Customer Ratings & Reviews

Love it use the Laptop for School Work, and Gaming and just Browsing the Internet!

Terrible Terrible Terrible Terribleness terrible.

This is my third chromebook & I love it. The screen isn't a touch screen which my last one was but I never used it so not an issue for me. The keyboard does light up. I'm only a very casual gamer so I didn't actually need one with this much memory. I guess I just liked the idea of it. In reality most users definitely don't need this much memory though. I didn't as I'm a very casual user but I do use it a lot off & on during the day & I love chromebooks for their ease of use & the security of them. Essentially no malware or virus issues. I love chromebooks because they're so fast. You lift the lid & you're on within seconds. Perfect for most casual users. It always surprises me that chromebooks are still not more frequently used or known. This one was on a very good sale when I got it. I've currently owned it for about 10 weeks. The screen is good for watching streaming video. The webcam is fine. The speakers are better than my previous one although sometimes I use a separate speaker if I want exceptional sound. This is definitely a premium chromebook.

First things first, the Chromebook seems wonderful. However, I’m a little frustrated with Best Buy. I opened the shipping box to find the seal on the computer box opened as well. It was obvious that the computer had been opened, used, and probably returned. I purchased this for work and needed it immediately. Best Buy is over an hour away, and my local Best Buy does not have this model in stock. Long story short, the laptop looks and operates as new, but it was not new. The previous owner did not bother to “powerwash” it, so their login was still coming up. Once I got past that issue and verified that everything was as it should be, I just moved on. If I lived closer, I would have returned it for a replacement or sought to get a partial refund. Now on to the review. I got this to simplify my life. I have plenty of access to other computers, but they all have too much “stuff” on them (My Steam library, MWII, and Valorant keep calling), and I get easily distracted. The limited nature of ChomeOS helps to keep me on track with the writing work that I have. I also use ChromeOS with LumaFusion, PowerDirector, PhotoDirector, and other content creation apps. I have some Chromebooks from 2 or 3 years ago, and they are fine, but I wanted something faster with more capacity, a better screen, and better suited to “real laptop” connectivity as I also give presentations. Having dual USB C, 2.5GB Lan, HDMI, USB A, and an audio jack really checks all the boxes. This Chromebook may have the best set of ports that I’ve seen. The beauty of ChromeOS is that all your stuff is stored in the Google Sphere. So once you log in, the system just starts setting itself up. After 10 or 15 minutes, I was all set up and good to go. Here’s what you can expect: Processor - The 12-core 16-thread 12th Gen i5 with XE graphics is massively overkill for ChromeOS. It’s fast, posting a Speedometer 2.0 score of 243 and an Octane 2.0 score of 83808. To put that into perspective, my 8th gen i3 and i5-based Chromebooks from 2 or 3 years ago scored between one-third and one-half of those results. This Chromebook is VERY fast. That speed does come at the cost of heat, which is managed by a fan-based cooling system. It’s not loud, but you can hear it in a quiet room. Memory - I would prefer to have 16 GB of ram on board, or at least the option to upgrade the ram would be even better, but you are locked into 8GB. That should be more than adequate for anything you want to do with ChromeOS, but if you want to run Linux and leverage that benefit, you may find that you run short, and performance may suffer. Storage - Unlike many Chromebooks that use glorified SD cards for storage, this actually uses NVME storage that can be upgraded. If at some point, the 256GB becomes a limiting factor, it’s good to know you can upgrade it without having to replace the whole unit. Screen - The screen is one of the main reasons I bought this model, and it does not disappoint. The 2560x1600 16x10 resolution and aspect ratio, combined with the high refresh rate, makes this on par with my “good” PC laptops. That’s what I wanted. I have poor eyesight, and a bright, crisp screen makes my work life much easier. I don’t have a way to measure brightness, but it’s certainly bright enough for my indoor needs. I don’t work outside, so I don’t see that it will ever be an issue. Chassis - The overall build quality seems fine. There is minimal deck flex, and materials feel “premium” enough to justify the sale price of $450 that I paid for it. The screen can open with one finger while the rest of the chassis remains stable on the desk. Acer did a good job here. Trackpad - The trackpad is very nice. It’s big enough but not too big, tracks well, and clicks are crisp without any flopping around. It’s reportedly a glass trackpad, and as far as I can tell, it is. Speakers - The speakers have great volume and can run at 100% without distortion. But, the tone lacks any bass. I would imagine it would be ideal for meetings where hearing dialog is key. Webcam - it has one, and it’s 1080P.. let’s move on. (It’s not great, but it will do in a pinch) Ports - as mentioned above, the Acer 516 GE has a great set of ports with dual USB C, USB A, 2.5 GB Lan, WiFi 6E, and a combo audio jack. Keyboard - The keyboard is the weakest part of this computer. That’s a bummer because I do a lot of writing, and I will be using it a lot. The travel is OK, and there is a tactile bump that provides positive feedback that you’ve fully pressed the key. But, there’s also a rattling that’s present with every keystroke. And the RGB backlighting is a complete joke. You have to turn the light off to see it, and then just barely. I hope that I’ll be able to get used to it, but if not, I’ll take it back to Best Buy and figure something else out. Battery - I just got this laptop and I mostly run plugged in. From what other reviewers are saying, the battery life is good but not a multi-day driver. That's totally to be expected given the powerful processor and high refresh rate screen. I'll take speed and great visuals over batterly life just about any day of the week. Summary - Putting the rocky start of receiving an open box vs. new as I ordered, and the noisy keyboard, the rest of the Chromebook hits it out of the park. I know most folks will be drawn to the “gaming” focus, but don’t buy it for that reason. The “gaming” part of this is all about cloud gaming and not local apps. You don’t need anything this powerful for cloud gaming. But, if you want a best-in-class processor, good storage, adequate ram, with a great display, and want all that to run ChromeOS like a boss, then this is a great option.

