Lenovo 100e Chromebook Review: All-day Battery, Student-friendly

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: At First Glance

In the last couple of years when the pandemic hit humanity hard, learning from home has been the saving grace for education. Based on available data, Chromebook sales in 2020 were about four times more compared to 2019.   

In light of this, Chromebooks have become an indispensable educational tool. The case in point of this review is the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, which is targeted at K-12 students.

The Lenovo 100e Chromebook is very affordable – costing about four times less than a regular laptop. Speaking of its affordability, it costs $189.74 in September 2021 – the date we published this review.

Having introduced the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, let’s get into the discussion of its specs and performance.

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: Design, Dimension & Weight

The Lenovo 100e Chromebook has a military-grade build which is expected of a K-12 targeted device. It is made of a black and tough polycarbonate ABS plastic material with an interior reinforced with brushed metal.  

Additionally, the Chromebook has reinforced ports, rubber bumpers, and edges as well as a shock-resistant and spill-resistant keyboard.

Put it simply, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is designed to withstand the clumsiness of a 12-year-old. Needless to say that the Lenovo 100e Chromebook will survive from a drop of about 2.5 feet!

The lid of the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is nicely textured with a chrome logo. On opening the lid, you will see the 11.6-inch display supported by hinges that can rotate it up to 180 degrees.

The display is surrounded by fairly thick bezels and a front camera located on the top bezel. The 720p HD resolution camera enables students to participate in zoom classes.

Furthermore, the display has an anti-glare IPS property that prevents the screen from reflecting when hit by light. Thereby, making your viewing more comfortable.

Below the screen, you will find the deck which houses the keyboard. The chiclet-styled keyboard follows a standard Chromebook keyboard layout.

Furthermore, the keyboard layout is made of small-sized but snappy keys with a top row containing function keys. In line with the standard Chromebook keyboard, the caps lock button is replaced by a search button.

The key travel is a bit shallow however the overall typing experience on the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is satisfactory. Additionally, the keyboard is liquid-proof and peel-resistant.

Below the keyboard, there is a touchpad with a single mouse button similar to Apple laptops. The single mouse button is quite frustrating to use such that right-clicking requires you to click+Alt.

I would have preferred a two-button touchpad. Apart from that, the touchpad is smooth to the touch and responsive.

The last thing on the Chromebook’s deck is a vertical Lenovo lettering by the bottom-right corner.

Moving on to connectivity and ports, there is a USB-C port that also serves as a charging port. There is also a USB 3.0 port, a combo microphone/headphone jack, an HDMI port, and an SD card reader.

In terms of the size and weight of the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, it measures 290 x 204 x 20.4 mm. Additionally, It weighs just 1,220g.

The dimension and weight of this Chromebook make it easy for students to slide into their backpacks without feeling the weight.

I compared the Lenovo 100e Chromebook with 11-inches Chromebooks from other brands – the likes of ASUS Chromebook C202 and the Acer Chromebook CB3. Specifically, the ASUS Chromebook C202 measures 292.1  x 200.66  x 22.352 mm and weighs 1179.34 g.

Also, the Acer Chromebook CB3 measures 298.96 x 201.93 x 18.5 mm and weighs 1088.62 g.

In summary, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is tough and resilient. It is also lightweight and easy to carry around.

Furthermore, it has enough ports to allow students to plug in their peripherals.

Finally, I will rate the Lenovo 100e Chromebook an eight in this design and dimension review section.

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: Processor (CPU) Performance

The processor used in the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is the 4 Cores integrated MediaTek 8173C processor. The processor runs at a speed of 2.10 GHz.

The MediaTek 8173C processor is an ARM SoC (System on a chip) processor that is primarily used in Android devices and Chromebooks. Moreover, the MediaTek 8173C processor is capable of handling everyday tasks sufficiently.

To determine the processor performance of the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, I performed a Geekbench 4.1 multi-core test. Geekbench 4 is a complete benchmark suite for determining the processor performance in several aspects such as data compression, file rendering, etc.

Based on the test result, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook scored 2,860 points.

Comparatively, the Acer Chromebook CB3 that runs on an Intel Celeron N2840 processor scored 1,402 points in the Geekbench 4 multi-core test. Meanwhile, the ASUS Chromebook C202 with its Intel Celeron N3060 scored 2,016 points in the same test.

In summary, it is easy to see how the MediaTek processor of the Lenovo 100e Chromebook outperformed the Intel processors in the competitors. As a result of its impressive performance in the benchmark test, I will rate the Lenovo 100e Chromebook a nine in this processor review section.

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: Memory (RAM) Performance

Lenovo equipped the Lenovo 100e Chromebook with a non-removable 4 GB LPDDR3 1866 MHz memory. 4 GB of memory might be worrisome in Windows PCs.

However, Chrome OS is designed to require low memory.

Therefore, it is possible to perform a sufficient amount of multiple tasks concurrently. Moreover, the Lenovo100e Chromebook is capable of running everyday tasks without lagging or stuttering.

