Desk of Contents
Desk of Contents
Desk of Contents
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus value and specs
I like when a laptop computer seems to be far more costly than it’s
A plain outdated, respectable show
An important array of ports
Refreshingly crisp, full-bodied audio
A well-spaced, snug keyboard
The Flex 5i’s webcam is rather like most laptop computer webcams
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus benchmarks and efficiency
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus battery life
Is the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus value it?
How We Examined
The Chromebook Plus line is a step above conventional Chromebooks, and the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is superior even to its fellow Plus opponents. This laptop computer seems to be extra lavish than its comparatively inexpensive price ticket would counsel, and it’s decked out with pretty highly effective internals besides.
That’s to not say this Chromebook is ideal — it’s not. Nonetheless, the Flex 5i’s easy total efficiency, crisp and full-bodied audio system, spectacular battery life, and wholesome port choice significantly overshadow the few tiny issues I didn’t love about this laptop computer, like its show and webcam.
All in all, this laptop computer has earned a stable place as among the best Chromebooks you should purchase proper now, however it does price a bit of bit greater than funds choices you may see extra typically.
This laptop computer seems to be high-end.
Credit score: Ian Moore/Mashable composite; Sarah Chaney
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus value and specs
Chromebooks have come a good distance since their conception in 2011, they usually’re not the wimpy, can-only-surf-the-web Chromebooks you is likely to be extra accustomed to. Particularly, Chromebook Plus fashions are assured to have sure comparatively highly effective specs, together with:
A minimum of a Twelfth-generation Intel Core i3 or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 collection processor (i.e., a CPU from 2022 or newer)
A minimum of 8GB of RAM
A minimum of 128GB of storage
A 1080p webcam with temporal noise discount
An IPS show with a decision of not less than 1080p (Full HD)
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus goes past these minimal spec necessities, delivering a dependable Chrome OS-powered machine wrapped up in a beautiful bundle. Our evaluation unit is accessible for $599 at Costco, with the next specs:
Intel Core i5-1334U
Built-in Intel Iris Xe graphics
8GB RAM
256GB of SSD storage
14-inch, 1920 x 1200, IPS contact show
For a Chromebook Plus mannequin, $599 is a reasonably steep value, however in trade, you get a robust, simply moveable machine with nice battery life and better-than-average port selection, audio system, and total construct high quality.
The lid is fortunately not a fingerprint magnet.
Credit score: Ian Moore/Mashable composite; Sarah Chaney
I like when a laptop computer seems to be far more costly than it’s
I might’ve guessed the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus was a $1,000 laptop computer if I didn’t already know its value. The construct high quality is great. The laptop computer feels solidly constructed, with virtually no give when pushing on the chassis, sturdy hinges that don’t creak or stick, and a cool-to-the-touch aluminum lid that resists fingerprints effectively.
The aluminum lid encompasses a two-tone grey design, with a straight line dividing a lightweight grey third from the darker Storm Gray shade that covers the remainder of the chassis. The underside a part of the chassis that homes all of the laptop computer’s internals and the keyboard is made with plastic, so it’s not in a position to maintain greasy fingerprints at bay just like the lid, however it nonetheless seems to be and feels nice.
At 3.5 kilos, the Flex 5i isn’t the lightest Chromebook obtainable, however its compact dimensions of 12.4 x 9 x 0.8 inches and its versatile 2-in-1 capabilities make it an simply moveable possibility that’s nice for distant employees and college students.
A plain outdated, respectable show
Lenovo’s Flex 5i Chromebook Plus encompasses a 14-inch, 1920 x 1200-pixel IPS shiny show, and it’s respectable. After inspecting a number of film trailers on YouTube and the colours in my private Trello I take advantage of daily, I can confidently say the show is sharp, however its shade vibrancy and distinction may each use some work.
What’s meant to be deep black comes throughout barely grey, and colours that needs to be popping off the display screen are fairly muted. On high of muted colours, the show is capped at 60Hz. That stated, for casually watching TV episodes and YouTube movies, this show was completely OK.
Then, the laptop computer’s touchscreen is very responsive, however it’s not tremendous easy whereas scrolling.
An important array of ports
Most Chromebooks provide only one or two ports, however not the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus.
The left facet ports.
Credit score: Ian Moore/Mashable composite; Sarah Chaney
On the left, you’ll discover:
3.5mm audio jack
microSD card reader
USB-A 3.2 Gen 1 port
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
The best facet ports
Credit score: Ian Moore/Mashable composite; Sarah Chaney
And on the suitable:
USB-C 3.2 Gen 2
Energy button
Quantity rocker
Kensington lock slot
The one port this laptop computer lacks is an HDMI port, however at this value, I’m actually not docking factors for that. The Flex 5i even manages double-sided USB-C ports for handy charging, a function that some costly laptops refuse to incorporate.
Refreshingly crisp, full-bodied audio
Laptop computer audio system aren’t nice, and since Chromebooks are sometimes even cheaper than low-end Home windows laptops, their audio system are usually worse than these on most laptops. Fortunately, that’s not the case with the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus.