I recently purchased the new Acer Chromebook 516 GE. I strictly use it for daily computing. I am not a gamer, but I am however heavily tied to the google ecosystem. Only buy a Chromebook if you understand it's limitations with respect to a Windows computer. Watch some youtube videos if you are not sure about the differences. I was blown away by the speed, amazing screen (350 nits really makes a difference), backlit keyboard and the amazing port selection. Having an ethernet port is great just in case the wifi chip ever goes bad. The built-in webcam will handle all your video conferencing needs. Battery life will last you 3-4 hours with heavy use. The Chromebook is surprisingly light and the upward facing speakers pack a decent punch. The track pad is buttery smooth. It was a great upgrade from my old Acer 15.6" which has an end of life date in June 2024. Oh and the end of life date on this Chromebook is June 2032 which is amazing.

I'm not a gamer, but I'm thrilled with the performance of this Chromebook. It has a big, bright screen and comfortable keyboard, and it's super snappy. Not small and light, but great around the house and for taking to the library. Worth the premium over less-capable laptops.

I've owned several ChromeBooks from low-end to premium. This is the best one I've owned. I use it primarily for work and productivity apps. The screen is fantastic - sharp, bright, and smooth - and easy to look at for a full workday. The keyboard has excellent feedback and thankfully isn't overloaded with number keypad and other extraneous buttons. Just a simple, generous layout that's easy to type on. Ditto for the trackpad - smooth gliding and satisfying clicks. With the 12th gen i5 P series chip, my productivity tabs perform really snappily. This really is such a solid package with performance, premium tactile touchpoints, and an outstanding screen.

For the price you get alot. Very nice big screen, good brightness. Track pad is very rrsponsive. Keyboard is good but not great. Everything is fast. Its not small but not overwhelming either. I was looking at hp dragon chromebook but that would have cost much, much more. I am very happy with it. I used it from business work, no gaming.

I have too many laptops… razer blade 15, macbook pro m1 16, asus zephyrus g14, macbook 12, and more. I prefer traveling with this Acer 516 GE Chromebook. Xcloud or geforce now usually works great if I want to play a game. I can run plenty of apps locally. Screen looks great. Battery life is great for a workday. Keyboard is good. Sound is not as good as my macbook, but good enough. Its a five star laptop at 499, which is what I paid.

such an awesome computer, I purchased it in April, It is super fast, has the most beautiful screen, and the RGB colors are nice, The hardware is impressive, I can open tons of tabs at one time, It is not heavy, I was able to put it on a stand and use a mouse with it. although I do not game, I believe this computer is the future of cloud gaming.Its super premium and worth every penny.

The 516 GE has a very bright, sharp display & I love the space the 16 inch screen offers. It goes 3 days off a charger so I think the stand by time is very good. The performance is fast with no noticeable issues. I just recommended this device to a friend. I wanted a large screen, bright display & fast performance. The 516 GE is the device I was looking for.

I love the aspect ratio, bright screen, keyboard and this is a really responsive Chromebook. It does make a difference with the 16:10 ratio, I can see more on my screen. I wanted something bigger than my samsung 2 chromebook which I love also, but the screen is a small on that one. The backlit keyboard is fun to use and feels great when typing. This isn't as heavy as other 16 inch laptops/Chromebooks. I don't think you can go wrong with this one. We bought one as well for my Mother-in-law as we think a Chromebook will be a lot easier for her to use than her old Windows laptop which takes time to boot up etc. I will be using this for web surfing and watching videos. Great deal!!!

I use this chromebook mainly for work, i use it with google sheets, docs and slides ro get work done. The 16 inch screen makes working on it easy and the high reaolution of the display is great to watch entertainment on. I also use this computer with GeForce now ans xbox gamepass ultimate ro cloud game. Geforce now highest subscription works excellently, taking advantage of the 120hz screen is awesome! Gameplay is smooth(depending on internet) fast paced and graphics look amazing! Cloud gaming is the future of gaming for casual gamers that want to skip the waiting of installing and updating a game! Overall a huge fan of ChromeOS and rhe Acer 516GE, did i mention that its also super light for its size! Worth the buy!

Easy to navigate. Light weight. Good price. Starts up fast.

