Acer Chromebook Spin 713 Review: A Supremely Fast Chromebook

Acer Chromebook Spin 713

"The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is one of the fastest, longest-lasting Chromebooks ever made."

  • Very good performance

  • Fairly long battery life

  • Conservative looks good

  • Good touchpad

  • Excellent 3: 2 display

  • No active pen option

  • The chassis could feel a bit more stable

  • The keyboard wasn't as sharp as some

The inventory of high-end Chromebooks continues to grow, and new products seem to be coming online all the time. But not every good machine is brand new. Take the convertible 2-in-1 Acer Chromebook Spin 713, which was launched in the summer of 2020 and is still a relevant laptop today thanks to fast components and willing buyers. In other words, it's current enough to consider today, and a lot of people are buying it. That's a good sign.

Acer sent me a mid-range version of the Chromebook Spin 713 priced at $ 630 for a 10th generation Intel Core i5-10210U CPU, 8 GB DDR4 RAM, a 128 GB solid state drive (SSD) and a 13.5-inch display on the Internet with a higher aspect ratio of 3: 2 and a resolution of 2K (2256 x 1504). That's not cheap for a Chromebook, but the price matches the components. Note that you can spend up to $ 1,000 if you go for a Core i7 and 16GB of RAM.

Does the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 still have what it takes to compete with the latest and greatest Chromebooks?

design

Acer Chromebook Spin 713Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has a light gray (or dark silver depending on the lighting) case that is conservative but attractive. The beveled edges and angled lower chassis add some sheen, but don't stand out too much. For example, it's not a bright red like its near-rival Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2, nor does it have the rounded edges of the Google Pixelbook Go (if that's the look you're into). Think of the Acer as a modern sedan and the Samsung as a sports car and you get the picture. The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 is much closer to the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 in terms of aesthetics and nobody would find fault with either machine.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 would look more modern if the bezels were slimmer. The side bezels are thin enough, but the top bezel is relatively thick and the lower chin is huge. Coupled with the 3: 2 aspect ratio, these bezels not only detract from the look, but also result in a laptop that is much deeper than it could be. The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 has smaller bezels with a 14-inch display with a 16: 9 aspect ratio – we prefer 3: 2, but there's no doubt that the Asus looks a bit slimmer.

Apply extra pressure and the lid will bend.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is 3.02 pounds and 0.66 inches thick, which is quite a bit heavier and thicker than the Asus Chromebook Flip C436 (2.5 pounds and 0.54 inches) and the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (2, 71 pounds and 0.55 inches thick)). Each of these machines is a 2-in-1 convertible, so Acer couldn't use a more complex hinge to excuse the laptop's weight.

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 has an aluminum case that is almost on par with a premium laptop in terms of build quality. Put a little more pressure and the lid will flex a little more than I like and the keyboard deck has a little flex. That's fine for $ 630 but gets a little less acceptable at $ 1,000 for the most expensive configuration. The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 feels like a more rugged laptop and costs about the same price as the Acer.

Note that Acer put the MIL-STD-810g series laptop through durability and reliability tests. Hence, there is a reason to trust that is beyond my subjective experience. The display of the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is made of Corning Gorilla Glass with an antimicrobial coating to reduce the growth of certain microorganisms. The touchpad uses the same glass and offers the same protection.

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Acer has equipped the Chromebook Spin 713 with a solid selection of ports. On the left side you will find a USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 port, a USB-A 3.0 port and a microSD card reader. On the right side there is another USB-C 3.2 port and a full-size HDMI 2.0 port. That outperforms both the Samsung and Asus laptops, which are limited to USB-C and microSD. The Chromebook Spin 713's wireless connectivity is completely up-to-date with Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.

performance

We don't have a lot of benchmarks to objectively measure a Chromebook's performance. I can refer to Geekbench 5, where the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 with its quad-core core i5 scored 966 in the single-core test and 3,040 points in the multi-core test. That surpasses the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 (at least in multi-core) with 1,003 and 2,179 with its dual-core core i3 and the Asus Chromebook Flip C436, also with the same processor, with 938 and 1,653. Interestingly, the Acer also beat the Lenovo ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook with AMD's Chrome OS-specific CPU, the AMD Ryzen 5 3500C. This laptop scored 907 and 2,739.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Despite the lack of objective measures, I can say that the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a fast Chrome OS laptop that keeps up with everyone else I've reviewed. I used the laptop with a handful of Android apps running and a ton of Google tabs open, and the laptop didn't skip a beat. This is likely due in part to the 8GB of RAM, which is sufficient for Chrome OS, as well as the fast SSD.

