Built with chrome OS, you’ll enjoy a streamlined interface, access to millions of Google play apps, built-in virus protection, and simple syncing with your Android phones and tablets and anything linked to your Google account – including email, documents, photos, and more. Stay connected with built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, a webcam, and more. Should you invest on them – Lenovo Chromebook C330 vs C340?
Pros & Cons
Lenovo Chromebook C340
Pros
- Double the USB ports
- More premium look with aluminum lid
- Expanded configuration options
Cons
- No 8GB version yet
- Limited availability
Lenovo Chromebook C330
Pros
- Lower price
- Sturdy, proven machine
- Shiny white shell
Cons
- Less powerful processor
- White shows dirt easy
- Needs steeper discounts
What are the similarities – Lenovo Chromebook C330 vs C340
The C340-11 is slightly smaller in all directions — the depth most notably — and the keyboard isn’t quite as rounded at the edges, but typing experience and the trackpad are the same. While the C330 is an all-plastic affair, the C340-11 dresses up a bit fancier with an aluminum lid, though the rest of the body is plastic. Despite the switch to a metal lid, the weight is the same, and it’s just as easy to carry the C340-11 around a busy classroom or a crowded cafe as its predecessor.
Screen
The screens between the old and new generation are the same on paper, though my C340’s screen is a bit cooler than the slightly yellow screen on my C330. Both get bright enough to use in the shade outdoors and dim enough to use in a dim dorm room without waking your roommate.
Compare Lenovo Chromebook C330 vs C340
| Category | Lenovo Chromebook C340-11 | Lenovo Chromebook C330 |
|---|---|---|
| Display | 11.6 inches 1366 x 768 10-point IPS touchscreen 250 nits brightness | 11.6 inches 1366 x 768 10-point IPS touchscreen 250 nits brightness |
| Processor | Intel Celeron N4000 | MediaTek MT8173C |
| Memory | 4-8GB | 4GB |
| Storage | 32-64GB eMMc | 32-64GB eMMc |
| Expandable Storage | microSD card | SD card |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 802.11ac Bluetooth 4.2 | Wi-Fi 802.11ac Bluetooth 4.1 |
| Ports | 2x USB-C USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 2x USB-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 1x Audio combo jack | 1x USB-C USB 3.1 Type-C Gen 1 1x USB-A USB 3.1 Gen 1 HDMI 1.4 1x Audio combo jack |
| Battery | Li-Ion 42Wh (10 hours) 45W USB-C AC adapter | Li-Ion 45Wh (10 hours) 45W USB-C AC adapter |
| Dimensions | 290 x 207.8 x 17.8 mm (11.4″ x 8.18″ x 0.7″) | 292 x 215 x 19.6 mm (11.50″ x 8.46″ x 0.77″) |
| Weight | 2.6 lbs (1.18 kg) | 2.64 lbs (1.2kg) |
| Auto Update Expiration Date | June 2025 | June 2025* Reliant upon component suppliers |
Customer review – Lenovo Chromebook C330 vs C340
Design
Lenovo Chromebook C330
The screen measures 11.6 inches diagonally and has the familiar, lowest-common-denominator 1,366 by 768 resolution. Other specs include 4GB of RAM and a MediaTek MTK8173C processor, an ARM chip with two 2.1GHz and two 1.7GHz cores. The Chromebook is constructed of white plastic with black keys and giant black bezels around the display; Lenovo and Chrome logos decorate the lid.
Lenovo Chromebook C340
At 0.7 by 11.4 by 8.2 inches, it’s barely smaller than the Spin 11 (0.82 by 11.7 by 8.1 inches) and weighs slightly less (2.65 versus 3.09 pounds). Lenovo and Chrome logos decorate the smooth lid, and thick black bezels surround the IPS touch screen, leaving room for your thumbs to grip the device in tablet mode.
Ports
Lenovo Chromebook C330
The Lenovo’s left side holds the USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI ports, as well as an SD card slot for expanding storage. (Like most Chromebooks, the system also comes with 100GB of Google Drive cloud storage for two years.) On the right, you’ll find an audio jack, the power button, a volume rocker, and a security-cable locking slot.
Lenovo Chromebook C340
On the convertible’s left side, you’ll find a USB 3.1 Type-C port, a USB 3.1 Type-A port, a microSD card slot, and an audio jack. On the right are the power button, a volume rocker for use in tablet mode, another USB-C port, another USB-A port, and a security lock slot. The AC adapter plugs into either USB-C port.
