ASUS - CX34 14" FHD Chromebook Plus Laptop with Google AI - Intel Core 5 120U (2024) - 8GB Memory - 128GB UFS Storage - Staid Black

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is a solid, no-nonsense Chromebook Plus laptop that gets the fundamentals right. It is not flashy, and it comes with a few clear compromises, but it is a dependable machine for everyday users, especially if you can find it below MSRP. Design and Build The CX34 is a plastic laptop, and it does not try to hide that fact. What it lacks in style, it makes up for in durability. The chassis feels rigid, the lid has very little flex, and the hinge feels sturdy even if it is not especially remarkable. At about 3.15 pounds, it is not especially thin or light, but it is still easy enough to carry in a bag. Port selection is also a strong point, with two USB-C ports, two USB-A ports, HDMI, and a 3.5mm headphone jack. Display The 14-inch 1920 x 1080 Full HD IPS display is sharp and seems reasonably color-accurate to my untrained eyes. The main drawback is brightness: at about 250 nits, the screen is fine indoors but washes out quickly near bright windows or outdoors. The matte finish is a welcome touch, though, because it helps reduce glare and does not show fingerprints as easily as glossier screens. Performance The Intel Core 5 120U performs very well for everyday work. Dozens of tabs, Google Docs, YouTube, Android apps, and light photo editing all run smoothly, and the laptop feels fast and responsive in normal use. The main weak spot is storage. The 128GB UFS drive is acceptable for a Chromebook, but it is not as fast as NVMe storage, and larger file transfers make that difference noticeable. Most users will not mind, but anyone who works heavily with local files should be aware of it. Keyboard and Trackpad The keyboard has good key travel and a comfortable layout, making it suitable for long typing sessions. The major downside is the lack of backlighting, which can be frustrating in low-light environments, and the lack of a 10 key may steer some folks away from this. The trackpad is much better. It is large, accurate, and easy to click, and it feels comparable to trackpads found on some more expensive Windows laptops. Chromebook Plus Software The Chromebook Plus features are where this model earns its name. The 1080p webcam with AI noise suppression is genuinely useful for video calls and is a major upgrade over the 720p cameras found on many older laptops and the included privacy shield is a great feature as well. You also get a 12-month trial of Google Ai Pro (expires 1/2027) which is a great added feature. Battery Life Real-world battery life lands around eight to ten hours, depending on workload. That is not class-leading, but it is enough for a full day of classes, typical work, or a cross-country flight. The 45W USB-C charger also tops it up reasonably quickly. Verdict At MSRP, the CX34 asks you to pay for the Core 5 processor, solid build quality, and Chromebook Plus software features. The dim display and non-backlit keyboard are the main compromises, and they are harder to overlook at a higher price. Best for: Students, professionals, and casual users who want a fast, reliable Chrome OS laptop with good ports and a strong webcam. The CX34 is not flashy, but it is a solid, honest workhorse. Just know that you are paying a premium for the Core 5 model over cheaper Core i3 versions, while the display and keyboard remain lack advanced features.

I picked up the ASUS CX34 primarily for my kiddo, and after getting everything set up and spending some time with it myself, I'm pretty impressed. I wanted something that would be easy to use and manage but still have enough performance to last for several years. The Core 5 processor and 8GB of memory are more than enough for schoolwork, browsing, streaming, Google Docs and having a bunch of tabs open at once. Everything feels quick and responsive, and there's plenty of performance here as their needs grow. The 14" size is also about perfect. The screen is large enough to comfortably work on without making the laptop bulky or difficult for a kid to carry around. The keyboard feels good, the trackpad is responsive, and the overall build feels sturdy enough that I'm not worried every time it gets moved around the house. As a parent, ChromeOS is a big selling point. Setup was incredibly easy, updates mostly take care of themselves, and Google's parental controls make it easy to manage. I also like the physical privacy shutter over the 1080p webcam. It's a small feature, but something I appreciate on a computer being used by my kid. Port selection is surprisingly good with USB-C, USB-A and HDMI, and USB-C charging means we're not keeping track of another proprietary charger. There are a couple compromises. The 1080p display is sharp but isn't particularly bright or vibrant. The 128GB of storage also isn't much by today's standards, although that's less of an issue here since most schoolwork and files will live in Google Drive anyway. Overall, this has been a great fit. It's fast, lightweight, easy for my kid to use, and easy for me to manage. More importantly, it has enough performance that I don't feel like it's something they'll outgrow anytime soon.

