Asus just revealed three new Chromebooks as part of their new line of laptops for CES. The Chromebook CX9 and Chromebook Flip CX5 / C536 (different names depending on their market) are powered by new 11th generation Intel hardware, while the Chromebook Flip CM5 uses Ryzen 3000 series chips.
CX9 Chromebook
The Chromebook CX9 targets work and corporate environments, boasting a modern laptop-style design, including a 14 “FHD (1080p) NanoEdge screen and an ultralight magnesium alloy structure that ASUS says meets military test standards. It has 16 mm thick and weighs about 1 kg, and has a fingerprint sensor.
The screen is available in a validated Pantone variety if you need a high degree of color accuracy. The CX9 also has two M.2 expansion slots, which ASUS will set up to a ridiculous 4TB of storage space, and you can get plenty of RAM too. It is also the only new model to have an in-camera privacy shutter. Unfortunately, the release date and price are unknown.
Flip CX5 / C536 Chromebook
Depending on the market you are in, Asus will call it the CX5 or C536, but as far as we can tell, they are the same Chromebook.
The Chromebook Flip CX5 comes with a large 15.6 “FHD screen, Harmon Karon speakers and a” metallic “design almost certainly made of plastic, although Asus is proud of its Obsidian Velvet texture on the palm rest and the ErgoLift hinge, which makes the private Chromebook a 2 in 1. This general consumer model also comes with 11th generation Intel chips.
Configuration options vary, with 8 or 16 GB of RAM and 128-512 GB of storage. The 5.68 “touchpad is also made of glass, and the keyboard has 1.4mm key travel. Asus says this Chromebook should last up to 12 hours on a charge.
Again, the price is unknown and ASUS has not said when it will actually materialize.
Chromebook Flip CM5
For some reason, Asus decided to give the CM5 a bit of a “gamer” aesthetic, with color-blocked WASD keys for all the games you’ll be playing on your Chromebook. Maybe the only thing More useful on a gaming laptop is the 2 in 1 design so you can use the monstrosity as a tablet / s.
I’m kidding, but some people who are seriously interested in Stadia may even appreciate these touches, I think. Other spec options for the CM5 come slightly below some of the other recently announced Chromebooks, with RAM options as low as 4 GB and an eMMC-based storage return that the other two models avoid.
This is also a unit with Ryzen, which highlights it in the line, and we can’t wait to see how these new chips work on Chromebooks. When it comes to games, it probably doesn’t matter much. Stadia is a streaming service, and any extra boost from that side of the Internet connection is likely to be superfluous. However, good performance will help when playing titles locally, such as Android games that you can play on Chromebooks.
According to today’s yooj, no word on when it will land or how much it will cost.
The Chromebook market is bursting with work and school going on remotely for many of us. They are one of the cheapest and easiest ways to put a screen and keyboard online, and they may not be very interesting, but they are here to stay. Asus’ new product line presents some substantial hurdles when it comes to specifications, and we look forward to taking a look at them as soon as they materialize – when that really happens.