Acer Chromebook 516 GE CBG516-1H-53SL

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Price comparison

Reviews for the Acer Chromebook 516 GE CBG516-1H-53SL

90% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review
Source: Techradar
Though the title of the first gaming Chromebook is a bit overstated, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is an excellent gaming machine when paired with streaming services. However, it's still not capable of direct Steam gaming, which is unfortunate.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 09/12/2024
Rating: Total score: 90% price: 70% performance: 100% mobility: 100% workmanship: 80%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: A cloud gaming powerhouse
Source: PC World
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a solid choice for fans of cloud gaming services and a good all-around Chromebook for anyone seeking a large display or performance that punches above the average Chrome OS machine. It suffers a few shortcomings, such as a mediocre keyboard, surprisingly bad speakers, and a display that, while extremely sharp, lacks contrast and immersion. Still, with an MSRP of $650 and sale pricing that often dips a bit below that, the 516 GE is a good value. It’s a fit not only for fans of cloud gaming but also ChromeOS die-hards looking for a larger, more powerful, yet reasonably priced Chromebook.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/15/2024
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE Review
Source: Trusted Reviews
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE offers some serious power for a laptop of its type, and provides grunt that’s more comparable to Windows ultrabooks than the majority of other Chromebooks. Combined with this, it offers a great display with good colours and smooth motion, as well as a sturdy frame and marvellous port selection. It is, however, just a bit odd. This is a Chromebook that costs nearly four figures, and its best feature isn’t even something that’s to do with the laptop’s internal components itself. It can run the likes of Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming, but so can plenty of other Chromebooks – the images presented may not be as sharp though on lower-cost ones. The bottom line here is that if you want to try out the experience of cloud gaming on Chromebook, or just fancy one of the most powerful Chromebooks on the market, then the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a fine choice.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 07/21/2023
Rating: Total score: 80%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review
Source: Tom's Guide
Despite my initial “meh” response to the first gaming Chromebook from Acer — in fact, it’s one of the first gaming Chromebooks ever — I found myself growing more and more enamored with the machine as I wrote this Acer Chromebook 516 GE review. In particular, the prospect of gaming on a laptop for hours became more and more appealing as I compared it to my Windows gaming laptop. The brightness is definitely underwhelming — it can’t compete with the Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022), which is currently our top recommendation for best gaming laptop. But the Chromebook 516 GE still provides a QHD display at just $649, which is significantly cheaper than the Asus or any gaming laptop. And that’s the biggest reason to recommend the Acer Chromebook 516GE. For the price, you cannot find a laptop that plays games this well.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 05/19/2023
Rating: Total score: 80%

90% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review
Source: Tech Advisor
Given the high prices of many dedicated graphics, the Chromebook approach of streaming games rather than playing locally means you can access plenty of AAA titles without spending a fortune. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE encapsulates this admirably. The display is large, sharp and colourful, the keyboard is comfortable for long periods and has the RGB backlighting, plus performance across all situations is as good as you’ll get on any Chromebook at this price. But pairing it with a game streaming service like Nvidia GeForce Now takes the gaming experience to the next level. It’s more lightweight than your average 16in gaming laptop, while battery life is good enough to support an extended gaming session. If you want a Chromebook for general use, there are plenty of more affordable options. But if you want a gaming Chromebook, this is the one to buy right now.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 04/25/2023
Rating: Total score: 90%

70% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: Is this the best cloud-gaming laptop?
Source: Laptop Media
I’m not really sure where I stand with this laptop. The Chromebook 516 GE is quite the Pinocchio, claiming in a squeaky, high-pitched voice, “I’m a real gaming laptop!” with its 4-zone RGB, anti-ghosting keyboard, fast 120Hz display, and quad-speaker setup. Save for the zippy refresh rate, all the aforementioned specs feel somewhat gimmicky in that they’re not particularly useful for the target audience. I can’t imagine a gamer actually using that mushy keyboard — they’d likely opt for a gamepad instead. Plus, the DTS-tuned speakers are borderline awful. Funnily enough, the only thing that seems to matter on the Chromebook 516 GE is the Ethernet port. Even Acer said that an Ethernet connection is necessary to achieve the best streaming results (even my fast Wi-Fi connection experienced some lag). But interestingly enough, after comparing the Chromebook 516 GE to the $1,000 HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, this Chrome OS system is a steal if you’re using it as a traditional Chromebook — it’s far more powerful and it’s $500 less. No, it won’t earn a spot on our best Chromebooks page, but it’s admittedly a great value for the price.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/14/2023
Rating: Total score: 70%

