As the demand for budget-friendly laptops started to increase, so did the number of manufacturers and their various models. Almost all of the high-end manufacturers released some basic-level laptops. These are the perfect device for employees, students, and people who don’t want or can’t afford expensive and powerful laptops.
For example, a student won’t need to spend over $2000 on a gaming laptop. A basic laptop that helps a student in studying, taking notes, and preparing assignments will do just fine. Similarly, an employee of the company needs a laptop that can help them make important documents, communicate with their peers, and get the day-to-day work done.
As we said earlier, there is a lot of demand for cheaper and basic level laptops, and that is why there is a large number of options available in the market right now. In this article, we are going to talk about two of the best budget laptops from Lenovo. We will pit the Lenovo Chromebook C330 Vs C340. We will start by comparing their technical details and specs and then move into the detailed reviews of both these Chromebooks.
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Lenovo Chromebook C330 Vs C340 Comparison and Buying Guide
[amazon table=”850″]The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is the upgrade of the Chromebook C330. By looking at the specs table above, you won’t feel that there is too much of a difference. However, the reality is that those small upgrades to the hardware go a long way in improving the performance and the overall user experience.
Now, let’s dive into their detailed reviews and see what are the real differences and similarities between these two Chromebooks.
Lenovo Chromebook C330 Review
If you are looking for a compact and portable laptop that is within your budget and doesn’t lack any of the basics, the Chromebook C330 is a great option. The C330 offers some of the best features that you can find in a similar price range. It’s a 2-in-1 convertible laptop that you can use as a laptop or a tablet, thanks to the 10-point touch screen.
You can’t expect a Chromebook to work as your gaming laptop. Neither will it help you do the heavy coding and programming to develop software and applications. As a matter of fact, no Chromebook is that powerful to do that kind of stuff. So, don’t expect the Chromebook C330 to help you write code for the next big application.
What you can do with the Chromebook C330 is excess the internet, communicate with everyone, prepare important documents, and even stream some movies. It has a very long battery life, so it will work all day long while you are taking classes, attending meetings, and whatnot.
[amazon box=”B07GM2J11Q”]Let’s see what the C330 offers in a bit more detail.
Design
The Lenovo Chromebook C330 is plastic through and through. The chassis and the external body are plastic. However, thanks to the blizzard white color, the look of the Chromebook isn’t cheap. It looks elegant and subtle, which is exactly what you need from a laptop that you will be carrying around all day long.
The laptop is also quite compact and lightweight, as it should be. It weighs only 2.6 lbs, so you can carry it around in your hands or put it into the backpack. Since it is plastic, the chances of damaging the body in the backpack are very low.
The one thing we didn’t like about the C330’s design is the thick bezels on the screen. The black glossy bezels affect the screen-to-body ratio and do no good in improving the outlook of the display screen. A bit thinner bezel would have been nice, but with the touch screen, these thicker bezels are almost inevitable.
Lastly, the 360-degree rotatable hinges. You can use the Chromebook C330 in FOUR different modes. The standard laptop mode, the stand mode to bring the screen closer for a better view, the tablet mode, and the flat display mode. These different hinge positions allow you to share your screen with everyone with ease without having to move the laptop itself.
Performance
When it comes to the performance of the Chromebook C330, it’s not too bad, but it can definitely be better. When we say better, we mean that currently, it is a 15 out of 20, whereas it should be somewhere around 18 out of 20. The C330 lacks in the multitasking department. With the MediaTek MT8173C processor and only 4 GB RAM, the C330 starts slowing down as you run more things.
We felt the audio of a 1080p video stutter when we opened FIVE more chrome tabs. But keep in mind, that we are testing these laptops to their absolute limit and then finding these little problems. We are trying to find these problems, whereas you will just be trying to get your work done. So, it’s highly unlikely that you encounter these sorts of problems.
The reason we are telling you this is because you know how you will be using your device. So, if you know these things firsthand, you can make a better and more informed decision.
Aside from this, the Chromebook C330 excels in every other department. With the FHD screen and 1366 x 768 resolutions, you get a pretty fine picture quality while working or enjoying some videos. Combine that with two speakers on the bottom, and the entertainment side of the C330 is pretty good if you ask us. It’s not like you will be getting surround sound and full-on bass, but for watching a movie or streaming a lecture video, it good enough.
One thing that plays a huge part in keeping the C330 running smoothly is its light yet powerful operating system. Just like other Chromebooks, the C330 also runs on the Chrome OS, which updates automatically to keep your laptop fast, smooth, and secure as well. Thanks to the Chrome OS, you can also access your Google Drive account to access your data anywhere and enjoy the apps and games of the Google Play Store too.