I also launched a few games, including Asphalt 9: Legends, and the Chromebook Spin 713 ran smoothly with its built-in Intel UHD graphics. It was a bit bulky in tablet mode, but I was still able to do a few races with no lag or choppiness. This is a huge improvement over the ThinkPad C13 Yoga Chromebook's AMD Radeon graphics, which turned this game into something of a slide show.

As mentioned earlier, you can upgrade the Chromebook Spin 713 to a Core i7 and 16GB of RAM, but I don't see any reason to. In my configuration, it's a fast laptop and one of the faster options you'll find for just $ 630.

display

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 screenMark Coppock / Digital Trends

One of the more exciting trends in laptops is the move to taller displays. The 16:10 and 3: 2 aspect ratios show more vertical information, which is important for surfing the Internet and for creating and viewing documents. The Chromebook Spin 713 followed this trend early and was one of the first on a Chromebook with its 3: 2 display. The 2,256 x 1,504 resolution is also welcome and offers sharp text and images.

I was unable to subject the display to my colorimeter, so unfortunately, as with performance, I don't have a lot of objective metrics. In fact, I don't have any. Subjectively, however, I found the display bright enough to work comfortably in a lot of ambient light – although working outside under bright sun wouldn't be a great experience. I've used brighter displays – the Dell XPS 13 and HP Specter x360 14 OLED are both brighter – but I'm not complaining.

The combination of quality and the aspect ratio of 3: 2 made this display an attractive display.

The contrast was sufficient to make black text appear on a white background. Eventually the colors looked natural and not oversaturated, although I cannot confirm the accuracy. Gamma must have been spot on too, since Netflix videos didn't look too light or too dark.

The combination of quality and 3: 2 aspect ratio made this display a delightful display that is more than good enough for most Chromebook users. If you need a wide color gamut and precise accuracy, I can't confirm how well the display will work for you. I haven't seen the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 in person, so I can't tell if the QLED display is better – but I can imagine that it has QLED's ability to show off beautiful colors.

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 foldsMark Coppock / Digital Trends

The audio quality was a different story. The volume wasn't particularly loud and I noticed an indication of 100% distortion. The highs were cut off a bit and the midrange was muddy – and of course, as is common with most laptops, the bass was missing. The sound quality was fine for the occasional YouTube video, but I recommend headphones or bluetooth speakers for Netflix binging and music.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713's keyboard is pretty typical island style, with good, but not large, key spacing. I found the mechanism only slightly muddy, with a lot of spring travel and a soft floor movement, but not as crisp as I would like it to be. The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 responded more precisely than I found it to be more comfortable in the long run, and the Acer keyboard didn't really come close to my favorites, HP's Specter keyboards and Apple's Magic keyboard on the latest MacBooks.

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Acer Chromebook Spin 713 Trackpad "class =" m-Karussell - Bild dt-lazy-no "src =" https://img.dtcn.com/image/digitaltrends/olympus-digital-camera-1042-640x640.jpg "srcset = "https://www.digitaltrends.com/data:image/gif;base64,https://www.digitaltrends.com/R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

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The touchpad was larger than usual as the larger display offers additional space on the keyboard deck. As mentioned earlier, it consists of a layer of Corning Gorilla Glass with an antimicrobial coating. I found it very convenient to swipe Google's multitouch gestures and use them precisely. The touch display also responded, but unfortunately the laptop does not support an active pen.

Acer also didn't add biometric login to the Chromebook Spin 713, which is disappointing. A fingerprint reader would have been welcome.

