Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021) vs Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020)

Which Laptop Is Better?

Products

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021)
Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020)

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Jan 25, 2024 09:34 PM

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Amazon.com

Tested using Methodology v0.8

Updated Oct 27, 2023 07:30 PM

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Amazon.com

Our Verdict

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021)

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020)

The Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020) and the Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021) are 2-in-1 devices with 360-degree hinges that run Chrome OS. The Acer is better for school and multimedia use, with a much lighter frame and a significantly longer-lasting battery. Also, its speakers sound much better, it doesn't get nearly as hot, and it stays completely silent under load. On the other hand, the Lenovo is better for business use, as it has an extra USB-C port, a sharper screen, and a much better-quality webcam and microphone. Also, you can get it with a much faster and more responsive Intel Core i3 CPU, but sadly, it can't output to an external display.

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Variants

  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K23X) (Pure Silver - 32GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K3WL) (Pure Silver - 32GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K4S1) (Pure Silver - 32GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K63V) (Pure Silver - 32GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K5V3) (Pure Silver - 32GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K5GD) (Pure Silver - 64GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K2RJ) (Pure Silver - 64GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K14Q) (Pure Silver - 64GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K0KH) (Pure Silver - 64GB)
  • Chromebook Spin 311 (CP311-3H-K9K9) (Pure Silver - 64GB)
  • Chromebook Flex 5 (82B8000AUS ) (Graphite Gray - Celeron 5205U/4GB/32GB)
  • Chromebook Flex 5 (82B80012CF) (Graphite Gray - Celeron 5205U/4GB/64GB)
  • Chromebook Flex 5 (82B80006UX) (Graphite Gray - i3-10110U/4GB/64GB)
  • Chromebook Flex 5 (82B8002UUX) (Graphite Gray - i3-10110U/4GB/64GB)

Main Differences for
School

Threshold 

0.10

School 

7.1
6.7

Battery 
 

9.4
6.1

Webcam & Microphone 
 

4.8
7.0

Full Comparison

Design

Style 
 

Style Photo  

Form Factor 
 

2 in 1
2 in 1
Show Text 

Build Quality 
 

7.0
8.0

Build Quality Photo  

Show Text 

Hinge 
 

7.5
6.4

Hinge Photo  

Range 
 

360°
360°

Stability 
 

Good
Decent

One Finger Lift 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Portability 
 

8.9
8.7

Dimensions Photo  

Size 
 

11.6"
13.3"

Thickness 
 

0.8" (2.1 cm)
0.7" (1.8 cm)

Width 
 

11.4" (29.0 cm)
12.2" (31.1 cm)

Depth 
 

8.1" (20.5 cm)
8.5" (21.5 cm)

Volume 
 

76.2 in³ (1,248.5 cm³)
71.4 in³ (1,170.1 cm³)

Weight 
 

2.3 lbs (1.1 kg)
3.0 lbs (1.4 kg)

Charger Size 
 

6.2 in³ (101.4 cm³)
7.1 in³ (116.8 cm³)

Charger Weight 
 

0.5 lbs (0.2 kg)
0.6 lbs (0.3 kg)
Show Text 

Serviceability 
 

4.5
4.8

Internals Photo  

Ease Of Access 
 

8.0
7.5

RAM Slots 
 

0
0

Storage Slots 
 

0
0

Replaceable Battery 
 

Yes
Yes

Replaceable Wireless Adapter 
 

No
Yes
Show Text 

In The Box 
 

In The Box Photo  

Show Text 
Display

Screen Specs 
 

Display Photo  

Resolution 
 

1366 x 768
1920 x 1080

Aspect Ratio 
 

16:9
16:9

Pixel Density 
 

131 PPI
165 PPI

Panel Type 
 

IPS
IPS

Touch Screen 
 

Yes
Yes

Screen-To-Body Ratio 
 

64%
74%
Show Text 

Refresh Rate 
 

5.9
5.9

Motion Blur  

Refresh Rate 
 

60 Hz
60 Hz

Variable Refresh Rate 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Contrast 
 

7.4
7.2

Contrast Photo  

Native Contrast 
 

1,361 : 1
1,221 : 1
Show Text 

Brightness  
 

6.0
6.1

Maximum Brightness 
 

220 cd/m²
233 cd/m²

Minimum Brightness 
 

1 cd/m²
2 cd/m²
Show Text 

Reflections 
 

7.4
6.0

Reflections Photo Off  

Reflections Photo Max  

Screen Finish 
 

Glossy
Glossy

Total Reflections 
 

4.08%
6.296%

Indirect Reflections 
 

0.78%
0.784%

Calculated Direct Reflections 
 

3.29%
5.51%
Show Text 

Black Uniformity 
 

6.2
1.6

Black Uniformity Photo  

Uniformity (Std. Dev.) 
 

