Chromebooks are a great laptop option for people who use lots of web-based apps and services from Google. They’re lightweight, look nice, and last a long time on battery.
Some even offer premium features like LTE, a high-resolution display, and extra security. We’ve picked out the best Chromebook for the money, whether you’re a student or just want to get some work done.
If you want to skip the reviews, we say get the HP Chromebook x360 14-inch.
Best Chromebook For The Money Reviews
Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 Snapdragon®
- Processor Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 compute platform (8x Kryo 468 CPU, up to 2.55 GHz)
- Memory 8 GB LPDDR4X-2133MHz (Soldered)
- Storage 128 GB eMMC
- Display 10.95" 2K (2000 x 1200), IPS, Glare, Touch, 70.8%NTSC, 400 nits, 60Hz
- Pen Lenovo Digital Pen Keyboard Traditional, Storm Grey - English (US)
Lenovo’s newest version of its popular Chromebook Duet gets a big upgrade in both size and specs. The tablet is now a full 11 inches and boasts a gorgeous 2K screen resolution and stylus support.
It’s also powered by a new processor and has more ports than its predecessor. The new Chromebook Duet 3 is the best Chromebook for the money.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 is an excellent choice for people who want a cheap, portable computer that can handle light productivity tasks and play video games.
Its slim profile and lightweight design make it easy to take with you on the go. Its IPS display is bright and offers crisp detail. It also features a wide viewing angle, making it ideal for watching movies. The laptop weighs just over a pound without the keyboard and has an excellent battery life of up to 12 hours.
This Chromebook is also ideal for students who need a reliable laptop to take notes and complete assignments. The lightweight build and large display make it easy to hold in one hand for long periods of time.
The laptop is equipped with a dual camera and a full range of ports, including USB-C and an HDMI port for connecting to an external monitor or television.
Another great feature of this device is the fast Wi-Fi connection. Its 802.11ac Wi-Fi chip provides speeds up to 2.4Gbps. This is enough to stream HD videos and browse the web. It also supports multiple wireless devices simultaneously and offers a secure connection with Google Assistant.
The Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 SoC (System on a Chip) powers this computer. This low-power ARM processor is powerful enough to provide a smooth desktop experience with Chrome OS.
However, it cannot handle demanding applications and will cause lag and slowdown in some games. Its integrated graphics are also limited and will only allow you to run general productivity apps and watch videos.
The Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 has a number of improvements over its predecessor, but it is not perfect. Its trackpad is small and has a mushy, unsatisfactory feel to it. The tablet is also limited in its storage capacity with only 64 or 128 GB of eMMC storage. It also does not have a microSD slot for expansion.
HP Chromebook x360 14-inch
- The performance you'll applaud. The entertainment you'll love: versatile Chromebook packed with...
- Thin and light with four versatile modes: easily convert from laptop mode to tablet, stand or tent mode...
- Google play store: the millions of Android apps you know and love on your phone and tablet can now run on...
- Processor: intel(r) celeron(r) N4000, Dual-Core, 1.1 GHz Base frequency, up to 2.6 GHz burst frequency
- Display: 14.0-Inch diagonal HD SVA micro-edge WLED-backlit multitouch-enabled edge-to-edge glass...
The HP Chromebook x360 14-inch is a premium 2-in-1 that delivers strong performance and a sleek aluminum design. Its high price tag will make it a hard sell for many consumers, however, and its dim screen may also deter some buyers.
This convertible laptop comes with a surprisingly powerful Intel Core m3 processor and is rated for up to 13.5 hours of battery life. This is well above average for a modern 14-inch notebook, and the battery should last you through most workdays.
The x360’s screen is also made from Corning Gorilla Glass NBT, so it should be able to resist scratches and other damage.
While the x360 has a slim side bezel and bottom chin, it’s still a large machine that feels bulky in your hands.
It’s 0.71 inches thick and weighs 3.35 pounds, which is above average for a modern budget convertible 2-in-1. On the left side of the chassis, you’ll find a USB Type-C charging port, and the right side includes a USB 3.0 port and a Kensington lock slot next to the volume rockers.
While the x360’s lid gives a little under pressure, it’s far stiffer than the hinge on the Asus Chromebook Flip C536, another 14-inch convertible we reviewed. The hinge holds the display firmly in place in clamshell, tablet, media stand, and tent modes. It’s also quite sturdy, and the x360 feels built to last as long as you don’t drop it.
