ASUS - 15.6" Touchscreen Cloud Gaming Chromebook - Intel Core i5-1135G7 - 8GB Memory - 256GB SSD - Gray

If you want basic computer functionality like being able to download, install, and run anything from the web, look elsewhere. Most software is not compatible with this OS. There's no storage drive, so you only get a quarter of a terabyte to work with. The only part of the four hours I used it that wasn't painful and needlessly complicated was the factory reset, which is supposed to be complicated, so you don't do it by accident. The only positive thing about this experience was the relative ease of returning it to the store to exchange for something fit for purpose. The accompanying image is it not letting me scale a browser window to fit the screen - a function I did figure out eventually, but even then the computer seemed to protest it - and I wish I'd taken a photo to show text on discord wouldn't wrap, but would bleed off the screen, making it unusable - which is particularly bad, because discord text usually wraps fine on the smartphones and tablets this OS is obviously for!

As a gamer you know that you can never have enough gaming platforms. In this case i wanted to try something a little more powerful than a tablet but not as much a full fledged gaming laptop. And in this instance a gaming Chromebook is a nice middle ground but we'll discuss this in a bit. :::Initial impressions::: Taking this out of the box the first thing youll notice is that this is a heavy duty product. It feels premium because it is heavy so it isnt something youll be holding for extended periods of time with one hand. And it has a premium look to it as well it has pretty much all the kind of I/O that you would find on a windows based gaming laptop. From a gamers perspective this is both esthetically pleasing and in terms of hardware it is what you would want. I am curious though if the storage could be upgraded. Although 256 is plenty for a Chromebook it would be great if possible. :::General thoughts::: If you have ever owned an Asus gaming laptop then you know exactly what you are getting. The typical red color scheme is back and looks good. At first i was a little confused on who this product would really benefit but after using it for sometime it grew on me and I ended up answering my own question. So I am going to avoid the usual review spiel about specs I don't see the point in repeating whats already available on the product page. So lets take a look at what matters the display, battery life and how well the hardware and os works. -Display- The display is glossy and is quite a bit reflective but it's not any different from whats already out there. Now here is the thing for a "cloud gaming" device the display is only as capable as the network, the service you are using. Dont get me wrong the display is clear and plenty bright but don't give it too much thought because Chromebook gaming isn't as demanding as actual PC games in high settings. -Keyboard- This keyboard is what is available on the gaming laptops so it is tried and true. Asus isn't new to this so the travel is good the keys do not stick and it feels right. Also a plus is the backlit keyboard. WASD is highlighted in red and looks good. There's a full sized keyboard along with the number keypad on the side I definitely wasn't expecting that but it is a great addition. -Hardware- You have a desktop intel based cpu under the hood along with 256gb of storage so there is more than enough power to run everything on this. Just remember though most folk will use this for cloud gaming. I use Gamepass & Steamlink and I am more than happy with my experience. There are games on the play store that you can download but they won't really fully utilize the hardware to its full capability. :::Pros & Cons::: Pros: -powerful hardware -beautiful screen -battery life is great (chromebook quality) -keyboard is top notch -quality materials Cons: -The OS :::Closing thoughts:::: This product is meant for those who like to game on a number of other platforms. I use steam, gamepass, emulation and sometimes games from the play store. As long as you dont expect this to work like a windows laptop then you'll love this. Chrome OS is different and offers a completely different experience from Mac & Windows. So here is the million dollar question why should anyone buy this? If you are looking for a gaming device that isnt crazy expensive then consider this. It is more powerful than a tablet, as powerful as a windows device and comparable battery life. ::TL;DR:: You want a gaming laptop device that isnt the same old thing then you need to pick one of these up and grab a controller if thats your thing and a pair of headphones. You'll have a great time as I currently am.

