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Pros
- Affordable price even with improved specs
- Leading performance in every test
- High-quality FHD display
- Decent port array, Wi-Fi 6, and Bluetooth 5.2
- Durable MIL-SPEC-certified design and antimicrobial coating
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Cons
- Average battery life
- No touch capability (at this price)
- Limited UFS storage is just adequate
Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 Specs
Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) | 128 |
Boot Drive Type | UFS (Universal Flash Storage) |
Class | Budget |
Class | Chromebook |
Dimensions (HWD) | 0.73 by 12.9 by 8.4 inches |
Graphics Processor | Intel UHD Graphics |
Native Display Resolution | 1920 by 1080 |
Operating System | Chrome OS |
Panel Technology | IPS |
Processor | Intel Core i3-1215U |
RAM (as Tested) | 8 |
Screen Refresh Rate | 60 |
Screen Size | 14 |
Tested Battery Life (Hours:Minutes) | 12:46 |
Variable Refresh Support | None |
Weight | 3.17 |
Wireless Networking | 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) |
Wireless Networking | Bluetooth 5.2 |
Chromebooks have enjoyed a sizable footprint in the laptop world for several years, but Google has just upped its game. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 ($399) is one of the cheaper systems in a batch of new so-called "Chromebook Plus" models that are included in Google's latest push to improve Chromebooks. The CX34 and other Plus systems all meet basic hardware spec requirements for better features and performance across the board than most ChromeOS laptops have delivered, like bigger, brighter 1080p displays, increased RAM allotments, and a revamped version of the ChromeOS software. But the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 impressed us by including all of these features at an extremely affordable price. In a season that's seen many manufacturers jack up prices for minimal improvement, the new Chromebooks look like that much a better value, and this one earns our Editors' Choice nomination for budget Chromebooks.
Configurations: Capable From Budget to Premium
The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is available in three different varieties, ranging from the budget model we're reviewing here, up to a more powerful (and more expensive) model that competes with premium Chrome laptops.
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Our $399 test unit is the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, which comes with an Intel Core i3-1215U processor, which may be a little older, but is more powerful than the MediaTek and Celeron chips used in most low-cost Chromebooks. This is paired with 8GB of RAM—prior to the Chromebook Plus shift, that was the maximum memory you would find in most Chromebooks—and a 128GB UFS storage drive. That's not the usual eMMC, which is essentially a flash-card memory module used as primary storage, but it's similar: Universal Flash Storage (UFS) is optimized for low-power devices (it's usually used in phones), but isn't mainstream in laptops yet.
More expensive models include processors up to Intel Core i7, storage of 256GB or 512GB as full SSDs, and a bump up to 16GB of RAM, but specific pricing details have not been released at the time of this writing.
Design: Plastic, But Not Cheap
The Chromebook Plus moniker includes lots of features that haven't been common on affordable Chromebooks before now. Top among these is the 14-inch FHD IPS panel. (An IPS-tech or better screen is part of the Chromebook Plus mandate.) Asus surrounds the screen with a bezel that's narrow on three sides, making for a pleasant-looking display even compared to some more-premium competitors. While Asus sells a touch version of the CX34, this $399 unit has no touch capability, so it's all keyboard and touchpad for this model.
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Above the screen is a 1080p webcam, so you can look your best in online classes and Zoom calls, and the camera has a bright orange physical shutter, so it's easy to see when the camera is covered and the shutter is closed. The higher resolution is a welcome upgrade from past affordable Chromebooks, but it's not a complete win: The detail is fine, but the colors looked a bit gray, resulting in less life-like images in video calls.
About the only thing that hints at the budget-friendly price of the CX34 is the plastic chassis. Done up in white with gray keycaps (with a metallic gray version available), it looks clean and presentable. You can feel some noticeable flexing, though, when you lift the open laptop by one corner. Despite the flex, Asus says the machine has passed MIL-STD-810 testing for durability, holding up to extremes in hot and cold, humidity, altitude, vibration, and even sand and dust. Most pertinent to the average user will be shock tests (usually a drop on hard flooring from desk height), though the "explosive atmosphere" test might be applicable if you have a particularly rambunctious kid at home.
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Regardless, it will survive daily life, even if the frame flexes a little when you pick it up. That flexing doesn't seem to be noticeable when typing, though, so the build actually feels pleasing in real-world use. And the accompanying touchpad, which measures 5.7 inches diagonally, is roomy. Using both felt comfortable, with decent key travel and smooth, responsive pad action with a physical click.
Asus also claims to protect users of this Chromebook from bacterial growth, thanks to a signature antimicrobial coating on the chassis. Though the surface doesn't feel any different from any other plastic-bodied Chromebook, it is helpful to know that the keyboard, touchpad, and palm rest are all made to inhibit surface nasties. That may matter if you intend to pass this Chromebook around, say among workmates on different shifts, or among multiple students in a classroom.
Measuring 0.73 by 12.9 by 8.4 inches and weighing 3.17 pounds, the CX34 is also quite portable, though not as light as some of the recent 14-inch Chromebooks we've reviewed. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023), for example, is 0.15 pound lighter.
Using the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Expanded Ports and Connectivity
The connectivity on the CX34 is also quite thoughtful, with dual USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 ports (both doing double duty as a charging connection, but also supporting DisplayPort for USB-C monitors), along with a pair of USB Type-A ports (USB 3.2), a full-size HDMI output, and an audio jack. For under $500, that's an impressive list of connections.
