Acer Chromebook R 13

The Acer Chromebook R 13 (CB5-312T) was an unusually well-built Chromebook for its day: a 13.3-inch convertible with an all-aluminum body and a 360-degree hinge, released in 2016 and among the first Chromebooks designed with Android app support in mind. It runs on MediaTek’s MT8173C, an ARM chip that keeps it fanless and gives it long battery life but limits it to light computing.

The R 13 is a discontinued 2016 device. Google extended its ChromeOS Auto Update Expiration to August 2026, so it still receives updates as of mid-2026, and that window closes soon.

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Acer Chromebook R 13 Comparison Chart

	Acer Chromebook R 13	Acer Chromebook R 13	Acer Chromebook R 13
Price	List Price: $399.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $399.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $429.00 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon
Model number	CB5-312T-K5X4 / NX.GL4AA.008	CB5-312T-K5X4 / NX.GL4AA.003	CB5-312T-K40U / NX.GL4AA.003
Performance Rating	2.2	2.2	2.2
Chromebook Plus	No	No	No
Processor	Quad-core 1.70 Ghz (max 2.10 Ghz) MediaTek MT8173C	Quad-core 1.70 Ghz (max 2.10 Ghz) MediaTek MT8173C	Quad-core 1.70 Ghz (max 2.10 Ghz) MediaTek MT8173C
RAM	4 GB	4 GB	4 GB
Internal Storage	32 GB eMMC	32 GB eMMC	64 GB eMMC
Screen Size	13.3"	13.3"	13.3"
Screen Resolution	1920x1080	1920x1080	1920x1080
Screen Type	IPS	IPS	IPS
Touch Screen	Yes	Yes	Yes
Stylus / Pen	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support
Dimensions width x length x thickness	12.8 x 9 x 0.61 inches (325.12 x 228.6 x 15.49 mm)	12.8 x 9 x 0.61 inches (325.12 x 228.6 x 15.49 mm)	12.8 x 9 x 0.61 inches (325.12 x 228.6 x 15.49 mm)
Weight	3.28 lbs (1.49 kg)	3.28 lbs (1.49 kg)	3.28 lbs (1.49 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	No	No	No
Webcam	1280x720	1280x720	1280x720
WiFi	2x2 MIMO 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	2x2 MIMO 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac	2x2 MIMO 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0	Bluetooth 4.0	Bluetooth 4.0
Ethernet	No	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No	No
HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI
USB Ports	1 USB 3, 1 USB-C (with DisplayPort support)	1 USB 3, 1 USB-C (with DisplayPort support)	1 USB 3, 1 USB-C (with DisplayPort support)
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No	No
Card Reader	microSD Card Reader	microSD Card Reader	microSD Card Reader
Battery	3 cell, 54.0 Wh 4670 mAh, Li-ion	3 cell, 54.0 Wh 4670 mAh, Li-ion	3 cell, 54.0 Wh 4670 mAh, Li-ion
Battery Life	12.0 hours	12.0 hours	12.0 hours
Fanless	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Update Expiration Date	August, 2026	August, 2026	August, 2026

A quiet metal convertible with a dim screen and entry-level speed

At 3.28 pounds and 0.61 inches thick, the R 13 carries an all-aluminum chassis with a clean, MacBook-like look that stood out at its $399 launch price. NotebookCheck found the base unit can be dented in the usual places and twists fairly easily.

The 13.3-inch Full HD IPS display tested well for color in NotebookCheck’s review, with a Delta E of 3.99 and a strong 835:1 contrast ratio, and the IPS panel holds stable viewing angles. At 204.3 cd/m² average it is dim, and the glossy coating makes outdoor use difficult, though indoors it looks vivid for media.

The MediaTek MT8173C is an ARM chip that runs ChromeOS but sits well below the Intel options of its era. NotebookCheck measured an Octane V2 score of 10,139 and a JetStream 1.1 score of 57, firmly entry-level. It handles a handful of tabs, light document work, and streaming smoothly, but stutters under heavier multitasking. The ARM design also runs fanless and silent. NotebookCheck recorded a maximum surface temperature of just 30.6°C (87°F) under sustained load.

Reviewer Insights

Chrome Unboxed

Robbie Payne from Chrome Unboxed focused on the value. He said it is “made of all-aluminum, front and back, inside and out and feels way more premium than the 399 price tag would have you think,” and his benchmarking put the MediaTek chip’s Octane score around 10,000, adequate for most ChromeOS tasks. He called the R 13 the “first of a new breed of Chromebook built expressly with Android apps in mind,” and liked the ports, especially the full-size HDMI and SD slot alongside USB-C. His gripes were a wobbly hinge on his unit, a trackpad with mechanical “play,” and a large 16:9 screen that makes tablet mode awkward. He still came away positive, telling viewers “I think you’ll be really happy with the Acer R13.”

His earlier unboxing showed an Octane run approaching 10,000 on the review unit and pointed out that the glossy touch panel is reflective, with no anti-glare coating.

NotebookCheck

NotebookCheck scored the R 13 at 81%, praising the silent passive cooling and light build while flagging the display and keyboard. Their testing measured very low temperatures (idle around 23.1°C, a maximum of 30.6°C under load) and good color accuracy (Delta E 3.99), but confirmed the brightness is too low for outdoor use. On build they wrote that “the base unit can be dented in the usual places…it is easy to twist,” and the keyboard drew criticism for spongy feedback that makes long typing sessions tiring. Their verdict placed the R 13 as best for light browsing, media, and basic productivity in ChromeOS.

Lon.TV

Lon Seidman got 10 to 12 hours of battery against Acer’s 12-hour rating and an Octane score of 9,575, ahead of the 8,160 he recorded on the Celeron N3160 Acer Chromebook 14. His main worry was the hinge, which flexes in tablet mode: “it does feel like you could with enough effort kind of snap it off.” He called the keyboard “really comfortable to type on” thanks to deep key travel and rated the trackpad a little spongy but adequate. In his test, 1080p60 YouTube video dropped frames but did not stutter, and 30fps content played cleanly. Engadget’s launch hands-on confirmed the $399 starting price and an October release in the US.

Still useful for browsing and Android apps until August 2026

At $399 the R 13 was one of the first aluminum convertibles with Android-app support and a fanless chip rated for 12 hours of battery. NotebookCheck put the limits at the 204 cd/m² display, the spongy keyboard, and Octane V2 and JetStream 1.1 scores of 10,139 and 57, and Chrome Unboxed added a wobbly hinge and awkward tablet mode.

An R 13 you already own still handles web browsing, media, music production in the browser, and Android apps, and its ChromeOS updates run through the extended August 2026 AUE. After that date it keeps working but stops getting security patches, so it suits a secondary or hand-me-down role from then on.

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