Greatest Chromebooks 2025: Prime picks for work, faculty, and extra

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In search of a strong laptop computer that gained’t completely obliterate your price range? A Chromebook could be simply the factor. They’re often method cheaper than Home windows machines with some beginning round $300. They’re fast besides, simple to make use of, and replace themselves within the background. No fuss, no bloat.

And hey, because of cloud gaming platforms like Xbox Cloud Gaming and Nvidia GeForce Now, you'll be able to even stream AAA video games on some fashions. Not dangerous for a budget-friendly laptop computer. Simply be sure to’re getting one which nails the fundamentals: good pace, first rate construct, and battery life that gained’t give up on you midway via the day. We’ve examined these picks hands-on, so if it’s on this checklist, it’s earned its spot.

For those who determine that you simply’d favor a Home windows laptop computer, try PCWorld’s roundup of one of the best laptops accessible in the present day.

Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 – Greatest total Chromebook

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Zippy processor efficiency

Good keyboard

Big range of connectivity choices

Stylish design Cons

Battery life isn’t aggressive

Show’s 16:9 side ratio feels somewhat cramped

Value When Reviewed: $499

Who can buy the Asus Chromebook Plus PX34?

If you need a Chromebook that handles the on a regular basis grind with out breaking a sweat, the Asus Chromebook Plus PX34’s received your again. The Intel Core i5 chip retains issues snappy—net shopping, streaming, docs, you title it. And ports? You’ve received choices: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, headphone jack. No dongle mess, no downside.

It’s a slick, no-nonsense machine that does what you want and doesn’t break the bank. Clear design, strong construct, quick guts.

Asus Chromebook Plus PX34: Additional concerns

It’s not all sunshine, although. The 16:9 display can really feel cramped if you happen to’re used to roomier shows, and whereas 13 hours of battery life sounds good on paper, others last more. Not a deal breaker, but when display house or all-day energy is on the high of your checklist, you may wish to preserve trying.

Learn our full Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 overview

Asus Chromebook CX15 – Greatest price range Chromebook

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Good design with pleasing keyboard

Sharp 15.6-inch 1080p show

Respectable audio system

Extraordinarily cheap Cons

Small touchpad

Sluggish dual-core processor

4GB RAM usually holds it again

Brief battery life for a Chromebook

Value When Reviewed: $159

Greatest Costs At this time:

$159

$269.99

Who can buy the Asus Chromebook CX15?

For those who’re trying to decide up a dependable laptop computer for beneath $200, the CX15 is certainly value contemplating. It’s nice for anybody who principally browses the net, watches YouTube movies, and checks electronic mail. Plus, the spacious 15.6-inch 1080p show and roomy keyboard make it really feel extra premium than you’d anticipate at this value level. For day-to-day duties, it will get the job finished.

Asus Chromebook CX15: Additional concerns

Let’s be actual for a second. You’re not getting lightning-fast efficiency right here and that’s okay. The Intel Celeron N4500 processor gives sufficient energy for lighter workloads, however it could battle with heavier multitasking. Battery life can be first rate at round 10 hours, although it’s not probably the most excellent consequence we’ve ever seen.

Nonetheless, for what you pay, the CX15 surprises you. The chassis feels harder than you’d anticipate at this value, the keyboard is comfy to make use of for lengthy intervals of time, and the 1080p matte display is straightforward on the eyes.

Learn our full Asus Chromebook CX15 overview

Lenovo Chromebook Duet – Greatest Chromebook for college students

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Nice worth

Versatile type issue

Surprisingly good keyboard

Superb battery life Cons

Wants extra RAM

Android apps don’t run effectively

Vertical kickstand reduces horizontal choices

Value When Reviewed: $399.99

Greatest Costs At this time:

$309

Who can buy the Lenovo Chromebook Duet?

College students, commuters, or anybody who needs one thing gentle, low-cost, and lasts all day, the Lenovo Chromebook Duet is the one to select. The Duet weighs simply over two kilos with the keyboard and kickstand, so it slides right into a bag prefer it’s nothing.

