For those not in the know, the best Chromebook manufacturers of our time, such as Asus and Acer, have been all in on making gaming-ready Chromebooks. There’s the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip, and then we have the Acer Chromebook 516 GE—a top-tier $649 Chromebook that packs serious power and flash under the hood.
Lucky for those who have been out in the market to get a new Chromebook, the Chromebook 516 GE has just gone on sale at Best Buy, thereby reducing its price to $499, a whopping $150 off the device’s MSRP. This is an excellent deal that users should look into, especially if they have been looking for an upgrade. If you prefer, you can also purchase a refurbished model for only $409 on Amazon.
In this brief article, let us explore the 516 GE’s technical specifications and discuss what makes it unique. That way, you can figure out whether this otherwise remarkable Chromebook is the one for you or not.
Acer Chromebook 516 GE’s technical specifications
- CPU: 12th generation Intel Core i5-1240P
- Display: 16″ LCD IPS ComfyView Quad HD (2560 x 1600), 350 nits
- Refresh rate: 120 Hz
- Graphics: Intel Iris XE graphics
- Hard drive size: 256 GB PCIe NVMe SSD
- RAM: 8 GB LPDDR4X
- Camera: FHD flare-reducing webcam
- Ports: x2 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, x1 USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, 3.5 mm headphone jack, HDMI, Ethernet port
- Battery: 3-cell, Li-ion battery, 7-9 hours runtime
- Charging speed: 90% in 90 minutes
- Weight: 3.75 lbs
- Price: $649.99 (reduced to $499 now)
A brief overview of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE
Acer Chromebook 516 GE
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE only came out late last year, so it’s one of the most recent Chromebooks you can get now. As far as its Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date is concerned, when a Chromebook stops receiving official updates from Google, you’ve got 7 years to work with this device. Its AUE is slated for June 2030.
On a side note, though, there’s still much to do with a Chromebook that has arrived at its end of life, though this is a topic for another day. Moving forward about the Chromebook at hand, the 516 GE is more than just worth buying at this discounted rate of sub $500. Let’s dig deep into what it gets right in the subsections ahead.
Design
The first parameter a Chromebook entices a potential buyer with is its overall design. Fortunately, the 516 GE starts things off on a good note here, boasting an aluminum build with no flexing or bending to the chassis. The screen size measures a whopping 16 inches, and the Chromebook does not weigh too much.
At 3.75 lbs, it’s still quite portable and ready to be slid inside a backpack with no issues. It’s just one of those devices you must pick up to feel the premium-grade quality. Moreover, the two-tone Titanium Grey color scheme is also an attractive venture, turning the head of whoever catches a glance at the Chromebook.
Display
Moving on to the display of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, this is where things are turned up a significant notch. The device in question takes pride in its 16-inch LCD IPS panel QHD (2560 x 1600) display, whose brightness maxes out at 350 nits. It’s safe to say that the colors look amazing on the unit, and the viewing angles are a treat to behold just as well.
The cherry on top is the 120 Hz refresh rate of the Chromebook that has got gamers enjoying titles like PUBG at its finest, not to mention the added expanse of Nvidia GeForce Now’s growing library of high-quality games. Its display quality is one of the most significant selling points, and if you love good screens too, the 516 GE is just the device to get.
Peripherals
The 516 GE is a Chromebook with one of the best keyboards out there. It’s RGB-optimized and comes with anti-ghosting capabilities. That means no missed inputs and an exceptionally fluid response time. As for the trackpad, the device sports a reasonably sized OceanGlass trackpad with a fluid overall working mechanism.
As for the port selection, the 516 GE also puts up a commendable display of I/O. It comes with two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports, a single USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A port, a 3.5 mm headphone jack, an HDMI port for video conferencing ease, and a 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet port for wired connectivity.
Performance and battery life
Simply put, the 516 GE is crazy fast with its 12th-gen Intel Core i5-1240P processor, 8 GB RAM, and 256 GB SSD. It’s a tireless workhorse that can run Linux and Android apps without breaking a sweat, so best believe you’re getting the core ChromeOS experience out of this authentic machine.
As for the battery life, there’s good news to express on this front, considering the rest of the hardware. Equipped with a 3-cell, Li-ion battery, the 516 GE lasts for around 7-9 hours, which is more than adequate for a Chromebook with a 16-inch QHD display with blazing-fast performance.
Conclusion
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a device worth getting into for ChromeOS users of all sorts. Whether someone writes code and programs for a living or simply wants a device that’s all-around capable of various use cases, this machine is bound to sort you out for a good period.
And thanks to Best Buy generously slashing $150 off the device’s regular pricing, now’s the best time to grab a Chromebook of this level—no questions asked. Let us know in the comments section whether you decided to jump in with the purchase or not. Chrome Ready wishes you good luck!
