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Lenovo has been thorough with its stance on the ChromeOS entrance—the Chinese language producer is on the market to make financial institution with its array of top-tier Chromebooks that in any other case don’t value too excessively as effectively. The Chromebook Duet, Flex 5, and IdeaPad 3 are stellar examples of the notion at hand.
With that mentioned, the trade large additionally doesn’t draw back from going outright premium for a few of its Chromebooks. Trying on the C13 Yoga and the Yoga C630, that’s just about clear. At the moment, alternatively, we’ve received our fingers on a gaming-focused Chromebook that packs fairly the pizzazz from the tech specs perspective.
Nonetheless, is the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook a succesful machine you may run with constantly on the finish of the day? That’s what we’re right here to find as we take this in any other case promising unit for a spin and see the way it manages to carry its floor. Do learn till the tip for the very best outcomes.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook technical specs
- CPU: twelfth era Intel Core i3-1215U (6-core, 1.2 GHz)
- Show: 16.0″ WQXGA, 2.5K (2560 x 1600), IPS panel, 16:10 side ratio, 350 nits brightness
- Graphics: Intel Irix Xe
- Onerous drive dimension: 128 GB eMMC flash reminiscence
- RAM: 8 GB DDR4-3200
- Digicam: 1080p webcam
- Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports, x2 USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports, built-in 3.5 mm headphone jack, microSD card reader slot
- Battery: 71WHr, 10-11 hours runtime
- Charging pace: 50% in 35 minutes
- Weight: 4.01 lbs (1.82 kg)
- Value: Begins at $429
- Purchase from Walmart
Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook in-depth evaluate
Earlier than we dive into the nitty gritty of this Lenovo Gaming Chromebook, it’s value clearing up some confusion surrounding it. First, the machine we’re referring to now doesn’t have a 120 Hz refresh charge however slightly a regular 60 Hz configuration.
There’s one other mannequin of the identical Chromebook that resembles the unit in query, nevertheless it comes with a few upgrades and a costlier price ticket. We’ll additionally get into this machine within the “Configurations” subsection of the forthcoming evaluate.
As for the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook, which is the machine we’re placing to the check at current, we’ve gauged it as per the next metrics: design, efficiency, and battery life. Please learn by way of these and take a look at our verdict on the machine to depart right here with a agency buying choice, whether or not a sure or a tough cross.
Lenovo Ideapad Gaming Chromebook
1. Design
From a visible standpoint of the outside of the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook, this machine is a sleek-looking piece of tech with its single colour scheme accessible choice but in twin tone, which occurs to be Storm Gray. You’ll discover one half of the outer lid — the one which takes much less room on the chassis — sporting a special colour tone, however this isn’t unusual for Lenovo.
It’s a dashing machine that may flip heads and catch folks’s glances, particularly if you happen to take it to work or college. The ending feels easy and appears like a top-notch type of polish that permits you to glide your fingers on it with seamless fluidity. We love this concerning the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook. Let’s transfer on to the construct of the machine.
Construct high quality and weight
Though not mil-spec rated and nowhere close to military-grade sturdy, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Chromebook is exceptionally able to holding its personal. It feels agency in hand, with minimal flex to its chassis as effectively, and there’s simply no linking its plastic construct to inferior construct high quality.
It’s shocking what number of producers, together with Acer, know how you can make the most of plastic in Chromebooks successfully. Even with the utilization of this in any other case low-cost materials, most of their mid-range gadgets really feel nice to choose up and use day by day.
As for the load of the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook, it weighs about 4.01 lbs, falling simply wanting the two kg mark. This doesn’t grant the unit glorious portability, however we nonetheless wouldn’t charge it low on this division. It’s a large-sized Chromebook for certain, whose display dimension measures 16 inches diagonally, together with a footprint of 14.40″ x 9.96″ x 0.79″.
The machine will slide into backpacks, supplied that you’ve got one that may accommodate a 16-inch laptop computer. In all equity, although, the IdeaPad 5 is rather less preferable for individuals who are at all times on the transfer, given its weight and general actual property. Nonetheless, then once more, it’s a gaming Chromebook meant to be sat down on a worktable for prolonged use.