Battery life

Acer Chromebook Spin 713 foldedMark Coppock / Digital Trends

Acer packed 48 watt hours of battery life into the case of the Chromebook Spin 713, and that's a decent amount for the light and efficient Chrome OS. For example, the Chromebook Spin 713 lasted 11.25 hours in our web browser test, which is almost two hours longer than the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2. At the same time, the Samsung spent almost 13 hours going through our Full HD Avengers trailer for almost three hours longer than the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. Samsung's QLED display likely contributed to this as it tends to be less power hungry than IPS displays.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 lasted about 10.5 hours in our web browser test and the same time as the Samsung in our video loop test.

Given that the Acer Chromebook Spin 713 uses a faster CPU than any of these competitors and has a tall, high-resolution display, these are good battery results that promise a full day of work. I would describe the battery life as the strength of the Chromebook Spin 713.

Our opinion

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 fits nicely into the premium Chromebook space, offering good performance and battery life, as well as decent build for a reasonable $ 630. It's not the sharpest laptop, but its conservative looks obviously appeal to a number of buyers.

I would have liked an active pen option for the laptop, but that's only a deal breaker for those who rely on digital ink. Otherwise, this is a great option for anyone looking for a quickly convertible 2-in-1 Chromebook.

Are there alternatives?

A natural competitor to the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook 2 offers the same 2-in-1 flexibility and sharper look. But it's not that fast, it doesn't have the same ability to boost performance when you need it, and it's stuck in the past with its 16: 9 aspect ratio. However, it's a little cheaper.

The Asus Chromebook Flip C436 is another strong competitor to the Acer and offers a convertible 2-in-1 device with a 14-inch 16: 9 display. It's also slower than the Acer Chromebook Spin 713, but also a little cheaper.

If you don't want to turn the display over, Google's Pixelbook Go is your best option. You get better battery life, improved audio quality, and a smaller body – all for about the same price. There's a reason we picked the Pixebook Go as the best all-round Chromebook.

How long it will take?

The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 isn't quite as sturdy in the hand as some of the other Chromebooks we tested, but Acer trusted it enough to put it through some grueling tests. It will take as long as you need it, and Chrome OS will continue to hum for years to come. The laptop comes with the usual one-year warranty.

Should you buy it?

Yes. The Acer Chromebook Spin 713 is a solid premium Chromebook offering that has a few advantages over the competition, including fast performance.

Editor's recommendations




Acer Spin 3 2020 Hands-On Review

acer spin 3 2020 hands on review p1012411

Acer Spin 3 2020 Practical Review: More for the Money

  • Solid build quality

  • Nice 16:10 QHD + display

  • Thin and relatively light

  • Docked rechargeable pen included

  • Tiger Lake promises good performance

  • Keyboard keycaps were a little slick

  • Large top and bottom bezels look old-fashioned

Acer & # 39; s Spin 3 marks the company's entry into the 360-degree convertible 2-in-1 market. The previous iteration was well received as a 2-in-1 version with some interesting features, such as: B. a pen that charged while docked in a convenient slot on the side, plus solid performance and build quality.

However, this wasn't good enough for Acer as it announced an updated version that changes the design of the laptop while promising to keep the best of the previous version. I used a hands-on pre-release device of the Acer Spin 3. Here are my first impressions.

design

The most important update for the Spin 3 is the switch to a display with an aspect ratio of 16:10 instead of the usual 16: 9. This makes the display larger, offers more information and has to scroll less. A 16: 9 aspect ratio is becoming more common as laptops like the Dell XPS 13 have led the charge, but Acer's approach is different.

While Dell used nearly the same size display case and just filled everything with a 16:10 panel, leaving behind some tiny bezels and a screen-to-body ratio of 90%, the Spin 3 has a big bezel and a surprising one big chin on the floor. The screen-to-body ratio is only 79%, which means the Spin not only looks less modern than the XPS 13, but it also looks bigger than it could be. One benefit of Acer's approach is that the palm rest remains large and comfortable, unlike some laptops with tiny bezels that run out of space.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Spin 3 feels far more solid than its price suggests. The lid is twist-proof, the keyboard deck has no bend and the underside of the case does not move when handled roughly. This time it's an all aluminum design where the previous version had some plastic parts in it and I can tell. I like the way the Spin 3 feels.