Although personally I have always been a bit reluctant to trust many of today’s big tech companies with private data, Google and the Chrome book platform with it’s reliance on much of its content and storage being cloud-based, poses a particular dilemma. At initiation, there are numerous agreements that need to be approved in order to be able to use this device. Perhaps it’s just a foolish Luddite’s dilemma that to be able to receive free or nearly free goods and services in the form of software, you really are required to pay with your marketable privacy. So, initially I was reluctant to surrender, but did so for the sake of the experience and to be able to evaluate this hardware and its operating system. ASUS products have a great reputation for being cutting edge and dependable. Having used many motherboards from ASUS and one previous foldable Windows ASUS laptop, I can say I’ve rarely been disappointed. I am fascinated by how ASUS’s foldable, touch screen computers have progressed over time. This unit, the Chromebook Vibe CX5501FEA looks gorgeous, feels luxurious and performs very well given its included components which includes 8 GB of ram, an Intel I5 1135G7 processor, a 256GB PCIEG3 SSD and a 15.6”144Hz Full HD Multi-touch responsive display with very good off-axis accuracy. Although I freely admit I have little direct experience with Chromebook products other than watching my two children’s use of school-supplied basic Chromebooks back when they were in high school, I can say they would have been woefully jealous of this ASUS product, with its technological sophistication, Cloud–based game-centric identity and large, fast, clear, screen. Although they would most likely have loved the larger screen size, they probably would have, like most of us, struggled a little bit with stowing away that large 15.6” screen and carrying those 4.3 pounds of smartness. Included with the laptop is a 15V DC 45 watt 100~240 V AC input power supply with an annoyingly short cord of about 6 feet in length, which is approximately 1.5 feet shorter than the older ASUS Windows version of this style of laptop. According to the specifications, a full charge can yield as much as 10 hours of laptop use, but only about 6 hours when running videos. Also included were a few paper documents for warranty and safety notices, as well as the shortest quick start guide that I have ever seen. Perhaps of most interest for some, is a card for the new Chromebook owner that allows the redemption of access to free game playing. This is a laptop that is relatively thin as well as being very agile. With the help of a full touch screen, this model has a fully foldable and lit keyboard that can be situated as a tent, tucked under in stand mode, completely folded over in tablet mode or right there under your face, in the normal position. In addition, one of the benefits of the normal position, courtesy of the hinges, is a slightly raised rear keyboard that helps the typing position, allows extra airflow under the laptop depending on what the laptop is sitting on and also allows the Harmon Kardon audio system to have just a little more acoustic breathing room for dispersion. Connectivity-wise, this unit sports a full-sized HDMI 2.0 connector for an external monitor or projector, two USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 connectors, a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A connector, a microSD card reader and an analog 3.5 mm audio jack. Keep in mind that the power supply, when charging, will be using one of the two, USB-C connectors. The wireless connectivity includes Bluetooth 5.0 and speedy Wi-Fi 6 (802.11AX) (as well as backward compatibility to recent earlier versions like Wi-Fi 5 and 4) that allows all that zippy, cloud-based gaming to occur with minimal network interference. In use, this product’s screen is the main attraction, as it is fast, beautiful, versatile and accurate. Next is the keyboard that is stylish, includes a full numbers pad and importantly for gamers, includes anti-ghosting technology to insure that when multiple keys are pressed simultaneously, all your commands get through unscathed to win your battle or do your bidding. The WASD keycaps used for some common game controls are highlighted with a bright color for quick location. One last area of interest is the low friction area of the palm rest that ASUS has dubbed, “Obsidian Velvet” or in plain descriptive terms, a slippery black surface. The online gaming capabilities are obviously the centerpiece of this device and I am just scratching the surface at exploring what it can do whilst writing this review. My son, the college student, is the serious gamer in the family, but is away for another few weeks, so this laptop will get a real workout when he gets home. Conclusion: So, the takeaway for this product is that it is easily powerful enough for most typical computing needs such as browsing, email and video conferencing (although the video camera is limited to 720P resolution, so not the best, especially in darker conditions). However, the limitations of some applications and storage reliance on network connectivity may inhibit usefulness and flexibility when out of Wi-Fi range. Also trying to find Chromebook equivalent applications for more specialized needs is frustrating, especially after dedicating years of experience to trusted programs that are not supported by this OS. For those using this device in schools, homes or within a culture that will always be accessible to trustworthy Wi-Fi, this works. For a lot of us that travel, or may have to rely on sketchy Wi-Fi or use specific programs that are unavailable to this OS, it doesn’t.