Due to this fact, so far as that regard is anxious, it will get the job accomplished within the portability division in a satisfactory style. To match the unit with its different gaming buddies, the Asus Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip has a 14-inch display with a sub-4-pound weight. The Acer Chromebook 516 GE weighs about 3.75 kilos and measures 16 inches diagonally.
Show
Shifting onto the show of the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook, which should be one of many unit’s robust promoting factors, we now have at our disposal a 16-inch display with a WQXGA, 2.5K (2560 x 1600) panel. The show additionally makes use of In-Airplane Switching (IPS) tech as a substitute of TN to robotically make the colours brighter, sharper, and lively.
Moreover, the 16:10 side ratio means the Chromebook’s peak orientation is commonplace and nothing out of the blue just like the Acer Chromebook Spin 713. The utmost brightness you may flip up on the IdeaPad 5 is 350 nits, which is fairly vivid and able to accommodating you on a sunny day outside.
If there’s a gripe right here, it’s undoubtedly the dearth of a touch-enabled show. No variant of the IdeaPad 5 comes with a touchscreen, so if you happen to’re somebody who prioritizes that, you higher look elsewhere. Now, that’s simply studying the tech specs and the {hardware} out loud for you, so what concerning the precise expertise?
We’re completely happy to report that the Chromebook at hand has an pleasing display, one which we definitely see getting used for the likes of Fortnite, PUBG, and Apex Legends. Furthermore, you may whip it up for a pleasurable Netflix session and use different fashionable streaming apps, equivalent to Amazon Prime Video and Crunchyroll, with out breaking a sweat.
It’s additionally non-convertible, and the very best the IdeaPad 5’s display can do is lay flat on a floor at 180° for collaboration and teamwork functions.
Keyboard
Subsequent up, we’ve received the keyboard of the IdeaPad 5 Chromebook to forged a lens on, and critically talking; the keyboard is admirable. It’s not too substantial and nothing just like the Acer Chromebook Vero 514 or any equally priced machine, however it’ll get you by day by day.
The important thing body of the machine may gain advantage from a bump in high quality because the keys really feel a bit low-cost. Nonetheless, the typing continues to be comfy to an affordable extent, and you may constantly push out lengthy hours of typing periods on the machine. The journey of the keys is fairly palpable as effectively.
It additionally has a devoted numeric keypad latched on one aspect in order that typists can use the characteristic to their benefit. All in all, you might not must get an exterior keyboard for this one, however on the finish of the day, we’re nonetheless not going to say the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook has one of many finest keyboards within the enterprise.
Trackpad
The trackpad, nonetheless, in comparison with the keyboard of the Chromebook, is one other story. It’s a fairly-sized touchpad with a wonderful click on mechanism. The part’s high quality feels on top of things, and the tapping registers even on the far corners of the unit. It’s undoubtedly one of many higher trackpads we’ve used on a Chromebook up to now, and also you’re definitely not going to require, per se, an exterior mouse to do the deed.
Ports
The port choice on the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook is utility-driven, given the variety of choices you get for hooking up your exterior gadgets with the machine. It doesn’t have an HDMI port or an Ethernet slot—most Chromebooks not often do—nevertheless it consists of two USB-C and USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports.
There’s additionally a 3.5 mm headphone jack and a microSD card reader slot to increase your storage. This does the job after which some for most individuals, however if you happen to fall inside the minority of customers who require further ports, take into account investing in a USB-C hub in your Chromebook and unlock its true I/O potential.
Webcam
Though we’ve seen worse image and video qualities from the webcams of different, equally priced Chromebooks, the digicam of the IdeaPad 5 Chromebook is satisfactory. It pushes out a doable degree of high quality and nothing too nice which you can write dwelling about. Specs-wise, an FHD (1080p) webcam is a minimize above its different counterparts.
In case you’re knowledgeable who requires premium video high quality, you might must get your self an exterior webcam for the Chromebook. It will improve your Google Meet, Zoom, or Skype experiences and make you stand out amongst your work friends and colleagues.
Audio system
The 4 upward-firing audio system of the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook are fairly loud and full however nothing too excessive. They boast an honest quantity of readability and are succesful sufficient to run as somebody’s day by day driver. We dislike which you can simply discuss over the audio system, pushing audio out at full quantity with out elevating your voice.
