On last week’s episode of The Chrome Cast, we spent a good portion of our time chatting about the new family of Chromebooks from ASUS. The PC maker has dropped three new 11th Gen Tiger Lake devices that have us very excited about the future of Chrome OS flagships and there is a lot here to be excited about. For starters, ASUS appears to have stepped up its game in the area of design and build quality with devices that are not only attractive but possess a build quality that feels as premium as anything on the market. These changes are subtle but tighter tolerances, better materials, and unique aesthetics have brought ASUS’ Chrome OS devices to the top of the barrel.
Second and equally as important, ASUS has finally figured out pricing and the new CX line of premium Chromebooks is priced to put pressure on other Chromebook manufacturers. A prime example is the 15.6″ ASUS Chromebook CX5. The 11th Gen Core i3 convertible features 8GB of RAM, 128GB of storage, backlit keys, and a really good screen. The overall hardware experience is excellent. The power of Intel’s Tiger Lake CPU combines with the CX5’s premium build quality warrants a premium price tag but ASUS is retailing the 2-in-1 for a mere $569 and on a good day, you can pick it up for $100 less. (Today is a good day, BTW.) You could spend twice that much and get a Chromebook that isn’t nearly as powerful or well put together. Kudos, ASUS.
At the North end of ASUS’ new lineup, you have the ultra-premium Chromebook CX9 and the previously unannounced Chromebook Flip CX5400. The former is a clamshell with just about every bell and whistle you can imagine and specs that make it currently the most powerful Chromebook ever made and the top-tier, Core i7 version only runs $1149. The latter just showed up one day and appears to be the true successor to the ASUS Chromebook Flip C436. It features a 14″ FullHD display, convertible form-factor, and a stowable USI pen. The Flip CX5400 nixes the fingerprint sensor found on the CX9 but you get just about everything else that Chrome OS has to offer. The Core i7, 16GB/512GB version will retail for $1,049 when ASUS makes it available but a slightly lesser version has just popped up at Amazon and it’s up for pre-order as we speak.
This model is probably more in line with what most consumers are looking for in a Chromebook. The 11th Gen Core i3 has proven itself to be a powerful workhorse capable of handling just about any task with ease and that includes running Linux packages. This model still includes the garaged stylus, backlit keys, and premium build quality found on the more expensive model. The 8GB of RAM combined with the Core i3 will ensure enough power for most any user and 128GB of storage means you won’t have to worry about running out of space if you don’t live your life in the cloud.
The model is retailing for $699 which is a very palatable price for a premium and powerful flagship Chromebook. Amazon is currently taking pre-orders with the earliest shipping date being September 4th. That leads me to believe that this will likely be the official release date for the CX5400. Here’s a breakdown of the specs for ASUS’ latest convertible flagship and you can find the pre-order listing on The Chrome Shop at the link below. FYI: We do have a review unit of this Chromebook in the office and Robby will be posting the unboxing sometime today.
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5400 key specs
- 11th Gen Intel Tiger Lake Core i3
- 128GB NVMe SSD
- 8GB LPDDR4X RAM
- 14″ Full HD touch display
- 2 x USB-C w/Thunderbolt 4
- USB 3.2
- MicroSD
- garaged USI stylus
- backlit keyboard
- Wi-fi 6
- Harmon Kardon audio
- 3.10 lbs
- AUE date June 2029
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5400 on Chrome Shop
Big shout out to our friend George E. for spotting this listing.
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