When opening the Asus Chromebook, the overall appearance is excellent. Although the top and bottom look to be textured plastic, it still felt fairly rigid. There was a very little flex in the display, but almost none in the keyboard and palm rest area. The screen can lay fully flat. The screen is a 14 inch 1920 X 1080 FHD at 60Hz It is an led screen and although only rated at 250 nits, was bright enough even in a lit room. Also, it is a touch screen, and responds well to the touch input. Screen has reasonably good viewing angles, also a matte screen so it doesn't reflect. The screen coloration leans toward the red / green the “low blue light” that is common now. I tend to set backgrounds to bluish scenes which minimizes this effect. There is no provision to change color temperature, except night light setting – which removes blue light even more. I would like to see the addition of color settings in Chrome for better ability to work with photos, watch movies, etc. Trackpad was also responsive, and the “click” seemed to work across the entire bottom. Keyboard has a soft feel, and a short travel, but easy to type on. However, key back light is non-existent, so typing in a dark room may be next to impossible without a light on.... The processor is an Intel Core 5 Series 1. It is a 10 core, 12 thread processor, running at 1.4Ghz, with boost to 5Ghz. However, it does not have an NPU. Along with the 8Gb ram, this machine tears through tasks. Multiple tabs, and apps, don't seem to slow it down. The UFS storage is 128Gb, but there is no micro card slot for extra storage. You would have to use an external USB storage device. It does have 2 USB A ports, 2 USB C ports, HDMI port, and headphone jack. I charged fully, and the machine has been on for 3 hours, and still shows 100%. This is a good choice for an all day computer.... The computer is fast, lightweight, with exceptional battery life, and feels solid and well built. The major downfalls would be the lack of back lit keyboard, somewhat limited storage, and the inability to correct coloration. Still excellent for students, those needing to work all day on a single charge, etc.

The Asus Chromebook Plus was easy to set up, once it was charged. The device opens with an option to automatically transfer all files, apps, and other information from an Android phone. I do not have an Android phone and was unable to test this option. There was an update that needed to be immediately installed. The update took about 12 minutes to complete. I was able to connect to my personal WiFi easily. The WiFi has stayed connected for days even while the FIOS company was adjusting and working on our home connection. The battery life is decent. The device provides plenty of warning when the battery is low. The device also turns off the screen when it is not being used to help save the battery life. When the battery bar was at 5%, I was able to use the computer for basic functions for about 44 additional minutes. The majority of icons on the bottom bar are Google options. This does allow for typing documents through Google Docs, without downloading word processor programs. All of the saved files and info stored in my Google settings was copied over. I was able to access my Google Calendar quickly just by clicking the icon on the bottom bar. I was never able to access the “Games and Apps” icon, as a message pops up to say there is no internet connection, even though I have an internet connection. There are also some icons that I am not familiar with such as NotebookLM. I have not used Gemini before, but found that this is similar to other AI chats for answering questions and providing information without being fact checked. I appreciate that there are ports for charging on both sides of the device. I also love that the cord comes with a velcro loop for wrapping up the cord when it is not being used. I did not use the other ports yet, but the HDMI port will prove to be helpful when I connect to a smart tv. There is also a spot to connect headphones. If you prefer to use bluetooth extras such as earbuds or a mouse they connect quickly and easily. I clicked on “Settings” and then went through the Bluetooth option and clicked on “Pair a New Device.” Once my mouse was turned on, it connected and worked seamlessly. The volume level is great and allows for quiet listening, as well as loud options when watching and listening from a different room. The keyboard is quite noisy while typing and reminds me of a student keyboard as it feels plainly constructed with hollow, plastic keys.

Chromebooks have come a long way over time. Once thought of as educational only devices, Chromebooks have become daily drivers for many. Chromebook Plus devices allows you to take that concept even further. If you are already heavily invested in Google’s ecosystem, the Chromebook plus seems like a no brainer. The overall design remains familiar to most Chromebook Plus devices. Having a 14-inch matte anti-reflective IPS panel with touchscreen is the sweet spot. Keep in mind the panel is only rated for 250 nits of brightness. The internals make for more than enough horsepower for multiple Chrome tabs and apps to be opened at once. I did not run into any issues while using the device. I’ve experienced roughly 7 hours of battery life with mixed usage. This includes some video watching, website browsing and using Gemini. The Chromebook is about 3.5 lbs. with the feel of hard plastic. I would have like to see Asus opt for a more premium build, but I realize this could potentially increase the cost of the device. The keyboard feels just ok to me. Definitely not a stand out feature. I would have loved to see Asus use better quality materials and wish they would have included a backlit keyboard. I perform most of my work after hours, so it would have been helpful to have additional lighting. Some really neat features that the Asus Chromebook plus has are: Gemini integration X2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-C ports with DisplayPort capabilities Full-sized HDMI HD camera with privacy screen Wi-Fi 6E Touchscreen Android Play store Overall, the functionality of the device is really good at web browsing and handling daily tasks as long as the device is connected to the internet. It’s a plus being integrated into Google’s ecosystem. By having additional ram and storage versus the standard Chromebooks does help this device excel at multi-tasking. I tested connecting the Chromebook to 2 monitors while having multiple Chrome tabs open works without hiccups. I really enjoy using Chrome OS, and Google plans to support the device until June 2032. This is a major plus, however with Googlebooks on the horizon, how long will the device actually be supported. Another question I have is, will this be one of the devices that transitions to the new Googlebook experience. A lot of questions to be answered, but I’m satisfied with the overall results so far.