I bought this on sale ($150 off MSRP) and it is a good value. I'd say it is above avg. in most all specs. It has good performance. I don't game but that is a strength of this CB (I'm told). The screen is very good. I miss the touch screen more than I expected. The keyboard and trackpad have been solid. A very solid unit!

Pros- Display, screen quality, speakers are ok, fast performance, trackpad, keyboard, Ethernet Cons- No touch

Thank you to everyone who took the time to write a review. It helped me feel confident in parting with my hard earned money for this thing. I'd like to pay it forward by taking the time to post a review you all would benefit from. Here we go... I purchased this Acer Chromebook 516 GE (Gaming Edition) the first week of Jan. 2023 when Best Buy put it on sale for $549... $100 off. The YouTube channel Chrome Unboxed gave high praises for this chromebook. The 16" screen feels roomy enough to do real work. I've always felt a little cramped trying to work on a 14" or less screens. The high resolution means small text is really easy to read. I put 2 windows side-by-side, say google docs on the left and VLC - Linux version (I recommend) on the right and both windows are big enough to be usable. I watch my doctor training video on the right and take notes on the left. I thought not having a touchscreen would be an issue but after using it these 3 weeks I haven't wanted to touch the screen once. I wonder if the touchscreen layer would make the screen look a little less sharp? And I'm not wiping it down with a cleaning cloth all the time. Someone wrote "Android apps demand a touchscreen" and I agree. But I have found that the Android apps I would want to use are of really bad quality, really unusable. People wanting the RGB backlight to be brighter isn't an issue for me. In the daylight I can read the numbers and letters on the keys just fine. In darker environments the colored backlighting is just the right brightness. The different colors just make it fun! The sound is amongst the best for a chromebook, happy with the loudness, and it works well for spoken word like for my training videos and YT videos where they are interviewing some expert in this or that. You don't want a lot of base for someone speaking. It is easy enough to plug in or pair an external speaker to hear the deep rich sounds while playing your streaming games. The keyboard: I like short-travel keys like Google's Pixelbook and Apple's Magic Keyboard. This 516 GE is almost as good. Not quite, but I'm typing on it just fine without being irritated by it. I hear the HP Dragonfly Pro Chromebook coming out in a few months has an even better keyboard. The trackpad: Nothing beats Apple's Magic Trackpad but for a mechanical trackpad this one is very good. Yet, I still paired an Apple Magic Trackpad to it. There is a really small 256GB thumb drive in the USB-A slot now, which has doubled the storage from 256 to 512GB. It barely sticks out of the side. I also had to increase my Google Drive storage but that was only about $100 a year more. I find storage is not a problem now. What else? Oh, people keep bringing up the shorter battery life. If you're used to Intel based laptops you'll be happy with this laptop's run time. Battery life hasn't been an issue for me because it recharges really fast. By the time it needs to be recharged I have to take a break from what I'm working on or get something to eat anyway. By the time my break is over the laptop is fully recharged. With the advancements over the years with ChromeOS and hardware I'm starting to think this can replace my front-desk computer at my clinic. This 516 GE is faster than the iMac that's being used there right now. The weight: 3.75 lbs. but if feels like 2.75 lbs.. I'm surprised every time I pick it up. I expect it to be the weight of my 16" MBP, but it's pleasantly much lighter. It's more portable than you think guys! I added the Chrome extension to make iCloud a more smooth experience... it's like I'm working on a MBP, a $549 Mac! Added some experimental flags and a few Linux apps. Now I can do even more. Bookmarked some web based programs like Canva and Google Translate so it's just as easy to access those as opening any of the apps in the app drawer. The downsides? Acer should have put 16 GB of ram in it. It always shows that nearly all of the 8GB of ram is being used. Someone on YT tried to play a moderately high-end GeForce game and it popped up a message that the game requires 8GB of ram to play. Well, with no apps open there seems to be less than 7GB available to use. Yet the game still played well after the first few minutes of stuttering. 8GB hasn't hindered my workflow so I'd say it's excellent for what most people use a $650 laptop for. My opinion? Just go buy it (the next time it goes on sale again). It'll feel like you got a real bargain. It's my favorite new toy! I mean productivity device, yea, that's it, work laptop ;-)

I have no idea if this Chromebook is good for gaming but I do know it has more than enough umph to make light work of the average person's workload. Very good speed, nice screen and pretty decent battery life.

This computer is awesome! Chromebook has steam beta so you can play a few games on steam. It has GeForce now which is also cool! Many games on there to play. The keyboard is fun and you can change the colors. The display is wonderful and it’s fairly durable for a laptop

I like many things about this Chromebook. The keyboard is responsive and has good feedback and travel. The screen is very good. This is a good alternative to a laptop for internet surfing, paying bills, etc. However, I have had the system overheat and shut down on a number of occasions. I thought it was completely dead until I figured out how to do a full restart. I almost returned it a few times, but if I close out windows and avoid reading pages with multiple pop up nonsense it seems to greatly reduce shut downs. I've only tried a few games for a brief period, so I can't really review the gaming utility. Battery life isn't as good as I had hoped. I usually need to recharge at night if I used it much.