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Acer's new Chromebook 315 hits CES 2019 with custom AMD processors, new Swift 7 laptop too
Acer just introduced the Chromebook 315 during the CES 2019 trade show in Las Vegas. Scheduled to arrive this quarter, it will be the company’s first Chromebook based on an all-in-one “APU” processor manufactured by AMD. Acer typically guns for Intel-based processors in Chromebooks, but the company chose custom APUs for this model to better support Chrome- and Android-based apps. APUs (standing for “Accelerated Processing Unit”) combine a CPU and GPU in a single chip.
Acer’s Chromebook 315 will rely on two seventh-generation AMD A-Series APUs: The A6-9220C and the A4-9120C. These APUs weren’t pulled directly from the shelf, but instead revised to consume less power. That means they enable a longer battery life and produce less heat, making them a great fit for ultra-thin laptop designs. The tradeoff is that you’ll see lower CPU core speeds versus AMD’s original off-the-shelf APUs released in Q2 2017.
Here’s a comparison between the tweaked “c” variants and AMD’s stock A-Series APUs:
| A6-9220 | A6-9220C | A4-9120 | A4-9120C | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Process node: | A6-9220 28nm | A6-9220C 28nm | A4-9120 28nm | A4-9120C 28nm |
CPU cores: | A6-9220 2 | A6-9220C 2 | A4-9120 2 | A4-9120C 2 |
Threads: | A6-9220 2 | A6-9220C 2 | A4-9120 2 | A4-9120C 2 |
Base speed: | A6-9220 2.5GHz | A6-9220C 1.8GHz | A4-9120 2.2GHz | A4-9120C 1.6GHz |
Maximum speed: | A6-9220 2.9GHz | A6-9220C 2.7GHz | A4-9120 2.5GHz | A4-9120C 2.4GHz |
Graphics cores: | A6-9220 2 | A6-9220C 3 | A4-9120 2 | A4-9120C 3 |
Graphics shaders: | A6-9220 192 | A6-9220C 128 | A4-9120 128 | A4-9120C 128 |
Graphics type: | A6-9220 Radeon R5 | A6-9220C Radeon R5 | A4-9120 Radeon R3 | A4-9120C Radeon R4 |
Base speed: | A6-9220 655MHz | A6-9220C 720MHz | A4-9120 655MHz | A4-9120C 600MHz |
Maximum TDP: | A6-9220 15 watts | A6-9220C 6 watts | A4-9120 15 watts | A4-9120C 6 watts |
These tweaked APUs will power an IPS-based 15.6-inch screen with a 1,920 x 1,080 resolution. Acer will offer versions with touch (CB315-2HT) and without touch (CB315-2H). You’ll also see up to 8GB of system memory and up to 32GB of storage. Given you’ll likely consume most of that storage with Android apps, Acer threw in a microSD card reader to store music, videos, images, and other files.
In addition to the card slot, the Chromebook 315 will include two USB Type-C ports (5Gbps), two USB Type-A ports (5Gbps), and a microphone/headphone combo jack. A full-size upward-facing speaker will reside on each side of the keyboard, providing crisp audio versus the annoying muffled audio typically heard with downward-facing speakers. The touch-capable version will feature a backlit keyboard, whereas the non-touch version won’t have any backlighting. Rounding out the multimedia aspect is an HD webcam with an 88-degree field-of-view.
“The Chromebook 315 features a stylish IMR top cover and palm rest that are durable and light enough for moving around the home or office,” the company said in a pre-show press release. “It can speed through demanding apps, while running multiple tabs and extensions, all during a battery life of up to 10 hours.”
Acer also notes that parents can easily manage the Chromebook 315 using Google’s Family Link Android app for mobile. With this free service enabled, children can’t install apps and extensions from the Chrome Web Store, view violent and sexually explicit sites, or use incognito mode. There’s nothing parents need to install on the Chromebook itself, as all restrictions are controlled through the child’s Google Account.
Acer’s upcoming Chromebook will measure 0.79 inches thick and weigh a mere 3.79 pounds. It won’t be available until sometime during the first quarter of 2019 sporting a starting price of $280.
The new Acer Swift 7 Windows 10 notebook
In addition to its new Chromebook, Acer also announced a new Windows 10 laptop, the Swift 7. The 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen notebook has very thin bezels, allowing it to have a 92 percent screen-to-body ratio. The body of the notebook is also very thin at just 9.95mm and is incredibly light at just 1.96 pounds, as it is made of magnesium-lithium and magnesium-aluminum alloys. The display is also covered in Corning Gorilla Glass 6 for extra protection.
Inside, the Acer Swift 7 has the 8th generation Intel Core i7-8500Y processor and can support either 8GB or 16GB of RAM and either 256GB or 512GB of onboard storage. The battery life is supposed to last up to 10 hours on a single charge. The power button on the laptop doubles as a fingerprint reader so you can log onto Windows 10 as you power the notebook up, via Windows Hello. It has a push-to-open camera for webchats and video recording that can be closed back inside the notebook when not in use.
The Acer Swift 7 won’t be available for a little while. It will go on sale in April in Europe starting at €1,799, and also in China starting at ¥14,999. It won’t be available in the US until May, for the starting price of $1,699.