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 14″
- Processor Manufacturer: Intel
- Processor Type: Core i3
- Processor Generation: 11th Gen
- Processor Model: i3-1110G4
- Processor Core: Dual-core (2 Core)
The ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 is a powerful 2-in-1 laptop with a bright, crisp display and a high-performance SSD. It also meets the MIL-STD-810H military standard and passes several additional tests for durability and reliability.
It has a 48 Wh 3-cell lithium-ion battery that provides 8-9 hours of mixed usage. It also features fast charging, which can restore it to full power in just an hour.
The Chromebook Flip CX5 is powered by a 12th-gen Intel Alder Lake processor. It has a base clock speed of 2.8 GHz and can increase to up to 4.1 GHz with Turbo and hyper-threading.
The CX5 also has a low-consumption 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM that allows it to handle demanding cloud-based apps and software downloaded from the Google Play Store.
It has a Full HD IPS display that scores well in our tests, with stable viewing angles and good color reproduction. However, the screen is somewhat on the dull side, and the brightness could be higher.
The keyboard has a spacious layout and feels comfortable to use. The keys have a nice amount of travel and are responsive, but the keycaps feel cheap and aren’t very durable. It also has a trackpad that is large and responsive.
In our Jetstream 2.0 benchmark test, the Chromebook Flip CX5 earned a score of 165.2, which is above average for a Chromebook. Its performance is especially impressive considering that it uses a 64-bit version of the operating system.
It also has a wide range of ports, including two USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports that support both display and power delivery.
The CX5 is one of the few laptops with a fingerprint reader built into its trackpad, which makes it easy to unlock your computer and open apps with just a swipe of a finger.
It has an extensive list of security features that include automatic updates and a robust privacy suite. It also supports a range of wireless networking standards, so you can connect it to any Wi-Fi network. However, it doesn’t support wired Ethernet, which is a major drawback.
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13″
- Touch Screen Type :Capacitive.Aspect Ratio:16:9
- Work from home, school, or anywhere with the outstanding combination of performance, connectivity, and...
- This 2-in-1 laptop combines a keyboard and touchscreen to make it easy to interact with everything on...
- The 13.3-inch FHD display in this slim, light 360° convertible Chromebook offers beautiful visuals,...
- Use your Google account to easily access files, videos, music, and documents stored on the cloud from...
The Flex 5 is a premium Chromebook at a midrange price. It offers Intel’s capable 10th Gen processors in a sturdy and nice-looking chassis, a good touchscreen that supports stylus input, an excellent keyboard with backlighting, and a satisfying port selection.
It’s a great choice for those who want to use their laptop mostly for web browsing, writing documents, and editing spreadsheets and presentations in Google Docs, Sheets, and Microsoft Office online.
The IPS screen is sharp and vivid, with crisp text and accurate colors. However, the corners show some light bleed and it lacks an oleophobic coating, which means it’s a fingerprint/smudge magnet. This is a minor problem, but it’s not uncommon for laptops in this price range to have some quirks with the display.
Its keyboard is the highlight, offering a comfortable typing experience that doesn’t lead to fatigue. It has the typical Chrome OS layout, with large keys and ample travel. It’s a pleasant typing experience, though it doesn’t feel quite as responsive or confident as the keyboard on the Asus Chromebook Flip CX436.
Lenovo’s touchpad is a little small, but it’s still a solid performer. It feels accurate and responsive, and it doesn’t have any lag when scrolling or clicking on items. It has a backlight, too, which is a rare feature on Chromebooks.
The 51-watt-hour battery in the Flex 5 lasts for eight hours and 22 minutes in the CrXPRT 2 battery benchmark, which is good for a Chromebook.
I saw similar results in real-world usage, where I used the laptop for a mix of web surfing, YouTube watching, Netflix binging, and some lightweight productivity in Chrome apps like Docs, Sheets, and Excel.
If you’re willing to spend a bit more, there are better Chromebooks with more robust designs and better features, such as the Asus Chromebook Spin 11 or HP Chromebook x360 14.
But the Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 13 strikes a near-perfect balance of feature to price and design to performance. The chassis looks nicer than most Chromebooks in this price range, while its specs are comparable to what you’d find in a budget Windows laptop.
Lenovo 82QS0000US IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
- The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is the ultimate 2-in-1 device, powered by Chrome OS and cloud...
- This versatile touch screen Chromebook has a detachable fabric folio keyboard and stylus support, plus an...
- With its lightweight Samsung OLED display, the Duet 5 Chromebook’s 13.3" full-HD screen (1920 x 1080)...
