ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 Review: Strong Performance, Muted Display

I took time to review the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 because it was my first full-fledged Chromebook experience. I used an affordable Chromebook for a limited time during my first year of college. Shifting to a Chromebook from my college HP 245 G9 felt much faster and smoother.

After four years, I recently got a chance to use a more premium Chromebook, the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX3402, which is part of Google’s new Chromebook Plus series category. It boasts high-end specifications and exclusive access to AI features similar to Microsoft Copilot Plus PCs.

Most of my work involves juggling between Chrome tabs, reading articles, playing media, and sometimes casual gaming when the mood strikes. For this, the ASUS Chromebook Plus felt like the perfect Chromebook.

In this review, I will share my experience using the Asus Chromebook Plus as my daily driver and whether I think it can replace your existing laptop or if you should consider buying a Chromebook instead of a traditional Windows or Mac laptop. I will also answer the big question: How does the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 perform? Before that, if you have never heard of Chromebooks before, here is how Chromebooks differ from Windows and Mac.

Chromebook vs. Windows vs. Macbook

Design and Build: Minimal and Solid

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 comes with a minimal design with solid build quality. After holding it in my hand, I instantly felt it was heavy and solid but also slippery. For the price, the build quality feels sturdy and solid. It also comes with the US MIL-STD 810H military-grade standard, which can withstand extreme environmental conditions.

It comes in two color variants. The one I am using is the Rocky Grey variant. I would personally pick the white version because it looks more premium, but again, design and looks are subjective. The black color looks more subtle, and the white looks better and more premium to me.

The laptop weighs about 1.4 kg, and holding it in hand feels heavy and solid. It is also highly sturdy while placing it on the table and using it. In the top left corner, you get a Chromebook Plus logo and the ASUS logo in the center. On the back, you can find the air vents for better thermals. The entire laptop is built with hard plastic, and it comes with a smooth plastic finish on the top; it feels slippery and is also a fingerprint magnet when you have sweaty or oily hands.

You cannot open the laptop with a single hand; you have to hold the laptop base to raise the lid. You can turn the lid to 180 degrees. Once opened, you notice slightly thicker bezels on the right and left and a big noticeable bezel at the bottom with the ASUS logo on it. The laptop comes with a tenkeyless (TKL) layout without the number pad. The keyboard buttons are tactile but need some time to get used to. It also comes with a single white backlight keyboard.

The smooth outer treatment continues inside with a smooth plastic finish. It feels good to rest your hands, but the concern is that it can easily attract fingerprints, especially with oily fingers. You get an Intel logo and also the Energy Star logo on the left,

It comes with a down-firing speaker setup[, located on both sides. It comes with an ergonomic lift, and when you open the lid, it lifts the laptop, similar to most ASUS laptops. Everything about the laptop is great, but it is more minimal than you might expect.

Display: Decent Indoors. Dull Outdoors and Washed-Out Colors

The ASUS Chromebook CX34 has a 14-inch Full HD resolution IPS non-touch display with a matte-coated screen. The display looks fine while working indoors, but it can only reach up to 250 nits of brightness. While working indoors, the display visibility was significantly reduced, and the screen became dull and hard to see. If you plan to work outdoors in bright conditions, you might face issues with the low screen brightness.

Another issue I had with the display is the color reproduction. It can only cover up to 45% of the NTSC color gamut, which makes the colors look washed out. Even though the display is sharp, due to the washed colors, my overall experience with the display was not great.  However, for the price it comes, I can’t complain much since most laptops in this price range don’t support a full 100% color gamut.

ChromeOS doesn’t come with an option to adjust the color tone, which is something that I mostly miss while working with this display. It might also be the reason coming from a MacBook display, so my expectations were higher. I also compared it against my Windows gaming laptops, and those still had slightly better color quality than the Chromebook.

The viewing angles are good since it is an IPS panel, and I do not have many complaints about them. There is no noticeable light leakage, and the screen is visible without color shifts, even from different angles. The only concern I had with the display was the washed-out colors.

Performance: Solid in One Word

The device I am using is powered by the Intel Core i5 processor coupled with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage. Here are the full specifications of the ASUS Chromebook:

The majority of users who own a Chromebook typically use it for browsing on Chrome, media consumption, or light gaming. An Intel Core i5 powers the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is more than enough for the tasks this device is intended to handle. The ChromeOS is lightweight, making it fast and responsive.

For testing, I opened 50+ tabs on Google Chrome, and I didn’t face any issues while switching between them. Hineslth, using the Google Chrome browser felt like a breeze on my Chromebook, so much better than using it on my Mac. Additionally, Google apps and other supported Android apps run smoothly without any hiccups.

Although Chromebooks are not designed for gaming, I played a few supported games, and they worked great without any noticeable flaws. For cloud gaming, you can also use this laptop to run services like GeForce Now and Xbox Game Pass, which further expands its capabilities. Overall, there were no performance issues. It effortlessly handles all tasks it’s intended for without any slowdowns or performance glitches.

Battery: Superior With Fast Charging Support

One key area where this laptop underperforms is battery life. In my testing, which included web browsing, media playback, and using a few Android apps, I averaged around 8-9 hours of battery life, which is great. However, it could have been better, but with the Intel Core i5 processor, it’s understandable that it might not meet higher expectations.

I have also noticed a slight battery drain in the idle mode, which can drop about 10-15 percent overnight when you are not using it. You get a 45W AC adapter with USB Type C in the box. In my testing, it took about 2 to 3 hours to fully charge the Chromebook from 0 to 100% using the 45W AC adapter. One added advantage is it comes with USB C charging input ports on both sides, which makes it easy to charge the laptop where you are going. It is the most convenient feature for me.