We will say that considering the price, the C330 is a pretty good option. It’s light, compact, and durable. It has a long battery life, and its use is quite comfortable as well. Not to mention the convertible feature and the 10-point touch screen display. The performance could have been better, but it’s still good enough to suit the majority of users.
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Lenovo Chromebook C340 Review
The Lenovo Chromebook C340 is the next model of the C-Series, which Lenovo released about a year after the C330. So, you can call it an upgrade to the C330 as you would call the iPhone 6S and upgrade to the iPhone 6.
The reason we have given the example of the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6S is that there isn’t too much of a change other than the processing chip and some other smaller details. For example, the C340 still has the same screen size, the same display resolution, the same RAM, and the same storage.
So, it’s is still the same lightweight, compact, and portable Chromebook as the C330, but with a more powerful processor. And it’s available in different colors now. Even though it doesn’t sound like too much, we assure you the changes have had a great impact. The new color options, the more powerful processor, and the better build material brought a glow-up that the C330 lacks.
So, before you make up your mind, we suggest you give a read to our detailed review. After reading the review, you will have a better idea about the changes and will be able to make a better decision.
[amazon box=”B07YLHXRYW”]Design
The biggest difference between the C330 and the C340 is the change in design. Even though the C340 still has the same screen size of 11.6 inches, the overall size is a bit smaller. It looks more sleek and stylish than the C330. A big change is the aluminum lid. Where the C330 had a complete plastic body, the C340 has a plastic body and an aluminum lid.
The aluminum lid not only brings a better look but also increases the durability of the laptop. In case of an accidental drop, the aluminum lid can better protect the screen of the Chromebook. You also get the choice of two colors. The C340 is available in Sand Pink and Platinum Grey. Both these colors look beautiful, and like the blizzard white, they won’t fade over time.
The hinges are changed as well. Instead of a single long hinge, the C340 has two independent hinges. They are still 36-degree rotatable and are more durable than the single hinge design too. You can use the C340 in the same FOUR modes as the C330, laptop, tablet, stand, and flat display mode.
If we talk about the overall design, it’s like Lenovo decided to keep the good things of the C330 and improve on the underwhelming aspects at the same time. And to be fair, they have done an excellent job. Even though the C340 is a basic-level laptop for students and workers, its overall feel and look aren’t cheap at all.
Performance
To be fair, the C330 let down a lot of people in the performance department. So, there was a lot of pressure on Lenovo to deliver good performance in a similar budget when they announced the Chromebook C340. To improve C340’s performance from its predecessor, Lenovo decided to change the processor chip.
Where the C330 had the MediaTek processor chip, the C340 supports an Intel processor chip. The Intel Celeron N4000 processor with a boost frequency is definitely an upgrade, and it certainly shows in the performance as well. The C340 Chromebook fares much better with multi-tasking than the C330. A very good thing about the C340 is the two different RAM configurations that you can choose from. You can either buy the 4 GB RAM model or the 8 GB RAM model. So, depending on your needs, you can go for the smaller or bigger RAM configuration.
With the better hardware, the Lenovo Chromebook C340 does bring a better user experience. It feels smoother and faster than the C330 and matches some of the high-end competitors as well.
On the entertainment side, the C340 is exactly the same as the C330. The 1366 x 768 resolution screen and the two speakers on the bottom provide a similar audiovisual experience. It’s not going to be a cinematic experience in your bedroom, but it’s good enough for a decent movie night experience.
The picture quality is a bit better, thanks to the Intel UHD Graphics 600. So, if you decide to play some games from the Google Play Store, you will get some good graphics. And yes, you do get access to Google Play Store and Google Drive with the Chromebook C340 as well. It also runs the same Chrome OS but an updated version. The updates will continue until 2025 to keep your Chromebook running at its best for years to come.
There is one complaint, though. There is no HDMI port, so you can’t attach the C340 to other monitors unless you buy a Type-C to HDMI convertor. We feel like if Lenovo was able to give the HDMI port in C330, they could have done the same for the C340 too.
Overall, the C340 is definitely an improvement over the C330. People who want more power and better performance within a similar price range as the C330 should definitely go for the C340. It also looks sleeker and more stylish than its predecessor, and the C340 just feels more premium quality too. To sum it all up, if you are willing to spend a little more, the C340 has everything the C330 does and more.
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Conclusion
We think you know our pick of the Lenovo Chromebook C330 Vs. Lenovo Chromebook C340 comparison. The specs and capabilities of the C340 speak for themselves, and we think the C330 was good when it came out, but the Chromebook C340 has disarmed it. However, we will say that both these laptops are great choices, and you might find the C330 a better fit for your needs. All we can say is that you have all the information you need to make that decision.
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