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When Google announced the first three Chromebooks designed for gamers, ASUS’ offering was the odd man out for a number of reasons. For starters, ASUS didn’t design an entirely new Chromebook to usher in ChromeOS gaming. Instead, the 15.6″ convertible is clearly a rehashed version of the AMD-powered Chromebook CM5 that launched back in 2021. Granted, the new CX55 Vibe did switch to an Intel CPU but ASUS opted for an 11th Gen Core i5 while Acer and Lenovo brought the latest 12th Gen chips to their devices. The 11th Gen Core i5 is no slouch and it does still offer up Iris Xe graphics but still, it seemed an odd play.
ASUS did, however, one up the competition by usurping the other machines with a 144Hz display. Pretty cool but honestly, it’s not really a feature that ChromeOS can leverage at this time. Additionally, ASUS left of the RGB keyboard that you’ll find on the other gaming Chromebooks and stuck with the basic orange key accents found on the AMD model.
All this to say, the ASUS Vibe Chromebook Flip CX5 isn’t a bad Chromebook. It simply missed the mark on some key areas when compared to its counterparts from Lenovo and Acer. The larger convertible is still a powerful device that’s capable of handling any and all gaming available to ChromeOS and it is sleek and subtle enough to still be used as a work device if you’re looking for a solid Chromebook that’s capable of heavy workloads.
At its retail price of $699, I would steer clear of the ASUS and point you to something a bit more premium such as the Acer Chromebook Spin 714. However, the ASUS is currently on sale and at its newly discounted price, it’s worth every single penny. Last week, Best Buy knocked $150 off of the ASUS but this week, you can take an additional $50 off and pick up this solid ChromeOS 2-in-1 for only $499. That nets you an 11th Gen Intel Core i5, 8GB of RAM, 256GB of storage and that crispy 144Hz FullHD display. The overall value of this device at just under $500 goes without question. If you like the look and want a larger Chromebook that won’t break the bank, this one is a great choice.
