Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 review: Stream games while doing homework

Gaming has always been a major limitation of Chromebooks. Game streaming services circumvent this issue for the most part, but most Chromebooks just aren't optimized for such a workload. The latest Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 comes with a larger, higher quality display and Wi-Fi 6 connectivity in an attempt to improve the game streaming experience.
Our review configuration includes the 12th gen Core i5-1235U CPU, Iris Xe 80 EUs GPU, 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM, 256 GB SSD, and 16-inch 2560 x 1600 120 Hz IPS display for approximately $600 USD. Cheapers SKUs are also available with the lesser Core i3-1215U for closer to $500 USD.
The IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 competes directly with the Acer Chromebook 516 GE and Asus Chromebook Vibe CX55 Flip — all of which were announced simultaneously as part of Google's cloud gaming initiative for Chromebooks.
More Lenovo reviews:
Are you a techie who knows how to translate (DE-EN, EN-DE)? Then join our Team!
Details here
Potential Competitors in Comparison
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Best Price |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
83.4 % | 12/2022 | Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs | 1.8 kg | 19.95 mm | 16.00" | 2560x1600 | |
79.4 % | 01/2022 | Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook SD 7c, Adreno 618 | 715 g | 7.2 mm | 13.30" | 1920x1080 | |
83.6 % | 09/2021 | Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs | 2 kg | 18.5 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
80.7 % | 12/2020 | Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 Pentium N5030, UHD Graphics 605 | 1.9 kg | 20.3 mm | 15.60" | 1920x1080 | |
79.9 % | 04/2022 | Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 3015Ce, Vega 3 | 1.7 kg | 18.6 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
83.4 % | 02/2019 | Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620 | 2 kg | 17.85 mm | 15.60" | 3840x2160 |
Case
The chassis consists of a two-tone anodized aluminum outer lid and a plastic keyboard deck and base not unlike many other IdeaPad 3 or IdeaPad 5 models. The smooth matte finish and monotone colors are reminiscent of the ThinkBook series for a somewhat semi-professional look. Overall rigidity is firmer than expected even if it's not quite up there with the pricier Yoga options.
Top 10 Laptops
Multimedia, Budget Multimedia, Gaming, Budget Gaming, Lightweight Gaming, Business, Budget Office, Workstation, Subnotebooks, Ultrabooks, Chromebooks
under 300 USD/Euros, under 500 USD/Euros, 1,000 USD/Euros, for University Students, Best Displays
Top 10 Smartphones
Smartphones, Phablets, ≤6-inch, Camera Smartphones
SD Card Reader
SD Card Reader - average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) | |
Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 (AV Pro SD microSD 128 GB V60) |
Webcam
The 2 MP webcam has no IR sensor, but it includes a sliding shutter for privacy.

Maintenance
The bottom panel is secured by nine T5 Torx screws for easier servicing than most other Chromebooks. Users can replace the M.2 2242 NVMe SSD and even the M.2 WLAN module is needed. However, keep in mind that longer M.2 2280 drives are not supported. RAM is fixed at 8 GB which isn't much of an issue on a Chromebook.
Accessories and Warranty
There are no extras in the box other than the AC adapter and paperwork. A one-year limited manufacturer warranty applies if purchased in the US.
Input Devices
Keyboard
The keyboard offers 1.5 mm of travel and full anti-ghosting for a typing experience that's similar to the IdeaPad 5 Pro. We appreciate the integrated numpad as well which many smaller Chromebooks tend to omit. The Enter, Up, and Down arrow keys are smaller and more cramped than we would like, however.
A four-zone RGB keyboard backlight comes standard which is uncommon on a Chromebook. Annoyingly, colors are limited to just a small handful as shown by the screenshot below.
Touchpad
Display
This model is notable for its 16-inch 1600p 120 Hz IPS display which automatically makes it one of the best displays on any Chromebook. Black-white response times are fast, colors cover sRGB in its entirety, and maximum brightness is just over the advertised 350 nits. Not coincidentally, these properties make the IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 an ideal Chromebook for game streaming. You can certainly stream games on other Chromebooks, but the decrease in image quality and increase in ghosting will degrade the experience.