## What to know before buying - This is not a Windows gaming laptop, so you can't install a game like Fortnite directly on this laptop. - Instead, this Chromebook is optimized to use *streaming* gaming services like NVIDIA GeForce NOW and Xbox Cloud Gaming. These services typically require a monthly fee, but you may find some free-to-play titles (for example, you can stream and play Fortnite for free with Xbox Cloud Gaming at the time of this writing, but the game offerings can change at any time). - So while this Chromebook can play games, it requires a fast and stable internet connection in order to do so, as well as an account with a cloud gaming service. ## Design The Chromebook definitely has a more aggressive gaming design compared to most Chromebooks. It has a distinctive look that’s both stylish and functional, with orange WASD keys to help you quickly find the directional keys during online play. It has a large 15.6-inch 144 Hz Full HD monitor that provides a sharp display for gaming. Being a touch screen, it does have a very reflective surface, making it difficult to use outside or if there is a bright light source or window behind you. The screen can also be folded 360 degrees to use the laptop in tablet mode and to also use it in tent mode, which can be handy when gaming with a controller. However, at this price point for a Chromebook, I thought that ASUS could have took the design a little further and added RGB lighting effects, for example. ## Performance I tested this laptop with Fortnite on the XBox Live Gaming service with a fast Wi-Fi connection on FIOS. Gameplay was surprisingly good, with only a tiny delay between pressing a button on my controller and having the game react. Most of the time, I didn't even notice the delay. Graphic quality was also very good and visible on the large 15.6-inch screen, but like any streaming video, there are occasional artifacts and pixelation in the video display while playing. However, I still found Fortnite very playable on this machine. It's important to remember that gaming quality is very dependent on the quality of your internet connection. For example, if you're watching a show on Netflix, the video is not actually on your computer; it's streaming from a remote server, so the video quality is dependent on your internet quality. The same goes for these cloud gaming services. I was a tester for one of the first Chromebooks, and I'm impressed how far they have come through the years. They are capable machines for those who want something easy for word processing (Google Docs), web browsing and social media (Google Chrome), basic gaming (Android apps), video conferencing (Google Meet), and even some coding (Linux environment and VS Code). Chromebooks are also a lot easier to maintain and install updates compared to Microsoft Windows, and the security protections in place with ChromeOS help protect against a lot of the viruses and malware out there. ## Battery Life This laptop can last up to 10 hours on a single charge and can be recharged via USB-C. The USB-C also allows you to connect it to a monitor for times when you want to game at a desk. I was happy to find that the USB-C connection worked with my Belkin dock, but this doesn't necessarily mean it will work with every USB-C dock out there. ## Summary The ASUS Gaming Chromebook is great if you're into streaming gaming services, but remember that the games can't be installed directly on this machine and the gaming quality is highly dependent on your internet connection and requires an account with a cloud gaming provider that supports the Chrome browser. However, it still functions like a normal Chromebook and can be used for web browsing, social media, Google Docs, some Android and Linux apps, and video conferencing.

I am a big fan of Chromebooks and have used one as my primary laptop for about a decade. I have used everything from low-end Chromebooks, to the higher-end models like this one and I have always enjoyed their simplicity, safety (malware protection), and functionality. I always suggest to people, that when they are in the market for a laptop and do not need to do much more than web-browsing, email, video streaming, etc, Chromebooks are always the way to go. And now with video game streaming, they can now be used for high-end gaming as well. Here are my observations with this specific ASUS model. Pros: - The specs on this Chromebook are very strong with 8GB of RAM, a beautiful 15.6" touchscreen (1080p), and plenty of storage space on the solid state drive. - The screen can be folded over completely to function as a tablet (see picture). It's rather large to be used as a tablet, but having this option is useful when you have the need. - The GeForce NOW app comes pre-installed and it was easy to create an account, connect my Steam account, and play games that synced to the service. I had some lag using the free rigs they connect you to, but I imagine that gameplay would be much smoother with a paid account ($10 per month to get the premium rigs). Using a free account gets you 1 hour of gameplay per session. Gaming this way can help you play high end games without needing an expensive PC. - I enjoyed the keyboard and trackpad layout. A numpad is squeezed in and gaming keys are colored red to find easily. Cons: - The price of this laptop is higher than most Chromebooks. While the specs are great, if you don't need the high end performance (or plan to do any game streaming), I would go with a cheaper model. - A stylus was not included. I have another 2 in 1 Chromebook from another manufacturer that has an onboard stylus that you can pull out when in tablet mode that comes in handy. I'd like to see that be a standard for all touchscreen Chromebooks. Overall this is a terrific Chromebook and I would recommend it to anyone that likes to do a little gaming on the side or is just looking for a Chromebook that can do a little bit of everything!

