Turns out, the 12th-gen Intel Core i3 is an absolute performance monster in Chromebooks

As 12th-gen Intel-powered Chromebooks have finally started trickling in during the second half of 2022, we’ve yet to get our hands on one that actually comes with the more entry-level internal configuration you’re more likely to see in stores. For this current generation of Chromebooks, that usually means a Core i3-1215U processor, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. So far, our review and hands-on devices for the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, Acer Chromebook Vero 514, and Acer Chromebook Spin 714 have all come equipped with Core i5 or Core i7 processors.

Recently, however, ASUS has sent over the larger-than-average ASUS Chromebook Spin CX5601, the 16-inch behemoth surprisingly unveiled at CES 2022 back in January. The model on sale at Best Buy is the same as we have currently in-hand, sporting the first 12th-gen Core i3 we’ve had in the office with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of NVMe storage. I figured it would be fast. I was shocked at the actual benchmarks.

Stunning speed

First, I have to say that I ran benchmarks right away simply because this Chromebook felt so fast right out of the box. Granted, many Chromebooks are fast these days: that’s no real surprise. But my 120hz external monitor pushes devices a bit harder than normal, and right away I could feel the speed on display by the ASUS Flip CX5601. I assumed the Octane and Speedometer 2.0 scores would come back strong, but I had no idea what was about to happen.

If you are keeping score, you likely know that those scores rival (and sometimes beat) 12th-gen Core i5 scores run under the same, logged-out conditions. When compared to the 12th-gen Core i7, we’re not far off, either. Scores we saw on that processor beat out the Core i3 by only 1000-2000 points on Octane and stayed pretty similar with the Speedometer 2.0 benchmark. There were a few times the Core i3 actually beat out the Core i7 in Speedometer, too.

For a Chromebook processor, the 12th-gen Core i3 strikes the perfect balance of cost control and absolute, raw processing power. Where it falls short of the Core i5 and Core i7 is in the GPU category, so you need to remember that fact if you are purchasing a device to eventually play Steam games on or to use a heavier video editor like LumaFusion down the road. The GPU on offer here is fine, but it won’t be nearly as powerful as the Iris Xe graphics included in the Core i5 and i7 variants.

For all other, more-standard Chromebook tasks, however, this 12th-gen Core i3 is an absolute monster. Sure, benchmarks tell part of the story, but just in a few hours of use I can tell you for certain that this thing is crazy-fast. It doesn’t simply feel comparable to its big brothers in the Core i5 and Core i7: it feels like it is on level ground with them.

If you’re looking at Chromebooks and heavy video editing or local Steam games don’t appeal to you, do yourself a favor and opt for the cheaper Core i3 version of any Chromebook you are looking at if it is an option. You’ll lose nothing from a performance standpoint and save yourself some serious cash. Ever since 8th-gen Intel chips arrived in Chromebooks, the Core i3 option has always been a solid option. This time around, for 95% of potential users, they are a no-brainer. And I’m a little blown away.