The Lenovo ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny Desktop ($329.99 as tested) is a speedy machine that packs some extra power into its compact frame. Chrome OS is only capable of browsing the Web and running Chrome apps, however, so it's unlikely that most users will need the faster processor and extra memory. If you're a power user or plan to use the ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny for business, you might be willing to pay for the higher performance it offers for videoconferencing and editing larger documents. Still, the Asus Chromebox M004U remains our Editors' Choice for chromeboxes for its efficient performance at a much lower price. You may also want to consider our Editors' Choice for budget desktops, the Acer Aspire ATC-605-UB11, which brings more power and full Windows functionality, albeit for $270 more.

Design and Features

Living up to its name, the ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny measures 7 by 1.4 by 7.2 inches (HWD) and weighs just 2.2 pounds. It's a slim, black, aluminum box with a plastic front panel, similar in shape to the Acer Chromebox CXI-i38GKM, and is able stand vertically or lay horizontally. Rubber feet on the bottom prevent it from sliding when resting horizontally, and its weight provides enough stability when vertical to stop it from wobbling. If you'd like a little more insurance, Lenovo also includes a plastic vertical stand.

The machine's size is a clear space-saver, and it can also be slotted into the back of Lenovo's 23-inch ThinkVision Tiny-In-One 23 monitor to keep it off your desk entirely. If you're not planning to combine the two products, you can connect the ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny to an external monitor. To that end, you'll find an HDMI port and a DisplayPort on the back panel, as well as four USB 3.0 ports, a headphone jack, and an Ethernet port. This seems to be the standard set of chromebox ports—it's the same selection offered on the Acer CXI-i38GKM, the Asus M004U, and the Dell Chromebox.

There are dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 4.0 for wireless connectivity, and Lenovo includes an external antenna you can attach for a better wireless connection. Unlike the Asus M004U, the system comes with a mouse and a keyboard, which is one less thing to worry about buying.

There's only a 16GB solid-state drive (SSD) on board, which means that you'll be relying largely on external or cloud storage. Most chromeboxes come with either 8GB or 16GB of storage. You will also have to do without Microsoft Word and other traditional Windows programs, instead depending on Web-based services like Google Docs and any Chrome extensions you install. Though it is more expensive, the Windows-based Acer ATC-605-UB11 boasts 1TB of hard drive storage to go along with all the programs and features Windows has to offer.

The benefit of Chrome OS is that your services will all be linked across systems by your account, allowing you to easily access work remotely without any hassle. Google's services like Drive, Docs, and Gmail are widely used and integrated into many businesses, so a Chrome-OS-equipped desktop will fit seamlessly into your workflow. Google offers the standard free 100GB of Google Drive storage for two years, after which you'll need to pay $1.99 per month for that amount of space. Lenovo provides a one-year warranty on the system.

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Performance

Chrome-OS–equipped desktops have modest hardware requirements, due to the limited nature of the operating system. That said, Lenovo delivers a machine with parts perfectly suited to speedy Web browsing. The ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny features a 2GHz Intel i3-5005U processor, 4GB of memory (expandable to 16GB), and integrated Intel HD Graphics 5500. The hardware is superior to that in the Asus M004U, which only offers 2GB of memory, but that's to be expected, given the difference in price. The Acer ATC-605-UB11 offers an Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of memory, as well as a higher price tag. The system boots in just a few seconds and doesn't struggle through heavy Chrome use, even with a number of videos and extensions running. (Note, we couldn't run our Windows-based benchmark tests on the system.)

Webpages load quickly on the ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny, and the desktop has the power to run online photo-editing services smoothly, which may be all that's needed for day-to-day work use. The Acer CXI-i38GKM packs in even more memory (8GB) if you really need the power, but for $70 more than the Lenovo model. Overall, the ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny is well-suited to business use, so long as you or your employees can use Web-based services to replace traditional Windows or Mac programs.

Conclusion

The Lenovo ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny Desktop efficiently performs the many tasks possible on Chrome OS without a hitch. There are enough ports and power to play media and perform basic computing functions. The Asus Chromebox M004U is a much less expensive option, however, and is still able to smoothly browse the Web and run Chrome apps with less powerful hardware. As such, it remains our our top pick. But if you're a business user who can use the extra performance, the ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny might be your best option. If you have a little extra money to spend and would benefit from running Windows, consider the Acer Aspire ATC-605-UB11, our Editors' Choice budget desktop.