high quality for a Chromebook! love that it is laptop quality at a Chromebook price point. so easy to use, a great size as well. have used it for gaming (ie. sims) is able to run these programs but not at the best quality, would not recommend as a daily use gaming laptop, but works well for the occasional gamer who doesn't want to drop a dime on a PC setup. great for travelling, streaming, work stuff. good battery life, much faster than my i3 chromebook

The Asus Cloud Gaming Chromebook is a sleek and stylish looking device in my opinion. The mineral gray aluminum-alloy metal lid looks very professional. The 15.6” FHD display is a responsive touchscreen with 144Hz response time and resolution of 1920x1080. The screen is responsive while in tablet mode as well as in laptop or tent mode and I found it to be bright and clear. The Intel Core i5 processor and 8GB of RAM has been able to handle everything that I have thrown at it so far. The harman / Kardon speakers are positioned on the bottom sides and fire downward. I am very impressed with the sound they make, they can get very loud and when in Tent mode, they are actually firing towards you and they still sound fantastic. I was not expecting sound quite like this from a Chromebook. The backlit gaming (RED WASD) keyboard is one of my favorite aspects of this device. Typing feels natural and smooth as you press the keys with your fingers. I had no issues with typing at all and in dimly lit situations, being backlit really helps and the backlight is adjustable and the travel on the keys is great. The built-in HD webcam and dual microphones worked well as I video chatted with my family and friends. They were impressed with the quality and sound. This is a slightly heavy Chromebook and it’s not as portable (0.73” and 4.17lbs) as some of the other models out there, but with that being said, it has a very large 16:10 screen and is a power house when it comes to Chromebooks. Oh yea, this one you can game on fairly well as a bonus. Streaming games now is becoming more feasible now and if you have a fast, stable internet, you can easily stream and play the latest AAA titles on this. An NVIDIA GeForce NOW’s streaming service trial for 3 months comes with this so you can try out what this can do. Unfortunately, the features listed say you get the top membership tier, but on my device it would not let me activate that tier (59.99 month) and I could only get the next to top tier (29.97) Also, I attempted to activate the other offers such as Amazon Luna+ and Google One and they would not activate, only redirect me to a page that said “sorry, this offer is only for Chromebooks”. I suspect it may be a quick fix if you call support, but I didn’t try that in my short time with this. So, back to playing games, I tested out Destiny 2 and it ran perfectly at 120FPS with a few spots it would drop down to 90FPS, and the input lag was not noticeable at all. Racing games such as Asphalt 9 runs smooth as butter and is a pleasure to play on such a large screen. Another great feature of this is the ability to hook up an external HDMI monitor and use it as a second screen. It will display the games on that screen via HDMI as well. Battery life has been really good as well and with some normal usage I was seeing about 8 hours on average, but with playing games, that was cut down a little bit. This can easily last someone most of the day if you decide to work remotely and it does have the power to handle nearly anything out there.

