Home PC Chromebook The Best Chromebooks Under $400
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Your average laptop is more powerful than ever these days, but performance increases come with price hikes. Most of us don’t need that much processing power to get through the day, and we’re dishing out way more money than we should be on (admittedly awesome-looking) products that do far more than we need. For the average person who uses their laptop for surfing the web, sending emails, and watching the occasional Netflix show, there are far more affordable laptop computers that can handle these tasks perfectly well. These machines are called Chromebooks, and they’re upending the personal computer market in new and exciting ways. You can think of these tiny-yet-mighty laptops as a little more than a powerful web browser with a trackpad and a keyboard—or perhaps a large-screen extension of your smartphone.
Perfectly suitable for almost all of the day-to-day tasks we demand from the internet, these laptops are an ideal choice when it comes to getting work done on a commute, on vacation, or even in the office whenever you require a little less firepower to get the job done. Of course, not all Chromebooks are created equal, and several prominent companies have scrambled to make their own version of Google Chrome’s famed infrastructure. So before you go and select that good-looking Chromebook you’ve been eyeing online, check out our list of the best Chromebooks you can buy for less than $400 in 2022.
There’s no denying that the Flex 5 is one of the best Chromebooks from Lenovo that costs under $400. Although the Flex 5 still includes 4GB of RAM, the Intel Core i3-10110U processor is a huge step up over most of the other budget-friendly options on the market. Its 13″ 1080p display might be smaller than some of its rivals, but it does make for a great compromise between screen size and portability. And with the 360-degree hinge, taking notes on the touchscreen is a cinch. The Flex 5 features one of our favorite designs currently available on Chromebooks today. It’s clean and minimal, with a pleasant matte finish that helps block fingerprints from getting picked up. Lenovo’s also added a few premium flourishes that help make it a steal at such a reasonable price, including a backlit keyboard and front-facing speakers. The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 would be perfect for those who need a reliable device for daily internet browsing and streaming. It won’t be suitable for you if you work with large files regularly because it only comes with 64GB of internal storage. Fortunately, the quickest solution for this is to subscribe to a cloud storage plan, which would cost you more money. The Chromebook also comes with a built-in webcam, perfect for video calls, but you can’t expect much when it comes to its quality. You can expect excellent network performance from the device because it supports Wi-Fi 6, and its Bluetooth 5.0 connectivity allows you to connect wireless accessories whenever you want. Its port selection is decent for a low-priced Chromebook because you get one USB Type-A port, two USB Type-C ports, and an audio jack.
Decent processor for its priceGreat design with flexible hingeUSB Type-C and Type-A ports
Display could be brighterLow RAM and storage
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 will be an excellent option for you if you prefer Chromebooks on the larger side. It features a 15.6-inch FHD touchscreen display. It had a 2-in-1 design, meaning you can use it as a tablet thanks to its 360-degree hinge. The device has slim bezels and a modern design that doesn’t make it look like it’s worth under $400. It’s equipped with an Intel Core i3-8130U processor, but it will only give you a satisfying experience if you have a light workload. It also only comes with Intel UHD Graphics 620, so it won’t have the visual performance to guarantee an outstanding gaming experience. Like many low-priced Chromebooks, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 only has 4GB of RAM. It has a 64GB SSD, which might be insufficient if you need to store many large files. The device’s keyboard has a decent size, but some might think its touchpad could be bigger. It also comes with a 720p webcam, which is enough for those who don’t need the clearest quality when hopping on Zoom calls. You won’t always need headphones when listening to music on the device became it comes with dual 2W stereo speakers. The Lenovo Chromebook C340 comes with one USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A port and two USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C ports. In terms of battery life, you can expect the device the last you an entire 8-hour workday.
