7 Best Chromebooks of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Leave a comment
Chromebooks can include loads of completely different {hardware} inside, so it may be arduous to determine precisely what you want. Luckily, the Chromebook Plus program has made the jumble of specs simpler to parse. ChromeOS can be mild sufficient that it doesn’t require extremely beefy specs to get an excellent expertise. Listed below are some normal tips about what to look out for.
Processor: For the perfect expertise, it is best to keep away from older Chromebooks with Intel Celeron processors. The Chromebook Plus specs supply an excellent baseline to ensure speedy efficiency, and I’d advocate going with at the very least an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 processor. Simply be careful for overspending on configurations with Intel Core i7 processors until you want the additional horsepower for multitasking Android video games, Linux apps, and dozens of Chrome tabs. Whereas Intel and AMD dominate the processor scene, you’ll often discover Chromebooks utilizing ARM processors just like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 within the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 above. These may be nice for very fundamental duties, however they gained’t fare as effectively underneath sustained, intense masses (at the very least till one thing newer comes alongside).
RAM: All the time go for at the very least 8 GB of RAM in case you can afford it. You gained’t discover 4 GB of RAM in something apart from fundamental, super-budget Chromebooks, however it severely limits your means to multitask. If you wish to keep away from slowdowns, 8 GB of RAM is the usual it is best to intention for.
Storage: Not like a Mac or Home windows PC, loads of your Chromebook work will stay on the internet. This implies you possibly can sometimes get away with much less storage, however I wouldn’t advocate going under 128 GB. If you happen to can afford it, you’ll be far more comfy with at the very least 256 GB. You’ll get the perfect velocity out of an NVMe strong state drive, so look out for that on the spec sheet while you’re evaluating fashions.
Display screen: The overwhelming majority of Chromebook shows you’ll discover shall be IPS LCD panels, and that’s simply nice. Till OLED shows make extra of a dent within the Chromebook area, IPS LCD screens supply the perfect distinction and coloration accuracy. If you happen to’re buying within the excessive funds vary, be careful for TN LCD panels, as they’re usually decrease high quality and supply worse viewing angles. For decision, a 1,920 x 1,080-pixel decision needs to be your normal. You’ll get crisp visuals at 13- and 14-inch display screen sizes and it’s satisfactory at 15 inches. Greater resolutions will look even higher, however be cautious of the battery life tradeoff you’ll see from pushing energy to extra pixels.
Ports: USB-C ports have grow to be commonplace on the latest Chromebooks, so there’s not any excuse to purchase one with out them. Attempt to get one which prices over USB-C so you possibly can recharge with a conveyable energy financial institution while you’re on the go. A microSD card slot will also be useful if you would like a simple approach to increase your storage on the fly. You’ll discover that some Chromebooks assist Thunderbolt 4 over their USB-C ports as effectively. Whereas that’s a wonderful choice to have in case you plan to plug your Chromebook into some high-end displays, it isn’t vital for most individuals. As a substitute, you will get comparable exterior monitor assist (and spend rather a lot much less) with an HDMI port or DisplayPort over USB-C assist.
