Lenovo Chromebook C330 Laptop Review

Like most Chromebooks under $500, the Lenovo Chromebook C330 is made entirely of plastic. However, Lenovo seems to have put a bit more work than seen in most plastic laptops. The case is very solid; neither the keyboard deck nor the bottom panel flex, even under direct pressure. The thick lid can only be twisted slightly, but this requires intentional force. Warping the lid causes the screen to distort, but this is not a normal occurrence.

The hinge is sturdy and holds the display in place, but it is a bit stiff. Rotating the lid into tablet mode is fairly easy, and the hinge feels solid at every angle. For a plastic laptop, the C330 feels sturdy and well-built. We did not notice any unsightly gaps across the chassis, either. We do have one complaint: the hinge barrel itself feels loose and wiggles slightly when the laptop is closed.

Aesthetically, the satin white paint gives the device a nice, semi-premium look. There's no mistaking its plastic build from a cursory glance, but the matte finish is highly resistant to fingerprints and looks great. For a plastic laptop, the C330's appearance belies its relatively low cost. The Acer Chromebook R13 looks more premium at first glance with its aluminum shell, but we suspect the C330 will hold up better over time due to its thicker and more resilient case.

The C330's size is comparable to that of other 11.6-inch Chromebooks. Its footprint is relatively small (~29 cm x 22 cm), but its thick screen bezels make it larger than more expensive 11.6-inch laptops. Still, the C330 is compact and lightweight by any measure and is easy to carry around in a bag or under an arm.

Port selection is adequate but may be lacking for some users. The C330 has both a Type-A and Type-C USB 3.0 port, but the Type-C connection is also used for charging. There is an HDMI 1.4 port, and the USB Type-C port can be used as a DisplayPort connection, but again, the Type-C port is the sole DC input. As such, connection options are limited when it comes time to charge the device. The inclusion of an SD card is welcome, but it is only a half-depth slot.

Speaking of the SD card reader, speeds are relatively slow. Transfer speeds using our Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II reference card hover at about 30 MB/s. This should be adequate for most users looking for a Chromebook but definitely leaves room for improvement.

As a Chromebook, the C330 is heavily reliant on its internet connection. To that end, the C330 doesn't disappoint. While we cannot accurately measure WiFi speeds, the device has so far impressed us with its reliable wireless connections. Even with multiple walls and ~75 feet between it and the router, the C330 maintains a strong internet connection with no drops or other noticeable interruptions.

Upgrades are practically non-existent on the C330, but this is not unique to this device. In general, Chromebooks lack any kind of upgrade path. For those that want to open the C330, there are nine T6 Torx screws around the bottom panel and several stubborn plastic clips. We did not attempt to pry the C330 open during our testing period due to fear of cracking the case. There is little reason to open the C330 anyway; there are no fans to clean, and everything is soldered to the motherboard.

The Lenovo Chromebook C330 comes with a standard 12-month warranty. Please see our Guarantees, Return policies and Warranties article for country-specific information.

Keyboard

The keyboard is passable but is not pleasant. The keycaps are made from cheap, thin plastic. This is fairly common for Chromebooks. The key travel is very shallow and feels similar to Apple's butterfly switches, but key response isn't as crisp as that of Apple's keyboards. Still, response is adequate. The keys are well-spaced and well-sized (1.6 cm²). We are able to type very accurately with minimal error, even at high rates (~100 WPM). The plastic keys have a fair amount of clatter.

The MediaTek MT8173C is a good match for low-cost Chromebooks. The SoC is more than adequate for web browsing, document management, and general office work. Web pages load smoothly, scrolling is fluid, and system navigation is responsive. There are some hiccups in loading heavier elements, such as some animations in the Chrome OS UI. For instance, loading the app tray from a cold boot presents stuttering, but the jerky animation smooths out over subsequent launches.

Compared to other Chromebooks, the C330 is a leader in the budget segment. Intel's Celeron CPUs are noticeably slower in heavier benchmarks like WebXPRT 2015. All said, the C330 offers a fluid web browsing experience and should be plenty fast enough for most Chromebook users.

Local storage is relatively generous for a Chromebook. Lenovo sells two variants of the C330. The cheaper ($280) offers 32 GB of storage. $20 more ($300 total) nets 64 GB of total storage, which is worth the additional cost in our opinion. Storage is eMMC and is subsequently slow. Performance is about on par with a standard mechanical hard drive. Thankfully, most Chrome OS and Android apps are lightweight and load quickly. Some games that have load times (such as PUBG Mobile) may take require some patience to get up and running.

The PowerVR GX6250 iGPU is good enough for light graphical loads. The GPU can easily handle video playback at 1080p. Higher resolutions will stutter. The C330 is able to stream online media at 1080p/60 fps. The GPU can also support a single external monitor at 4K/30 Hz, but the experience is not smooth. Full HD or lower is recommended.

On paper, the GX6250 is similar to Intel's HD Graphics 500, the iGPU used in Celeron-powered Chromebooks. In practice, the GX6250 is much better suited for gaming on a Chromebook. This is due in large part to better compatibility with Android applications. Since Intel's chips are based on an x86 architecture and Android applications are typically programmed for ARM chips, Celeron CPUs typically have problems gaming via Android. The GX6250 has no such issues thanks to its ARM architecture.

Most popular Android games are perfectly playable on the C330, and many apps (like Asphalt 8) offer keyboard controls by default. Even heavier titles like PUBG Mobile are playable, albeit at reduced settings. Keep in mind that the PowerVR GX6250 is now over four years old; as Android titles become more resource intensive, the limits of this GPU will become more noticeable in the near future.

Due to its low-powered ARM SoC, the C330 is very power efficient. When idle, the system pulls 5 Watts, which is about average for a Chromebook. Under load, the C330 draws less than 8 Watts, about 25-30% less than similar Intel-based Chromebooks. If low power draw is a priority, the C330 fits the bill.

Battery life is decent for a Chromebook, if a bit on the short side. The 45 Wh battery is an average size for a compact laptop. The machine manages about 10-11 hours in our WiFi v1.3 battery test (screen set to 150 nits, loading a new web page every 30-40 seconds) and should easily last a full day at work or school. The included 45 Wh adapter can fully charge the battery in about 1.5-2 hours.