Head-to-head · Best Chromebooks Under $500

ASUS Chromebook CX15 vs Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus comes out ahead by a clear margin (3.9 vs 4.6). The gap is mostly about Buyers who want one versatile device for work, school, and entertainment, with a premium feel and tablet mode at a mid-range price. — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #5 in Best Chromebooks Under $500

ASUS Chromebook CX15

3.9

$269.99as of Jun 7

The ASUS Chromebook CX15 is the budget pick: a 15.6-inch ChromeOS laptop that often sells around $159-199, with a crisp matte 1080p display, a decent keyboard, and about 11 hours of battery. Reviewers are clear about the trade-offs, PCWorld (78%) and Tom's Guide (80%) both call it good value but slow, and the entry-level 4GB RAM bogs down under multitasking. As a minimum-viable, casual-use Chromebook it delivers a lot for the money, but it is the slowest option here.

Strengths

— Outstanding value, often around $159-199
— Large 15.6-inch 1080p matte display that resists glare
— Decent keyboard with good travel for a budget machine

Watch-outs

— Entry configs ship with only 4GB of RAM, which fills up fast
— Celeron N4500 is slow once you open more than a few tabs
— PCWorld calls it the slowest ChromeOS machine it has reviewed in years

$269.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #1 in Best Chromebooks Under $500

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

4.6

$599.99as of Jun 7

The Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus is the best all-around Chromebook under $500. It pairs a genuinely premium aluminum 2-in-1 chassis with a bright 1200p touchscreen, a quick Core i3 processor, and the Chromebook Plus feature tier. Reviewers across Tom's Guide, PCWorld, and Laptop Mag praised its build, display, and performance for the money, and PCWorld handed it an Editors' Choice award. Battery life is merely good rather than great, but as a do-everything pick it leads the field.

Strengths

— Premium-feeling aluminum chassis with a sturdy 360-degree convertible hinge
— Bright, crisp 14-inch 1920x1200 touchscreen with a roomy 16:10 aspect ratio
— Snappy Intel Core i3-1315U handles heavy multitasking without lag

Watch-outs

— Battery life is good but not class-leading at around nine hours
— No included stylus despite the 2-in-1 tablet mode
— 128GB of eMMC storage is modest (a microSD card is bundled to help)

$599.99 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

How they stack up

ASUS Chromebook CX15

The CX15 is by far the cheapest and largest-screened option here, but its low-power Celeron processor and entry-level 4GB RAM make it markedly slower than the Intel Core i3 and i5 machines: the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus, ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, Acer Chromebook Plus 514, and HP Chromebook Plus 14a. It is not a Chromebook Plus device, so it lacks their AI features, but its 15.6-inch matte panel and ~11-hour battery are genuine strengths.

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus

The Flex 5i is the only true convertible 2-in-1 in this group, where the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34, Acer Chromebook Plus 514, HP Chromebook Plus 14a, and ASUS Chromebook CX15 are all clamshells. Its taller 1200p 16:10 display beats the 1080p 16:9 panels on the others, though its ~9-hour battery trails the 13-hour ASUS CX34.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	ASUS Chromebook CX15	Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus
CPU	Intel Celeron N4500 (2-core)	Intel Core i3-1315U
RAM	4GB-8GB LPDDR5X (config dependent)	8GB
Storage	128GB eMMC	128GB eMMC
Display	15.6" 1920x1080 matte IPS	14" 1920x1200 IPS touch, 300 nits
Weight	3.51 lb	3.52 lb
Battery	42Wh, ~11 hours	~9 hours
OS	ChromeOS	ChromeOS (Chromebook Plus)
Ports	USB-C, USB-A, HDMI	—
Form Factor	—	2-in-1 convertible (360-degree hinge)

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