So, this is a little bit of awkward territory. A new device came to the office a couple weeks ago and it is a review unit, so the box was already opened and doing a normal unboxing felt strange. Instead, we thought we’d go right to an impressions/review of it after I tested it for a bit. And the way these things happen sometimes, it found a spot on my desk and hasn’t really left since it arrived.
So, with the new AMD-powered ASUS Chromebook CM34 Flip, you’ll have to just take my word for now that this is a solid Chromebook with some very nice perks. I’m not 100% ready to film the review on it just yet, but let me at least give you the highlights of what has become a very reliable work machine for me over the past few weeks.
ASUS Chromebook CM34 Flip pre-review
If you saw our review of the ASUS Chromebook Vibe CX34 Flip (ugh, Chromebook names), you basically know what’s on offer, here. Change the chassis from white to navy, remove the stowed USI pen, and downgrade the screen to a standard 60Hz panel with 300 nits of brightness and you have the basic formula for what the ASUS CM34 offers. Oh, and you need to swap the 12th-gen Intel processor for the new AMD Ryzen 3 7320C and pair it up with 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage.
The keyframe feels similar, it has a standard white backlighting on the keys, and the non-glass trackpad is smooth, clicky, and responsive. Ports are exactly the same, too, giving you all you need to get connected with a full-sized HDMI, 2x USB Type C ports, microSD card slot, headphone/mic jack and a Kensington lock. All-in-all, it’s a slight variation from the Vibe CX34 Flip, but not by much.
And for the most part, it’s been a treat to use. It’s on the larger side with the 16:10 14-inch screen and a little thicker than most just like the CX34 Flip, but not so large that it isn’t practical or portable. The device is firm and the processor gets along quite well, not really getting in the way for all my normal, daily tasks when hooked up to the external QHD 120Hz monitor I use. Though I feel a little lag here and there, performance has been really nice for a device that has an MSRP of $499.
$200 off on a $500 device is crazy!
But today, we’re not talking about a $499 device. It’s $299 and for that sort of money, this device is ridiculous. At the MSRP I think the corners cut by ASUS are right on point, but at $299 the value proposition for this device is as good as it gets.
I wanted to be sure to explain how good this one is before recommending it – a video is coming soon on it, I promise. So I won’t waste any more of your time because this is a Best Buy Deal of the Day. That means by this time tomorrow, it will definitely be gone. I wish I had a review video to show you already, but I don’t. But you can trust me when I tell you that this Chromebook is legit, fast, and for $299 is an absolute steal. Don’t miss it!
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