Speaking of how it feels, the Spin 3 weighs about 3.08 pounds and is 0.62 inches thin. That makes it heavy, but also thin compared to the HP Specter x360 13 at 0.67 inches and 2.88 pounds. Even so, I found the Spin 3 comfortable to wear and use in all of its different modes. Tablet mode was a bit clunky, but that goes for all non-tablet 2-in-1 devices (including the Specter x360 13).

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The Spin 3 is an attractive, if not surprising, 2-in-1. My device was available in the usual semi-gloss silver found on so many laptops and had few chrome parts, including the Acer logo on the lid and hinge.

The hinge is well tuned so that the lid can be opened with one hand while holding the display in place in all four modes – clamshell, tent, media, and laptop. This is an attribute usually found on more expensive machines.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

Connectivity is another strength. On the left are two USB-C ports with Thunderbolt 4 ports, a full-size HDMI port, a USB-A 3.2 port, and a miniSD card reader. On the right side you will find another USB-A 3.2 port, a 3.5 mm audio jack and a Kensington lock port. The wireless connection is provided via Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1.

performance

The Spin 3 looks great on paper. It offers up to a quad-core Intel Core i7-1165G7 of the 11th generation with Intel Iris Xe graphics, up to 16 GB LPDDR4X RAM and two PCIe SSDs with 512 GB or 1 TB. For example, the computer I'm looking at has a Core i5-1135G7, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

We haven't tested enough Tiger Lake machines to draw definitive conclusions, but what we've seen from the Intel reference machine gives us hope of solid performance. At the very least, Tiger Lake should help reduce the distance with AMD's Ryzen 4000 series, which so far has proven to be considerably faster than Intel's 15-watt CPUs.

display

The Spin 3's display is a beauty. The 16:10 display is available in either FHD + (1920 x 1200) or QHD + (2560 x 1600), and my device included the latter.

I found it to be very sharp (although I prefer 4K displays) with a lot of contrast. The colors were natural and bright, and I found the display to do a wonderful job of whatever the job I did.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The 16:10 aspect ratio is great too. It offers more vertical space, which is useful as documents and web pages are designed to scroll vertically. You can easily see more on a 16:10 display than you can on a 16: 9 display.

The sound was competent and, thanks to the upward facing speakers, offered a lot of volume without distortion. Highs and mids were prominent and as usual the bass was minimal. I can use the speakers for the occasional YouTube video and solo Netflix shows, but for music and action movies I would recommend headphones.

Keyboard and touchpad

The Spin 3 uses the usual island keyboard with black keycaps and white letters. I don't know if the keyboard is backlit. I couldn't find a button to turn it on. I found the keycaps themselves a bit small and that affected the spacing, and they were a bit slippery too. The mechanism was comfortable, however, with a light touch and a soft ground movement that isn't as sharp as I like, but still allowed me to type at almost full speed.

Mark Coppock / Digital Trends

The touchpad was moderately large and coated with plastic. It's a Microsoft Precision touchpad that is quick to respond when swiping and using multi-touch gestures. The display is of course touch-sensitive and the included Wacom AES 1.0 pen works well with Windows inks.

Interestingly, my device didn't have Windows 10 Hello support, neither a fingerprint reader nor an infrared camera for facial recognition. I understand that while this will be the case with the base model, updated machines will come with a fingerprint reader.

Battery life

I was unable to do our usual battery tests and so cannot report on the longevity. The Spin 3 has a 56 watt hour battery, which is average for a machine with this screen size. I envision that the Core i5 and FHD + versions will have very good battery life, while the Core i7 and QHD + will suffer thanks to the extra performance and higher resolution.

Prices and availability

The Acer Spin 3 starts at $ 850 for an 11th generation Intel Core i5, 8 GB of RAM, and a 256 GB solid-state drive (SSD). Further prices and availabilities will be announced shortly.

Editor's recommendations