The still-solid ASUS Chromebook C425 is 63% off right now

The ASUS Chromebook C425 is likely one of two things to you: a blast from the past or a device you’ve never heard of or considered. Either way, there’s a good chance you need a little refresher on this quietly-released ASUS Chromebook that showed up at a slightly-odd time in the overall Chromebook narrative a few years ago.

The year was 2019, it was pre-pandemic, and we were ready to welcome the 10th-gen Intel-powered Chromebook revolution in 2020. That meant we saw the ASUS Chromebook C425 show up at the very end of the dominance of 8th-gen Intel processors in Chromebooks. At the time, the best Chromebook about to become available was undoubtedly the Pixelbook Go that would be released just weeks after our review of the C425, and that device was really the last big-name 8th-gen Intel Chromebook that would arrive.

We all know the story and as we rolled into 2020, things went insanely sideways. Devices were pushed back, announcements were on hold, and the world dealt with the reality of pandemic life for the next 2 years. I point all this out to say that the future looked different than the eventual reality, and devices like the ASUS C425 were easy to ignore at the end of 2019 when 2020 was supposed to usher in a massive load of new, 10th-gen Intel-powered Chromebooks.

A solid device when the price is right

Even during my review period, I liked the ASUS Chromebook C425, despite its shortcomings when compared to the ASUS C434 it was meant to sit alongside. Sure, it was mostly plastic and lacked a touchscreen, but like other Chromebooks that have come after it, there was something pretty enjoyable about this particular device that made me recommend it when the price was right.

I’ve actually loved using this Chromebook despite its shortcomings, and there’s something to be said for that. A Chromebook doesn’t have to be perfect to be enjoyable to use, and the price you pay for that experience matters a whole lot in determining what you’ll feel each time you reach for it.

Me, from my 2019 review of this Chromebook

And we’re seeing one of those times right now. Over at Best Buy, you can currently buy the ASUS Chromebook C425 for only $119 – a whopping $210 off the $330 MSRP. Usually, when we see devices in the $100-$150 range, we’re looking at devices meant for the classroom with entry-level chips and small screens.

The ASUS Chromebook C425 undoes this with its still-powerful 8th-gen Core M3 chip, 1080p 14-inch screen, small bezels, great keyboard, and large trackpad,. This is far from an entry-level Chromebook. Will it compete with the top-end of the market here in 2022? Not really, but at $119, almost every flaw is easy to overlook. I don’t think the ASUS C425 has any glaring issue large enough to offset that stellar price tag, so if you are interested in a great clamshell Chromebook, I’d go get it now. Deals like this don’t generally last.