Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox review: Tiny, modern, and big on power

There recently was a new surge of great new Chromebox models from some of the same OEMs who make the best Chromebooks. One of those is the Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q which was announced at the end of 2022. This Chromebox is a really great one to consider if you want to bring ChromeOS to the big screen at home or at work, or for things like powering kiosks. It’s durable with a ThinkPad-like look and is very compact. It even features the power of modern 12th-generation Intel CPUs under the hood.

It’s been over seven years since Lenovo launched a new Chromebox, with the last one being the Lenovo ThinkCentre Chromebox Tiny. So, I am really glad to see that Lenovo hasn’t abandoned Google’s Chromebox platform. It was a pleasure to prop the ThinkCentre M60Q to the side of my monitor and use it the month that I had it. Only the occasionally poor Wi-Fi reception, the lack of integrated speakers, and the fact that the integrated graphics performance is a bit slow kept this Chromebox from being the perfect desktop companion for me. Still, for everyday web browsing, and general productivity with Android apps and more, this is one great and modern Chromebox.

 

Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox

Recommended Chromebox

The ThinkCentre M60q is one of the newest Chromebox models you can buy. It features 12th-generation Intel CPUs in a tiny and compact but durable form factor.

Brand

Lenovo

Memory

1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200

Graphics

Integrated Intel UHD Graphics

CPU

Intel Core i3-1215U

Storage

128GB M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe SSD

Ports

Front: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x headphone jack/ Rear: 1x HDMI out, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 4x USB 3.2, 1x Ethernet

Case

Tiny Formfactor 1L Case

Networking

Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1

Dimension

7 x 6.16 x 1.33 inches

Weight

2.35 pounds

Pros

• Features 12th-generation Intel CPUs
• Very compact, and includes a stand
• Comes with a keyboard and mouse
• Can be upgraded

Cons

• Integrated graphics lacks a bit
• Wi-Fi sometimes wonky
• No speakers

Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox: Pricing and availability

Oddly enough, the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox isn’t listed on Lenovo.com for sale. The specific model that I have for review is the 12C60008US model. It is available at Newegg for $490. It features the Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, 8GB RAM, and a 128GB SSD. You also can see variations at Walmart, Antonline, or CDW. The model sold at Walmart and Antonline has a slower Intel Celeron CPU and 4GB RAM and 64GB eMMC storage for $311. You can find the most variations over at CDW, though, which also has models with the Core i5 CPU and 16GB RAM, though that pushes prices closer to $800.

Included accessories

A stand and a comfy wired ChromeOS keyboard, and a basic mouse

The ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox that was sent to me for review comes with four simple accessories. I was expecting it, but Lenovo includes a Wi-Fi antenna and a stand for you to prop the Chromebox into if you want to put it up vertically. Also included is a ChromeOS-specific wired keyboard and a regular wired mouse. In my reviewer’s guide, Lenovo calls these the “USB Chrome Keyboard” and “USB Calliope Mouse.”

I checked, and could not find that keyboard for sale at Lenovo.com as a separate product. It is very rare to find an accessory for a Chromebook like a keyboard that’s made specifically for the ChromeOS platform, anyway. I really appreciate this bundled keyboard since it has dedicated ChromeOS hardware keys like the circular Everything Button, the back button, and the screenshot button. The mouse, meanwhile, is the standard Lenovo Wired USB Mouse, which is $10 on Lenovo.com.

Design

It almost looks like a ThinkPad, but it’s extremely compact

I’ve used many of Lenovo’s ThinkCentre PCs in the past, so the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox felt familiar. Just from the Black color, it looks similar to the other Lenovo ThinkCentre PC offerings that run Windows 11. The distinguishing factor I noticed with this ChromeOS-powered unit is the Chrome logo on the side.

This Chromebox is tall and thin making it extremely versatile for standing at the back of a desk, or to the side of a monitor. It even has ThinkPad looks to it, and is really durable. This is because it meets MIL-STD certifications for toughness against 12 different standards and 20 procedures in harsh conditions. Unfortunately, though, the system has no dust filters and doesn’t come with mounting points. So, you’ll have to come up with your own workarounds should you want to mount it to a non-Lenovo monitor with external accessories. Perhaps a casing to help it slide into a place like the back of a monitor.

While the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox isn’t a circular round Chromebox like HP’s Chromebox G3, or the Asus Chromebox 4, it certainly does look fancier. The front of the Chromebox has notched vertical lines that fade and blend into the ThinkCentre logo and branding. That subtle look is what makes it look a bit like a ThinkPad. And yes, the entire outer shell is made of metal and feels premium. There are even feet on the left side, should you want to sit it horizontally on a table (and not vertically with the included stand as I did). Placed horizontally, measurements have this Chromebox coming in at 7.0 inches long, and 1.3 inches in thickness.

If you’re wondering, this system does have some room for upgrades. There are two DDR4 DIMM slots, which are dual-channel capable. There are also two M.2 expansion slots, one for the WLAN, and one for the SSD. You can get inside by removing the screw at the back, and then pulling the chassis forward and lifting the top off. After that, you can slide off the back panel, which has the sticker with the model number on it. Once I was deeper inside, I even went as far as to remove the fan to get under the CPU.

I do appreciate hearing when a computer has upgradable parts. It helps make the device future-proof and so much greener. This system already uses post-consumer recycled plastic and meets Energy Start and EPAT gold certifications, so that’s just a plus.

