Unboxing the super-affordable 15-inch ASUS Chromebook CX15

When you see a laptop sporting a price tag under $200 (it has temporarily gone up to $219 as we’re publishing this), healthy skepticism is usually the safest reaction. Historically, sub-$200 entry-level Chromebooks have meant suffering through washed-out displays, mushy plastic decks, and processors so underpowered that opening a few browser tabs forced things to a halt.

So when the new ASUS Chromebook CX15 landed in the studio packing a 300 nit antiglare 15.6-inch 1080p display, 4GB of LPDDR5 RAM, Wi-Fi 6E, a full-size HDMI port, and Intel’s budget-focused Processor N50, I had one main question: Can a $199 15-inch Chromebook actually deliver a usable, daily computing experience?

We just unboxed the new ASUS Chromebook CX15 and while there are certainly clear compromises to keep the price this low, the early hands-on results might surprise you.

The Intel N50: entry-level SoC that holds its ground

The centerpiece of this budget machine is Intel’s Processor N50. Part of Intel’s streamlined Alder Lake-N family, the N50 is a 2-core, 2-thread chip designed specifically for entry-level devices. On paper that doesn’t sound great, right?

In past years, low-end 2-core chips in sub-$200 laptops were a recipe for frustration. However, thanks to architectural improvements in Intel’s E-core (Efficiency core) designs, 6MB of cache, and a max turbo frequency of 3.4 GHz, the N50 combined with ChromeOS’s lightweight footprint handles daily web tasks, Google Docs editing, video streaming, and casual web navigation far better than I expected.

Pairing that silicon with 4GB of fast LPDDR5 RAM and 128GB of storage gives this machine enough headroom to serve as a reliable daily driver for basic home, student, or casual office tasks without feeling completely bogged down.

A massive 15.6-inch canvas and a surprisingly generous port selection

Beyond the processor, what immediately grabs your attention out of the box is surprisingly solid hardware for this price tier:

• 15.6-inch Full HD Display: A spacious 1920×1080 anti-glare screen that gives you plenty of real estate for side-by-side window multitasking, spreadsheets, or watching 1080p video at 300 nits of peak brightness.
• Full-Size HDMI Port: A great inclusion on sub-$200 laptops, allowing you to plug directly into an external monitor or TV without hunting for a USB-C dongle.
• Complete I/O Options: Includes USB-C, USB-A, a 3.5mm combo audio jack, and a built-in 720p webcam equipped with a physical privacy shutter and very solid color and contrast correction.
• Full-Sized Keyboard: A comfortable typing layout that takes full advantage of the wider 15-inch chassis width and gives you a usable number pad as well.

Holding the chassis, you won’t mistake the build materials for an ultra-premium aluminum flagship, but ASUS managed to craft a clean, minimalist aesthetic with rounded corners that doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy in hand – even if it is all plastic.

Where the budget cuts live

To hit a price point under $200, ASUS naturally had to make a few calculated trade-offs. The display, while large and 1080p, is not a touchscreen, so you’ll need to rely on the trackpad or a mouse for navigating the UI. Additionally, the multi-core performance ceiling and heavy multi-app gaming will naturally show the limits of a 2-core chip compared to Intel Core or more capable Chromebook Plus offerings.

However, as a dedicated web workstation for homework, web browsing, streaming media, and administrative tasks, those compromises align well with what budget buyers actually need. Overall, for the price, this is an attractive offer for sure. While I wouldn’t recommend it for people that need to juggle tons of tabs, web apps, and Android apps all the time; casual users and students should find plenty of utility in this often-sub-$200 Chromebook for sure.