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Two weeks ago, the Chromebook that I have been most excited about finally made a permanent debut on ASUS’ website, and even now, you can purchase the ultra-premium ASUS Chromebook CX9 in two flavors. Either of those devices will give you the same premium experience with a solid aluminum build, great keyboard, bright screen, and all the extras like a fingerprint sensor. For most users, the base model Core i3 version of the CX9 will offer up more than enough horsepower to handle even heavy loads. For those wanting to manage beefy Linux applications or are looking forward to Steam gaming on Chrome OS, the Core i7 version is a better choice because you get twice the RAM at 16GB and the Core i7 features the significantly more powerful G7 integrated graphics which you won’t find on the Core i3.
Anyway, all that to say there is a new CX9 on the block, and this iteration strikes the perfect balance of power while giving users a decent price break over the Core i7 model that retails for $1,149. The latest model was already rumored to be on the way but we had no official word from ASUS that the device actually existed. This particular version of the CX9 features everything we love about the premium clamshell but it’s powered by the 11th Gen Intel Core i5-1135G7. Unlike many other Core i5 devices on the market, ASUS went ahead and kept the same 16GB of RAM that’s found in the more expensive model and that’s a very, very good thing. More on that in a moment. First, here’s a look at the specifics of the new model that is now available from Costco.
ASUS Chromebook CX9 Core i5
- Chrome OS
- 11th Gen Core i5-1135G7
- Intel Iris Xᵉ Graphics
- 16GB LPDDR4X RAM
- 256GB PCle® NVMe™ M.2 Solid State Drive
- 14″ Touchscreen FHD (1920×1080) 400-Nits Display
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 2x Thunderbolt™ 4 supports display / power delivery
- 1x HDMI 2.0b
- 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
- Micro SD card reader
- 720p Webcam with Privacy Shutter
- Backlit Chiclet Keyboard
- Fingerprint Reader
- AUE June 2029.
Okay. What’s so great about this device? Well, as I mentioned, it strikes the perfect balance in the internals department. The Core i5 isn’t a far cry from the bigger Core i7 and you get the same GPU. You also get the aforementioned 16GB of RAM which is a major bonus that will result in serious overall gains in day-to-day performance. This combo will be the perfect rig for gaming when Steam finally arrives on Chrome OS and the best part is that this model runs $150 less than the Core i7 variant available from ASUS. The only catch here is that the Core i5 CX9 is only available at the moment from Costco. That doesn’t mean that you can buy it, but you will need a membership or be willing to pay the 5% non-member surcharge. Still, this is a near-perfect Chromebook and it is an absolute powerhouse. You can find the new ASUS Chromebook CX9 below. I really hope to see this model come to more retailers but I’d also bet that Costco will soon offer a deal on this Chromebook as they are known to do on premium models.
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