Perhaps the biggest asterisk at the moment is that Chrome OS does not fully support the 120 Hz refresh rate at the time of writing and so the display is still limited to just 60 Hz when running applications on a virtual machine. Google is expected to update Chrome OS in the future with proper 120 Hz support. If 120 Hz is important to you, then you might want to wait until the update rolls out before purchasing since prices may fall.
(December 26, 2022 update: Clarified that Chrome OS running apps in a virtual environment, such as those designed for Android or Windows, is limited to 60 Hz. Certain applications optimized for Chrome OS, such as GeForce Now streaming, will operate at 120 Hz.)
|
Brightness Distribution: 89 %
Center on Battery: 364.2 cd/m²
Contrast: 1138:1 (Black: 0.32 cd/m²)
ΔE Color 1.28 | 0.59-29.43 Ø5.2
ΔE Greyscale 2.4 | 0.57-98 Ø5.4
Gamma: 2.21
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook OLED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Response Times | 85% | -88% | -38% | -101% | -126% | |
Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 19.2 ? | 2.3 ? 88% | 35 ? -82% | 20 ? -4% | 40 ? -108% | 38.4 ? -100% |
Response Time Black / White * | 14 ? | 2.6 ? 81% | 27 ? -93% | 24 ? -71% | 27 ? -93% | 35.2 ? -151% |
PWM Frequency | 60.2 ? | 250 | 200 ? | 962 ? | ||
Screen | -7% | -62% | -85% | -101% | -36% | |
Brightness middle | 364.2 | 358 -2% | 282 -23% | 272 -25% | 200 -45% | 281.2 -23% |
Brightness | 349 | 366 5% | 259 -26% | 229 -34% | 196 -44% | 262 -25% |
Brightness Distribution | 89 | 97 9% | 84 -6% | 78 -12% | 84 -6% | 76 -15% |
Black Level * | 0.32 | 0.15 53% | 0.185 42% | 0.2 37% | 0.24 25% | |
Contrast | 1138 | 1880 65% | 1470 29% | 1000 -12% | 1172 3% | |
Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.28 | 1.93 -51% | 5.55 -334% | 4.44 -247% | 4.82 -277% | 3.63 -184% |
Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 3.49 | 4.78 -37% | 7.46 -114% | 18.84 -440% | 20.61 -491% | 4.5 -29% |
Greyscale dE 2000 * | 2.4 | 1.6 33% | 4.97 -107% | 2.2 8% | 1.64 32% | 3.3 -38% |
Gamma | 2.21 100% | 2.22 99% | 2.41 91% | 2.44 90% | 2.43 91% | 2.349 94% |
CCT | 6400 102% | 6238 104% | 6473 100% | 6448 101% | 6475 100% | 6299 103% |
Total Average (Program / Settings) | 39% /
16% | -75% /
-67% | -62% /
-75% | -101% /
-101% | -81% /
-54% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
---|---|---|
14 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 8.4 ms rise | |
↘ 5.6 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.4 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 25 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (22.5 ms). | ||
↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
19.2 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 10 ms rise | |
↘ 9.2 ms fall | ||
The screen shows good response rates in our tests, but may be too slow for competitive gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.25 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 23 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is better than the average of all tested devices (35.6 ms). |
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
Screen flickering / PWM not detected | |||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 19287 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 3846000) Hz was measured. |
The display here is brighter than on most other Chromebooks where <300 nits is common. Even so, it's not bright enough to overcome direct sunlight or a bright overcast day. You'll still want to stay under shade to minimize glare.
Performance
Processor
The Lenovo Chromebook is one of the few Chromebooks to utilize a 12th gen Core i5 U-series CPU for significantly faster performance than the typical Pentium, Celeron, or Atom solutions on cheaper alternatives. If you do a lot of remote management and multitasking, then the raw performance of a U-series processor will come in handy. This is the same processor that powers many of the latest Ultrabooks.