It’s finest to maintain helpful Bluetooth audio system close by or wi-fi headphones for the very best audio listening expertise in your Chromebook, ought to the default audio system of the IdeaPad 5 fail to suffice.
2. Efficiency
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Chromebook has been extra than simply a median Chromebook to this point, so how does it maintain up within the efficiency division? In any case, a tool is not any good, irrespective of how flashy, if it can not run duties swiftly with out worrying about pace lags and efficiency drops.
The query of efficiency, due to this fact, with the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Chromebook, is a simple one to reply, happily. With speedy internals and succesful {hardware}, it’s no slimy slug that you just’d be higher off avoiding. As a substitute, it’s tremendous quick with its twelfth era Intel Core i3-1215U processor, 8 GB RAM, and 128 GB storage.
Be at liberty to run all kinds of Android apps, significantly resource-intensive ones on the machine, to not point out tip-top Linux software program, equivalent to Lightworks, WordPress, OpenShot Video Editor, Firefox, and others to your coronary heart’s content material. The dependable efficiency ranges of the machine mix eloquently with its multitasking potential.
And that’s primarily as a result of 16-inch display dimension of the IdeaPad 5, permitting you to break up your display into a number of components and pin it to corners of the ChromeOS interface or every other means you want—the probabilities are quite a few. It lets you be versatile in your individual area and makes the utilization of various digital desks buttery easy and painless.
Now, there’s only one basic of the machine that we now have to think about earlier than deeming the IdeaPad 5 match for buy: certainly one of its upgraded fashions. It is going to get a bit of complicated from right here, so bear with us.
Configurations
So, Lenovo, I don’t know why or how has manufactured one other mannequin of the Gaming Chromebook in query and loaded it chock-full of enhancements. For starters, it’s received a keyboard with anti-ghosting tech-enabled, a show with a QHD panel and 120 Hz refresh charge, louder-sounding audio system, and a higher-quality keyboard with premium keycaps.
This model of the machine in query is at the moment unavailable at Lenovo’s official web site, however you will discover it up on the market on different platforms, equivalent to Walmart. The remainder of the internals stay the identical as the bottom mannequin of the machine mentioned on this evaluate, so there’s that as effectively.
The latter could not appear too large of a deal, however it’s one. For a good enhance within the value, you’re getting much more with the opposite variant of the Gaming Chromebook than the default model. A greater display, higher keyboard, higher audio system? Examine, examine, and examine.
3. Battery life
The battery runtime size is among the finest sides of the IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook, lasting round 11 hours on a single full cost of its 71Whr battery. For people with workplaces and school-goers, this may be excellent sufficient to make sure that they nonetheless have some juice left after an entire day of labor or many lessons, no matter it’s you do.
Much more so, one of these battery timing places the IdeaPad 5 up there with Chromebooks with the finest battery runtimes throughout the board. In order that you recognize, don’t go away the machine plugged into the charger—the implications usually are not precisely fascinating.
4. Closing ideas
On the finish of the day, if you happen to take a look at the Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Gaming Chromebook by itself, it’s a stable unit that may handle itself effectively, due to its attractive {hardware} that pushes out exceptional ranges of efficiency day by day. Nonetheless, being a client, one at all times tries to make the very best buy with cash, not accept something much less when a greater choice is accessible.
That’s the case with the IdeaPad 5 Chromebook right here—its different configuration, which prices round $650, options quite a few engaging enhancements over its predecessor, all succesful sufficient to enhance the core ChromeOS expertise additional for you. In case you’ve received the funds, we suggest you get the latter with no second thought.
Nonetheless, in case you may’t spare the additional money at this second in time, the bottom IdeaPad 5 Chromebook is an choice value going after. It’s received a modern design, admirable battery runtime, an considerable variety of ports, and a high quality show panel that may preserve you content material for the times to come back. Contemplating its $429 pricing, we see this as a workable enterprise.
Do tell us within the feedback part under whether or not you’ve discovered the IdeaPad 5 Chromebook suited to your preferences. Chrome Prepared needs you good luck!