1.890%
4.661%
Show Text 

Horizontal Viewing Angle 
 

6.4
6.2

Horizontal Viewing Angle Video  

Horizontal Chroma Picture  

Color Washout From Left 
 

21°
25°

Color Washout From Right 
 

23°
22°

Horizontal Hue Picture  

Color Shift From Left 
 

41°
41°

Color Shift From Right 
 

34°
40°

Horizontal Lightness Picture  

Brightness Loss From Left 
 

24°
27°

Brightness Loss From Right 
 

26°
25°

Black Level Raise From Left 
 

60°
60°

Black Level Raise From Right 
 

60°
41°

Gamma Shift From Left 
 

26°
25°

Gamma Shift From Right 
 

27°
21°
Show Text 

Vertical Viewing Angle 
 

6.3
6.5

Vertical Viewing Angle Video  

Vertical Chroma Picture  

Color Washout From Below 
 

24°
25°

Color Washout From Above 
 

25°
27°

Vertical Hue Picture  

Color Shift From Below 
 

28°
35°

Color Shift From Above 
 

25°
40°

Vertical Lightness Picture  

Brightness Loss From Below 
 

24°
26°

Brightness Loss From Above 
 

25°
28°

Black Level Raise From Below 
 

45°
45°

Black Level Raise From Above 
 

45°
45°

Gamma Shift From Below 
 

27°
25°

Gamma Shift From Above 
 

29°
29°
Show Text 

Out-Of-The-Box Color Accuracy 
 

7.0
6.2

White Balance Screencap  

Gamma Curve Screencap  

Color Screencap  

Avg. White Balance dE 
 

2.53
3.18

Avg. Gamma 
 

2.36
2.18

Avg. Color dE 
 

4.31
4.92

Avg. Color Temperature 
 

6,504 K
6,191 K
Show Text 

Color Gamut 
 

4.7
4.3

Gamut SDR  

sRGB xy 
 

71.54%
66.97%

sRGB uv 
 

59.05%
55.61%

Adobe RGB xy 
 

53.26%
50.16%

Adobe RGB uv 
 

51.21%
48.38%

Gamut HDR  

DCI P3 xy 
 

52.94%
49.85%

DCI P3 uv 
 

47.52%
44.85%

Rec. 2020 xy 
 

38%
35.79%

Rec. 2020 uv 
 

34.67%
32.77%
Show Text 

Flicker 
 

10
10

Flicker Graph  

Flicker-Free 
 

Yes
Yes

Flicker Frequency 
 

No Flicker
No Flicker

Flicker Active Below 
 

0%
0%
Show Text 
Interface

Keyboard 
 

6.3
6.2

Keyboard Photo  

Typing Quality 
 

7.5
7.5

Numpad 
 

No
No

Backlighting 
 

No
No

Key Switch Actuation Graph  

See details
See details

Operating Force 
 

65 gf
61 gf

Actuation Force 
 

34 gf
35 gf

Pre-Travel 
 

0.93 mm
0.89 mm

Total Travel 
 

1.72 mm
1.50 mm
Show Text 

Touchpad 
 

5.6
6.5

Touchpad Photo  

Tracking Quality 
 

5.5
6.5

Size 
 

9.7 in² (62.5 cm²)
11.5 in² (74.1 cm²)

Material 
 

Plastic
Plastic

Dedicated Buttons 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Speakers 
 

6.9
5.2

Frequency Response Plot  

See details
See details

Max Volume 
 

78 dB SPL
76 dB SPL

Standard Error @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

6.8 dB
8.7 dB

Slope @ Normal Vol. (65 dB) 
 

0.1
1.5

Bass Extension (Low-Frequency Ext.) 
 

375 Hz
370 Hz

Treble Extension (High-Frequency Ext.) 
 

17 kHz
20 kHz

Dynamic Range Compression @ Max Vol. 
 

0.8 dB
0.3 dB
Show Text 

Webcam & Microphone 
 

4.8
7.0

Webcam Video Sample  

Video Quality 
 

4.5
6.5

Resolution 
 

720p
720p

Position 
 

Top Center
Top Center

Privacy Cover 
 

No
Yes

Face Unlock 
 

No
No
Show Text 
Connectivity

Ports 
 

4.0
5.5

Ports Photo  

USB-A Ports 
 

1
1

USB-C Ports 
 

1
2

Thunderbolt 
 

No
No

USB-C Charging 
 

Yes
Yes

USB-C Display Out 
 

Yes
No

HDMI 
 

No
No

DisplayPort 
 

No
No

3.5mm Jack 
 

Combo mic/headphone
Combo mic/headphone

Card Reader 
 

No
MicroSD UHS 1

Ethernet 
 

No
No

Proprietary Port 
 

No
No

Security Lock 
 

Yes
Yes
Show Text 

Wireless Communication 
 

Wi-Fi 
 

Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac)
Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax)