- Enjoy crystal-clear audio from 4 speakers with smart amplifier technology, 2 microphones, and rear 8MP...
- Discover how fast and simple this 2-in-1 Chromebook is – login with your Google Account to access your...
Lenovo has assembled an outstanding Chromebook in their IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook. This versatile device can serve both as a tablet and laptop thanks to its removable keyboard and folio design, offering both tablet and laptop use simultaneously.
In terms of weight and battery life, this device stands out among convertible or clamshell Chromebooks while still providing exceptional battery life; additionally, its stunning OLED display with deep blacks and excellent color reproduction is one standout feature.
Lenovo has made significant upgrades to last year’s budget champion laptop from last year by expanding the screen size to 13.3 inches and upgrading with Qualcomm processors, offering a much-improved experience – although some may find the clip-on keyboard restricting for lap use.
OLED display technology on this year’s model is an incredible upgrade from last year’s IPS LCD technology, producing 400 nits of brightness and a wide gamut, perfect for reading text or watching video content. Furthermore, colors appear richer and more vibrant – an appealing departure from most budget tablets with dull, muted tones.
The new CPU on this year’s model, too, is an improvement over its MediaTek P60T counterpart from last year’s Chromebook Duet 5.
On our Kraken JavaScript test, the Duet 5 finished in 1,845ms for an impressively fast time compared to most $500 Chromebooks we’ve tested and nearly double the speed of most Chromebooks.
Though not as quick as some of the best Intel-based laptops currently on the market it could pose issues for power users who require speedier performance from their laptops.
The Duet 5 comes equipped with two USB-A ports and one USB-C port with support for Power Delivery 3.0 and DisplayPort 1.4; these should suffice for most people; however, some might wish to connect additional peripherals such as external storage drives or USB storage solutions.
As with other Chromebooks, setup for a Chromebook is relatively straightforward: once you sign in to your Google account and access all of your Chrome apps and browser extensions as well as Android applications is straightforward; unfortunately some developers haven’t given large-screen Android devices enough consideration in terms of development so there may be some rough edges when using them.
One downside of the smartphone is its lack of security features like fingerprint readers or face ID authentication, though this shouldn’t be seen as a deal breaker for most. However, keep this factor in mind when making your decision.
HP Chromebook x360 14c-cc0013dx
- Chrome OS - This easy-to-use operating system was designed to be fast in every possible way, while...
- Exceptional experience, anywhere - 11th Gen Intel Core processors bring the perfect combination of...
- FHD IPS touchscreen - Reach out and control your PC with just a touch. And with 178° wide-viewing angles...
- Liberating battery life - Take on your day without worrying about recharging. With up to 10 hours and 45...
- PCIe SSD storage - Boot up in seconds with lightning fast speed with up to 128 GB PCIe SSD storage. Also,...
Chromebooks have rapidly evolved in terms of form factor and features. HP’s popular x360 convertible 2-in-1 now features an 11th-generation Intel Core CPU as well as some useful extras – though its 16:9 display leaves it slightly behind the competition that offers taller 16:10 or 3:2 panels.
Still a solid pick at its current sale price though!
Like its ancestor, the x360 features a hinge that enables it to fold all the way back for tablet mode. It is durable enough for media or work use and features a multitouch trackpad that responds to multitouch gestures.
A full 1920 x 1080 display sits at the heart of this chassis and serves as an excellent screen for watching videos or working in Google Docs.
Coated with Corning Gorilla Glass to resist scratches and other forms of damage, this display also boasts Bang & Olufsen speakers that deliver surprisingly robust audio – although you won’t get deep bass notes or the clarity and balance that come from deeper speakers like those found elsewhere on our list.
The keyboard is relatively comfortable, featuring plenty of spacing between keys and large keycaps, yet requires considerable light pressure to register a keypress, which may become tiring over extended typing sessions.
Furthermore, while its trackpad offers good responsiveness but isn’t as precise as some of my favorite touchpads I’ve used in the past.
Inside, the x360 features an 11th generation quad-core Intel Core i3 processor and 8GB of memory; that should be fast enough for most people’s needs despite its slightly older CPU that may be found in more expensive competing Chromebooks.
Unfortunately, however, DDR4x RAM technology is unavailable on this Chromebook so maximum speed will only reach 3200MHz speed.
The x360 features two USB-C ports capable of 5Gbps SuperSpeed transfer speeds and one standard USB-A port, along with a headphone/microphone combo port and microSD card reader, supporting Wi-Fi 6 with Bluetooth 5.0 support and comes complete with a 45W Type C power adapter.