Acer Chromebook 516 GE (2022) Review
Source: USA Today
It’s easy to get excited about the possibilities of gaming on a Chromebook after testing the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. In many ways, it’s just another Chromebook with a nicer screen and some beefier hardware, but Acer’s work on optimizing network speed for services like GeForce Now gives it a leg up on some of the competition. Yes, you can make cloud gaming work on plenty of other Chromebooks, but will they work as smoothly as this one? Similarly to the Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook, the main issue with the Acer 516 GE is that the hardware could be perfect, but Acer can’t control the quality of cloud gaming platforms. This model works wonderfully with GeForce Now, but it doesn’t work quite as well with Xbox Cloud Gaming, at least in our experience. It’s tough to recommend any Chromebook strictly for gaming, regardless of how good it might be. A budget gaming laptop can still run GeForce Now, and plenty of older PC games will run on even the least-powerful gaming laptop. On the other hand, if you’re looking for a Chromebook to use for work or day-to-day browsing, but you also want to get in some cloud gaming when you’re done for the day, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a solid buy.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 04/11/2023

90% Acer Chromebook 516GE Review: Gaming Chromebooks Have Arrived
Source: Make Use Of
The Acer Chromebook 516GE Intel Core i5 currently retails for $579, which makes it a fantastic prospect. Although the idea of a gaming Chromebook is still fresh and the market a little thin on competitors, the 516GE has powerful hardware, an excellent, high-quality screen, an extensive array of ports, and substantial battery life, and could well have stolen a march on the gaming Chromebook competition.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/24/2023
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: AAA gaming on ChromeOS is a reality
Source: Creative Bloq
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a high-spec ChromeOS laptop built for AAA gaming, and it works wonders (if your broadband is up to speed). Even if you're not a gamer the CPU and GPU spec, impressive build quality and lovely 16-inch, 120Hz display ensures this is one of the best Chromebooks around at the moment for everyday tasks and video streaming. For $649 / £849 the Acer Chromebook 516 GE also represents excellent value for money compared to similarly specced Windows laptops and other Chromebooks. Note: this is a cloud-based gaming laptop, so you will need a good WiFi speed to get the most from the Acer Chromebook 516 GE.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 02/22/2023
Rating: Total score: 90%

90% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: A beast with gaming aesthetics
Source: Android Central
There aren't very many 16-inch Chromebooks on the market, so suffice it to say that it was a bit of a surprise to see one included with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. If you're coming from a convertible laptop, you might be disappointed, but Acer makes up for that by providing a pretty incredible all-around experience.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 02/16/2023
Rating: Total score: 90%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: great for gamers?
Source: T3
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE makes cloud gaming on a laptop affordable, and does a decent job of playing AAA games via Nvidia's GeForce Now service. The 16-inch 2K screen is both large and detailed, and the 120Hz refresh rate makes for a smooth gaming experience, as long as your internet can keep up. Away from gaming, this well-specced Chromebook does a good job in general, with fast processors and impressive connectivity, although it doesn't have a touchscreen or customisable keys, and the backlit keyboard is a bit underwhelming.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/14/2023
Rating: Total score: 80%

90% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review
Source: Techradar
Though the title of the first gaming Chromebook is a bit overstated, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is an excellent gaming machine when paired with streaming services. However, it's still not capable of direct Steam gaming, which is unfortunate.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 01/13/2023
Rating: Total score: 90%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: All fun and games
Source: Pocket Lint
Taken on its own terms the Chromebook 516 GE proves to be surprisingly successful at bringing gaming to the Chromebook market. Its reliance on subscription-based streaming services for gaming won’t suit everyone - after all, you’re paying a monthly subscription in order to play games that you’ve already paid for. But, if you do have a library of games that you can use with GeForce Now - and a fast enough broadband connection - then the affordable Chromebook 516 GE could provide a genuine alternative to an expensive PC gaming rig.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 12/28/2022
Rating: Total score: 80%

