Acer Chromebook Spin 513 review: Wide and durable | Techy Kings

Chromebooks have a reputation for low prices, but few have bucked the trend. Acer’s new Chromebook Spin 513-2H-K627 is one of them. It offers several key improvements over less expensive options, including a tack-sharp screen and better battery life, but are these improvements worth the premium? Let’s dive in and find out.

Acer Chromebook Spin 512 specifications and features

The Acer Chromebook Spin 513-2H-K627 has a MediaTek Kompanio 1380 SoC with Mali-G57 MC5 graphics. This is MediaTek’s latest chip, specifically targeting Chromebooks in January 2022. It is paired with 8GB of LPDDR4X memory and 128GB of eMMC storage.

• CPU: MediaTek Compaq 1380
• Memory: 8GB LPDDR4X
• Graphics/GPU: Mali-G57 MC5
• Display: 2256 x 1504 IPS touch
• Storage: 128GB eMMC
• Webcam: 720p
• Connectivity: 1 x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 with power supply and display port alternate mode, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 with power supply, 1 x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, MicroSD card, 3.5mm audio
• Network: Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.1
• Biometrics: None
• Battery capacity: 45 watt-hours
• Dimensions: 11.81 x 9.25 x .64 inches
• Weight: 2.82
• MSRP: $599.99

Priced at $599.99, the Chromebook Spin 513 remains affordable. However, the hardware specifications don’t seem to justify the price. A large number of Windows and ChromeOS devices pack advanced AMD, Intel and Qualcomm processors, and often less.

Design and build quality

IDG / Matthew Smith

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 513 builds on the simple yet practical aesthetic found in many of Acer’s latest Chromebook devices. Although not unattractive, it has a basic gun exterior with a metal hood and low chassis.

The interior varies slightly in color from the silver-charcoal look. I don’t think the color difference is intentional, but simply a result of Acer’s use of different materials. The 2-in-1 seams do a good job of hiding this and I doubt most owners will notice.

This is a device with a 2-in-1 touch screen and a 360-degree hinge. The display can be rotated back until it touches the “bottom” of the laptop, effectively making it a tablet. Tablet mode is useful for short bursts, but it’s not a serious iPad or Android tablet replacement. The Chromebook Spin 513 weighs in at 2.82 pounds and is .64 inches thick. Both details make it a bit awkward to handle.

Alternatively, the display can be rotated partially backwards, which turns the keyboard into a display stand. This “tent mode,” as it’s often called, is great for general use and convenient for watching Netflix in a tight space (like a packed coffee shop or airplane).

The 360-degree design puts a lot of stress on both hinges, and I’m not sure Acer’s build quality is up to the task. The metal display lid feels good to the touch, but allows some flex, and the hinges seem to be wrapped in plastic (although I think the internals are metal.) The keyboard allows a little flex when typing.

I’ve reviewed much less impressive Chromebooks to be sure, but the Chromebook Spin 513 is a relatively expensive model. A metal interior or some additional display reinforcement would be appreciated at this price.

Keyboard and trackpad

IDG / Matthew Smith

Touch typists will love the Chromebook Spin 513 keyboard. It has a wide layout and large keys, each with long key travel and some tactile feedback. I found the bottom step a bit vague, but that’s a nitpick: the keyboard is instantly comfortable and familiar under my fingertips.

The touchpad is less impressive. It offers a reasonable amount of space, measuring about 3.5 inches wide and 3 inches deep. The surface is smooth and responds well to input. But the touchpad becomes very weak when using multi-touch gestures. Scrolling is overly sensitive and never stops where desired.

Of course, the touchpad can be bypassed using the screen, and the 2-in-1 design makes this convenient. The touchscreen is large, responsive and smooth, though no better than any other Windows or ChromeOS 2-in-1.

display, sound

IDG / Matthew Smith

Display resolution is arguably the defining feature of the Acer Chromebook Spin 513. It comes with a 13.5-inch, 2,256 x 1,504 IPS touchscreen display with a pixel density of around 200 pixels per inch. That’s not as high as a 4K display to be sure, but it’s actually so close that it’s hard to tell the difference. The content is crystal-clear and small fonts look sharp with no markings around the edges.

The display offers a 3:2 aspect ratio, which is closer to square than the standard 16:9 or 16:10 aspect ratio. As a result, the 13.5-inch screen feels taller than expected. The wealth of static display real estate makes it especially great for use with web pages, documents, and spreadsheets. Not good for streaming as you often see large black bars above and below content.