2-in-1 designLarge 15.6-inch FHD touchscreen displayComfy keyboardTouchpad is responsiveDecent battery life
CPU and GPU performance won't be sufficient for heavy workloadsWebcam doesn't have the best qualityDisplay needs to be brighter
The Acer Chromebook Spin 514 might not have the most advanced specs on the market, but the performance it promises is sufficient for most people. This Chromebook features a 14-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen display. Its narrow bezels add to the modern and premium look of the device, and its metal chassis enhances its durability. The device has a flexible hinge that allows you to use the Chromebook as a tablet, especially when you want to take a break from work and stream your favorite movie or TV show. The Chromebook has an AMD Ryzen 3 3250C processor, which is fantastic for a device at its price range, but its 6GB DDR4 RAM still limits what you can in terms of multitasking. You get 64GB of built-in eMMC storage; if this isn’t enough for you, you can quickly get more storage using its microSD card slot. You can even get a bundle on Amazon with a free 64GB microSD card without the price surpassing $400. The other ports found on the device are two USB Type-A ports, two USB Type-C ports, and an audio jack. It has a decent backlit keyboard and touchpad, but its webcam needs significant improvements. Acer says you can get up to 10 hours of battery life with the device, but some users reported that they could only reach as much as 7 hours.
14-inch Full HD IPS touchscreen displayAMD Ryzen 3 3250C processorExpandable storage via microSD card slotUSB Type-C and Type-A portsDecent keyboard and touchpad
Webcam could be betterOnly 4GB RAMDisplay is pretty dimNot the best battery life
For those that like Chromebooks which are basically tablets that can be used as laptops by attaching a detachable keyboard, you will like the HP Chromebook x2. It’s ideal for people who travel a lot because of its portable full-size keyboard, and it comes with a built-in kickstand, so you can make it sit upright anytime you’d like. The Chromebook features an 11-inch 2K multi-touch display with 400 nits of brightness. It has a Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c compute platform processor with a speed of 2.4 GHz. Unfortunately, it only comes with 4GB of RAM and 64GB of storage. What’s unique about the HP Chromebook x2 is that it comes with a stylus, so it will be extra beneficial for those who are used to using tablets in such a way. The device comes with a 5MP front camera and 8MP rear camera, which allows you to shoot content and hop on video calls. It also has dual Band & Olufsen speakers that deliver decent audio performance, but they won’t leave you in awe. You get two SuperSpeed USB Type-C ports on the device, a volume rocker, and a WWAN LTE card slot for convenient mobile data when you don’t have access to Wi-Fi. HP says you can get up to 11 hours of usage per charge with the Chromebook, but it will still depend on your workload and settings at the end of the day.
11-inch 2K multi-touch displayComes with a keyboard cover, built-in kickstand, and stylusWi-Fi and LTE connectivity2 SuperSpeed USB Type-C portsDecent battery life
Lacks a headphone jackPerformance could be betterNo 5G support
If you’re okay with a basic Chromebook and just simply need it to be highly affordable, it’s tough to beat the Lenovo Duet. Designed like a Chrome OS version of Microsoft’s Surface Go, the Duet features a 10.1″ 1920×1200 WUXGA display with an included keyboard attachment, making this one of the cheapest hybrid devices you can pick up today. In tablet mode, the Duet appears like a standard 10-inch tablet, and the 16:10 aspect ratio keeps the device from feeling too wide when holding it in your hand. Slap on the included kickstand cast and the keyboard dock, and you’ve got yourself a full-blown laptop, complete with a touchpad for mouse support. Of course, at about $250, you shouldn’t expect something on the level of the Surface Pro line of devices. The keyboard and touchpad are somewhat cramped since the Chromebook is so small, and the MediaTek Helio P60T processor is pretty weak for anything other than basic browsing and productivity tools. It also only has 4GB of RAM, which might not be sufficient for those with heavier workloads and who need to multitask a lot. The Duet comes with an 8MP rear camera and a 2MP front camera, but their quality is pretty underwhelming. Users will need to invest in a USB hub if they plan on connecting different flash drives or accessories to the Chromebook because it only comes with a single USB Type-C port. Despite all these areas where the device is lacking, there are still many things to admire about it, including 128GB storage, all-day battery life, excellent color reproduction on the IPS panel, and surprisingly solid dual speakers. Lenovo’s Duet won’t change how you use computers in your day-to-day life, but for its low price, it’s hard to go wrong.
Very affordableGreat hybrid design128GB storage10.1-inch WUXGA touchscreen displayDecent battery life
Small screen Slower processorKeyboard and touchpad feel crampedOnly 4GB of RAMNeeds more ports
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