HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) vs Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook has the edge: it lasts longer on a charge, has an SD card reader and is a little lighter. The HP Chromebook 14a still has HDMI, so it's worth a look if that matters more to you.
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Key differences
- Battery life Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook wins
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook should last longer on a charge: both have a 47 Wh battery, but its MediaTek Kompanio 520 uses less power.
- Ports Depends on you
Only the HP Chromebook 14a has HDMI, while only the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook has an SD card reader.
- Weight Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook wins
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is a little lighter: 1.3 kg against 1.52 kg.
Which one should you choose?
Choose the HP Chromebook 14a if…
- You plug things in: it has HDMI (for TVs and monitors).
- You mostly browse, stream and write: its Intel Celeron N4500 is built for browsing, email and documents.
- You want something compact: it has a 14-inch screen.
Choose the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook if…
- You work away from a plug: it should last longer on a charge (its maker claims up to 13.5 hours).
- You plug things in: it has an SD card reader (for camera cards).
- You carry your laptop a lot: it's the lighter of the two at 1.3 kg.
Full spec comparison
Add more laptopsThe Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook leads on battery and weight; elsewhere the two are closely matched. Highlighted values mark the better spec in each row, and you can hide the rows where they match.
Performance
Both laptops are very close on performance.
Their processors are in the same class: both are built for browsing, email and documents, and both have 4 GB of memory.
| Spec | HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Celeron N4500 | MediaTek Kompanio 520 |
| Graphics | Intel UHD Graphics | Arm Mali-G52 2EE MC2 |
| Memory (RAM) | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory type | LPDDR4X | LPDDR4X-3733 |
| Maximum memory | 4 GB | 4 GB |
| Memory upgrades | Soldered (not upgradeable) | Soldered (not upgradeable) |
| Storage | 64 GB | 64 GB |
| Storage type | eMMC | eMMC |
| Storage interface | eMMC | eMMC 5.1 |
| Storage slots | 0 | 0 |
Screen
Both screens are closely matched.
Size, sharpness and smoothness are near enough the same, so neither has a real edge to look at.
| Spec | HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Screen size | 14" | 14" |
| Resolution | HD (1366 x 768) | Full HD (1920 x 1080) |
| Aspect ratio | 16:9 | 16:9 |
| Panel | LCD | TN |
| Refresh rate | — | 60 Hz |
| Variable refresh (VRR) | No | No |
| Brightness | 250 nits | 250 nits |
| Colour range | 45% NTSC | 45% NTSC |
| HDR | None | None |
| Finish | Matte | Matte |
| Touchscreen | No | No |
Battery and size
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is ahead on battery and weight.
It lasts longer on a charge and is a little lighter, and the HP Chromebook 14a doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Battery life (maker claim) | Up to 11.25 hours | Up to 13.5 hours |
| Battery capacity | 47 Wh | 47 Wh |
| Charger | 45 W | 45 W |
| Charges via | USB-C | USB-C |
| Fast charging | approximately 50% in 45 minutes | — |
| Weight | 1.52 kg | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 326.5 x 226.9 x 18.3 mm | 325.9 x 221.8 x 18.6 mm |
| Materials | recycled aluminium cover; recycled plastic in bezel, keycaps and speaker enclosure | PC-ABS + 15% talc top and bottom |
| Colour | Modern grey | Abyss Blue |
| Colours available | Modern grey | Abyss Blue, Cloud Grey |
Ports and wireless
On ports and wireless, it comes down to what you need.
The HP Chromebook 14a has HDMI, while the Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook has an SD card reader.
| Spec | HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Ports | 1x USB-C 10Gbps (Power Delivery charging, DisplayPort 1.4), 2x USB-A 5Gbps, 1x HDMI 1.4b, 1x 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo | 1x USB-A 3.2 Gen 1, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 1 (charging, data, DisplayPort 1.1a), 1x 3.5 mm headphone/microphone combo, 1x microSD |
| Thunderbolt / USB4 | None | None |
| External displays (max) | — | 1 |
| Card reader | None | microSD |
| Ethernet | None | None |
| Wi-Fi | Wi-Fi 6 | Wi-Fi 6 |
| Wi-Fi card | Realtek Wi-Fi 6 2x2 | — |
| Bluetooth | Bluetooth 5.4 | Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Mobile data | None | None |
Features
The Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook is ahead on extras.
It has a sharper webcam, and the HP Chromebook 14a doesn't beat it on anything here.
| Spec | HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Webcam | 720p | 1080p |
| Webcam privacy | — | physical shutter |
| Backlit keyboard | No | No |
| Keyboard | full-size keyboard, 1.5 mm key travel | 6-row spill-resistant Chrome keyboard |
| Number pad | No | No |
| Touchpad | HP Imagepad with four-finger multi-touch gestures | buttonless Mylar multi-touch, 69 x 104 mm |
| Speakers | dual stereo speakers | 2x 2 W stereo, Waves MaxxAudio |
| Microphones | integrated dual-array digital microphones | dual-array |
| Pen | No | No |
| Security | H1 Secure Microcontroller | Google Security Chip H1, Kensington Nano Security Slot, camera privacy shutter |
Software and model
Both run ChromeOS.
So the same apps work on both, and they get the same kind of updates.
| Spec | HP Chromebook 14a (older gen) | Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3 Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Operating system | ChromeOS | ChromeOS |
| Updates until | — | June 2033 |
| Model number | BG9H3EA#ABU | 82XJ001AUK |
| Released | — | 2023 |