100% Acer Chromebook 516GE review: The best Chromebook for gaming (and almost everything else)
Source: Expert Reviews
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE isn’t going to be everyone’s dream games machine. In fact, if you’re a serious PC gamer, you’d still be better off with a budget gaming laptop, where performance and game support is going to be more predictable. However, the 516GE has two things going for it. First, it’s a great companion laptop if your main gaming device is an Xbox Console or a desktop games PC; you can stream through GeForce Now or Xbox Game Streaming, or even from your own system using Steam Link. You’ll also have access to plenty of games right off the bat, as I can’t imagine anyone buying a subscription to either service without an existing Xbox console or PC, or having some existing PC games to run. Second, it’s just a great Chromebook and, arguably, one of the best for use around the home. You might want thinner or lighter for travel or working on the move but you won’t get a better screen or specification for this money anywhere else. Sure, it’s expensive by Chromebook standards, but it is worth every penny.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 12/09/2022
Rating: Total score: 100%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE Review
Source: PC Mag
As a gaming Chromebook, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE combines powerful hardware and helpful features, creating not only a purpose-built machine for game streaming, but also a top-flight Chromebook in general. The design is excellent, the performance is among the best we've seen, and the feature set is surprisingly premium given the price. It's a very good Chromebook on its own; the cloud gaming is just the hot new feature it's made to showcase. We can recommend regardless of whether you're interested in the cloud gaming features. Ultimately, the first of any new type of device is going to define the category it helps create. Sometimes that's a moot point, as new innovations wither from lack of interest or manufacturer support. But others help reshape the industry. With this being among the first gaming Chromebooks, we're confident in saying that cloud-gaming-capable Chromebooks will be here for the long haul—provided the cloud services themselves can keep up with user expectations.
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 11/29/2022
Rating: Total score: 80%

88% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: As good as cloud gaming gets
Source: Zdnet.com
Just like all Chromebooks, gaming Chromebooks live or die on the quality of cloud-based services. When they work well, as GeForce Now did thanks to Acer's optimization, they're a massive money saver and convenience. But, when you start running to laggy, uneven performance, like what Xbox Cloud Gaming provided, you might begin wishing you'd spent the extra cash on a Windows-based gaming laptop and local games. The saving grace here is that Acer and Nvidia have proven that cloud-based gaming is at the point where relatively inexpensive devices, like a high-end Chromebook, can compete with $1,000-plus machines, at least for just about everyone aside from ultra-competitive, first-person shooter fans. Now we just have to see how long it takes everyone else to catch up or surpass them.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/10/2022
Rating: Total score: 88%

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: a Chromebook for gaming?
Source: Digital Trends
The Acer Chromebook 516 GE has plenty of real-world performance to keep cloud gamers happy. The power and endurance complement the smooth, accurate display. So long as you have fast internet speeds, gaming on the 516 GE is a joy. As a Chromebook for all other functions, it’s fantastic as well, although it would be great to see a touchscreen or 2-in-1 version in the future. Competition is pretty straightforward right now, with literally only three stream-gaming models to choose from: the 516 GE from Acer, the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip ($700), and Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook ($550). Lenovo is probably the closest specs-wise to the Acer, whereas the Asus offers a 2-in-1 solution and a 144 Hz refresh rate FHD screen. Just as importantly, this new genre of Chromebooks is a nice surprise from Google. Following the failure of Stadia, it’s good to see Chromebooks specifically designed to run Nvidia GeForce Now (you get three months free with the 516 GE), Steam (now on the beta channel), Amazon Luna+, and Xbox Cloud Gaming. Most of these services can stream at 120Hz 1600p, which is in line with the hardware of these new models. It seems like such a natural progression that it makes you wonder why there wasn’t a push for these devices sooner.
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 11/09/2022
Rating: Total score: 80%

Acer Chromebook 516 GE review: great at gaming and basically everything else
Source: Chrome Unboxed
Sometimes, things just line up the right way when you weren’t expecting them to. That’s basically the story with the Acer Chrombook 516 GE, a Chromebook that is built for cloud gaming, marketed as such, and does a great job at that task. But in building a Chromebook suited for gaming, Acer went and created something far more attractive: a Chromebook that’s good at just about everything you could want. On the surface, you may look at photos, videos, and spec sheets on this Chromebook and think things like that’s too big of a Chromebook for me or I’m not really that into gaming, but I’d tell you to stick around for this one. While not the perfect Chromebook all around – there will never be one – this Chromebook gets so much right and is such an absolute delight to use that even if you’ve not been into bigger Chromebooks before or you don’t consider yourself a gamer (I know I don’t), this device still has a whole lot to offer.
Single Review, online available, Short, Date: 11/04/2022