Battery life? You’re getting 12–13 hours simple, which implies no attempting to find shops between lessons or conferences. The two-in-1 setup is sweet, too. Kind when you'll want to, flip it round, and chill with Netflix or YouTube while you don’t.

Lenovo Chromebook Duet: Additional concerns

This isn’t a machine for energy customers. It’s not constructed for ten open tabs and a Zoom name. However for notes, docs, emails, and streaming? It’s {smooth}. The keyboard’s higher than you’d anticipate, flat however cozy, and the display, whereas solely 10.1 inches, retains distractions at bay.

Learn our full Lenovo Chromebook Duet (2024) overview

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 – Greatest high-end Chromebook

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Beautiful OLED show

Surprisingly sturdy efficiency for a fanless Chromebook

Loud, clear audio system

Aggressive battery life Cons

Onerous-to-read perform keys

AI instruments really feel pointless in on a regular basis use

Value When Reviewed: $649

Greatest Costs At this time:

$749

Who can buy the Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14?

For those who like the thought of a Chromebook however need one thing that feels extra premium, this one’s received you coated. The 14-inch 1920×1200 OLED touch-enabled show is sharp and colourful, it’s gentle sufficient to hold round at simply 2.78 kilos, and it flies via on a regular basis duties because of the brand new MediaTek Kompanio Extremely 910 processor. It additionally stays completely silent since there’s no fan inside.

Whether or not you’re doing faculty work, watching reveals, or working in a sea of open tabs, the Plus 14 handles all of it with ease.

Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14: Additional concerns

You don’t have to fret a lot about efficiency right here. The Plus 14 is fast and responsive, even with a bunch of tabs open. The battery additionally lasts round 17 hours on a single cost, which is nice if you happen to’re at all times on the go.

There are just a few minor quirks to concentrate on, although. The perform keys are weirdly exhausting to learn and, whereas the AI options sound fancy on paper, they gained’t matter all that a lot to most individuals. Nonetheless, these are minor trade-offs.

Learn our full Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 overview

Acer Chromebook 516 GE – Greatest Chromebook for cloud gaming

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Enticing design

Wonderful CPU efficiency

A great deal of wired and wi-fi connectivity

Excessive-resolution 1600p show Cons

Mediocre keyboard and touchpad

Disappointing audio system and microphone

Show lacks distinction and shade vibrancy

Value When Reviewed: $649.99

Greatest Costs At this time:

$649

Who can buy the Acer Chromebook 516 GE?

For those who’re all-in on cloud gaming and need a Chromebook that may really sustain, the 516 GE is constructed for you. It’s packing an Intel Core i5, a super-smooth 120Hz display, and it flies with GeForce Now and Amazon Luna. We performed on it and the gameplay was crisp and lag-free. That Ethernet port? A wonderful transfer for steady, low-latency periods.

Acer Chromebook 516 GE: Additional concerns

No native recreation installs right here, this factor lives within the cloud. In case your web sucks, it’s not going to be enjoyable. But when your connection is strong, you’re golden. You’re additionally getting a pointy 1080p webcam, strong battery (round 65 watt-hours), and a slick design. Value-wise, it’s not low-cost at round $650, however if you need a Chromebook constructed for gaming and never simply Google Docs, it earns its preserve.

Learn our full Acer Chromebook 516 GE overview

Different notable Chromebooks we’ve examined

These Chromebooks didn’t crack our high picks checklist, however they’re nonetheless value a glance.

The Acer Chromebook Plus Spin 514 has a tricky construct and runs {smooth} for on a regular basis stuff, but it surely’ll value you a bit extra. The Acer Chromebook Spin 315 is cozy to kind on and handles the fundamentals simply effective, although the massive bezels and restricted charging choices maintain it again. Then there’s the Samsung Galaxy Chromebook Plus, which is tremendous smooth and tremendous gentle at simply 2.58 kilos and beneath half an inch thick. However in our exams, it couldn’t fairly sustain with sooner picks just like the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34.