Specifically, you can watch videos, surf multiple websites, and use software applications from the Chrome store. Practically, I tested the Lenovo 100e Chromebook by running eight browser tabs, streaming Youtube videos, and working on a couple of Android apps.

Regardless of these activities, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook ran smoothly without pressure.

As a basis of benchmarking the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, I used the PCMark benchmark test for android devices. PCMark for Android is a basis for benchmarking tablets and Androids by evaluating the overall performance.

Consequently, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook scored 4,895 points. In comparison with the Acer Chromebook R 11, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook performed woefully.

Specifically, the Acer Chromebook R 11 scored 7,580 points in the same test. The Acer Chromebook R 11 runs an Intel Celeron N3160 processor and 4 GB RAM.

Finally, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is diligent at performing everyday tasks and most especially multitasking. However, it performed below the competitor I pitched it against in the benchmark test.

Hence, I will rate the Lenovo 100e Chromebook a seven in this memory review.

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: Storage Options & Performance

In terms of storage, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook employs 32 GB of eMMC storage. The Chrome OS occupies about 7 GB of the storage space while the user has just about 25 GB.

Most users will agree that 25 GB of storage space is unimpressive. However, this isn’t a problem as the Lenovo 100e Chromebook uses cloud-based storage.

The advantages of cloud-based storage are numerous. In the first instance, cloud-based storage allows users to access their stored data quickly, anytime, and anywhere.

Impressively, users have access to 100 GB of Google Drive to store their files on the cloud.

Alternatively, there is an SDCard for storing files locally on the Lenovo 100e Chromebook. You can use an SDCard up to 512 GB to save files and photos.

Finally, I was unable to perform a storage benchmark test because the Lenovo 100e Chromebook uses cloud-based storage primarily. However, cloud storage is advantageous for its ease of use and quick accessibility.

Therefore, I will rate the Lenovo 100e Chromebook a seven in this storage review section.

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: Graphics Card Performance

Graphically, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook uses the integrated Imagination GX6250 GPU. The Imagination GX6250 operates at a frequency of 700 MHz.

You can stream videos all day, render videos using apps from the Chrome web store like WeVideo and edit photos using applications like Photopea.

In terms of gaming, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook lacks a dedicated graphics card hence, you cannot play graphic-intensive games.

However, you can play games like Minecraft and PUBG for Android. Also, you can play games such as Golf peaks, Ordia, see-saw, etc.

To evaluate the graphics performance of the Lenovo 100e Chromebook, I performed the 3DMark Ice Storm benchmark. The 3DMark Ice Storm is a recommended graphics benchmark tool for evaluating the graphics performance of tablets and Android devices.

Based on the outcome of the test, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook scored 15,117 points. In comparison with the ASUS Chromebook C202, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook recorded a higher score.

Specifically, the ASUS Chromebook C202 scored 11,006 points in the same test. The ASUS Chromebook C202 runs an Integrated Intel HD Graphics 400.

In conclusion, I will rate the Lenovo 100e Chromebook a nine in this graphics review section. This rating is due to its outstanding performance in the benchmark test.

Lenovo 100e Chromebook: Battery Life & Performance

Lenovo powers Lenovo 100e Chromebook with a 42Wh 3 Cell  Li-Polymer battery. The battery is advertised to last up to 10 hours under light operations.

As a test of the Lenovo 100e Chromebook’s battery power, I performed regular activities after a complete charge of the battery. The activities include participating in zoom calls, writing a blog article, checking my emails, and streaming Youtube videos.

Consequently, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook lasted about 9 hours 12 minutes. Impressively, the battery life is enough to see students through the regular school hours without the need to charge the Chromebook at intervals.

As a basis of comparison, I checked the Lenovo 100e Chromebook against the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e Chromebook and the ASUS Chromebook Flip. From the comparison result, the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e lasted 7 hours 35 minutes which is below the performance of the 100e.

However, the ASUS Chromebook Flip lasted a more respectable period of 11 hours 15 minutes. It is worth noting that the Lenovo ThinkPad 11e and the ASUS Chromebook Flip are equipped with a 34 Whr and a 39 Whr battery respectively.

In conclusion, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook provides enough power juice to last through the day. However, its battery performance is below the ASUS Chromebook Flip which has a smaller battery capacity.

Therefore, I will rate the Lenovo 100e Chromebook a six in this battery review section.

Frequently Asked Questions

Conclusion

For a price below $200, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook is a surprisingly worthy computer to buy. It is highly durable and resilient enough to withstand rugged classroom environments.

Additionally, it is light and conveyable. Despite its small size, it provides enough array of ports for connecting other peripherals.

In terms of performance, the Lenovo 100e Chromebook will suffice at performing educational activities such as online assignments, zoom classes, etc.

Finally, there are educational apps on the Chrome web store and online resources like Youtube videos to help students with educational content.

I hope you found this Lenovo 100e Chromebook review helpful. If you found the review helpful, kindly click Yes to “Was this page Helpful?” below.

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Finally, for more Chromebook reviews, visit our Chromebook Reviews page. You may also find our Laptop Specs page very helpful.