WebXPRT 4: Overall Score
CrXPRT 2: 3D Shapes | DNA Sequence Analysis | Stocks Dashboard | Offline Notes | Face Detection | Photo Effects | Score
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Jetstream 2: Total Score
Speedometer 2.0: Result
WebXPRT 3: ---
JetStream 1.1: Total Score
Octane V2: Total Score
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total Score
Sunspider: 1.0 Total Score
CPU Performance Rating | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 -1! | |
Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise -9! | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA -2! | |
Dell Latitude 7410 Chromebook Enterprise 2-in-1 -10! | |
Acer Chromebook 514 CB514-1WT-36DP -1! | |
Acer Chromebook Spin 713 CP713-2W-560V -9! | |
Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX -13! | |
HP Chromebook x2 11-da0023dx -3! | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet Chromebook 10 -2! | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 -1! | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook -10! | |
Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 -10! | |
Acer Chromebook Spin 511 R752T-C26N -9! | |
Acer Chromebook 314 CB314-1H-C7SJ -15! | |
Acer Chromebook Spin 311 CP311-3H-K2RJ -12! |
WebXPRT 4 / Overall Score | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U (214 - 236, n=8) |
WebXPRT 4: Overall Score
CrXPRT 2: 3D Shapes | DNA Sequence Analysis | Stocks Dashboard | Offline Notes | Face Detection | Photo Effects | Score
Geekbench 5.4: Multi-Core | Single-Core
Jetstream 2: Total Score
Speedometer 2.0: Result
WebXPRT 3: ---
JetStream 1.1: Total Score
Octane V2: Total Score
Mozilla Kraken 1.1: Total Score
Sunspider: 1.0 Total Score
* ... smaller is better
PCMark for Android / Storage 2.0 | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (9253 - 10759, n=2) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 |
PCMark for Android / Work 3.0 | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
Average Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (11508 - 11558, n=2) | |
Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook |
GPU Performance
The integrated Iris Xe 80 EUs GPU may be unimpressive for a Windows PC, but it's one of the fastest in the world of Chromebooks. UHD Graphics or ARM Mali solutions can't come close to Intel's latest iGPU solution.
Nonetheless, not every game from the Play store will be playable due to the x86 architecture or non-touch display. Genshin Impact, for example, crashes upon installation even after several retries. Meanwhile, Mario Kart Tour runs very smoothly but it is essentially unplayable without a touchscreen. The GPU is instead best for optimizing 4K video playback, game streaming, or connecting external displays — workloads that cheaper Chromebooks tend to struggle at.
3DMark Performance Rating - Percent | |
Apple iPad Pro 11 2022 -1! | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
HP EliteBook 865 G9 -2! | |
Acer Chromebook 514 CB514-1WT-36DP | |
Oukitel RT2 |
3DMark | |
Wild Life Score | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (5055 - 11448, n=10) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
Acer Chromebook 514 CB514-1WT-36DP | |
Oukitel RT2 | |
Wild Life Unlimited Score | |
Apple iPad Pro 11 2022 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (5244 - 11404, n=8) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
Acer Chromebook 514 CB514-1WT-36DP | |
Oukitel RT2 | |
Wild Life Extreme | |
Apple iPad Pro 11 2022 | |
HP EliteBook 865 G9 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1400 - 3121, n=13) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
Acer Chromebook 514 CB514-1WT-36DP | |
Oukitel RT2 | |
Wild Life Extreme Unlimited | |
Apple iPad Pro 11 2022 | |
HP EliteBook 865 G9 | |
Average Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs (1257 - 3147, n=11) | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 | |
Acer Chromebook 514 CB514-1WT-36DP | |
Oukitel RT2 |
Emissions
System Noise
The cooling solution consists of one ~50 mm fan and a heat pipe whereas many slower Chromebooks are passively cooled. The fan is nonetheless still silent most of the time or just barely audible at 24 to 25 dB(A) when streaming video content. When running more intensive applications for longer periods, we're able to record a high of 29.6 dB(A) which is still quieter than other actively cooled Chromebooks like the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5.
Unfortunately, our test unit exhibits moderate electronic noise or coil whine. It's not loud enough to be distracting, but it's certainly noticeable when working in quieter environments.