Brightness is good at a maximum of 359 nits. This is good enough for general indoor use but can be a problem near a sunny window. The reflective display does not help, as it allows significant reflections and reflections and easily shows fingerprints.

Image quality is otherwise good for the price. The Chromebook Spin 513 offers respectable color performance and fine detail. Contrast is where it falls short: movies and games lack depth and dark scenes look hazy. Still, the display is sharper and more colorful than most comparable devices. A typical Windows alternative like the Acer Spin 5 or Lenovo Yoga 6 will have a lower display resolution. Many also have a less wide 16:9 aspect ratio.

The built-in speakers are disappointing. Blame their voices. Down-facing speakers are quieter, though. Sound quality is good, but at the volume here, I’d expect – not enough oomph to create distortion or harshness. Many people need to connect external speakers or headphones.

Web camera, microphone, biometrics

A simple 720p webcam with microphone is packed into the Chromebook Spin 513’s slim top bezel. It produces a usable image and handles mixed lighting well, but image quality is soft and grainy. The microphone is the same: it’s loud enough for a video call or meeting, but the presentation is distant and hollow.

2-in-1 does not offer biometrics.

relationship

A pair of USB-C ports provide most of the Chromebook Spin 513’s connectivity. Both provide power, and the port on the right supports DisplayPort Alternate mode. The USB-C ports are joined by one USB-A port, a 3.5mm audio jack and a microSD card reader.

This is acceptable, if not outstanding, connectivity range for a Chromebook. The only port I miss is HDMI. The Chromebook Spin 513 requires an adapter to connect to a monitor or TV via HDMI, which is annoying.

Wireless connectivity is standard with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 support. The Chromebook Spin 513 lacks support for the latest Wi-Fi 6E standard, but it’s acceptable for an inexpensive laptop. I had no issues with the wireless connection during my time with the device.

Performance

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 513 has opted for an ARM-based MediaTek Kompanio 1380 SoC with eight cores and Mali-G57 graphics. This is a bit unusual, as most ARM-based Chromebooks tend to have a lower price point. The SoC is backed by 8GB of memory and 128GB of eMMC storage.

Here’s how the Chromebook Spin 513 performed in the ChromeOS benchmarks.

• CrXPRT 2 Performance Score: 86
• Speedometer 2.0: 45
• Basemark Web 3.0: 632.32
• Kraken JavaScript 1.1: 1440.7
• Jetstream: 170.53

How these results look depends on the perspective. Compared to other ARM-based Chromebooks like the HP Chromebook x2 11, the Chromebook Spin 513 performs well. However, it still lags far behind the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5, which performs much better on all five benchmarks (and does so at a lower price).

Performance aside, the Chromebook Spin 513 feels snappy in everyday use. It can easily handle twelve open browser tabs and moves between windows quickly. Video streaming is stutter-free, even when connected to a 4K display.

Chromebook Spin 513 handles Android games well. Mandatory mobile call, Pokemon UnitAnd Asphalt 8 Played fine on default settings with no dropped frames or stuttering. The games also load quickly, making it easy to jump into a match. The same cannot be said for AMD and Intel-based Chromebooks.

Battery life

Battery life is often a benefit of ChromeOS devices, and the Chromebook Spin 513 is no exception. According to the CrXPRT 2 battery life benchmark, it managed to deliver a battery life of around 12 hours and 34 minutes. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5, powered by an Intel Pentium processor, lasted eight hours and 22 minutes in the same benchmark.

The Lenovo ThinkPad X13s Windows laptop with an ARM-based Qualcomm processor lasted a little over 12 hours and 53 minutes (but tested with a video loop, not CrXPRT 2). The ThinkPad X13s is more expensive, however, with a base MSRP of around $1,000. Most competitive Windows laptops and 2-in-1s offer six to eight hours of battery life.

In short, the Chromebook Spin 513 has excellent battery life and outperforms most similarly priced devices. In most cases, it can last a full eight-hour workday and accommodate flights throughout the United States.

Summary

Acer’s Chromebook Spin 513 is defined by its display. The 13.5-inch display’s unusual 3:2 aspect ratio and sharp resolution maximize usable screen space. It’s great for browsing the web or editing documents—these are tasks that Chromebooks are best suited for.

The excellent display is supported by great battery life and a fun keyboard, but it’s not all good news. The sound quality is disappointing, the touchpad is average, and the performance doesn’t stand out (though gaming performance is good).

These problems diminish the Chromebook Spin 513’s greatness, but it still remains a great option for ChromeOS enthusiasts looking for a large, attractive touchscreen with plenty of usable space.