Lenovo Chromebook C340: At First Glance
One of the most interesting parts of a Chromebook is the possibility of getting a decent laptop for a small price. The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is no exception when it comes to getting a good bargain.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is a very affordable laptop with decent hardware configurations. Moreover, this laptop is proof of how impressive budget laptops can be.
This laptop comes with very obvious improvements compared to the previous Lenovo Chromebook C330 model.
Lenovo Chromebook C340: Design, Dimension, and Weight
One of the improvements Lenovo made on this laptop is the aluminum lid construction. The aluminum construction has improved this laptop’s feel.
Also, Lenovo provides two color choices for the Lenovo Chromebook C340. Lenovo offers this laptop in Platinum Grey or Sand Pink.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is very sturdy without being too thick and heavy. It measures 361.5 x 248.85 x 18.95 mm and weighs 1960 g.
This laptop is not very heavy due to its partial plastic construction. Its bottom part is mainly made of plastic.
Moreover, Lenovo equipped Chromebook C340 is with a 360-degree hinge that allows it to be used in different modes. You can use the laptop in tent, tablet, theatre, or the standard laptop mode.
Unfortunately, this laptop’s bezels are a bit chunky. The sides and top bezels are about 15 mm but the bottom bezel is twice that size, at 30 mm.
Moving on, the laptop’s keyboard feels firm and its keys are well spaced. Therefore, typing on the laptop feels very comfortable.
Beneath the keyboard, you get a very responsive and smooth trackpad. It is easily one of the most enjoyable plastic touchpads you will get in a Chromebook.
Around the sides of the laptop, you get a fair port selection. Lenovo offers 2 USB-C 3.1 Gen 1 ports, 2 USB-A ports, and a headphone jack.
In conclusion, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 has an excellent build for a laptop of its price. Therefore, I rate it an eight in this review.
Lenovo Chromebook C340: Processor (CPU) Performance
Lenovo equipped the Lenovo Chromebook C340 with a dual-core Intel Core i3-8130U processor. This processor has a base frequency of 2.20 GHz and a maximum frequency of 3.40 GHz.
With this processor, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 delivers a solid performance in everyday computing operations. It performs excellently with web browsing, video streaming, and other daily tasks.
Moreover, one very good thing about Chrome OS laptops is that you don’t necessarily need the most powerful processors to carry out computing tasks.
In addition, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 scored 140 points in a single-core Cinebench R15 processor test. It scored 342 points in the multi-core test.
Furthermore, the laptop performs considerably well compared to the ASUS Chromebook C423NA. ASUS Chromebook C423NA scored 50 points in the single-core test and 103 in the multi-core aspect.
Come to think of it, this laptop’s Core i3-8130U is an impressive configuration for a budget Chromebook. And it also performs excellently.
Hence, I rate Lenovo Chromebook C340 an eight in this review.
Lenovo Chromebook C340: Memory (RAM) Performance
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 comes with 4 GB DDR4 RAM. This is where the Lenovo Chromebook C340 falls short a little because of its small RAM capacity.
Moreover, the availability of only one RAM slot on the laptop’s motherboard means you cannot upgrade its RAM capacity.
However, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 is not extremely slow, but its RAM performance is certainly not very rapid either. On a RAM performance test, this laptop ran smoothly with 13 Chrome browser tabs – one of these tabs was streaming a YouTube video.
Unfortunately, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 began to slow down when I started running some apps simultaneously. Its performance got worse during the transition between the web pages and the running applications.
However, this laptop’s overall productivity was okay for a budget Chromebook. Therefore, it scores a six in this review for its average multitasking capability.
Lenovo Chromebook C340: Storage Options and Performance
Lenovo offers 128 GB eMMC storage for the Lenovo Chromebook C340. In addition to that, Lenovo also offers a microSD card reader.
This laptop’s storage options are okay for a budget Chromebook. Its 128 GB is like a bonus because even many mid-range laptops come with the same storage capacity.
Thanks to this storage capacity, you will have no problem installing many apps. Moreover, this laptop offers cloud storage, like other Chrome OS laptops.
On a CrystalDiskMark test, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 recorded a sequential read speed of 1069 MBps. Moreover, it recorded a sequential write speed of 130 MBps.
Overall, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 offers good options for file storage and its storage speed is satisfactory. Therefore, I rate it an eight for storage options and performance in this review.
Lenovo Chromebook C340: Graphics Card Performance
Lenovo offers two configurations for the Lenovo Chromebook C340’s GPU. You can buy this laptop with an Intel HD Graphics 610 or an Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU.
Both GPUs are integrated and they do not come with dedicated VRAM. Furthermore, neither of these two GPUs offer exceptional gaming performance.
Therefore, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 is not a gaming laptop. Nonetheless, this laptop is capable of running very light games but it cannot comfortably run modern games.
With the Intel UHD Graphics 620 GPU, this laptop ran Stadia, Destiny 2, and Dirt 3 at 26 FPS. However, it ran a graphically intensive game like the Witcher at 15 FPS.
Nevertheless, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 scores a seven for its ability to run light games at playable rates.
Lenovo Chromebook C340: Battery Life and Performance
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 features a 4-Cell Li-Polymer battery. Lenovo claims that this laptop can last up to 10 hours.
Considering the fact that most Chromebooks usually have long battery life, this is not very surprising. Nonetheless, the Lenovo Chromebook C340’s battery life is impressive.
Moreover, this laptop’s long battery life encourages those that want to purchase it for mobile use. You can use the laptop on the move for 10 hours without charging.
However, streaming videos on YouTube and playing games will drain the Lenovo Chromebook C340’s battery faster. Nonetheless, you will be able to use this laptop for a full workday of browsing, document editing, etc.
In conclusion, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 scores a nine in this review for its long battery life.
Frequently Asked Questions
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 packs good performance in an attractive design, all at a perfect price. This new C340 model comes with double the ports and double the style in a compact Chromebook that can last you an entire day of work.
Lenovo constructs the Lenovo Chromebook C340 with a fancy aluminum lid, though the rest of the body is plastic. They dropped the all-plastic construction used for the C330 model. The C340 model also has slightly improved performance compared to the C330.
Yes, it does. The Lenovo Chromebook C340 comes with a 720p HD Camera.
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 runs on Google’s Chrome OS instead of Windows 10 or macOS like many other laptops.
Generally, Chromebooks are good for students. The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is not an exception. It is a good choice for a student who wants to use the laptop for web browsing, word processing, or streaming video and audio.
Conclusion
This laptop is an excellent choice for on-the-go computing operations. Its general performance comes down to your workload and how you use the laptop.
For instance, you should stick to a Windows or Mac OS laptop if you intend to do a lot of video editing with programs like Adobe Premier. Nevertheless, this Chromebook is excellent for light operations.
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