80% Acer Chromebook 516 GE Review: A Worthwhile, But Niche, Investment
Source: Slashgear
I think the fact of the matter is that a cloud gaming laptop will only be as good as the service it's streaming. For instance, the 516 GE standard refresh rate allows for 120 frames per second on the display — which is exactly the maximum that GeForce NOW is capable of, too. So, if we are waiting and hoping for cloud gaming laptops to improve, we should expect cloud gaming services to grow and develop first. That said, if you fit the description of someone solely seeking out a cloud gaming laptop, then I'd say it's a resounding yes — this laptop is very much worth it for you. The question becomes which GeForce NOW tier is going to best serve your needs. You could spend $200 per year (and that's strictly just for the cloud gaming, not for any actual game purchases or distribution platforms) for 120 FPS, and 4K resolution, but the 516 GE isn't capable of 4K. However, at this tier, you get eight-hour sessions on servers dedicated to the top tier, so that'll be an easy answer for the most dedicated cloud gaming individual. But if you're new to the cloud gaming realm or just want to make sure this fits you before you spend the cash, GeForce Now's free, basic setup will at least help you answer that question. No matter what you choose, the Acer Chromebook 516 GE is a great instrument to get you there.
Single Review, online available, Medium, Date: 11/01/2022
Rating: Total score: 80%

Foreign Reviews

90% Acer Chromebook 516 GE
Source: PC Welt DE→EN
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 09/08/2023
Rating: Total score: 90%

Das Gaming-Gerät
Source: Stadt-bremerhaven DE→EN
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 05/06/2023

84% Flott, verspielt, Kauftipp?
Source: Netzwelt DE→EN
Single Review, online available, Long, Date: 04/16/2023
Rating: Total score: 84% performance: 80% features: 90% display: 70% ergonomy: 80%

86% Acer Chromebook 516 GE Review en Español (Análisis completo)
Source: Profesional Review ES→EN
Single Review, online available, Very Long, Date: 09/22/2023
Rating: Total score: 86% performance: 81% display: 90% mobility: 90% workmanship: 82%

Comment

Intel Iris Xe G7 80EUs: Integrated graphics card in Intel Tiger Lake G7 SoCs based on the new Gen. 12 architecture with 80 EUs (Execution Units / Shader Cluster). The clock rate depends on the processor model. The Tiger Lake chips are produced in the modern 10nm+ process at Intel.

Modern games should be playable with these graphics cards at low settings and resolutions. Casual gamers may be happy with these cards.

» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Graphics Cards and the corresponding Benchmark List.

i5-1240P: A mid-range 28 W Alder Lake family CPU featuring 4 performance cores and 8 efficient cores. This SoC is designed for use in ultra-light (yet actively cooled) laptops. The i5's performance cores are Hyper-Threading-enabled for a total of 16 threads. Core i5-1240P runs at 1.2 GHz to 4.4 GHz; it has a built-in 80 EU Iris Xe GPU and supports "Essentials" tier vPro features.» Further information can be found in our Comparison of Mobile Processsors.

16.00":

15-inch display variants are the standard and are used for more than half of all laptops.

The reason for the popularity of mid-sized displays is that this size is reasonably easy on the eyes, often allows high resolutions and thus offers rich details on the screen, yet does not consume too much power and the devices can still be reasonably compact - simply the standard compromise.

Acer: In 1976, the company was founded in Taiwan under the name Multitech and was renamed Acer or Acer Group in 1987. The product range includes, for example, laptops, tablets, smartphones, desktops, monitors, TVs and computer peripherals. Since 2007, the group has merged with Gateway Inc. and Packard Bell, which also market their own laptop product lines.

Acer computers are designed for a variety of purposes, including ultrabooks for mobile use, gaming laptops for gamers, affordable options for everyday tasks, and 2-in-1 convertible laptops for versatility. Acer's product portfolio also includes tablets that offer portable computing and multimedia capabilities.

84.9%: This rating is slightly above average, there are somewhat more devices with worse ratings. However, clear purchase recommendations look different.

» Further information can be found in our Notebook Purchase Guide.

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