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Head-to-head · Best Chromebooks Under $500

Acer Chromebook Plus 514 vs ASUS Chromebook CX15

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Acer Chromebook Plus 514 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.4 vs 3.9). The gap is mostly about Buyers who store a lot of files locally or want the most storage and speed per dollar in a lightweight clamshell. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Acer Chromebook Plus 514
Higher ratedRanked #3 in Best Chromebooks Under $500
Acer Chromebook Plus 514
$395as of Jun 7

The Acer Chromebook Plus 514 is the storage-and-value pick: a light 14-inch clamshell with a standout 512GB SSD, snappy Intel Core i3-N305 performance, Wi-Fi 6E, and all-day battery. PCWorld called it a decent budget Chromebook that beats competitors on RAM and storage and felt as quick as pricier peers, while TechRadar praised its speed, display, and sleek design. The screen is a touch dim, but for local storage per dollar nothing here comes close.

Strengths
  • — Huge 512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD, far more local storage than rivals
  • — Feels as quick as pricier peers in everyday ChromeOS tasks
  • — Light at just 3.15 pounds and easy to carry all day
Watch-outs
  • — Display tops out around 315 nits and can look dim in bright rooms
  • — 16:9 1080p panel is less spacious than the Lenovo's 16:10 screen
  • — Plain design lacks the premium feel of the Lenovo Flex 5i
$395 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
ASUS Chromebook CX15
Ranked #5 in Best Chromebooks Under $500
ASUS Chromebook CX15
$269.99as of Jun 7

The ASUS Chromebook CX15 is the budget pick: a 15.6-inch ChromeOS laptop that often sells around $159-199, with a crisp matte 1080p display, a decent keyboard, and about 11 hours of battery. Reviewers are clear about the trade-offs, PCWorld (78%) and Tom's Guide (80%) both call it good value but slow, and the entry-level 4GB RAM bogs down under multitasking. As a minimum-viable, casual-use Chromebook it delivers a lot for the money, but it is the slowest option here.

Strengths
  • — Outstanding value, often around $159-199
  • — Large 15.6-inch 1080p matte display that resists glare
  • — Decent keyboard with good travel for a budget machine
Watch-outs
  • — Entry configs ship with only 4GB of RAM, which fills up fast
  • — Celeron N4500 is slow once you open more than a few tabs
  • — PCWorld calls it the slowest ChromeOS machine it has reviewed in years
$269.99 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

How they stack up

Acer Chromebook Plus 514

The Acer 514's defining edge is its 512GB SSD, dwarfing the 128GB storage on the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, and HP Chromebook Plus 14a. It shares the i3-N305 platform with the HP 14a but pairs it with far more storage and a lighter chassis. Its widescreen panel is less spacious than the Flex 5i's taller screen and dimmer than ideal.

ASUS Chromebook CX15

The CX15 is by far the cheapest and largest-screened option here, but its low-power Celeron processor and entry-level 4GB RAM make it markedly slower than the Intel Core i3 and i5 machines: the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, Acer Chromebook Plus 514, and HP Chromebook Plus 14a. It is not a Chromebook Plus device, so it lacks their AI features, but its 15.6-inch matte panel and ~11-hour battery are genuine strengths.

Specs side-by-side

SpecAcer Chromebook Plus 514ASUS Chromebook CX15
CPUIntel Core i3-N305 (8-core)Intel Celeron N4500 (2-core)
RAM8GB LPDDR54GB-8GB LPDDR5X (config dependent)
Storage512GB PCIe Gen 4 SSD128GB eMMC
Display14" 1920x1080 IPS, 60Hz touch15.6" 1920x1080 matte IPS
Weight3.15 lb3.51 lb
Battery50Wh, all-day42Wh, ~11 hours
WirelessWi-Fi 6E—
OSChromeOS (Chromebook Plus)ChromeOS
Ports—USB-C, USB-A, HDMI
← See the full ranking of best chromebooks under $500