Bluetooth 
 

4.2
5.0
Show Text 
Configuration

CPU 
 

Brand 
 

MediaTek
Intel

Model 
 

MT8183
Celeron 5205U

Core Count 
 

8
2

Thread Count 
 

8
2
Show Text 

GPU 
 

Brand 
 

ARM
Intel

Model 
 

Mali-G72 MP3
UHD Graphics 620

Dedicated/Integrated 
 

Integrated
Integrated

VRAM Size 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

RAM 
 

Capacity 
 

4 GB
4 GB

Modules 
 

1 (Soldered)
1 (Soldered)

Type 
 

LP-DDR4X
DDR4

Speed 
 

2,133 MHz
2,400 MHz
Show Text 

Storage 
 

Advertised Capacity 
 

32 GB
32 GB

Usable Capacity 
 

20 GB
18 GB

Drive 1 
 

TB2932
Samsung BJTD4R

Drive 1 Type  

eMMC
eMMC

Drive 2 
 

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive

Drive 2 Type  

No 2nd Drive
No 2nd Drive
Show Text 
Performance

Geekbench 5 (Synthetics) 
 

2.8
2.6

Geekbench Image  

CPU Single-Thread 
 

298 points
421 points

CPU Multi-Thread 
 

1,383 points
764 points

GPU Compute 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Cinebench R23 (CPU Rendering) 
 

0.0
0.0

Cinebench R23 Photo  

Single-Thread 
 

N/A
N/A

Multi-Thread 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Blender (3D Rendering) 
 

0.0
0.0

Blender Image  

CPU Render Time 
 

N/A
48.0 min

GPU Render Time 
 

N/A
N/A

GPU Render Time (Optix) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Basemark GPU (Game Scene) 
 

0.7
0.7

Basemark Image  

Overall Score 
 

1,552
1,625
Show Text 

Storage Drive Performance 
 

3.6
1.9

Storage Performance Image  

Sequential Write Speed 
 

31.1 MB/s
37.8 MB/s

Sequential Read Speed 
 

157.7 MB/s
114.5 MB/s

Random Write Speed 
 

2.3 MB/s
1.0 MB/s

Random Read Speed 
 

9.7 MB/s
3.9 MB/s
Show Text 

Battery 
 

9.4
6.1

Capacity 
 

36 Wh
49 Wh

Battery Life (Web Browsing) 
 

15.9 hrs
7.6 hrs

Battery Life (Video Playback) 
 

12.8 hrs
3.9 hrs

Battery Life (Gaming) 
 

5.5 hrs
3.5 hrs

Charge Time 
 

2.7 hrs
2.1 hrs
Show Text 

Borderlands 3 
 

0.0
0.0

Borderlands 3 Graph  

Avg. FPS 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

Avg. FPS On Very Low 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Civilization VI 
 

0.0
0.0

Civilization VI Graph  

Avg. FPS 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

Avg. FPS On Minimum 
 

N/A
N/A

Avg. Turn Time 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Counter-Strike: Global Offensive 
 

0.0
0.0

Avg. FPS 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low  
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

Avg. FPS On Low 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Shadow Of The Tomb Raider 
 

0.0
0.0

Avg. FPS 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low 
 

N/A
N/A

1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

0.1% Low Delta 
 

N/A
N/A

Avg. FPS On Lowest 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 

Thermals And Noise 
 

9.4
8.3

Keyboard Temps Picture  

Keyboard Temp While Idle 
 

30 °C (86 °F)
31 °C (88 °F)

Keyboard Temp Under Load 
 

34 °C (93 °F)
42 °C (108 °F)

Fan Noise While Idle 
 

N/A
25.0 dBA

Fan Noise Under Load 
 

N/A
37.6 dBA

Power & Fan Control App 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Performance Over Time 
 

0.0
0.0

Performance Over Time Image  

CPU Temp (Cinebench) 
 

N/A
N/A

CPU Perf. Loss (Cinebench) 
 

N/A
N/A

GPU Temp (Heaven) 
 

N/A
N/A

GPU Perf. Loss (Heaven) 
 

N/A
N/A
Show Text 
Additional Features And Software

Software 
 

Operating System 
 

Chrome OS
Chrome OS

Additional Software 
 

None
None
Show Text 

Extra Features 
 

RGB Illumination 
 

No
No

Touch Pen 
 

No
No

Secondary Display 
 

No
No

Biometrics 
 

No
No
Show Text 

Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021)

Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020)

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Acer Chromebook Spin 311 (2021) vs Lenovo Chromebook Flex 5 (2020): Main Discussion

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