The Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D is one of the recent releases from the house of Acer and has the potential to be your next Chromebook. Chromebooks are a new type of laptop to hit the market as they are solely based on the Internet. Of course, they have been available for a few years but still are a new concept to many.
If you’re looking to get your first Chromebook, then this Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D model should have got your attention by now. This device is cheap and comes with all the essential features you would get in a Chrome OS laptop. But is getting this Chromebook a good idea? Let’s find out.
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Content Overview
Design
This Chromebook comes with a pretty good design and has an aluminum chassis that gives the device a premium look and feel. The construction of the laptop is also durable so you can use it for outdoor and rough use without any problems.
The Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D also ticks the portability checkbox. This device weighs only 3.40lbs which is not a lot for a 14″ laptop. You can easily take this with you wherever you go as it doesn’t add a lot of weight to your backpack.
The overall build quality of this Chromebook is pretty decent. For the price, you would get the same build quality in all brands. It is utilitarian and also has a premium angle to it.
Keyboard and Trackpad
Having a good keyboard is very important, especially on a Chromebook. These devices are touted to be a good choice for writers and without a good keyboard, what good can this laptop be? Luckily, we have a good keyboard onboard that offers a good typing experience.
We have a good layout and the keys are also well-spaced. Unfortunately, you don’t get any backlighting here which is okay since we are dealing with a super budget laptop. The trackpad is also quite good and does its job without any hiccups.
Multimedia
The display we have on the Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D model is a 14″ display with a resolution of 1366 x 768 pixels. This is only an HD display but most Chromebooks come only with an HD display, and for the price, you really can’t ask for more.
The picture quality is decent and serviceable. Most Chromebooks in this price range will give you a similar output so nothing to complain here. If you’re looking for a higher-resolution display, then you should be willing to spend at least a couple of hundred dollars more.
The speakers on this laptop are okay at best. It is better to get an earphone of your choice so that you can get clear audio from your Chromebook. If you’re going to work from an office or home, then you might as well a dedicated speaker for your device.
Processing Power
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The processor that runs the Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D is an Intel Celeron N3060 processor. This is an entry-level processor from Intel and it comes with 2 physical cores. This dual-core processor comes with a base clock speed of 2.6GHz and a maximum clock speed of 2.4GHz.
When it comes to handling your everyday applications like web browsers and office apps, this processor does a fine job. You will also have a fine time running Android applications on Chrome OS.
The problem with this processor is that it is not made for anything other than simple. You can run everyday applications but when it comes to running demanding apps, the processor struggles badly.
Here are some things you can do on this laptop without breaking a sweat.
- browsing the web
- streaming videos
- running Android apps
- simple office work
This Chromebook is strictly not for those who want to run a Linux environment or Linux apps. The processor does not have what it takes to run heavy applications which is why it is not a good fit for coding and development as well.
The memory department on the Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D comes with 4 gigs of LPDDR3 RAM. This is a decent amount of RAM and should be more than enough for Chromebook users. Some models come with 2 gigs of RAM but it’s not a great idea. You will be able to do a little bit of multitasking with this memory which is good for user experience.
Storage
The storage on this Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D model is a bit different than our regular laptops. It comes with 16 gigs of flash storage and that’s it.
The idea of a Chromebook is to give you a device that is always online and utilized cloud storage as its primary data storage. This laptop also has a similar setup. The 16GB should be okay for most users. Though you’ll primarily use the cloud for storage, having some space does allow you to store some stuff.
In most Chromebooks. you also have the option of using an SD card for additional storage. Unfortunately, we do not have an SD card reader on this laptop so it is only possible to use one with an adapter in place.
Battery Life
The Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D comes with excellent battery life and can last for about 14 hours. If you’re a student or someone who travels a lot, then this device will be an excellent choice. Even with some heavy use like editing photos and working on office docs, this battery does not die easy.
Graphics & Connectivity
The Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D model comes with only an integrated Intel HD graphics card. This GPU is good enough to take care of your daily graphics needs. You can’t play regular games on this device so having a discrete graphics card doesn’t make a lot of sense.
There are limited options in the connectivity department. You get a couple of USB 3.1 gen A ports that are fast when it comes to data transfer. There is also an HDMI port that is useful for connecting your laptop to a projector or a high-end display. You also get an audio jack for obvious purposes.
The device also comes with WiFi and Bluetooth built so you don’t have to meddle with those unruly wires. One disappointing thing here is the lack of a USB Type-C port. It is a truly versatile port and could have made this laptop relevant for a lot more years to come.
Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D Review – Summary
This Chromebook here does well when it comes to handling your daily needs and activities. If you’re looking for an affordable Chromebook that also does a decent job when it comes to performance, then this Acer Chromebook 14 CB3-431-C99D model is a good fit.