Keyboard and Touchpad: Comfortable and Large

Initially, I had issues with the keyboard layout and keys. ChromeOS has a built-in option to map the keyboard and customize the keys for specific functions, which made my work simpler and better.

It comes with a backlit keyboard, but the keycaps are smaller, which made it a bit harder to type at first, especially since my hands are bigger. However, over time, I got used to the keyboard layout and had no issues while typing on it. The touchpad is large and works well, supporting gestures, and it performs smoothly without any issues.

Speaker and Audio: Clear but Lacking Volume

The audio on this device is mostly flat. The Chromebook comes with two bottom-firing speakers on both sides. The audio is very low even for media playback in quiet environments; it is hard to hear the sound in noisy environments. The Chromebook also has a headphone jack to connect wired headphones. It also supports Google Fast Pair for earbuds, seamlessly connecting to your earbuds with a single click.

Ports and Connectivity: Good Selection

The ASUS Chromebook CX34 offers a good number of ports. It comes with two USB-A ports, 1 HDMI port, and two USB-C ports on either side, both of which support charging. It also includes a headphone jack. However, it lacks a microSD or SD card reader. Both USB-A ports support USB 3.2, offering good read and write speeds when transferring files to external devices.

For network connectivity, the Chromebook supports the latest Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.3. The Wi-Fi speeds are fast, and it offers a good connection range. However, I experienced issues with the Wi-Fi connection. It automatically disconnects for some reason, and I had to re-enter the password each time to reconnect manually. This was quite inconvenient.

Camera and Microphone: Could Have Been Better

The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34’s camera quality is decent. Photos look good, and the video quality is acceptable in good lighting conditions. However, like most PC cameras, it struggles in low light, introducing more noise and a darker tone to the pictures.

It comes with a privacy shutter, which is a great feature, especially for those who work online. It also has a camera usage indicator, which works accurately. In the camera app, there’s an option to scan documents or QR codes, which performed well in my testing. It instantly recognized the QR code and offered me a link to open it, depending on the type of code. The microphone quality is good. It picks up my voice clearly, and during meetings, I had no complaints about my voice being too low or unclear.

ChromeOS: Regular Updates and New Features

During my time using it, most tasks relying on the Chrome browser on ChromeOS were fast, and I didn’t face any issues. I also played media and used some Android applications. Even for beginners, ChromeOS is easy to use. It is great for browser tasks and cloud apps. However, software support is limited on Chromeos compared to Windows and Mac.

I used Figma, and after switching to the Chromebook, I missed having the Figma desktop app. While there are ways to run Windows apps on a Chromebook, they don’t run smoothly. Instead, I used the browser version of Figma. Support for games is also limited. However, one of the biggest advantages of chromos is it supports Android games, including games available for Android. You can use the Google play store to install the apps and games on Chromebook. However most of them are still not optimised for the bigger display.

In 2023, Google introduced a new premium category of the Chromebook Plus series. These devices must meet the minimum hardware requirements set by Google. Some of the specifications include an Intel i3 or higher, at least 8GB of RAM, and 128GB SSD. Also, Chromebook Plus devices come with additional exclusive features that aren’t available on standard Chromebooks.

Recently, Google rolled out an update for Chromebook Plus, which introduced new generative AI features similar to Microsoft Copilot. Upcoming Chromebooks will also have a dedicated button to access AI features quickly. I updated my Chromebook to the latest version and got access to the newest features, including the welcome recap.

While the AI features are very helpful, especially for everyday tasks that can benefit from AI, such as most browser tasks, with Chromebook Plus, you get access to Google One Premium, including Gemini Advanced, for one year for free. The plan provides access to Gemini Advanced, which is really useful in Gmail, Google Docs, Sheets, and other Google apps.

For advanced users, ChromeOS also supports Linux applications, including code editors, terminal commands, and more. You can set the Linux environment and use it for development. ChromeOS also supports cross-device syncing with older smartphones; you can send and receive text messages, view notifications, multiple user profiles, multiple display support, offline functionality, and more.

As per the updates, ChromeOS receives software updates every few weeks, whether they’re feature rollouts or bug fixes. ChromeOS updates automatically in the background. Unlike Windows or macOS, ChromeOS updates don’t take much time, and also Chromebook Plus devices will get long-term support for updates. The ASUS Chromebook CX34 is expected to receive ChromeOS updates until June 2032.

Asus Chromeplus Plus CX34 Pricing

The ASUS Chromebook CX34 comes in three variants: i3, i5, and i7. The device I have is powered by the i5 variant, which costs $599. The i3 variant costs $439, and the i7 variant costs $700.

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 Review Verdict

My experience using Chromebooks has been good, especially for web-based tasks like browsing and working with Google apps; for these web tasks, I prefer Chromebooks over my Mac. However, the software support is limited compared to Windows and Mac.

Overall, If your daily tasks revolve around web browsing, using Google apps, and light gaming and using Android apps, the ASUS Chromebook CX34 is the perfect choice. It offers excellent performance with the Intel Core i5 processor. It also comes with a sturdy build quality, good battery life with fast charging support, a good selection of ports, and a free one-year Google One Premium plan, which includes Gemini Advanced and frequent updates to the chromeOS.

However, if you need a device for color-sensitive work or media consumption and touch screen and stylus support, this might not be the best choice. The colors look washed out, and outdoor visibility with the matte screen finish isn’t great either. To summarize, if you’re looking for an affordable Chromebook with solid performance, the ASUS Chromebook CX34 is worth considering.

Buy Asus Chromebook Plus i3 variant (US)

Buy Asus Chromebook Plus i3 variant (India)