How we take a look at Chromebooks

The PCWorld workforce places each laptop computer via a sequence of benchmarks that take a look at GPU and CPU efficiency, battery life, and so forth. The concept is to push the laptop computer to its limits after which examine it towards others we’ve examined. As a result of cloud-based nature of Chromebooks, they undergo a sequence of web-based exams. It wouldn’t be truthful or attainable to run the identical sorts of exams on a Chromebook as we use on laptops as a result of they solely run a very totally different working system.

For a extra thorough clarification of our testing procedures, try how PCWorld exams laptops.

Why it's best to belief PCWorld for laptop computer opinions and shopping for recommendation

It’s in our title! PCWorld prides itself on laptop computer expertise and experience. We’ve been overlaying PCs since 1983, and we now overview greater than 70 laptops yearly. All the picks beneath have been personally examined and vetted by our consultants, who’ve utilized not solely efficiency benchmarks however rigorous usability requirements. We’re additionally dedicated to reviewing PC laptops at each value level that will help you discover a machine that matches your price range.

Who curated this text?

Hello, I’m Ashley Biancuzzo, and I oversee all laptop computer and Chromebook protection at PCWorld. When you’ll see me overview Chromebooks every now and then, I’m additionally actually into the broader world of client tech. I spend lots of time writing and desirous about the place laptops are headed–from AI and sustainable designs to long-term tendencies. After I’m not deep on the planet of tech, you’ll most likely discover me gaming, getting misplaced in an excellent e-book, or chilling with my rescue greyhound, Allen.

How to decide on one of the best Chromebook

If you need one thing like a Home windows or MacBook however cheaper, try a Chromebook. Simply bear in mind they’ve received some limits. They’re good for easy, on a regular basis stuff however they don’t have lots of RAM or storage, so that they’re not geared up to deal with extra resource-intensive duties like gaming or video enhancing.

We’ve received a information that compares Chromebooks and Home windows laptops if you wish to determine what’s finest for you.

Key Chromebook options to think about

Working system

Chromebooks solely run Chrome OS, which is fairly simple to make use of. You possibly can’t put Home windows or macOS on them — you’re caught with Google’s setup.

Processor

Shoot for a mid-range Chromebook if you happen to can. They value anyplace within the $400 to $600 vary and lots of of them come geared up with Intel Pentium, Intel Core i3, or AMD Ryzen 3 processors. These Chromebooks run the browser smoother. They’re one of the best deal for the worth. The fancier ones typically include Intel Core i5 or AMD Ryzen 5 chips, that are far more highly effective.

RAM

Numerous Chromebooks include simply 4GB of RAM, which isn’t a lot. Since they’re all concerning the net, you want sufficient RAM to maintain your tabs from lagging. For those who can drop a bit more money, you'll be able to seize a mid-range Chromebook with 8GB, which runs method smoother.

FAQ 1. What's the finest Chromebook?

PCWorld thinks the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is one of the best all-around Chromebook. It’s received a strong Intel Core i5 processor, a number of ports, and handles on a regular basis stuff rather well. Mainly, it’s an amazing decide if you need a dependable Chromebook with out breaking the financial institution.

2. What's the finest low-cost Chromebook?

PCWorld calls the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook one of the best low-cost decide. It’s light-weight and has strong battery life, so it’s good if you happen to’re on a price range. Simply bear in mind, 4GB RAM means it’s not nice for working a number of stuff without delay.

3. What's the finest Chromebook for gaming?

The Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE is one of the best Chromebook for gaming. It’s received a giant 16-inch 120Hz display, handles cloud gaming fairly effectively, and has an Ethernet port for regular web, which you want for stuff like Nvidia GeForce Now and Xbox Cloud Gaming.

4. What’s the distinction between a Chromebook and a laptop computer?

A Chromebook’s only a laptop computer that runs Google’s Chrome OS as a substitute of Home windows or Mac. It’s principally for net stuff like Google Drive and YouTube. Common laptops are extra highly effective and may deal with just about something.