Over at CES 2022, Acer is going to start off this year with something real simple – hardware refresh across its popular products including the Chromebooks and gaming laptops of the Nitro, Helios and Triton series.
As hybrid methodology takes over the scopes of families, education and work starting 2020, the value of Chromebook has shot up so much that its popularity came from its affordability and accesibility as a no-nonsense, productivity only portable device. Coming in form factors of small, medium, and large, the 2022 trio of Chromebook Spin 513, 314 and 315 provides just that on top of improved and optimized audio and video tech for elevating the video call and entertainment experience. Despite Chrome OS’s lack of functions when compared against things like Windows, they themselves does their own job very well so let’s just focus on what these 3 devices excels in:
- Chromebook Spin 513: A league of its own, the Spin basically means that this machine is a 2-in-1 convertible with a 360-degree hinge that allows the users to use the device at any form factor they want. Coupled with the MediaTek Kompanio 1380 processor and a touch-enabled 13.5-inch IPS panel but at the resolution of 2256×1504, enjoy crisp and clear visuals together with exceptional audio thanks to DTS Audio
- Chromebook 314: The most budget out of all, it runs a 14.0-inch FHD IPS Anti-Glare touch screen to provide quick access to inputs while the 10-hour battery and Intel Wi-Fi 6 delivers strong Internet connection for long lasting usage – perfect for online classes
- Chromebook 315: Carrying all the Chromebook 314’s good points but with a 15.6-inch screen, it also has a better set of audio and video system thanks to DTS Audio and HDR webcam alongside additional USB-C ports and microSD slot
Over at the gaming side, the Nitro 5 2020 got a little facelift in terms of its design that makes it a little more rounded instead of being too edgy like its past ghost but its position has not been changed as one of the best bang-for-buck gaming devices in the market. The internal cooling system has also been redesigned to allow more heat to be dissipated and thanks to the NitroSense utility performing dynamic power shifting, the device will only need to cool what’s needed. Of course, the internals are fitted with the latest from Intel/AMD and NVIDIA.
Moving the tier list up a bit then we have the new Helios 300 that offers slightly more powerful hardware in the form of DDR5 RAM together some chassis revamp that offers a cooler look like the thin light bar below the palm rest and the use of the 5th Gen AeroBlade 3D fan supported by liquid metal and Acer CoolBoost technology to take the heat game head on seriously. Gamers can also adjust fan speed on the fly using the PredatorSense button.
Lastly, the beast Triton 500 SE that combines the penultimate silicon from Intel and NVIDIA into a relatively thin chassis for the ultimate portable gaming experience. Not only the computing parts top-tier but also the screen is a WQXGA panel with 240Hz refresh rate and support for NVIDIA G-SYNC, among other goodies including liquid metal thermal grease, extra heat pipes, super large 99.98Whr battery and more. A literal walking (and not so heavy) machine of destruction in terms of tearing through any sorts of intensive tasks.
For more info about these 3 gaming laptops of 2022, the spec sheet is probably all you need for reference.
| Â | Nitro 5 | Helios 300 | Triton 500 SE |
CPU | Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7 AMD Ryzen 6000 Series | Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i7 Â | Up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9 |
GPU | Up to NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 Ti | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3080 Ti |
Display | 15.6-inch IPS QHD 165Hz 17-3inch IPS QHD/FHD 165/144Hz * AMD FreeSync for AMD Models | 15.6-inch IPS QHD 165Hz 17-3inch IPS QHD/FHD 165/144Hz | 16-inch IPS WQXGA 240Hz, NVIDIA G-SYNC, 100% DCI-P3, 500nits Brightness |
RAM | Up to 32GB DDR4 3200 (Intel) Up to 32GB DDR5 4800 (AMD) | 32GB DDR5 4800 | 32GB LPDDR5 5200 |
Storage | TBA 2x PCIe 4.0 (Intel) 1x PCIe 4.0 + 1x PCIe 3.0 (AMD) | Up to 2TB PCIe | Up to 2TB PCIe |
I/O | Thunderbolt 4 (Intel) USB-4 (AMD) USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 HDMI 2.1 | Thunderbolt 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 HDMI 2.1 | Thunderbolt 4 USB 3.2 Gen 2 HDMI 2.1 SD7.0 Reader |
Connectivity | Intel Killer Ethernet E2600 Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E | Intel Killer DoubleShot Pro (E2600+1675i) Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E | Intel Killer E3100G 2.5 GbE Intel Killer Wi-Fi 6E |
Pricing and Availability
The newly announced Acer Chromebooks and Nitro, Helios and Triton gaming laptops are given the following starting RRP:
- Acer Chromebook Spin 513: USD599.99 (~RM2,515.92)
- Acer Chromebook 314: USD299.99 (~RM1,258.00)
- Acer Chromebook 315: USD299.99Â (~RM1,258.00)
- Acer Nitro 5
- 15.6-inch with Intel: USD1,049.99 (~RM4,403.08)
- 15.6-inch with AMD: USD1,099.99 (~RM4,612.75)
- 17.3-inch with Intel: USD1,099.99Â (~RM4,612.75)
- 17.3-inch with AMD: USD1,149.99 (~RM4,822.04)
- Acer Helios 300
- 15.6-inch: USD1,649.99 (~RM6,919.03)
- 17.3-inch: USD1749.99 (~RM7,338.20)
- Acer Predator Triton 500 SE: USD2,299.99 (~RM9,644.70)
