There are a lot sooner and extra responsive Chromebooks that are not that rather more costly than the Duet 5.
Concerning the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 is light-weight, too, so leaving it connected to the Duet 5 doesn’t make it too cumbersome to slide into your faculty or work bag.
This laptop computer is available in just one configuration. The one factor you may select is the colour, which is related to each the keyboard case and the gadget itself. Lenovo’s two choices are Storm Gray and Abyss Blue, the colour of our check unit.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook specs
- Value as configured: $499
- Processor: Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c Gen 2 (eight cores), base frequency 2.55GHz
- Graphics: Qualcomm Adreno 618 (built-in)
- Reminiscence: 8GB LPDDR4x 2133MHz (soldered)
- Storage: 128GB eMMC
- Show: 13.3-inch (1920 x 1080), 400 nits max (rated), 364 nits max (measured), OLED, multi-touch VESA DisplayHDR with stylus assist
- Ports: 1 x DisplayPort 1.4, 2 x USB-C 3.0, (one with helps for knowledge switch, Energy Supply 3.0, and DisplayPort 1.4)
- Wi-fi connectivity: Wi-Fi 5 (802.11ac 2×2), Bluetooth 5.1
- Battery: 42Wh with assist for Fast Cost
- Weight: 2.24 kilos (1.54-pound pill, 0.7-pound folio case)
- Measurement: 12.04 x 7.35 x 0.28 inches
- Guarantee: 1-year depot service
What we like
Engaging, light-weight design
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 battery life will get you thru your faculty or workday with no hitch, its CPU and GPU efficiency received’t.
The IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook is visually spectacular proper out of the field. At simply 1.54 kilos, the gadget—a pill that can be utilized with or with out its bodily keyboard—is slim and lightweight.
Materials-wise, it feels top quality. The pill’s anodized sandblasted aluminum is satisfying to the touch, whereas the silicone-coated quantity controls alongside the facet are simple to find and use. Attaching the gadget to its magnetic folio keyboard, which has an adjustable kickstand on the again, provides you the choice to shift into laptop computer mode. (There are caveats, although. Extra on that later.)
It’s light-weight, too, so leaving it connected to the Duet 5 doesn’t make it too cumbersome to slide into your faculty or work bag. The case’s exterior cloth additionally makes it simple to grip, which is nice whenever you’re on the go.
Spectacular battery life
The Duet 5’s battery lasts simply over 11 hours of steady web use, in keeping with our assessments. (About an hour in need of Lenovo’s claimed most battery life.) That’s loads of time for most individuals to get by means of work or faculty and their commutes with out having to recharge the gadget. Battery life is extremely depending on utilization, display screen brightness, and even ambient temperature, making it tough to ensure the longevity of a single cost—nevertheless it’s nonetheless good to know the Duet 5 received’t make you search for an outlet in all places you go.
What we don’t like
Flimsy kickstand
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
Whereas the IdeaPad Duet 5’s most CPU temperature was a median at 63° Celsius (145.4° Fahrenheit), its most chassis temperature was shockingly excessive at 52.2° C (125.96° F).
As a result of the IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook depends on the assist provided by its removable keyboard case, its laptop computer mode is flimsy, making it satirically unsuitable to make use of in your lap. Regardless of my posture or how I had my legs positioned, I couldn’t get the Duet 5 to take a seat evenly on my lap; the kickstand saved bending to the facet.
Its weight distribution made the Duet 5 tough to make use of, too. The keyboard is the lightest element, so utilizing the Duet 5 in your lap with it connected causes irritating wobbles your entire time you sort.
Not-so-responsive trackpad and touchscreen
The Duet 5’s trackpad and touchscreen additionally make this gadget extremely irritating to make use of. Directing the cursor is tough because of an total lack of sensitivity. Because of this, the cursor “teleports” from place to position like a quantum slime from Slime Rancher. Urgent the trackpad makes noisy clicks, however tapping to click on is usually ineffective, making the touchscreen seem like a greater navigation choice than the trackpad.
However the touchscreen is dicey, too. Certain, the Duet 5 Chromebook feels high-quality, however all that glitters isn’t gold. The display screen lags with almost each swipe or faucet, which is irritating sufficient simply attempting to easily browse the online.