Acer – Chromebook Spin 714 Laptop
This Acer Chromebook is one of the best value productivity laptops around with solid performance, battery life, display, dockable stylus support, and an attractive price point.
Although its design may seem plain vanilla at first, this robust device boasts strong connectivity features as well as security and conferencing functions that help make life more efficient.
This 2023 Acer model boasts an Intel Core i5-1235U processor and 8GB of LPDDR4x RAM in its 14-inch FHD+ touch display, making it available at third-party retailers such as Best Buy or Amazon for approximately $500 to $600 – considerably less than similar high-end Chromebooks that boast faster SSD storage or higher resolution displays.
Our tests found the Spin 714 battery to last an impressive 10 hours of continuous usage – an outstanding feat for an affordable laptop of this price point. Furthermore, its military-grade durability was independently certified MIL-STD-810H8.
Acer has completely revamped this Chromebook chassis to make it more compact and stable than previous models, featuring narrower bezels to maximize screen real estate in its same footprint area.
Furthermore, this year’s model boasts an improved 2256×1504 IPS display offering 100% coverage of sRGB color gamut coverage.
Other features include an updated USB-C port with Thunderbolt 4 support that’s easier to use than older USB-C ports and can support up to 40Gbps transfer speeds, Acer has kept a full-size HDMI port as well as four-pole 3.5mm audio jack for connecting external devices; additionally, Acer removed an SD card slot but installed a microSD reader instead.
The Spin 714 offers a spacious and tactile keyboard but can become tiresome to type on over extended periods.
The trackpad can also be finicky at times. Intel 12th Gen processor excels at running apps smoothly with an easy user interface; fast enough even for 3D graphics software; though not suitable for more demanding apps.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 714’s touchscreen is bright enough for most indoor settings and features a matte finish to minimize reflections. Additionally, its USI stylus provides excellent feedback with fast battery charging times; furthermore, it boasts 4096 levels of pressure sensitivity for precise drawing and movement.
HP Chromebook Laptop Student Business 2023 Model
- 【4GB LPDDR4 + 64GB eMMC】Sufficient high-bandwidth 4GB RAM allows you to smoothly run your programs...
- 【14.0" HD Display】14" diagonal, HD (1366 x 768), micro-edge, anti-glare. High definition display with...
- 【Intel Celeron N4120】Intel Celeron N4120 (1.1 GHz base frequency, up to 2.6 GHz burst frequency, 4 MB...
- 【Google Chrome OS】Chromebook is a computer for the way the modern world works, with thousands of...
- 【Specifics】12.85" L x 8.94" W x 0.72" H, 3.35 lbs; 2x SuperSpeed USB Type-A/ 1x SuperSpeed USB Type-C...
Chromebooks are lightweight and user-friendly laptops designed for less expensive than full-sized models or two-in-ones and often run Chrome OS, which was created specifically to work on low-end hardware with unique security features built-in.
ZDNET selected its top 2023 Chromebooks through hands-on testing using CrXRPT 2.0 benchmarks to see how well they performed tasks such as playing video games, editing photos, and taking offline notes.
Chromebooks are becoming an increasingly popular choice in both business and school due to their ease of use and security features.
Furthermore, they’re often less costly than laptops running Windows or macOS, provide extended battery life, and come equipped with touch screens – perfect for students seeking productivity without breaking the bank!
This makes Chromebooks ideal for productive students looking for affordable ways to stay productive.
If you need something that will handle intensive tasks such as video editing or 3D modeling, a more powerful laptop with a better display and faster processor might be best. But for simpler needs, Chromebooks are great solutions.
Chromebooks are cloud-based devices, meaning they require an internet connection in order to use them.
While this might be fine if you’re only browsing or running basic programs, if you need to get work done while out and about this can be more restrictive than desirable. Newer Chromebooks now come equipped with Android applications which give more freedom if you wish to work offline or play games.
The best Chromebooks for the money provide superb keyboards and solid build quality with long battery lives, along with bright displays to increase productivity. For serious gamers looking for high-resolution screens and fast refresh rates.
The Asus 516 GE, for instance, may not win any speed awards but can certainly keep pace with all your work needs in between studying for exams.
Furthermore, its relatively affordable for a gaming Chromebook with an Intel Core i5 processor, 16 gigabytes of memory, and a 256GB SSD drive. This laptop-style ChromeOS operating system will ensure long-term support from software vendors.
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