This laptop computer’s top-firing stereo audio system are optimized with Waves MaxxAudio, and truthfully, they don’t sound a lot worse than my each day driver, the Yoga 9i’s high-quality rotating soundbar.
I listened to MGK’s new album “Misplaced Americana” on repeat and forgot I wasn’t utilizing my devoted Bluetooth speaker a number of instances. His vocals have been velvety and crisp, bass notes got here via to fill out every music, and I felt like I may hear each instrument and refined musical ingredient.
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My solely grievance with the Flex 5i’s audio system is that at 30 p.c quantity or under, they’re laughably quiet. The audio system do get fairly loud at full quantity, however 40 p.c quantity sounds prefer it needs to be 20 p.c.
A well-spaced, snug keyboard
I’m in like with the Flex 5i’s keyboard. There’s an honest quantity of journey, the keys are comfortably spaced, and typing total is a pleasantly bouncy expertise. As a contract author, I sort fairly a bit daily, and I loved the best way my fingers calmly bounced from key to key and generated minimal errors on this keyboard. My solely minor grievance is that I want the keys have been barely clackier for a greater sound.
The Chromebook encompasses a snug, usable keyboard.
Credit score: Ian Moore/Mashable composite; Sarah Chaney
I can’t categorical the identical fondness for this laptop computer’s trackpad. It’s a mylar trackpad, which is second-rate in comparison with glass trackpads, however makes full sense on this Chromebook from a value perspective. Except I used to be utilizing the trackpad with a brilliant gentle contact, my finger would stutter and skip when attempting to navigate. I’d advocate pairing wi-fi mouse with the Flex 5i as an alternative of utilizing the built-in trackpad.
The Flex 5i’s webcam is rather like most laptop computer webcams
After this laptop computer shocked me with incredible speaker high quality and a pleasantly bouncy keyboard, I hoped it’d have an above-average webcam, too. However, alas, the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus has a plain outdated 1080p webcam that delivers the identical disappointingly grainy image so many different laptop computer webcams do.
Nothing particular in regards to the webcam.
Credit score: Sarah Chaney/Mashable
In its favor, this webcam is pretty sharp and color-accurate in the suitable lighting, not less than in comparison with different laptop computer webcams. Plus, it has a slidable privateness shutter, which I think about a pleasant bonus function at its inexpensive $599 value.
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus benchmarks and efficiency
There’s no denying the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus isn’t a top-performer amongst all laptops — MacBooks and gaming laptops would blow this little machine out of the water. Nonetheless, for a Chromebook, it delivered a powerful Geekbench 6 rating and real-world testing outcomes.
The Flex 5i Chromebook Plus earned a multi-core Geekbench 6 rating of 7,024. On the time of testing, there was just one Chromebook that earned the next Geekbench 6 rating: the Acer Chromebook 516 GE, which earned a rating of 7,660.
I used the Flex 5i as my each day driver for a number of days, and it had no points dealing with my typical workload, which often features a photo-editing program in Chrome, a number of different Chrome tabs open for analysis, the Clock app to run a timer, and the Spotify app to play music. With a number of tabs open, there was no lag when working in Google Docs or loading new pages.
The Flex 5i’s followers do an awesome job conserving the laptop computer cool whereas working, however they’re continuously working. The noise is delicate (and never noticeable in any respect with music taking part in), so it didn’t hassle me whereas testing, however the fan noise is fixed, whether or not the laptop computer is plugged in or not.
Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus battery life
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus lasted 12 hours and 13 minutes in our battery take a look at, which entails looping a 1080p model of Tears of Metal at 50 p.c brightness till the laptop computer’s out of juice. This outcome might pale compared to MacBooks and trendy Home windows laptops, however in comparison with our median Chromebook battery life on the time of writing, the Flex 5i carried out admirably, lasting roughly 30 p.c longer than the median.
Is the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus value it?
The Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is certainly value it for anybody on the lookout for a budget-friendly laptop computer with wonderful battery life, a glossy, simply moveable 2-in-1 design, and the flexibility to hold out easy productiveness duties seamlessly. On high of these must-have options many individuals look to tick off an inventory when buying, the Flex 5i additionally has a number of additional perks, like an exquisite array of ports, a bouncy keyboard, and nice audio system.
Chromebooks was pretty restricted in what they might do with ChromeOS, however now, a number of apps have native choices, cloud gaming is extra accessible, and Plus variants just like the Flex 5i provide elevated RAM and storage that enhance its longevity.
That stated, the Flex 5i Chromebook Plus gained’t be the right alternative for everybody. I’d avoid the Flex 5i in the event you plan to make use of your laptop computer’s trackpad rather a lot or in the event you’re on the lookout for a Chromebook to play video games on steadily, as this laptop computer’s show is capped at 60Hz. As a substitute, I’d advocate the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE, a gaming-forward laptop computer that includes a big 16-inch show with a 120Hz refresh charge.