Noise Level
Idle |
| 23 / 24.6 / 25 dB(A) |
Load |
| 27.3 / 29.6 dB(A) |
![]() | ||
30 dB silent 40 dB(A) audible 50 dB(A) loud |
||
min: ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 Iris Xe G7 80EUs, i5-1235U, Kioxia BG5 KBG50ZNT256G | Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook Adreno 618, SD 7c, 64 GB eMMC Flash | Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA Iris Xe G7 96EUs, i7-1165G7 | Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 UHD Graphics 605, Pentium N5030, 128 GB eMMC Flash | Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 Vega 3, 3015Ce, 64 GB eMMC Flash | Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX UHD Graphics 620, i5-8250U, 128 GB eMMC Flash | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Noise | -14% | -14% | ||||
off / environment * | 23 | 26 -13% | 28 -22% | |||
Idle Minimum * | 23 | 26 -13% | 28 -22% | |||
Idle Average * | 24.6 | 26 -6% | 28 -14% | |||
Idle Maximum * | 25 | 26 -4% | 28 -12% | |||
Load Average * | 27.3 | 28.5 -4% | 29.2 -7% | |||
Load Maximum * | 29.6 | 41.8 -41% | 32.4 -9% |
* ... smaller is better
Temperature
Surface temperatures are warmer on the left side of the laptop than the right due to the positioning of the cooling system inside. Hot spots on the keyboard and bottom can reach up to 30 C and 40 C, respectively, compared to 36 C and 49 C on the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5. We don't find the Lenovo to be uncomfortable to the skin despite the temperature differences between the sides.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 35.2 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F, ranging from 21.1 to 71 °C for the class Multimedia.
(±) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 40.8 °C / 105 F, compared to the average of 39.1 °C / 102 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 22.4 °C / 72 F, compared to the device average of 31.1 °C / 88 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 20.8 °C / 69.4 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.8 °C / 83.8 F (+8 °C / 14.4 F).
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 Intel Core i5-1235U, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 80EUs | Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c, Qualcomm Adreno 618 | Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA Intel Core i7-1165G7, Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EUs | Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 Intel Pentium Silver N5030, Intel UHD Graphics 605 | Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 AMD 3015Ce, AMD Radeon RX Vega 3 | Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX Intel Core i5-8250U, Intel UHD Graphics 620 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Heat | 5% | -0% | 12% | -15% | 15% | |
Maximum Upper Side * | 35.2 | 34.6 2% | 36.9 -5% | 32.5 8% | 37.4 -6% | 29 18% |
Maximum Bottom * | 40.8 | 41.6 -2% | 41.4 -1% | 32.3 21% | 47.2 -16% | 37.8 7% |
Idle Upper Side * | 26 | 22.4 14% | 25.4 2% | 23.9 8% | 31.7 -22% | 22 15% |
Idle Bottom * | 27.6 | 26.2 5% | 26.9 3% | 24.5 11% | 31.8 -15% | 21.8 21% |
* ... smaller is better
Speakers
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 audio analysis
(±) | speaker loudness is average but good (76.6 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 15.2% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (11.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (3.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(±) | higher highs - on average 5% higher than median
(+) | highs are linear (4.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (14% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 24% of all tested devices in this class were better, 6% similar, 70% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 17%, worst was 41%
Compared to all devices tested
» 16% of all tested devices were better, 4% similar, 80% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Apple MacBook Pro 16 2021 M1 Pro audio analysis
(+) | speakers can play relatively loud (84.7 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(+) | good bass - only 3.8% away from median
(+) | bass is linear (5.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(+) | balanced mids - only 1.3% away from median
(+) | mids are linear (2.1% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 1.9% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (2.7% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(+) | overall sound is linear (3.6% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 0% of all tested devices in this class were better, 0% similar, 99% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 17%, worst was 41%
Compared to all devices tested
» 0% of all tested devices were better, 0% similar, 100% worse
» The best had a delta of 3%, average was 20%, worst was 65%
Energy Management
Power Consumption

The Lenovo demands more power than most other Chromebooks across the board likely due to the larger higher resolution panel and fast 120 Hz refresh rate. Simply idling on desktop at the maximum brightness setting can demand up to 10 W compared to 8 W or lower on the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 or Acer Chromebook 15 CB315. Streaming video would consume about 14 W.
We're able to record a maximum draw of 49 W from the small (~9.4 x 4.1 x 3 cm) 45 W AC adapter when the CPU is stressed to 100 percent utilization. This rate is only temporary as shown by the graph to the right due to the limited Turbo Boost potential of the system.