Utilizing the digital keyboard or extra intricate functions which have lots of hyperlinks, buttons, or menus is much more difficult. I typically discovered myself having to faucet one thing two or 3 times to get the Duet 5 to register them. Regardless of the pill’s good bodily construct, utilizing it made me really feel like I used to be holding a pill from the late 2000s.
Horribly sluggish CPU and GPU
Credit score:
Reviewed / Joanna Nelius
The Geekbench 6 Single Core benchmark measures how briskly a CPU can course of directions on a single core at a time i.e. searching the web.
The Duet 5 is likely one of the least highly effective Chromebooks we’ve examined shortly. Our Geekbench 6 CPU benchmark gave us a single-core rating of 753, which is lower than half of what we received out of the Acer Chromebook 516 GE. The gadget’s multi-core rating was equally discouraging at 1699. To offer you an concept of how low that’s, a lot of the Chromebooks we’ve examined just lately have hovered between 4000 and 5500, together with the 516 GE and the Acer Chromebook Vero 514.
We have been additionally disenchanted by its GPU efficiency, which we examined utilizing 3DMark’s Wildlife Excessive Final benchmark. It gave us an abysmal rating of 318. Whereas the Vero 514 we simply talked about doesn’t have essentially the most wonderful GPU we’ve ever seen, it’s almost six instances as highly effective in keeping with our assessments.
Credit score:
Reviewed / Joanna Nelius
The Basemark Internet 3.0 benchmark is a cross-platform browser check that measures how briskly the CPU runs web-based functions.
This implies the Duet 5 will stutter by means of even the only duties in your to-do listing. Launching and quitting packages was something however clean, and utilizing these packages was much more difficult. Operating a handful of packages on the identical time was additionally a no-go, because of the pc’s lack of ability to handle a number of duties effectively.
Too scorching to carry comfortably
Whereas the Duet 5’s most CPU temperature was common at 63° Celsius (145.4° Fahrenheit), its most chassis temperature was shockingly excessive at 52.2° C (125.96° F). As a result of the chassis is the a part of the Duet 5 that touches your pores and skin, this was notably regarding. When it’s saved busy, it’s far too scorching to carry in your palms or in your lap with out fairly a little bit of discomfort.
Must you purchase the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook?
No, even if you happen to’d solely use it for gentle computing duties
Credit score:
Reviewed / Timothy Renzi
The IdeaPad Duet 5’s battery lasts simply over 11 hours of steady web use, in keeping with our assessments.
Whereas the Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook’s battery life will get you thru your faculty or workday with no hitch, its CPU and GPU efficiency received’t. This gadget’s poor efficiency will probably frustrate even the lightest Chromebook customers—to not point out its glitchy trackpad and touchscreen simply drive that irritation residence.
Certain, Chromebooks aren’t recognized for being essentially the most highly effective computer systems in the marketplace. Folks purchase them for his or her comfort and (often) cheaper costs. However even with a comparatively small price ticket, the $499 you’d spend on this Duet 5 wouldn’t be price it. We’d suggest spending roughly $100 extra on Acer Chromebook Vero 514., although you’d need to be okay with ditching the touchscreen. (With the Duet 5’s lack of responsiveness, we definitely could be.)
In the event you’re not married to the concept of proudly owning a Chromebook, we suggest wanting on the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i 14, a Home windows machine that encompasses a responsive touchscreen and significantly better GPU efficiency than the IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook. You possibly can additionally preserve the removable format by splurging on a Microsoft Floor Laptop computer 5 or one other laptop computer $1,000 or below. You possibly can even get an Apple iPad, which additionally works with a folio keyboard.
Lenovo IdeaPad Duet 5 Chromebook
Lenovo’s Duet 5 Chromebook has an important design, however different laptops will get you extra in your cash.
Meet the tester
Adrianna 9
Contributor
Adrianna is a know-how and science journalist and a content material marketing consultant for small enterprise house owners. In her free time, she’s typically discovered shopping for exorbitant lattes, absorbing the Arizona solar, or writing private essays on psychological well being or social activism. adriannanine.com
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