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For wireless connectivity, the system has both Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2, putting it on a par with any budget Windows system.
ChromeOS, Now with Video Editing and Gaming
Chromebooks all use ChromeOS, Google's browser-first operating system, which puts Google search and services front and center, along with a wealth of extensions and apps from the Google Play Store and all sorts of cloud-based features.
But ChromeOS has gotten several upgrades with the move to Chromebook Plus, and more are promised with Google-powered AI features waiting in the wings. Suffice it to say, ChromeOS has come a long way, and it's closer to a full-fledged PC experience than ever before. We've looked at Android apps and cloud gaming on Chromebooks before, and that's all still here, but Google partners like Adobe and LumaTouch now have ChromeOS-friendly tools for working with photos and videos without having to get a more powerful device. Plus, customers who buy a Chromebook Plus device between now and January 2024 will get a free three-month trial of Adobe Photoshop Web.
That's all to say that, if it's been a while since you've considered a Chromebook, you might want to take a second look at everything that's recently been added to ChromeOS. It's more capable than it's ever been.
Testing the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34: Primo Performance for a Pittance
As mentioned earlier, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 benefits from Google's new higher standard for budget-friendly Chromebooks, with an Intel Core i3 processor, 8GB of RAM, and a 128GB UFS drive. That puts it closer, in many respects, to the more expensive Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) than it does the budget-friendly HP Chromebook x360 13b (2023) or Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook. But it's also not the only Plus model launched this week (eight models are debuting), so we compared it with the similarly equipped Acer Chromebook Plus 515, which has nearly identical hardware and pricing.
As pointed out earlier, the 8GB of memory puts the most basic Chromebook Plus on the same level as past premium models, and the 128GB of storage is a step up from past models that used 64GB or even 32GB drives.
Productivity Tests
We test Chromebooks with three overall performance benchmark suites: one ChromeOS, one Android, and one online. The first, CrXPRT 2 by Principled Technologies, measures how quickly a system performs everyday tasks in six workloads such as applying photo effects, graphing a stock portfolio, analyzing DNA sequences, and generating 3D shapes using WebGL.
Our second test, UL's PCMark for Android Work 3.0, performs assorted productivity operations in a smartphone-style window. Finally, Basemark Web 3.0 runs in a browser tab to combine low-level JavaScript calculations with CSS and WebGL content. All three yield numeric scores; higher numbers are better.
In terms of raw productivity, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 was easily among the peppier Chromebooks we've seen. Not only did it match the much more expensive Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (2023) in all of our productivity tests, but it defeated the other affordable models by a big margin. But that margin of victory might not be as impressive when you consider that the new Acer Chromebook Plus 515 put up similar (and sometimes slightly better) performance numbers using the same hardware. The real takeaway here may be that the Chromebook Plus line is a huge positive change, in large part due to better processing and more mandated system RAM.
That will obviously contribute to smooth and snappy browsing and running local apps, but the new ChromeOS also features machine learning for all sorts of on-device functions, like managing webcam features and the new Material You UI design. The end result will be a better Chrome experience in pretty much every way.
Component and Battery Tests
Two other Android benchmarks focus on the CPU and GPU, respectively. Geekbench by Primate Labs uses all available cores and threads to simulate real-world applications ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning, while GFXBench 5.0 stress-tests both low-level routines like texturing and high-level, game-like image rendering that exercises graphics and compute shaders. Geekbench delivers a numeric score, while GFXBench counts frames per second (fps).
Finally, to test a Chromebook's battery, we loop a 720p video file with screen brightness set at 50%, volume at 100%, and Wi-Fi and keyboard backlighting disabled until the system quits. Sometimes we must play the video from an external drive over USB, but the Asus has more than enough internal storage to hold the video file.
It's only in processor-specific tasks—as measured in Geekbench and GFXBench, which test processing and graphics performance, respectively—that the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 fell noticeably behind the premium Acer Chromebook Spin 714. But even as the more-expensive Acer led by a large margin, the Asus CX34 still delivered a considerable lead over most affordable ChromeOS laptops, like the HP Chromebook x360 13b and the Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook.
In fact, the only area where the Asus CX34 didn't have a massive lead over most of the competition was battery life. The Asus still delivered more than 12 hours of battery life, but this isn't a drastic change from current Chromebooks, which frequently last as long as 15 hours on a single charge. Regardless, that's enough to get you through a day of work or classes easily.
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Verdict: In the CX34, Chromebook Plus Makes a Fuss
After testing and using the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, it's clear that the Chromebook Plus name is more than just a marketing gimmick, as it brings real improvements to the affordable end of the ChromeOS-powered family of devices. Featuring a sharp 1080p display, generous RAM, and impressive performance, the CX34 truly redefines what we can expect from affordable Chromebooks. Even though it's predominantly made of plastic, it impressively withstands durability tests and boasts smart touches like an antimicrobial coating. Plus, it comes with a wide range of ports, and the added Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 support make it an even better deal. At this price point, we're finally getting some of the best parts of the Chromebook ecosystem at prices most shoppers want, and it's a breath of fresh air.
It's not an all-encompassing upgrade, as the battery life is pretty much what Chromebooks already offered, and the new UFS storage format has yet to really prove itself one way or the other. But the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 represents a standout value compared to other Chromebooks we've seen, making it an easy recommendation, and earning it an Editors' Choice for budget Chromebooks (winning the award over the Acer 515 Chromebook Plus model, thanks to longer battery life). If this is the new direction Chromebooks are heading, we are all for it.