Maximum PC - USA (2022-04)

SPECIFICATIONS

OS ChromeOS

Processor Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c

Graphics Qualcomm Adreno 618

RAM 4GB LPDDR4X

Storage 64GB eMMC 5.1

Display 13.3-inch 1080p LCD touchscreen

Connectivity

1x USB 3.2 Gen

1 Type-A, 2x

USB 3.2 Gen

2 Type-C, 1x

3.5mm combo

audio jack

Battery 42WHrs 2-cell Li-ion

Size 12.2 x 8.2 x 0.6-inches

Weight 2.84lbs

7

VERDICT Acer Chromebook

Spin 513 CP513-1H

SPINNING

Excellent battery life; amazing

trackpad; runs super quiet.

DIZZY Performance is

average; glossy screen;

ARM platform is limited

compared with Intel.

$420, acer.com

THOUGH THE Acer Spin 513

sticks to the Chromebook

script, with its touchscreen,

hybrid tablet design, and

underpowered speakers all

par for the course, where

the Spin 513 differs is its

processor; rather than an

Intel chip, this Chromebook

uses a Qualcomm CPU.

The Spin 513 is powered by

Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon

7c processor, an octa-

core CPU that promises to

deliver industry-standard

performance with Adreno

integrated graphics while

improving battery life and

reducing heat generation.

It’s an ARM-based chip,

and ChromeOS is well-

optimized for ARM, as are

the Android apps available

through the Play Store on

every Chromebook. However,

users who want greater

flexibility to run virtual Linux

environments are likely to run

into compatibility troubles

with some Linux apps.

In terms of overall specs,

the Spin 513 isn’t immediately

impressive. A modest 4GB

of RAM is joined by a dinky

64GH eMMC drive, the

latter presenting the same

problems for local storage as

the Lenovo 500e. The battery

is a 2-cell lithium-ion affair;

one less cell than those seen

in the other Chromebooks

on test here, though that

shouldn’t be an issue, given

the Snapdragon processor’s

lower power draw.

Those figures make sense

when you consider that

the Spin 513 costs just $20

more than the 500e. Other

areas are more impressive

than Lenovo’s child-friendly

Chromebook, with a 13.3-

inch 1080p display offering

good brightness and color

clarity. The screen shows up

fingerprints if used heavily in

tablet mode, though.

Build quality is also solid,

while still managing to look

good. It hasn’t reinvented

the way laptops look, but

its matte silver exterior and

small screen bezel mean it

looks just as good as pricier

Windows notebooks. The

hinge feels secure when

switching between tablet and

laptop modes, and there’s

little flex to be felt in the

plastic casing while typing or

using the trackpad.

There’s not much to say

about the Spin 513’s keyboard.

As with most thin and light

Acer Chromebook Spin 513

laptops, there’s little travel

and the keys will feel spongy

to anyone used to typing on

a mechanical keyboard, but

overall it’s fine. The trackpad,

on the other hand, is the best

of the three Chromebooks we

tested. A Gorilla Glass coating

means it feels both smooth

and durable, with a satisfying

click to boot.

Performance-wise, the

Spin 513 manages what we

expected from a Snapdragon

processor. The Adreno

618 graphics are perfectly

sufficient for app games

and general use, and CPU

performance is comparable

to the Intel Celeron chip found

in the Lenovo 500e. Provided

you aren’t opening too many

Chrome tabs at once, you

shouldn’t see any slowdown.

However, the 7c is still far

behind any of Intel’s Core

processors, even lower-end

i3s, and the paltry amount of

RAM doesn’t help considering

ChromeOS’s memory-

guzzling tendencies.

The Snapdragon chip’s

lower power requirements

provide some boons. In the

same battery test used for the

other Chromebooks, the Spin

513 managed over 13 hours of

continuous operation, offering

the sort of ‘all-day’ battery

life professional users have

been craving. The reduction in

excess heat production also

means no fan noise, making

the 513 the quietest of all the

devices in this article.

It has a familiar selection

of ports including two USB-Cs

(one of which is also used for

charging). The MicroSD card

reader found on the other two

Chromebooks is conspicuous

in its absence here, though

that will only be a concern for

a few potential buyers.

At its price point, the Acer

Spin 513 is one of the better

Chromebooks available right

now, but it’s perhaps not the

poster boy for ARM-based

CPUs that Qualcomm hoped it

would be.

rise of the chromebook

30 MAXIMU MPC APR 2022