Off / Standby | ![]() ![]() |
Idle | ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Load |
![]() ![]() |
![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() | |
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, Kioxia BG5 KBG50ZNT256G, IPS, 2560x1600, 16.00 | Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook SD 7c, Adreno 618, 64 GB eMMC Flash, OLED, 1920x1080, 13.30 | Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, , IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 Pentium N5030, UHD Graphics 605, 128 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 1920x1080, 15.60 | Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 3015Ce, Vega 3, 64 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 1920x1080, 14.00 | Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 128 GB eMMC Flash, IPS, 3840x2160, 15.60 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Power Consumption | 52% | 29% | 38% | 38% | 22% | |
Idle Minimum * | 5.7 | 0.96 83% | 3.4 40% | 2.9 49% | 3.9 32% | 1.3 77% |
Idle Average * | 9.8 | 6.7 32% | 6.5 34% | 6.5 34% | 6.3 36% | 9.3 5% |
Idle Maximum * | 9.9 | 6.8 31% | 7.8 21% | 6.6 33% | 6.8 31% | 9.5 4% |
Load Average * | 14.3 | 9 37% | 12.5 13% | 13 9% | 12 16% | 12.9 10% |
Load Maximum * | 49.4 | 11.4 77% | 30.1 39% | 16.6 66% | 12.3 75% | 43.3 12% |
* ... smaller is better
Battery Life
Though battery capacity is relatively large for a Chromebook at 71 Wh, the more demanding CPU and display take away much of that capacity advantage. In fact, battery life can be shorter than most other Chromebooks overall. We're able to record a real-world WLAN browsing runtime of almost 7 hours compared to 9.5 hours on the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5.
Charging from empty to full capacity is also a bit slow at 2.5 hours compared to 1.5 hours on most other laptops.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 i5-1235U, Iris Xe G7 80EUs, 71 Wh | Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook SD 7c, Adreno 618, 42 Wh | Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5500FEA i7-1165G7, Iris Xe G7 96EUs, 57 Wh | Acer Chromebook 15 CB315-3HT-P297 Pentium N5030, UHD Graphics 605, 50.29 Wh | Asus Chromebook Flip CM1 3015Ce, Vega 3, 50 Wh | Lenovo Yoga Chromebook C630-81JX0008UX i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620, 56 Wh | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Battery Runtime | ||||||
WiFi v1.3 | 405 | 660 63% | 561 39% | 618 53% | 524 29% | 383 -5% |
Pros
Cons
Verdict — Chromebook In Disguise
While the standout features of the IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 are primarily for cloud gaming, they also happen to boost productivity. The larger display, denser resolution, more accurate colors, more capable CPU, Wi-Fi 6, and integrated numpad are arguably just as useful for schoolwork and spreadsheets in addition to video streaming and gaming. Most other Chromebooks have cheaper panels in comparison with poorer color accuracy and shallower colors.
A "gaming Chromebook" might sound weird at first, but there's no denying that the fast, large, and color-accurate display can come in handy for other applications as well.
A few major drawbacks hold back the model. For one, Chrome OS is unable to detect or connect to our Wi-Fi 6E network despite shipping with an Intel AX211 module. The 120 Hz native refresh rate, which is a key selling point of the model, is not yet supported on all apps. Wi-Fi 6E and 120 Hz can each potentially improve the game streaming experience and yet both are not wholly reliable at the time of review. Furthermore, the speakers aren't noticeably louder or better than the speakers on smaller Chromebooks and the lack of a touchscreen automatically makes the system incompatible with many Play Store games. For a model that calls itself a "Gaming Chromebook", these setbacks can be a real sting. We suspect that some of these omissions were made to keep prices within the $500 to $600 USD range which is already on the upper-end of the spectrum for a Chromebook.
Price and Availability
Lenovo is now shipping its IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16 for $600 USD in our configuration as reviewed. Three-month free trials for both Amazon Luna+ and Nvidia GeForce Now are included with each purchase.
Lenovo IdeaPad Gaming Chromebook 16
-
12/24/2022 v7
Allen Ngo