Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE vs MacBook Neo
The Verdict
The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE and MacBook Neo sit in the same category and end up appealing to slightly different buyers. The MacBook Neo is the cheaper of the two at $599 versus $649, a difference of about $50. Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE stands out for 120hz qhd+ display is best-in-class for any chromebook, while MacBook Neo is praised for lightweight design at 2.7 lbs makes it highly portable. Use the side-by-side spec table below to compare cameras, displays, battery life and connectivity in detail and decide which one fits your priorities.
Who Should Buy
Buy the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE if…
- →120Hz QHD+ display is best-in-class for any Chromebook
- →Cloud gaming optimized with NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming
- →i5-1340P delivers strong performance for ChromeOS
Buy the MacBook Neo if…
- →Lightweight design at 2.7 lbs makes it highly portable
- →120Hz Liquid Retina display delivers smooth visuals
- →M4 chip provides strong performance for creative workflows
Pros & Cons
Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE
Pros
- 120Hz QHD+ display is best-in-class for any Chromebook
- Cloud gaming optimized with NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming
- i5-1340P delivers strong performance for ChromeOS
- Ethernet port is rare and valuable for cloud gaming stability
- ChromeOS is fast, secure, and low-maintenance
Cons
- ChromeOS cannot run native Windows games or Steam natively
- 256 GB storage fills quickly for offline content
- 8 GB RAM is not upgradeable
- 1.88 kg is heavy for a Chromebook
- Limited app ecosystem compared to Windows
MacBook Neo
Pros
- Lightweight design at 2.7 lbs makes it highly portable
- 120Hz Liquid Retina display delivers smooth visuals
- M4 chip provides strong performance for creative workflows
- 18-hour battery life supports full workday use
- Includes headphone jack, rare on modern MacBooks
Cons
- Limited to 512GB base storage capacity
- Only two Thunderbolt ports may require dongles
- Premium pricing typical of Apple products
- Entry-level RAM at 16GB for creative professionals
Full Specifications
| Spec | Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE | MacBook Neo |
|---|---|---|
| Software | ChromeOS | — |
| Body | ||
| Weight | 1.88 kg | — |
| Material | Aluminum lid, plastic body | — |
| Dimensions | 357 x 254 x 20.4 mm | — |
| Ports | ||
| HDMI | 1 | — |
| USB-A ports | 1 | — |
| USB-C ports | 2 | — |
| Ethernet | — | |
| Headphone Jack | — | |
| Battery | ||
| Battery life | Up to 9 hours | — |
| Capacity | 65 Wh | 52Wh |
| Claimed Life | — | 18 hours |
| Display | ||
| Size | 16 inches | 13.3 inches |
| Type | IPS LCD | Liquid Retina |
| Resolution | 2560 x 1600 | 2560 x 1600 |
| Refresh rate | 120Hz | 120Hz |
| Brightness (nits) | 350 | — |
| Storage | ||
| SSD | 256 GB PCIe Gen 4 NVMe | — |
| Expandable storage | — | |
| Keyboard | ||
| Backlit | — | |
| Processor | ||
| RAM | 8 GB LPDDR5 | — |
| Cores | 12-core (4P + 8E) | — |
| Chipset | 13th Gen Intel Core i5-1340P | — |
| Design | ||
| Weight | — | 2.7 lbs |
| Material | — | Aluminum unibody |
| Performance | ||
| GPU | — | 10-core GPU |
| RAM | — | 16GB |
| Storage | — | 512GB SSD |
| Processor | — | Apple M4 |
| Connectivity | ||
| Wi-Fi | — | Wi-Fi 7 |
| Ports | — | 2x Thunderbolt 4, 1x 3.5mm headphone jack |
| Bluetooth | — | Bluetooth 5.3 |
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