Acer - Chromebook 315 - 15.6" HD Laptop - Intel Pentium N6000 - 4GB LPDDR4X - 128GB eMMC (Protective Sleeve) - Silver

As someone who often travels for work, I was on the hunt for an inexpensive laptop that wouldn't give me nightmares if I had to leave it in a hotel room or check it at a coat check. I settled on the Acer Chromebook 315 and here's how it stacked up from the moment I unboxed it. First Impressions: The Acer Chromebook 315 isn’t the sleekest ultrabook around, but it's far from bulky, striking a nice balance in size. The trackpad and keys felt solid—reassuring for someone who types a lot. The screen, however, was a bit of a letdown. While it's functional, it suffers from poor viewing angles, low resolution, and overall, it’s just not great for prolonged use unless you're watching videos. For its price, the screen quality is understandable, but for anyone planning to use it heavily, I'd recommend considering a model with a better display. Performance with Chrome and Web Apps: This is where the Chromebook shines. I spend a good chunk of my day creating storyboard images using AI tools, and accessing my Chat GPT account from this device was impressively smooth. The processing demands are offloaded online, so this Chromebook kept up just as well as my $3,000 primary laptop, which was a pleasant surprise. Google Ecosystem Integration: Testing out Google's ecosystem was next on my list. Although I usually work with different tools, some of my clients prefer Google Sheets and Slides. Working within these apps was seamless, thanks to the cloud-based processing power. Even with its basic specs, the Chromebook handled everything thrown at it without any hitches. Entertainment and Media: I ended my day by chilling out with some YouTube videos. Despite the screen's shortcomings, HD streaming looked pretty good. The quality was decent enough that I didn’t mind the less-than-perfect display when watching videos. This was probably the best use of the screen, making it an acceptable option for casual viewing. Conclusion: The Acer Chromebook 315 is a solid choice for travelers looking for a budget-friendly laptop that handles basic tasks and streaming well, especially within the Google ecosystem. Its performance in web-based applications and AI tools is commendable, considering its price point. However, if you're planning to use it as your main device, it might be worth looking into options with better screens. For occasional travel and light work, though, it fits the bill perfectly.

The Acer Chromebook 315 is what I consider an entry level Chromebook. It has the Intel N6000 processor. I opened it up to see if there were any available upgrades. It does not. I believe the CPU, ram, and storage are all soldered. There are no available slots as far as I can see. The laptop arrived charged at 65%. The power adapter that came with it is USB-C. I love this because it does not use those weird barrel type power adapters. You can use any USB-C cable. Because the processor is lower powered, you should be able to use your mobile device brick charger if it can output at least 29W. I tried it with one of my iPad chargers that outputs 29W and it works fine. There are 2x USB-C ports, 2x USB3 type A ports, microSD card slot, combo headphone/micrphone jack, and Kensington lock. Because one of my mobile phones is a Pixel, I used it to login to my account if it is an Android phone. It still wanted me to create a local password to login so that I do not have to keep entering my Google password. It also gives you an option to create a pin. I was able to link it to my Pixel phone as well. This allows it to be used to unlock the laptop – this is optional, but it is convenient. This also allows the phone to be used as a hotspot device when Wi-Fi is not available. This laptop is responsive for what I use it for. I do many tasks online using Google Workspace and Microsoft Office. Everything works on the Chrome browser. You can even access Google Gemini and do some AI work. Anything I do on the Google Chrome browser on my desktop or regular laptop, I can do it on the Chromebook. I checked out the Google Play store and there are many apps available for the platform. I have not installed anything since I can do mostly everything on the Chrome browser. There are a few things I want to share that may be negative so far. Firstly, the track pad is too sensitive for my taste. The cursor jumps around fast. I will have to play with the settings or use a USB mouse or wireless mouse. This has Bluetooth so you can connect Bluetooth device to it. Second, I have already scratched the top cover of the laptop. I had it upside down on the table while removing the screws to check the insides out. Third, this will make a better laptop if it has touch screen capabilities. Overall, it is a nice entry level laptop. I love being able to use my Android phone to login. You may think that 4GB of ram is not enough, but for web browsing and streaming it is plenty. You may be able to do very light gaming, but you are limited to what you can install from the Play Store. It even comes with a sleeve to store it in while traveling.

The Acer Chromebook 315 is a solid performing Chromebook. Chromebooks don’t need much to get their job done. It has an Intel Pentium N6000, 4GB LPDDR4X, and 128GB eMMC. On the left it has USB-C/power, USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 3.5mm headphone jack, and a Micro SD clot. On the right, a USB-C, and USB-A 3.2 Gen1. It has a 15.6” screen at 1366 x 768, and keyboard with numpad. The Chromebook is lightweight, and should last up to 10 hours on a charge. It comes with a power supply, and a protective sleeve. Chromebooks are light on power as they reply on wireless to access cloud applications to do the heavy lifting. The N6000 does a nice job. Programs came up quick, and video rendering was fine. Whether using the Google suite of products, or Microsoft Office, I had no problems using the programs. The 128GB of memory is enough to store some documents and files locally if wanted. You can always add a Micro SD card for a lot more storage. The screen is fine, and colors were okay. 1366x768 on a 15.6” screen has a good amount of space. It’s not going to blow you away. But, it gets the job done. The keyboard has nice spacing and response. It has the Chrome options across the top instead of F keys. It is not backlit. For students doing school work these are great. Low cost, and as long as you have a wireless connection, you have access to everything you need. Assignments, email, and video all will work fine. With the Play store you can get most of the games to work. There is a joystick overlay for some game that may or may not work depending on the game. Connectivity is up to AX, and I had no issues using connection to Wi-Fi 6 routers. The USB-C ports connect to additional monitors with no issues. Bluetooth allows headphones, mouses, keyboards, and other devices to connect. The sleeve is nice, and padded to provide some protection on the go. Chromebooks are not full laptops. They are designed for a connected, wireless, experience. The heavy lifting done on remote servers and clouds. For such a device, this device has plenty of power and memory to get the job done and have some local storage. It does good enough well at a cheaper price. If you don’t need the power of a full laptop and have an internet connection, these are a great alternative. Due to the low cost a lot of schools have been using them. The Acer Chromebook 315 has more to offer for Chromebook.