Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus 14" FHD+ 2-in-1 Touchscreen Laptop (Intel Core i3-1315U, 8GB RAM, 256GB Storage), Backlit, FHD Webcam, Chrome OS, w/Google AI, 2TB of Cloud Storage, Grey

Within our household, three children are gamers alongside two adult gamers. It's getting a little expensive now tbh lol. Over Thanksgiving break we all landed on Stardew Valley as a video game we enjoy playing together as a family, but our youngest sons' 12 yr old entry-level gaming laptop is dying, even with upgrading ram and a reset on that machine it can't handle most games anymore. So he wasn't able to play with us on his own rig. We took turns, but it just wasn't as fun.Enter the Lenovo Flex 5i. I took the time to enable the Linux Beta, went through the process of getting steam set to 32-bit, and downloaded Stardew Valley. It runs smoothly, with no glitching/lag. I did make the Linux portion of the HD take more of a share than was suggested, 30 Gb vs 10 Gb to accommodate adding more demanding games. It runs Terraria and other similar titles beautifully. But this Chromebook doesn't stop there for us, we've been using it for web surfing, streaming movies, and as an extra device for homework when the school Chromebooks are slow/acting up. It's filling a niche that we truly didn't realize we needed in our home.Overall: If you are looking to play some low-demand (side scrollers, dungeon crawling 32-bit games) steam games via Linux, then this is a great option. If you just need something to watch movies/youtube/surf the web it's more than powerful enough to handle that with ease. This Chromebook is sleek, peppy, and feels expensive even though we got it for under $300. My only minor complaint so far is the matte finish is prone to showing every fingerprint on the outside of the case, but at the same time, it lets us see how often it is being used and reminds us to clean it often.But as a final note, for us, this Chromebook is a stop-gap/multi-purpose item to fill in when we need it. In late winter/early spring, our son will probably get a mini gaming PC since he isn't as big of a gamer as the rest of his siblings but may want to play more robust games. This Chromebook gives us some breathing room over the winter to research & shop for his future rig while allowing us all to play games together as a family.

Looked for quite some time at laptop options for light/moderate personal use. Web surfing, resume updating, job searching - my immediate uses/needs. And I’ve been super happy.It’s battery life is impressive. It’s quick - knew I wanted a good processor, used to at least an i5 core - but the i3 has been totally enough, happy to save a bit of money there.It’s just the right size - compact but 13in provides comfortable usability.I’m telling you, I’m a person that digs into articles and reviews on big purchases like this - especially with so many options. Chromebook was just what I needed for now, and this Lenovo is just the right fit for such a good price. Excellent looking computer, nice deep blue, with just the right capabilities for a steal of a price! You’ll be happy!

This is my third Chromebook and quite possibly my favorite. I came from an Asus C302, which, while great at the time was becoming long in the tooth with battery life and the touch screen responsiveness.This is my first Lenovo and I have to say, it's fantastic. I knew what I was getting into with a Chromebook, but I really was surprised by the quality of this Chromebook, even after all the reviews.The color - wow. It has to be seen in person and I LOVE the fact that the keyboard area mimics the outer shell. A very subtle and deep blue hue.The keyboard looks and feels great. Very crisp and responsive, exceeding the feel and quality of laptops that cost four times as much. I don't really ever hear the fans except for a very quiet environment, and the heat seems about on par with what I've seen from previous laptops. That is to say - the fan kicks on sometimes and then it turns off. No big deal.The weight is definitely something I had to adjust to, but in a good way. I feel like the weight is just about perfect although it could be a smidge lighter. It makes the unit feel of high quality rather than just cheap junk on the other hand.The upward firing speakers are also a welcome change as my previous Chromebook had side firing speakers. The sound quality is quite decent, and surprised me even though the bass is a bit lacking. There is fidelity that is gained just by having upward firing speakers that can't be understated.My only gripes would be that the display could stand to go a bit brighter for outdoor use, and near the track pad when I push the computer to move it slightly with my thumb into position, I can feel & hear a creak or a flex of some sort. Also at times the drag on the track pad is a bit much depending on the oil levels of your fingers.Overall, a fantastic computer for the price - (I paid $299) and I would absolutely purchase again. I love the fact that the OS will be updated thru 2029. As with all Chromebooks, finding that harmony between hardware and ChromeOS updates is sometimes hard to find if you don't do your homework.Cheers.