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2022 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 benchmark, the best Chromebook of 2022

Arguably the best Chromebook of 2022 is discounted by $200

If you’re not holding out for the latest shiny new laptop, what I think is the best Chromebook of 2022 can be had for $200 off. I’m talking about the Acer Chromebook Spin 714, down to $529 from it’s $729 suggested retail price. The promotional pricing starts today and lasts until Thursday, so don’t take too long to pull the trigger.

Acer Chromebook Spin 714 the best Chromebook of 2022

The 2022 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 isn’t perfect by any means.

There’s no microSD card slot, although the lack of one is becoming more of a standard on some Chromebooks these days. There’s no fingerprint sensor, which actually is found on more devices. And as I noted in my review, it’s not the nicest Chromebook to look at it.

The design hasn’t changed much over the last few iterations, which include the original Chromebook Spin 13 and the more recent Spin 713.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is one of my favorite Chromebooks of 2022

But that didn’t stop me from choosing the 2021 Chromebook Spin 713 as my Chromebook of the year.

Sure, we all would love a thin, light and gorgeous Chromebook. Once you factor in the materials and build process for those attributes though, you can bet the cost starts to rise. For the money, the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 and newer Spin 714 represent a big bang for buck when it comes to features and performance.

I put my money where my mouth is on this one in particular, having bought my own 2022 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 last August. I paid $629 at the time and still feel I got a great deal. Obviously, you can get a better one right now for $529.

So how is what I think may be the best Chromebook of 2022 doing after buying one nine months ago? I recently re-reviewed it after eight months of heavy, full-time use.

The verdict? No regrets as I summarized my experience this way:

“Obviously, I’m still happy with the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. There really isn’t a comparable Chromebook that can outperform it in a measurable way; at least not for how I work. It has an above-average display in terms of brightness and color gamut support. I can get a solid eight hours of work done on a single charge.”

I’d be remiss in pointing out that there’s a new 2023 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 on the way. The upgraded model will be mostly the same but with a few more bells and whistles.

2023 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 left side
2023 Acer Chromebook Spin 714

One of them is a 13th gen Intel processor. I don’t think there will be a massive performance difference between it and the 12th gen chips in the 2022 model though. There will be a fingerprint sensor option and the webcam gets a sensor boost too. Frankly, the 1080p camera on the current model is above average, in my opinion.

Acer says the starting price will be $699, which is $30 less than the prior iteration. But it’s not yet clear what specifications that configuration will have.

I suspect it will be a Core i3 chipset, which should be more than adequate for most Chromebook users. Still, I’d take the Core i5 in the 2022 model for at $529. At this price, it doesn’t much matter what 2023 models are coming. What’s arguably the best Chromebook of 2022 is still fantastic value.

author avatar
Kevin C. Tofel

11 thoughts on “Arguably the best Chromebook of 2022 is discounted by $200

  1. A good device, but why no 16:10 screen ratio, and is the fan silent? I have the first 713, a Pixelbook, and Pixelbook Go. The device I always come back to is the Pixelbook Go. It has my preferred screen ratio, a standard HD resolution (good for YT live streaming), and no fan. I love it!
    I’m still waiting so badly for a Pixelbook Go or something comparable.

    1. The 2022 Acer Chromebook Spin 714 screen ratio actually is 16:10. The fan on mine barely runs during my day to day workflow; either that or it is silent. Definitely depends on if you’re doing some heavy computing tasks or not.

  2. Thanks, just ordered based on your recommendation. And cancelled my order for an HP Chromebook x360 13b-ca0047nr. I was excited about that machine’s ARM processor and it’s still cheaper, but the Acer 714 is a nicer and faster machine and at this lower price it seems like a great deal.

      1. Hate to say it but it’s not a great first impression. The fan seems to run a lot; quietly, but I can notice it. And the trackpad is a bit weird.. tapping it lighting (ie: not clicking) still causes it to give a tiny bit, like it’s a very light button. Only in the middle, the upper two corners don’t do that. Guessing it’s a hardware compromise.

        Do you notice those things on your 714? The fan speed is particularly a nuisance, makes me wish I’d gotten a true fanless ARM system. Either the HP one I mentioned or Acer’s CP513-2H.

        1. Cranky first impression aside I’m liking the machine. The processor is super fast for a Chromebook, really impressed with what it can do with Steam games. I also like the screen and keyboard; they may not be the best but they’re awfully good for a relatively inexpensive device. (Jealous of the extra pixels on the 514 though!)

          The trackpad continues to bug me. Reading online this is a common problem with lots of laptops, including this one, and some folks report fixing it by tightening screws. I figured out my fan is running because I have it on my lap with vents blocked by soft clothes; on a hard surface the fan generally doesn’t run at all. Still like the idea of fanless, but then you’re sacrificing performance.

          1. So I don’t have a similar trackpad experience; however, this certainly varies by device and production. I’d like to think every specific model of a laptop will have the same hardware experience but that’s not always the case. I believe the Spin 714 uses the “diving board” type of trackpad; if so, the folks at Chrome Unboxed have a tutorial on how to tighten things up.

            You might have explained why my fan doesn’t run as much. Even on my lap, I use most laptops with a relatively low cost stand accessory. I wrote about it a few months back – it definitely addresses blocked airflow when intake vents are on the bottom of a chassis.

            Appreciate the feedback and thoughts on your experience! This is why it’s often harder than people realize to review Chromebooks. Every device is potentially different (even the same model) and we all use our Chromebooks in different ways / for different things. Cheers!

  3. I bought a Spin 714 and tried for a month to like it. I finally gave up and got a Spin 513 and I am happy with it. My biggest complaint was the displays. Both my older Spin 713 and new Spin 513 had much better displays. I also had trouble with the Spin 714 keyboard. I gave the Spin 714 to a friend’s son to use as he started college. I kept the Spin 513.

  4. A. Both 713 and 513 were brighter.
    B. I am old and had trouble reading system text on the 714 even at the lowest resolution. With the 713 and 513 I can read even above lowest resolution.
    C. I don’t play games or edit videos and my demands usually center on the display and the keyboard.

  5. Just noticed this laptop is $499 on BestBuy for a few more hours; presumably a Memorial Day sale.

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