The Acer Chromebook Spin 514, the company's first Chromebook powered by AMD's Ryzen processor, is part of what is expected to be a major trend at CES 2021: PC makers are releasing more and more non-Intel-powered laptops PC makers are releasing more and more notebooks that are not powered by Intel

With a mid-range price point, this 14-inch convertible has the durability that modern chaotic life demands, and an enterprise edition will be released Is this enough to make the Best Chromebooks list? Let's find out

The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 debuted in the US this past February, with prices starting at $47999 It will be available in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa in March for €529 Specific configurations and prices will vary by region

Then there is the Acer Chromebook Enterprise Spin 514, which will be available in North America in March starting at $74999 In Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, it will be available for €799

The Chromebook Spin 514 has the delicate touch required of a high-end notebook The anodized and sandblasted aluminum casing is durable; Acer says the Spin 514 has passed multiple MIL-STD 810H tests, proving it can withstand dust and sand, high and low temperatures, mechanical impact from drops, and rain

It also comes in three different colors: pure silver, steel gray, and mist green The first two are hard to distinguish, but Mist Green is a pleasant shade reminiscent of the recent midnight green iPhone

Acer did not provide full dimensions for the Spin 514, but at 07 inches thick and 34 pounds, it is thicker and heavier than the just announced Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (06 inches and 27 pounds)

The Chromebook Spin 514 is also convertible, which means it can be used in laptop, tablet display, or tent mode

As for ports, it has dual USB-C ports (USB 32 Gen 1 @ up to 5 GBps, DisplayPort over USB-C, and USB charging support) and dual USB-A ports (USB 32, Gen 1) microSD memory reader is also available and some models have HDMI output

The Chromebook Spin 514 runs on different versions of the AMD Ryzen processors announced for Chromebooks this September; Acer's press materials mention only the Ryzen 5 3500C and Ryzen 7 3700C options and and does not mention the entry-level Ryzen 3 3250C processor

Ryzen 5 and Ryzen 7 models will feature AMD Radeon Vega Mobile Graphics, while other models will feature AMD Radeon Graphics

Entry-level memory and storage are not listed, but the Spin 514 will be sold with up to 16GB of RAM and 256GB of storage

While the industry-wide shift from Intel to AMD (or in Apple's case, its own M1 chip) may not seem like a big deal, it is a sign that computer manufacturers have grown tired of Intel's small advances in recent years and see AMD's advances as important However, Chromebooks are not the only products that are being used by Intel around the world But Chromebooks are not abandoning Intel around the world Samsung's Galaxy Chromebook 2, for example, comes with Intel Celeron and Core i3

Acer only claims a modest battery life of "up to 10 hours" We look forward to testing it in our web surfing-based battery tests to see if it lives up to, exceeds, or disappoints this claim (the least likely option, given the Full HD display)

As the tide turns to AMD processors, Acer is making the rest of the laptop look good: the Chromebook Spin 514 has more ports than it should, and the anodized aluminum shell, especially in mist green, is priced would be impressive for the price

However, since we are covering CES remotely, it will be a little while before we can give you our impressions of the actual device in a full review The laptop world seems to be moving in a better direction