Google Pixelbook Go Chromebook, i7-7Y75, 16GB RAM, 256GB SSD, GA00526-US Review

Google Pixelbook Go Chromebook

Google Pixelbook Go i7 Chromebook (GA00526-US) with an aluminium unibody and a 13.3-inch FHD touchscreen has recently been released in two colors of “Just Black” or “Not Pink” and with 3 different processor options of M3, i5 or i7, memory- 8GB or 16GB or SSD sizes 128GB or 256GB.

It is not a cheap Chromebook by any means, but at first glance at the design and overall evaluation of the features, you seem to be getting what you pay for. The average customer rating is 4.5 out of 5 stars by 296 users for all these variations at the time of this review. The version we’re looking at today is the one with the Intel i7-7Y75 processor, 16GB memory and 256GB Solid State Drive. And the operating system is naturally the Google Chrome OS that gets regular security and other updates automatically.

The last quarter of 2016 release dual-core Intel i7-7Y75 processor (2 cores & 4 threads) works at a base speed of 1.3GHz that goes up to 3.6GHz with the turbo boost. It has an average CPU Passmark benchamrk score of 2736 at the moment as a mid-range power processor that will be plenty for a compact Chromebook. And it can handle plenty of multitasking and demanding and daily applications. The system starts up and shuts down very fast and feel quite responsive and smooth overall with whatever you’re doing. This is because of the modern i7 processor (similar with the M3 and i5 versions, slightly less), generous amount of memory, good size Solid State Drive and the Chrome OS that never slows down over time.

The typical Thermal Design Power is only 4.5 watts for the i7 processor. Battery life on the Pixelbook Go is reported to be up to 12 hours and you can be out and about all day without needing to carry a charger with you. It has the quick charging feature and by recharging it just for 20 minutes you will get around 2 hours from this laptop. Chrome has the Titan-C security chip and  the built-in anti-virus that updates automatically in the background without you being aware. For connectivity, there is no Optical Drive but the dual band 802.11ac wireless, Bluetooth 4.2, 2 x USB-C ports (quick data transfer, 4K display and charging) and 3.5 mm headphone jack.

You have the Hush keys on the backlit keyboard with a 0.8mm key travel for a quiet and comfy experience when you’re typing. The large edge-to-edge touchpad with the etched glass surface is accurate and responds to your light touch. It has a convenient fan-less design and keeps cool and you won’t feel any heat when you put it on your lap. Please note that the PixelBook Go doesn’t open flat, being a conventional clamshell laptop. Both the sound and picture quality are great with the dual stereo speakers and the Full HD touch display with an IPS panel. And listening to music, watching Youtube videos, chatting live with friends and family and editing photos will always feel smooth and fun.

It is very compact and portable- weighs 2.38 pounds and measures 0.57 x 12.25 x 8.12 inches and is very easy to carry around. The 13.3″ Full HD touch display has the 1920 x 1080-pixel resolution, 400 nits of brightness and 72% NTSC color. The touch display has the Stylus support to offer you a more interactive experience. It has a 720p HD resolution webcam at 30fps for your live chats or taking still photos. Graphics card is the built-in Intel HD 615 GPU that is fine for the daily graphics needs and will let you play the Chrome games that are not so demanding. You can’t replace the SSD, so please choose the size carefully. We like the speakers, picture quality, long battery life, swift performance overall, the aluminum unibody (build quality), quiet operation with the fanless design, backlit keyboard with a great trackpad and more. It has a premium look and feel overall and offers good value if you have the budget for this high-end Chromebook.

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