Anika Begay
Chromebooks can come with a lot of different hardware inside, so it can be difficult to figure out exactly what you need. Fortunately, the Chromebook Plus program has made it easier to sort through the tangle of specs. ChromeOS is also lightweight enough that you don’t need incredibly beefy specs to get a good experience. Here are some general tips on what to look for.
Processor: For the best experience, you should avoid older Chromebooks with Intel Celeron processors. The Chromebook Plus’s specs provide a good foundation for fast performance, and I’d recommend going with at least an Intel Core i3, Core i5, or AMD Ryzen 3 7000 processor. Be careful not to spend too much on configurations with Intel Core i7 processors unless you need the extra power for multitasking Android games, Linux apps, and dozens of Chrome tabs. While Intel and AMD dominate the processor scene, you’ll occasionally find Chromebooks using ARM processors like the Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 in the Lenovo Chromebook Duet 3 above. These may be fine for very basic tasks, but they won’t fare as well under sustained, intensive loads (at least until something newer comes along).
RAM Memory: Always go with at least 8GB of RAM if you can afford it. You won’t find 4GB of RAM in anything other than super-cheap entry-level Chromebooks, but it severely limits your ability to multitask. If you want to avoid slowdowns, 8GB of RAM is the standard you should aim for.
Storage: Unlike a Mac or Windows PC, much of your work on a Chromebook will be on the web. That means you can generally get by with less storage, but I wouldn’t recommend going below 128GB. If you can afford it, you’ll be much more comfortable with at least 256GB. You’ll get the best speed from an NVMe solid-state drive, so look for that in the spec sheet when comparing models.
Screen: The vast majority of Chromebook displays you’ll find will be IPS LCD panels, and that’s okay. Until OLED displays make more inroads into the Chromebook space, IPS LCD screens offer the best contrast and color accuracy. If you’re shopping at the extreme budget end, be wary of TN LCD panels, as they’re generally lower quality and offer worse viewing angles. For resolution, 1,920 x 1,080 pixels should be your standard. You’ll get sharp images at 13- and 14-inch screen sizes, and it’s acceptable at 15 inches. Higher resolutions will be even better, but beware of the battery life trade-off you’ll see when pushing power through more pixels.
Doors: USB-C ports have become commonplace on newer Chromebooks, so there’s no excuse not to buy one that doesn’t have one. Try to get one that charges via USB-C, so you can charge it with a portable power bank when you’re on the go. A microSD card slot can also be useful if you want an easy way to expand your storage on the fly. You’ll find that some Chromebooks also support Thunderbolt 4 via their USB-C ports. While this is a great option to have if you plan on hooking up your Chromebook to some high-end monitors, it’s not necessary for most people. Instead, you can get similar external monitor support (and spend a lot less) with an HDMI or DisplayPort port via USB-C support.
