The only i5 competitor here is the Asus VivoBook S14 (S433), with its 11th Generation Intel Core i5-1135G7 and 8GB of RAM—all the others have 16GB. These laptops all have Intel Iris Xe integrated graphics, so you won’t be using any as a dedicated gaming laptop. The sound quality on the IdeaPad 5i Chromebook Gen 6 is decent. It’s not the greatest but does offer plenty no matter what you’re playing. Since the speakers are front-facing, you’re getting the most out of the sound quality versus what you would if the speakers were at the bottom of the laptop.

These devices, powered by the latest 11th Generation Intel® CoreTM processors, provide long-term reliability and high performance in various designs. Whether you're working from home or in a large office, we have everything you need. The top-firing speakers were decent in testing with good volume, and little in the way of distortion. They carry with them a fair amount of mids, and not much in the way of low-end, but are still decent enough for day-to-day work and relaxing with content on Disney+ or Prime Video after you’re done. The fact they’re also top-firing is also handy if you use your laptop on a soft surface such as a bed, where downwards-firing units would be muffled. Performance Battery: These systems do not support batteries that are not genuine Lenovo-made or authorised. Systems will continue to boot, but may not charge unauthorised batteries. Lenovo has no responsibility for the performance or safety of unauthorised batteries, and provides no warranties for failures or damage arising out of their use. **Battery life is based on the MobileMark® 2014 methodology and is an estimated maximum. Actual battery life may vary based on many factors, including screen brightness, active applications, features, power management settings, battery age and conditioning, and other customer preferences.Obviously, gaming isn’t a focus for this laptop and our 3D benchmarks show that it doesn’t exactly excel in that department. But while playing Fortnite with no other players onscreen, the fps rises to 40-50, which looks OK on paper, but it fluctuates a lot and there are a lot of dropped frames. When things start to get heated the frame rate can drop to the low 20s, which would be considered unplayable by most people. When you take a device with you everywhere, it makes a good first impression. You can choose a color that best suits your style with numerous options. With a 360° hinge, the IdeaPad devices can be used as a laptop or tablet. Lenovo uses 360-degree steel-encased hinges, and this design allows the user to work in four different modes at one time. Take your laptop or tablet anywhere you want to, and use it however you like. That's in addition to two intermediate configurations that make the laptop's keyboard more discrete for greater convenience while performing video and touch screen-dependent tasks. The Flex 5i case feels solid, with practically no give in the top half, since that’s held firm by the aluminum frame and the glass of the display. The bottom half is made of a combination of polycarbonate and glass fiber (for stiffening). While it feels sturdy, there is a slight flex at the center of the keyboard, if you press your thumbs there.

I've been a computer-tech writer and editor for several decades, and a photographer who writes about photo techniques and equipment for over a decade. My first job in the tech press was as a writer for Compute! magazine, where we used Commodore 64s from Circuit City as word processors. I next became the editor of Computer Dealer, offering advice to computer retailers, then moved on to Personal Computing as an executive editor, where I developed the magazine's benchmark suite. I held several positions at the massive Computer Shopper magazine before becoming editor in chief. While at Computer Shopper (owned by CNET Networks at the time), I edited bi-annual issues of Technology Review as a joint project with Fortune magazine.

Testing the IdeaPad: Everyday Computing Is a Cinch\u00a0

To the question of “needing” a 2-in-1 laptop, I can attest that—although I’m plenty comfortable with non-touch laptops—pressing an onscreen button or link in laptop mode is just plain simpler than with a touchpad or mouse. Likewise, it’s handy to flip into tent or tablet mode when sharing information.