The Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen (2019) is a budget Chrome OS laptop. It's available with various processors, including the ARM-based MediaTek SoCs, the MT8173C, and the MT8183, as well as x86 Intel and AMD CPUs. You can only get this laptop with 4GB of memory and up to 64GB of storage. One display option is available: an 11.5-inch TN display with a resolution of 1366 x 768.
See our unit's specifications and the available configuration options in the Differences Between Variants section.
Our Verdict
The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is okay for school. It feels reasonably well-built and is very portable due to its compact design. The keyboard feels decent to type on but can be tiring over time, and while the touchpad is small, it's responsive to movements and gestures. Unfortunately, the display is quite small, making multitasking hard, and it doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Also, the System on Chip can't handle demanding workloads. On the upside, it's a fanless device, so you don't need to worry about making too much noise in a quiet classroom. The battery lasts a little less than 8 hours of light use, so depending on your usage, you may need to plug it in to get through the day.
- Easy to carry around.
- Stays cool and quiet.
- Flicker-free display.
- Cheap-feeling plastic build.
- Small screen.
- Keyboard can get tiring to type on over long periods.
- Battery doesn't last through a typical 8-hour day of light use.
The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is bad for gaming. Chrome OS doesn't support DirectX games, so you're limited to mobile games from the Google Play Store. Also, this laptop is only available with low-power CPUs and integrated graphics, which aren't powerful enough to handle demanding games. It has a 60Hz display with a slow response time and doesn't support VRR to reduce screen tearing.
- Stays cool and quiet.
- ARM-based processor doesn't support DirectX programs.
- Only one USB-A port.
- Slow 60 Hz display with no VRR support.
The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is a poor laptop for media consumption. The speakers don't get very loud, and they sound piercing and distorted. The 11.6-inch 720p TN panel is small with terrible color accuracy, a disappointing contrast, and poor viewing angles. There's no touchscreen, and you can't flip the screen all the way around to use it as a tablet. However, the battery can last through a few feature-length films.
- Easy to carry around.
- Long battery life for video playback.
- Small screen.
- Narrow color gamut.
- Poor viewing angles result in terrible black uniformity.
- Speakers are quiet and sound bad.
The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is terrible for use as a workstation. Most professional applications don't run on Chrome OS. Additionally, its low-power processor and integrated graphics can't handle demanding tasks. You can do some light photo and video editing using web apps or Android apps, but the display is highly inaccurate due to its narrow color gamut and awful factory calibration. Its port selection is very limited, as it only has one USB-C, which you need to charge the laptop. Also, the USB-C doesn't support video output or Thunderbolt.
- Stays cool and quiet.
- ARM-based processor doesn't support DirectX programs.
- Only one USB-A port.
- USB-C port for charging only.
The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is sub-par for business and productivity tasks. The 11.6-inch screen is small, so you need to output to an external display if you intend to multitask. The keyboard feels decent to type on, but you need a fair amount of force to actuate the keys, which might cause strain over long periods. The touchpad tracks alright but is a bit small. The battery lasts almost a full 8-hour day of light use and charges over USB-C. It's very portable, the webcam and microphone are okay, and since the laptop is fanless, it's completely silent.
- Easy to carry around.
- Stays cool and quiet.
- Flicker-free display.
- Cheap-feeling plastic build.
- Small screen.
- Keyboard can get tiring to type on over long periods.
- USB-C port for charging only.
- Battery doesn't last through a typical 8-hour day of light use.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen with the MediaTek MT8173C SoC, the PowerVR GX6250 integrated graphics, 4GB of RAM, and 16GB of storage. Another model has the same processor with 32GB of eMMC storage, but both models have an SD card slot that you can use to store more apps and files. Unfortunately, the version we tested has been discontinued, so you might only be able to find it through third parties. However, newer versions are available (Intel, AMD, and MT8183); see the table below for comparison. This review applies to all models with a model number starting with '81QB,' '82Q3,' '81MA,' and '82CD.'
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See our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is a mediocre laptop overall. Its small screen size makes it hard to do anything more than look at emails or browse the web. Its keyboard feels tiring to type on, and its battery life is shorter than most Chromebooks.
For more options, check out our recommendations for the best Chromebooks, the best budget laptops, and the best laptops for college.
The Thomson NEO 10 (2020) and the Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen (2019) are both compact, ultraportable laptops with power-efficient CPUs; however. the Lenovo runs Chrome OS, while the Thomson runs Windows 10. The Lenovo is a better laptop overall, with a better-performing CPU, a better display, and a far better battery life. Also, it has a better-feeling keyboard and touchpad and a significantly superior webcam and microphone. The Thomson is only a better option if you absolutely need a Windows device.
The Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021) and the Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen (2019) are both 11.6-inch laptops that run on Chrome OS. However, the Acer is a 2-in-1 convertible that can be used in tablet mode, whereas the Lenovo is limited to the standard clamshell mode. The Acer has better display quality, unlike the Lenovo's display, which has a bluish tint caused by an extremely cool color temperature. The Lenovo also has narrower viewing angles because it uses a TN panel. The Acer's keyboard feels better to type on, and its speakers sound louder and more balanced, but its touchpad and webcam aren't as good as the Lenovo's. The Acer has a newer SoC that performs significantly better in multi-threaded workloads because it has double the number of cores. This newer SoC is also more power-efficient, so you get a much longer battery life on the Acer despite the Lenovo having a bigger battery.
The Samsung Chromebook 4 (2019) and the Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen (2019) are ultraportable laptops with power-efficient CPUs running Chrome OS. The Samsung is better for most uses, with a better touchpad, far better-sounding speakers, and a much better webcam. You can also get it with more storage, and its battery lasts longer for light productivity. The Lenovo's keyboard feels better to type on, it has a full-size SD card reader, and you can get it with AMD, Intel, and newer MediaTek ARM processors.
The HP Stream 11 (2021) and the Lenovo 100e Chromebook 2nd Gen (2019) are budget laptops. However, the Stream 11 runs Windows, while the 100e Chromebook runs Chrome OS. This means you can run full x86 applications on the Stream 11, but you're limited to web apps, Android apps, and Linux apps on the 100e Chromebook. The 100e provides a slightly better user experience because it has a better keyboard, touchpad, and webcam, but its build quality doesn't feel as sturdy as the Stream 11.
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