It’s been just three days since Google announced the very first “gaming” Chromebooks designed for an optimal cloud gaming experience. These Chromebooks have high-resolution, high-refresh-rate displays, the fastest connectivity available, and game-centric features like RGB keyboards with anti-ghosting capabilities. With 11th and 12th generation Intel CPUs, this new generation of ChromeOS devices will support the best that cloud gaming has to offer, as well as Steam on ChromeOS when it finally comes out of Alpha at some point in 2023. (hopefully)
Acer, Lenovo and ASUS all debuted their gaming Chromebooks on the day of the announcement. The same day, Acer and ASUS gaming Chromebooks went on sale at Best Buy, but Lenovo’s listing on Walmart.com showed “out of stock” until earlier today. With the internals rocking these devices and the laundry list of premium features that come with them, we were shocked to learn that most of these high-end gaming Chromebooks would retail for around $650. That’s less than most 12th-generation flagship models on the market.
What was even more shocking was the fact that we were told by Google that one device would have a starting price of just $399. That’s the Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Gaming Chromebook. When Lenovo rolled out its press release, the official announcement said the company’s Chromebook would start at $599. That caused some confusion, but I was sure that the Core i3 model that Walmart would sell would actually retail for $399. being sold when it was launched. Today, that price has been confirmed and the all-new Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Gaming Chromebook is available to order and ready to ship. There will be sturdier models of the Lenovo in the future, but the Core i3 model available at Walmart has plenty of horsepower for work and play. Here’s a quick look at what $400 will get you.
Lenovo IdeaPad 5i Gaming ChromebookChromeOSIntel Core i3-1215U8GB RAM128GB eMMC Storage16″ 2.5K (2560×1600) IPS 350nits Anti-Glare, 120Hz, 100% sRGB, TÜV Low Blue Light4-Zone RGB Backlit KeyboardAluminum TopFHD Webcam with Privacy Shutter2 x USB -C2 x USB-AMicroSDAudio jackStereo speakers, 2W x4, optimized with Waves MaxxAudioWi-Fi 6/Bluetooth 5.1
Now I’m not saying run out and buy this Chromebook, but I’ll say this. If you’re looking for a powerful 12th Gen Intel Chromebook at an incredible price, this is it. There are now devices at Best Buy that have the same internals that sell for over $600. Even if you’re not a gamer, this is a powerful and attractive Chromebook that’s still stylish enough to take to the office or just use at home. I’m sure we’ll see a lot of deals on premium Chromebooks as we approach the holiday season, but $399 for everything this Chromebook has to offer, well, that’s just crazy. You can grab the new Lenovo gaming Chromebook from Walmart from the link below.
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