Verdict
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook is a strong all-round Chromebook with beauty, a sturdy chassis and an awesome efficiency for the value. Simply be careful for its meagre port choice and the truth that it’s fairly heavy.
Execs
- Attractiveness
- Strong efficiency
- Unbelievable battery life
Cons
- Heavy
- Meagre port choice
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Speedy processor:The IdeaPad 5i Chromebook is powered by an twelfth Gen Intel Core i3 processor which gives strong relative efficiency. -
Lengthy-lasting battery:Its massive 71Whr battery is sweet to final for between one and two days. -
Massive 16-inch display screen:It additionally comes with a bigger 16-inch panel, full with 1920×1200 decision.
Introduction
Lenovo’s long-standing IdeaPad lineup of laptops has oftentimes made some glorious inexpensive candidates, and hopefully, that may prolong into their lineup of Chromebooks with their newest fusion – the aptly-named Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook.
At £550/$550, it sits properly among the many sea of Chromebooks obtainable at this worth, however as a substitute of providing intelligent options akin to 2-in-1 performance of the HP Chromebook x2 11, or a flip display screen like that of the Acer Chromebook Spin 514, Lenovo’s selection is extra typical.
Whether or not that all-rounder strategy may also help the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook together with being among the best Chromebooks we’ve examined stays to be seen, although. I’ve been performing some testing to seek out out.
Design and Keyboard
- Attractiveness
- Glorious keyboard, and a big trackpad
- Heavy chassis
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook, at first look, carries the identical look because the non-ChromeOS variant of this laptop computer, with a handsome gray chassis. It’s a two-tone gray, with a definite line on the laptop computer’s lid additionally providing a thinly-striped end, which provides it a bit of little bit of pizzazz in comparison with the ocean of strong black and gray at this worth. For a business-looking laptop computer, it’s good to have one thing a bit extra funky.
A weight of 1.85kg makes this fairly a heavy laptop computer for its dimension although, making it a bit of bit extra of a ache to hold round. Equally-priced rivals can lose an inch or two in display screen dimension, but additionally lose something from 300 to 500 grams of mass, making them a more sensible choice for these on the go. As a lot as that further weight could make it a tad cumbersome to hold, it’s reflective of how properly constructed the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook is. The chassis feels strong and isn’t hole.
The 16-inch display screen on provide makes this one of many bigger Chromebooks on the market, nevertheless it’s a display screen whose bezels are comparatively skinny on the perimeters and across the prime. The highest additionally homes a 1080p webcam, which is a pleasant contact, as some Chromebooks and Home windows laptops are nonetheless lumbered with a 720p one, even nowadays.
In comparison with different big-screen Chromebooks, the port choice on the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook is meagre. It ships with a pair of USB-C 3.2 Gen ports, certainly one of which is used for charging, in addition to two USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 ports, a headphone/mic combo jack and a Micro SD card reader. That is okay for contemporary workflows, though it might have been good to see a devoted show output akin to an HDMI port, which is current on most different similarly-priced items I’ve examined.
The benefit of this being a Chromebook with a bigger chassis is that it comes with a nearly full-size keyboard structure, a devoted quantity pad and all. It’s a comparatively comfy keyboard to sort on, with glorious tactility and a handy guide a rough journey throughout all keys. The actual fact it isn’t backlit is a disgrace, although, as this Chromebook gained’t be too appropriate for after-dark working.
There’s a big trackpad in addition, too. It offers loads of actual property in your fingers and the buttons on provide present good tactility. Apart from this, there isn’t a lot to report on – there isn’t a fingerprint sensor, for example. The one actual flourish is the Lenovo emblem plate current within the backside proper nook.
Show and Sound
- Good element and screen-size
- Colors can look washed out
- Okay audio system
With a Chromebook at this worth, the show is normally the place issues get skimped on. For the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook, that is partially the case. Lenovo has bundled in an sufficient panel for the value, however with one notable quick fall.
As a 16-inch display screen with a 1920×1200 decision, it provides you numerous house for day-to-day working and offers strong element on displayed pictures, too. It’s additionally an IPS panel, which supplied some good viewing angles in testing whereas watching the most recent Grand Tour particular, whereas its 300 nits of brightness meets our goal for sufficient vibrancy.
