to anybody who needs rock-solid connectivity to energy by means of the Nvidia GeForce Now cloud gaming that’s highlighted by Acer.

Wi-fi connectivity can be fairly up-to-date. And the 1080p webcam meets the brand new normal.

Efficiency and gaming

The Chromebook Plus 516 GE makes use of parts which are greater than quick sufficient for Chrome OS. The Intel Core 5 120U processor, a Raptor Lake chipset, has 10 cores (two Efficiency and eight Environment friendly) and 12 threads and runs at as much as 5GHz. That’s loads of energy to run the comparatively light-weight Chrome OS working system. There’s additionally 8GB of RAM, which permits opening quite a few apps and Chrome tabs.

I can’t check the laptop computer utilizing our ordinary suite of benchmarks. It scored 2,001 within the Geekbench 6 single-core check and seven,412 within the multi-core check. That’s nicely behind the chipsets you’ll discover in most Home windows 11 and macOS laptops, however once more, it’s quick sufficient for Chrome OS. I additionally ran Speedometer 2.0 and it scored 156 — an excellent end result. Subjectively, I discover no slowdowns regardless of how laborious I pushed the machine.

The larger query, although, is how nicely does it work as a gaming laptop computer? And right here, the parts are much less essential as a result of Acer is totally leaning into Nvidia’s GeForce Now cloud gaming platform. The service permits you to hook up with a number of gaming accounts, akin to Steam and Ubisoft, in addition to entry quite a lot of video games through Geforce Now itself. Some video games are free and others require a subscription.

You too can improve efficiency and high quality by upgrading to a paid membership. Nvidia touts RTX 4080 efficiency, as much as 1440p (from 1200p), and elevated body charges as much as 120 frames per second (fps). I’m not signed up, however I ran Murderer’s Creed Valhalla through Ubisoft and noticed 60 fps at 1200p. For the reason that Chromebook Plus 516 GE’s QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS show runs at as much as 120Hz, you’re capable of take full benefit of the premium efficiency.

The underside line is that so long as you’ve gotten a quick and secure web connection and are keen to pay for a subscription, you’ll be able to get pleasure from wonderful gaming on the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. You’ll be restricted within the video games you’ll be able to play, however widespread titles like Diablo IV, Baldur’s Gate 3 , Rust, Cyberpunk 2077, and much more can be found, and so they’ll all run at 60 fps or extra.

That’s a pleasant proposition on condition that the Chromebook Plus 516 GE prices simply $549. It’s debatable whether or not you would accomplish the identical factor with a Home windows laptop computer that prices lower than $600.

Battery life

When you’re on the lookout for all-day battery life, you received’t get it from the Chromebook Plus 516 GE. It has only a 65 watt-hour battery to energy a 16-inch QHD+ show. Chrome OS is environment friendly, however most 16-inch laptops have a lot bigger batteries.

I noticed round 7.25 hours of internet shopping and about 10.5 hours of video looping. That’s rather less than Acer suggests in its reviewer’s information, but it surely’s shut sufficient.

The underside line is that you simply received’t need to depend on the Chromebook Plus 516 GE for eight hours of stable work away from a plug. However these aren’t dangerous outcomes.

Show and audio

Perhaps crucial function of the Chromebook Plus 516 GE, and the one which pushes it from simply an OK price range Chrome OS laptop computer into one thing a little bit extra, is the 16.0-inch 16:10 QHD+ (2560 x 1600) IPS show. And it’s not simply any IPS show — it additionally runs at as much as 120Hz, as talked about above, which means you’ll be able to make the most of the efficiency offered by the GeForce Now platform.

I can’t use my colorimeter to check shows in Chrome OS, however subjectively, this looks as if a reasonably good panel. It will get a lot vivid, and colours appear dynamic sufficient. Distinction isn’t one of the best I’ve seen in an IPS show and positively doesn’t method OLED’s inky blacks. However I wouldn’t complain if this have been the one show I may use.

It doesn’t matter what, the show does what it’s purported to do — help fairly good gaming — whereas punching method above its weight class.

Audio high quality is one other good shock. There are 4 audio system, two upward-firing and two downward-firing, with force-cancelling woofers. There was a ton of quantity with just a bit distortion at 100%. Turning it down a few notches removed it, and it was nonetheless a lot loud. Bass was even respectable. It’s a greater sound system than I anticipated at its worth.

An excellent choice for gaming on a price range

Chromebooks are normally aimed to be cheap and easy-to-manage laptops for individuals who don’t have the price range or the persistence for Home windows or macOS laptops. There are premium Chromebooks that value nicely over $1,000, however primarily you’re on the lookout for a ok laptop computer for not some huge cash.

The Chromebook Plus 516 GE exceeds these exceptions whereas nonetheless coming in at a really enticing $549. I maintain stressing that time, as a result of if you happen to’re a gamer who’s will to pay Nvidia a premium subscription payment, then that is one Chrome OS laptop computer that may allow you to get your sport on with out melting your pockets.



 

This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak

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