Acer Chromebook 14 for Work CP5-471-C0EX

Driversoflaptop.com – For the price point, this might be the most powerful Chromebook on offer from any OEM. While using only a 2-core Skylake-based Celeron, it will beat most other Chromebook 2-core x86/64-based processors – including newer Apollo Lake-based Chromebooks – in mobile processor benchmarks. It might not beat a 4-core ARM-based or 4-core x86/64-based Chromebook, but those models will likely be normally priced at a notably higher price.

Along with the advertised “rugged features” (none of which I’ve actually tested), this Chromebook offers HDMI support without needing to use a dongle, along with full-size SD card support which makes it slightly more flexible than other Chromebooks that may only support microSD cards.

This is also one of the cheapest Chromebooks that allows for USB C charging, and I have been able to successfully charge this Chromebook with multiple 5V/2A cellphone chargers (the included USB C charger that comes with the Chromebook can also charge my USB C Moto g6 phone. Bonus!)

I currently dual-boot my machine with both the ChromeOS and GalliumOS (partly because of a drawback listed below; read on). The write-protect screw to enable re-flashing the BIOS is easy to spot – it’s located near the “A” symbol on the mainboard. This being a Skylake-based machine, headphone and speaker audio is currently not working for GalliumOS, but I knew that before going in.

Despite the great hardware and connectivity options packed into this machine, there are notable drawbacks. The first – and worst – of these drawbacks is the screen. This has possibly the worst TN panel I’ve ever used on a laptop.

Color accuracy is atrocious at its very best, and whatever colors that do appear are so washed out that you will go hunting for ridiculous vertical screen angles to get some semblance of color. In the thinnest of silver linings, you can dim the screen to a very, very low brightness (and even turn off the backlight entirely), which is fine for very dark rooms.

All the other downsides are minor to me. There is a fan on this model which is audible, which seems ridiculous for a part rated for a max TDP of 15W, but I guess you’re guaranteed that you will never overheat and thermal throttle this Chromebook unless you really, really, really want to.

There are no internal expansion options for storage, which is a bummer, but we live in a world where Chromebooks are getting progressively more locked down on the hardware level (not sure if this is a Google thing or an OEM thing, but we somehow went from an Acer C720 which had a real m.2 SATA drive connector to storage and RAM being soldered onto the board…

this is regression, NOT progression, and it is maddening). And finally, Acer made it impossible to open up the baseplate on this Chromebook without breaking at least one of the plastic retention tabs. The number of screws makes this almost a non-story, but the tab near the USB C ports is so small and flimsy that it has a dual-function as an indicator that someone opened the laptop (First they came for my car’s engine – but I did not speak, because I was not a mechanic. Then they came for my computers…)

At the end of the day, though, this Chromebook has been just about perfect for what I wanted it for. I’m able to dip my toe into Linux (yes, it’s Ubuntu-based, shoot me) on a small laptop that I can easily pack into my single carry-on bag and take with me wherever (it not only fits on a Southwest tray table, but it even has room to spare for the entire recessed cupholder, and should be able to deal with someone spilling their drink on it), with USB C power to enable me to charge with almost anything, while also being able to plug into my TV for use as a competent media/streaming player.

Acer Chromebook 14 for Work CP5-471-C0EX Specs

Download Acer Chromebook 14 for Work CP5-471 drivers