What’s also weird is that this Chromebox has no integrated speakers. There’s plenty of room in the chassis for it, but Lenovo does not include one. You’ll have to make sure your monitor has integrated speakers, or that you’re using dedicated speakers. Not a huge surprise, though, as this Chromebox starts at around $300. It’s a sacrifice for the price.

Ports

Leave your dongles behind

The ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox is a really well-connected machine. It has a good port selection on both the front and the back. Thunderbolt is missing, but on the front, there are two USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 port with DP 1.4, and a headphone jack. The rear has the HDMI out port, the DisplayPort, four USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, and an Ethernet jack. And for power? Lenovo is using its proprietary 90W Slim Tip Adapter, with the yellow plug.

I had no issues with the port selection. I plugged in the included keyboard and mouse, a USB drive, and a printer and still had room on the front for plugging additional peripherals if I needed them. There’s no need to use a dongle with this Chromebox. If you want, you even can add additional ports, like VGA, if need be, provide you buy a model that has it.

Performance

Happy to see a Chromebox with a 12th-generation Intel CPU

The problem you’d have run into when shopping for a new Chromebox in 2023 is the fact that most Chromebox units have older 10th-generation Intel CPUs. Before this year, if you wanted a ChromeOS device with the latest and greatest CPUs, you’d only have found them in a traditional Chromebook laptop. There simply hasn’t been new Chromebox hardware with newer Intel CPUs until now.

Along with the Acer Chromebox CXI5, and the Asus Chromebox 5 Mini, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q is one of the newer Chromebox units to sport more efficient 12th-generation Intel CPUs. It’s the highlight of this product and the reason you’d want to buy it for general productivity tasks, or for things like using this system to power a kiosk.

I had the ThinkCentre M60q hooked up to a 4K LG monitor, and the performance was great. Keep in mind, I have the mid-range unit with an Intel Core i3-1215U CPU, and a higher-end Core i5 option is also available. My Chromebox has 6 CPU cores in total. Over previous Chromebox models with 10th-generation Intel CPUs, the CPU inside this unit has a new hybrid architecture with a combination of performance-end efficiency cores. There are two performance cores and four efficiency cores, and the CPU can run up to 3.3 GHz.

For my everyday workflow on this Chromebox, I did a few things. There’s the usual task of running about 10 tabs in Google Chrome, but since this is a Chromebox that can run Android and Linux apps, I also used the Android-based version of Telegram in the background. That’s on top of using the Linux-based version of Microsoft Edge occasionally and running the image editor, GIMP for editing the photos for this review. All of this went smoothly, but I ran into an occasional bug with the Wi-Fi, where the system refused to connect to any of my networks. Unscrewing the Wi-Fi antennae, and rebooting the system fixed this, and a recent ChromeOS update within the month that I had the unit seems to have made it go away.

I didn’t run into any performance issues with web browsing, or running Android or Linux apps. This system has a 15W CPU, and it’s plenty fast for everyday work in Chrome, running GSuite apps, and general productivity. It’s why the Speedometer 2.0 score is so high against a Chromebook with that faster 12th-gen P-series CPU. Speedometer simulates everyday web browsing.

The only issues came when I tried gaming, and video editing on this machine. Even though this Chromebook has a 12th-generation Intel CPU, it is still using Intel’s UHD graphics. Most games I tried from Steam struggled to hit even 30 frames per second, and video editing really dragged this system down, with exports taking nearly an hour. You can see that this unit struggles in this area when you peek at the WebGL Aquarium scores, the 3D Mark scores, and the Octane scores. These numbers are less than ideal. You shouldn’t be using this Chromebox for anything beyond simple productivity like running a simple Android app, opening webpages, or office work and school work.

Should you buy the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox?

You should buy the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox if:

• You want a modern Chromebox with 12th-generation Intel CPUs
• You need a Chromebox for a kiosk
• You want a Chromebox that comes with a great keyboard and mouse

You shouldn’t buy the ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox if:

• You’re a gamer
• You’re a video editor
• You already have a Chromebook with 12th-generation Intel CPUs

The ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox is one of the newer Chromebox units you can find, so there’s no doubt about it. If you want a modern Chromebox with newer Intel CPUs, this is the one to buy. You’ll get a Chromebox with a good port selection, a sleek design, and a performance good enough for basic productivity. For an even better experience, you can upgrade to a Chromebox with a faster CPU, though, for tasks like gaming and video editing.

 

Lenovo ThinkCentre M60q Chromebox

Recommended Chromebox

The ThinkCentre M60q is one of the newest Chromebox models you can buy. It features 12th-generation Intel CPUs in a tiny and compact but durable form factor.

Brand

Lenovo

Memory

1x 8GB SO-DIMM DDR4-3200

Graphics

Integrated Intel UHD Graphics

CPU

Intel Core i3-1215U

Storage

128GB M.2 2242 PCIe 3.0×4 NVMe SSD

Ports

Front: 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2, 1x USB-C 3.2 Gen 2, 1x headphone jack/ Rear: 1x HDMI out, 1x DisplayPort 1.4, 4x USB 3.2, 1x Ethernet

Case

Tiny Formfactor 1L Case

Networking

Intel AX211 Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.1

Dimension

7 x 6.16 x 1.33 inches

Weight

2.35 pounds