The Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) is a 2-in-1 convertible laptop with a 360-degree hinge. It has a thin profile that makes it portable, and it feels impressively well-built, with a finish that doesn't scratch easily. Its battery life is outstanding, lasting over twelve hours of light productivity and nearly eight hours of video playback. The keyboard feels great to type on for extended periods, and although the touchpad is small, it's responsive to all movements and gestures. As it's a Chrome OS device with a low-power Intel CPU, it can only handle simple tasks like web browsing and media consumption, so it isn't ideal for any demanding workloads like video editing or 3D animation. Unfortunately, the display looks washed out and doesn't get bright enough to combat glare. Also, the webcam's image looks dim, and audio through the microphone sounds staticky.
Our Lenovo C340 15 has an Intel Core i3-8130U CPU with Intel UHD Graphics 620, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. There are models equipped with an Intel Pentium Gold 4417U, which we expect will be slightly slower, though not significantly. The memory isn't configurable, but you can choose between 32GB or 64GB of storage (in North America).
Our Verdict
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is good for school use. It's a well-built laptop that's easy to carry around thanks to its thin profile, and it has a battery that lasts easily through a typical school day with plenty of charge to spare. The keyboard feels great to type on, and the touchpad is responsive to all movements and gestures even though it's a bit small. Its Intel CPU is powerful enough to handle general productivity tasks like web browsing and text formatting. However, it isn't ideal for demanding workloads, which might disappoint students in more technical fields like 3D animation or engineering.
- Battery lasts easily through a typical 8-hour day with plenty to spare.
- Portable due to thin profile.
- Impressive build quality for a laptop in its class.
- Comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad.
- Screen doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- Webcam video looks underexposed and lacks fine details.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is bad for gaming. You can only configure it with a low-power CPU and integrated graphics, which are only powerful enough to handle mobile games from the Google Play Store. Additionally, it has a 60Hz display with a slow response time, and because it runs Chrome OS, you can't install any DirectX games. On the upside, its thermal and noise performance is outstanding as it doesn't get hot or loud under load.
- Doesn't get hot or loud under load.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- Doesn't support DirectX games.
- Slow storage drive.
- 60Hz panel with slow response time and no VRR support.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is decent for media consumption. As it's a 2-in-1 convertible, you can view content in tent or tablet mode to save space, which might come in handy on flights with tiny table trays. The battery life for video playback is outstanding, lasting long enough to get you through at least a couple of movies and TV show episodes. Unfortunately, the display looks washed out and doesn't get bright enough to overcome glare in well-lit settings. Also, while the speakers sound decent overall, they don't get very loud.
- Portable due to thin profile.
- Battery lasts long enough for a couple of movies or TV show episodes.
- Can be used in tent or tablet mode.
- Screen looks washed out and inaccurate.
- Screen doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- Speakers sound quiet.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is bad for use as a workstation. It runs Chrome OS, meaning you can't install any x86 applications. Even if you can run Linux programs in a container, it doesn't have enough processing power to handle demanding workloads like video editing or 3D animation. It's also limited to 4GB of RAM and has a slow storage drive. It doesn't get hot or loud under load, though, and it has a reasonable number of ports.
- Doesn't get hot or loud under load.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- Can't install x86 applications.
- Slow storage drive.
- Limited port selection.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is okay for business use. It has a thin profile that makes it portable, and its battery lasts easily through a typical 8-hour day of light productivity with plenty to spare. The keyboard doesn't feel tiring to type on for extended periods, and although the touchpad is a bit small, it tracks movements and gestures well. Its Intel CPU can handle light productivity tasks like text formatting and web browsing, but it isn't ideal for demanding workloads. Unfortunately, the webcam's video quality is only passable as the image is underexposed, and the microphone sounds quiet.
- Battery lasts easily through a typical 8-hour day with plenty to spare.
- Portable due to thin profile.
- Impressive build quality for a laptop in its class.
