11th gen Core i3 Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook

New 11th-gen Core i3 Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook gets a $115 discount: $424.99

Two weeks ago, I reported that the 11th-gen Core i3 Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook with 8GB of RAM debuted at $549.99. That’s a Costco deal and a step up from the base model. You can still purchase that configuration from Costco, but if you can get by with less memory and system storage, you can get the base model for $424.99 directly from Lenovo.

On the one hand, that’s a $115 savings from the $539.99 suggested retail price. On the other hand, you’re dropping down to 4 GB of memory and 64 GB of slower eMMC storage. The higher-priced configuration provides 128 GB of faster NVMe local storage.

11th gen Core i3 Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook

Here’s a refresh of the full specs on this updated 11th-gen Core i3 Lenovo Flex 5i, which is very similar to last year’s model that I really liked as a mid-range choice.

CPUDual-core Intel Core i3-1115G4 processor
GPUIntel Integrated UHD Graphics
Display13.3-inch IPS 1920 x 1080 touchscreen,
16:9 aspect ratio, 250 nits brightness
Memory4 GB DDR4x-3733MHz memory
Storage64 GB eMMC storage
microSD card slot for expansion
ConnectivityWiFi6 (802.11ax, 2×2 MIMO), Bluetooth 5.0
InputSpill-resistant backlit keyboard, USI stylus (optional) support,
720p webcam with physical privacy shutter
Ports1 USB Type-A (3.2), 2 USB Type-C (3.2),
headphone/microphone combo jack
Battery51 WHr, expected run-time up to 10 hours
Weight2.97 pounds
SoftwareChrome OS automatic updates through June 2029

All in all, this discounted price isn’t a bad deal. The newest 11th-gen Core i3 in the Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook from packs a decent performance punch. A full HD display is nice even if it’s not the brightest in the world. The real choice becomes: can you live with 4GB of memory since you can’t upgrade that on your own? To a lesser extent, there is slower storage with less capacity too, but my primary concern would be the memory.

For everyday browsing with a reasonable amount of tabs open — say 10 or less — at a time, I don’t think the memory limitation will ever rear its ugly head. Once you add more browser tabs, Android and/or Linux apps is when you’ll wish for more memory. If that’s not the way you work, it’s a pretty good deal that should meet your needs!

Keep in mind that you can often get the 4 GB version of last year’s model with 10th-gen Core i3 for even less than both of the deals. Most recently, I saw that one cost $342. Something to consider…

11th gen Core i3 Lenovo Flex 5i Chromebook

About the author

Kevin C. Tofel has covered technology since 2004. He's used ChromeOS since Google debuted the CR-48 in 2010, reviewing dozens of Chromebooks since then. He worked for Google's Chrome Enterprise team from 2016 to 2017, supporting the launch of Android app support. In his free time, he uses Chromebooks to learn software engineering at Launch School. In 2019, Kevin joined the CS Curriculum Committee at his local community college.

Liked this content? Subscribe for the free, weekly newsletter

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Scroll to top