Screen
Lenovo Chromebook C330
The screen is much more pleasing, although its low resolution means that fine details look a bit pixelated (as they do on other 1,366-by-768-pixel displays). Brightness is only adequate—you won’t want to turn it down very far to save battery power—but contrast is good, so text on browser or Google Docs pages looks properly black-on-white instead of dark-gray-on-light-gray. Viewing angles are broad but prone to reflections on the glossy touch overlay. Colors are clear and saturated, helping both images and videos look sharp.
Lenovo Chromebook C340
The screen isn’t very bright, so backgrounds aren’t dazzlingly white and colors are tepid. Touch-screen movements are reasonably precise and responsive, but the Lenovo doesn’t come with a stylus pen as the Acer Spin 11 does.
Performance comparison – Lenovo Chromebook C330 vs C340
Lenovo Chromebook C330
Principled Technologies’ CrXPRT and WebXPRT 2015 benchmarks, meanwhile, are wider-ranging and measure performance in a suite of Chrome OS-typical applications. CrXPRT comprises activities within simulated Chrome OS apps, while WebXPRT’s testing antics are purely in-browser…
For comparison’s sake, the ultra-high-end, Core i5-powered Google Pixelbook scored 202 and 416 on these two XPRT suites, respectively, roughly double.
On our video-playback battery-rundown test, the C330 is one of the few laptops I’ve tested that bettered its advertised battery life. (Lenovo claims 10 hours.)
While it can’t keep pace with our Chromebook record holder, the Lenovo 500e, its 11-hour time in our playback test indicates that you’ll have no trouble getting through an average workday.
Lenovo Chromebook C340
The system also scored a ho-hum 7,673 points in UL’s PCMark for Android Work 2.0 benchmark, compared to 10,280 for the HP Chromebook 15 and 11,948 for the much more expensive, Core i5-powered Dell Latitude 5300 2-in-1 Chromebook Enterprise.
Finally, to test a Chromebook’s battery life, we loop a locally stored video with screen brightness set at 50 percent, audio volume set at 100 percent, and Wi-Fi disabled until the laptop conks out.
The C340-11 did much better in this benchmark, finishing second only to the Pixelbook Go with stamina that should easily get you through a workday or school day plus an evening’s Netflix or casual gaming. Having the fewest pixels to illuminate certainly helped.
Which one should you buy?
There are few reasons you’d want to choose the C330 over the C340-11 unless you really need an HDMI port on the Chromebook itself or you prefer the Blizzard White plastic over the new shiny aluminum lids. Normally, the C330 would be $70 or more less than the C340, but the Chromebook shortages of late have driven the C330 back up to their original MSRP — or even higher, in some places — while the C340-11 has been simply sold out at just about every major retailer except Best Buy.
Alternat of Lenovo Chromebook C330 vs C340
Yoga C630 Chromebook
Lenovo’s Yoga line has gone hand-in-hand with 2-in-1 flexibility for years. The Lenovo Yoga C630 Chromebook is the most expensive option on this list — primarily because it’s decked out with the best options you can get on most Chromebooks. It’s not only rocking an Intel Core i5 processor, but it also has 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, and a large 15.6-inch touchscreen.
Where many Chromebooks are made of durable plastic, the Yoga C630 splurges for an aluminum build with sleek 360-degree hinges and minimal branding. It’s even equipped with Intel UHD 620 graphics for a truly high-end experience.
Lenovo 100E Chromebook
The Lenovo 100E Chromebook is another affordable entry-level option. It’s built to withstand the unpredictable life of students both in and out of the classroom and just keep going. With 10 hours of battery life and a MediaTek processor, the 100E is a quick and easy way to access Google’s G Suite of apps. Lenovo put extra care into crafting a drop-resistant and spill-resistant design that’s ready for just about anything.
Lenovo Flex 5
The Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook comes with a bit of a price hike over the last few options, but it makes up for the cost with a Full HD screen and Intel Core i3 processor. It’s a powerful 2-in-1 touchscreen Chromebook with processing power that MediaTek options can struggle to match.
The dual front-firing speakers, 10-hour battery life, and slim bezels make bingeing your favorite shows or wrapping up your latest work project even easier. You can add peripherals to the USB port to replace a few of the lost ports and add extra compatibility.
Editor’s recommendations
- Lenovo Chromebook C330 2-in-1 convertible laptop 11.6-inch HD review – is good for gaming?
- HP Chromebook 14-inch HD laptop Intel Celeron N4000 4 GB RAM 32 GB review
- ASUS laptop L210 ultra thin laptop 11.6 review – can you do RAM upgrade?
- XIDU 12.5 Tour Pro Touchscreen Ultrabook review
- Acer Nitro 5 gaming laptop 10th Gen Intel core i5-10300H AN515-55 RAM upgrade