- Comfortable keyboard and responsive touchpad.
- Can be used in tent mode for presentations.
- Screen doesn't get bright enough to combat glare.
- CPU and integrated GPU aren't powerful enough for demanding workloads.
- Can't install x86 applications.
- Limited port selection.
- Webcam video looks underexposed and lacks fine details.
Changelog
- Updated Jan 23, 2024: Added mention of the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 (2023) as an alternative with longer OS support in the Software section.
- Updated Jan 04, 2024: Added mention of the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 (2023) as an alternative with newer, faster CPUs in the CPU section.
- Updated Dec 07, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.2.
- Updated Nov 03, 2023: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.1.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
We tested the Lenovo Chromebook C340-15 (model 81T9000VUS) equipped with a 15.6 inch display, an Intel Core i3-8130U with integrated UHD Graphics 620, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of storage. The CPU and the storage are configurable; you can see the options in the table below. There's an 11 inch Chromebook C340 (C340-11), but it's very different in design and specifications, so we consider it a separate model. This review only applies to variants with a model number that starts with '81T9'.
Note: Lenovo has already discontinued this laptop, which means you can only get it through a third-party seller.
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Our display and performance results are only valid for the configuration that we tested. If you come across a different configuration option not listed above, or you have a similar Lenovo Chromebook C340 that doesn't correspond to our review, let us know, and we'll update it. Some tests, like black uniformity and color accuracy, may vary between individual units.
You can see our unit's label here.
Popular Laptop Comparisons
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) and the Acer Chromebook 315 (2020) are both 15.6-inch Chrome OS laptops. The main difference is that the Lenovo is a 2-in-1 convertible that you can also use as a tablet, whereas the Acer is a more traditional clamshell laptop. Performance-wise, the Lenovo comes out ahead, but both laptops are more than capable of handling general productivity tasks and media consumption on Chrome OS. Also, you can get the Acer with a more powerful 4-core CPU if you need better performance. The Acer has a much better webcam and longer battery life. However, the Lenovo has a better touchpad that tracks more reliably, especially when using gestures, and its keyboard doesn't feel as tiring to type on.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) and the HP Chromebook x360 12 (2021) are both 2-in-1 convertible laptops that run Chrome OS. The Lenovo has a larger 15.6 inch display compared to the HP's 12 inch, but the HP's 3:2 aspect ratio makes the screen feel less narrow when you use it as a tablet in portrait orientation. The Lenovo performs better for the most part and can handle heavier workloads. However, the HP is still more than capable of handling general productivity tasks on Chrome OS as long as you don't have too many things running simultaneously. The Lenovo has longer battery life, and it also provides a better overall user experience because its keyboard is more comfortable to type on, and its touchpad tracks better.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) and the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2020) are 2-in-1 convertible Chrome OS laptops. However, the C340 has a 360-degree hinge that lets you flip the screen around, whereas the Duet is more of a tablet with a detachable keyboard. For the most part, the Duet is better suited for media consumption because it has a sharper and more colorful screen. However, the C340 is a better choice if you need to get work done. It has a larger screen for multitasking, a significantly more comfortable keyboard, a more responsive touchpad, and its Intel CPU can handle heavier workloads.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 15 (2020) and the Google Pixelbook Go (2019) are Chrome OS laptops. However, the C340 is a 2-in-1 convertible that you can use as a tablet, whereas the Pixelbook Go is a traditional clamshell laptop. The Pixelbook Go has a smaller display, but it's sharper, brighter, and more colorful, and it's also more color-accurate. Performance is about the same between the C340's Intel Core i3-8130U and the Pixelbook Go's Intel Core m3-8100Y, although you can get the Pixelbook Go with a more powerful Core i5 or i7 processor. Also, the Pixelbook Go starts with 8GB of RAM, whereas the C340 is limited to 4GB. The Pixelbook Go's webcam, speakers, and touchpad are significantly better than the C340's, and it also has longer battery life, especially for video playback.
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