The issue right here is its 45% rated protection of the NTSC gamut, which left colors feeling fairly washed out and never essentially as punchy as different shows I’ve seen on Chromebooks. For probably the most half, it’s first rate sufficient, however not the most suitable choice if watching video is a precedence.
The highest-firing audio system had been first rate in testing with good quantity, and little in the way in which of distortion. They carry with them a good quantity of mids, and never a lot in the way in which of low-end, however are nonetheless first rate sufficient for day-to-day work and enjoyable with content material on Disney+ or Prime Video after you’re accomplished. The actual fact they’re additionally top-firing can be helpful should you use your laptop computer on a comfortable floor akin to a mattress, the place downwards-firing items can be muffled.
Efficiency
- Snappy processor for gentle computing duties
- Extra beneficiant storage, and strong headroom
- ChromeOS remains to be fairly restricted
In day-to-day duties and in a set of artificial benchmarks, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook proved to be a nippy performer. That is due to the mixture of a light-weight OS in ChromeOS and its snappy Intel Core i3-1215U chip. This offers a complete of six cores, cut up between two P-cores and 4 E-cores, serving to to present the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook a superb all-round efficiency.
For the sunshine computing duties it’s designed for, it felt improbable to make use of, with the overall of six cores permitting the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook to energy forward within the benchmark checks, particularly for multi-core efficiency. It’s right here the place Lenovo’s providing shines the brightest towards the competitors.
The 8GB of RAM on provide offers sufficient headroom for basic computing, and even opening a load of Chrome tabs didn’t make the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook falter. Mixed with this, the 256GB SSD is extra beneficiant than numerous different Chromebooks, the place some will nonetheless characteristic both 32GB or 64GB of eMMC storage.
The one situation right here is arguably the working system itself. ChromeOS nonetheless doesn’t help sure apps that Home windows does, or provide as large performance, which means you’re restricted on what you are able to do. It’s high quality for gentle computing, however not for something greater than this.
Battery Life
- Lasted 13 hours and 33 minutes within the battery check
- Able to lasting between one and two working days
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook additionally packs in some severe endurance, with it lasting for simply over 13 and a half hours in our battery check after dialling the brightness right down to half and working a video loop.
This is without doubt one of the finest outcomes I’ve seen from any laptop computer, not to mention a mid-range Chromebook, and means you’ll be capable to get between one and two working days out of the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook earlier than that you must plug it in.
In fact, whacking the brightness up goes to empty the battery faster, however that’s a trade-off that’s wider than with simply this laptop computer.
Newest offers
Must you purchase it?
You need snappy efficiency
The IdeaPad 5i Chromebook gives some comparably glorious efficiency for the value, making it superb for ChromeOS.
You desire a light-weight machine
The Lenovo IdeaPad 5 Chromebook has a heavy chassis, and so if portability is your prime precedence, you might wish to look elsewhere such because the Lenovo Chromebook Duet.
Last Ideas
Versus providing any extras akin to a touchscreen or two-in-one performance, the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Chromebook serves up a traditional laptop computer expertise with quite a bit to love about it. It’s a great trying machine, though it’s fairly heavy. On the plus facet, the keyboard is improbable, and the trackpad provides you numerous room.
Inside, the Intel Core i3-1215U packs a serious punch, and makes the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook one of many nippiest performers for the value, whereas its mixture of 8GB RAM and a 256GB SSD give some nice headroom for multi-tasking and storage respectively. The show on provide is essentially okay should you’re after a big-screen Chromebook, however colors can look a bit of washed out and lack that punch you get from equally priced alternate options such because the Acer Chromebook Spin 514.
Recommending the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook is fairly simple should you’re after an all-round Chromebook that will get the fundamentals proper. It doesn’t have a touchscreen or the 2-in-1 performance of the HP Chromebook x2 11, however for these wanting a traditional laptop computer for a great worth, that is one to think about. Take a look at our Finest Chromebook information for extra choices.
How we check
Each laptop computer we evaluate goes via a sequence of uniform checks designed to gauge key issues together with construct high quality, efficiency, display screen high quality and battery life.
These embody formal artificial benchmarks and scripted checks, plus a sequence of real-world checks, akin to how properly it runs standard apps.
We used as our major laptop computer for at the very least per week.
Examined the efficiency by way of each benchmark checks and real-world use.
We examined the battery with a benchmark check and real-world use.
FAQs
The 5 refers back to the mannequin variant, and the small i refers back to the truth this Chromebook runs an Intel processor.