The Asus CX5501FE is my first Chromebook. A few years ago, I made the switch from Apple to Android for my tablet and phone. I've enjoyed my Android devices. I was curious what I could do with a good Chromebook. So, for the last week, I have been putting this Chromebook through the paces. I tested this Chromebook with an eye for whether or not I could replace my existing PC, tablet, or laptop with the Chromebook experience. While I discovered there is a good deal you can do with a Chromebook and in particular this Chromebook, the experience still felt rather limited to me. This Asus Chromebook is "functional". It's not bad, it's just very, very limited. If you're in the market for a Chromebook, this is a solidly built device. But you should know that there are some limitations over a traditional Android tablet or a Windows or MAC PC. Gaming? Well, I was excited to try a "gaming" Chromebook. A gaming computer is usually designated as such based on the video card and processor. But, this Chromebook is a gaming device in that it streams games from Geforce Now or XBOX. But, Geforce Now and XBOX Game Pass will require a subscription. So what gaming hardware sets this Chromebook apart? It has a Wifi 6 Intel 201 card. It isn't 6G, but it does get pretty good speeds assuming you have a WiFi 6 router. It also has an illuminated keyboard with a highlighted WASD keys. But outside of some mobile games from Google Play (more on that later), this is a gaming through streaming experience. Geforce Now could access my Epic Games, Steam, and Ubisoft games, but not all of my purchased games were accessible. For instance games from EA, Square Enix, and CD Projekt Red were available, but games from Rockstar and Sony were not. Streaming games is interesting. I'm sure the experience will get better. This Chromebook came with a three month subscription to Geforce Now. Basically, with a paid subscription, another computer is processing your gaming experience and you are then streaming that game to your computer over the internet connection. I believe the data is advertised at around 9 gigs per hour. Anyone on a restricted data plan should be careful. I played a few games. FPS games and twitch heavy games worked, but the fast movement felt compressed. Occasionally, I would get a hiccup in the stream and that would interfere with the experience. Playing Cyberpunk 2077 worked, but colors looked slightly washed out. Movements felt less crisp and clear than if you were playing the game on your PC. Stream gaming is never going to be my preferred option. If I'm at home with my WiFi 6 router and fiber internet, I'm going to be playing on a PC or console. Streaming would only make sense on the go, and at that point, I couldn't guarantee a fast internet connection or that my data cap wouldn't be an issue. Plus, Geforce Now and XBOX apps are available on tablets, phones, Windows PCs, and TVs. I'm not sure it's a selling point for this device when I could just as easily stream games to my iPad or a cheaper Windows based laptop. You can't download games directly to your Chromebook. You can't access every game in your Steam library. And, the amount of "free" games is pretty limited. So, you can play games, but I couldn't help but feel like the experience is far from optimal. Software Limitations: Google and Asus expect you will do pretty much everything through Chrome. There are apps, but many of them I tried weren't optimized for the Chromebook experience. For instance, Netflix, Disney+ and Amazon Prime streaming apps were stuck on SD and had a horrible screen flicker. But, I could stream through the websites just fine. Having said that, Google TV, Youtube, and Pluto TV worked as expected. Some of my my previously purchased games like Ticket to Ride worked well. There is no Microsoft Office app for Chromebooks. If you want to type in Word or work on a spreadsheet in Excel, you will need to use the Office 365 web interface. It works for the most part, but is severely limited. For instance, if you want to open a document, it has to exist on one drive. It feels weird to me that I can get a Word app for my Samsung Android tablet, but not for a Google Chromebook. Hardware: This Chromebook can be set up as a traditional laptop, a tablet, or fold it like a tent as a mobile display. The keyboard is responsive. There are two USB-C ports and one USB-A port. The MicroSD slot makes expanding storage rather simple. The battery life on this Chromebook is amazing. I got seven to nine hours depending on usage. The built in speakers are loud and clear. Unfortunately, the entire thing is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. It's also surprisingly heavy. As a tablet, it always feels a bit large and awkward. But, tablet mode does work well. I love how easily this integrates with my Samsung Galaxy S22 phone. The interface is very clean. Setup is quick. The device boots up and shuts down in just a couple of seconds. So, do I like it? Yes. But, I feel like the experience is incredibly limited. Better app support and a better experience with game streaming would probably make this a much easier recommendation. As is, I recommend it, but only for people who know full well what they are getting into. 3/5