Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip Specs:
Value: $279
CPU: MediaTek Kompanio 520
RAM: 4GB
Storage: 64GB eMMC
Show: 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080 touchscreen
Battery: 10:14
Measurement: 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches
Weight: 3.44 kilos
Years of testing Chromebooks have taught us that these lowkey laptops can fall wherever within the worth spectrum. We’ve seen this with {hardware} just like the HP Elite Dragonfly Chromebook, which began at $1,149. And that doesn’t appear to be altering as they turn out to be increasingly more like common Home windows laptops. Nonetheless, Asus takes us again to the great outdated days once they had been minimalistic and inexpensive with the Chromebook CM14 Flip. And like several Chromebook at this price, don’t anticipate a miracle.
I used to be completely satisfied its battery life lasted greater than what a workday requires, whereas the sturdy 2-in-1 design with sturdiness certification will guarantee it weathers the storm with you. However its middling efficiency, ugly show and dreadful webcam are proof that Asus set the associated fee for this Chromebook appropriately. Whether or not it’s definitely worth the cash relies on what you’re in search of, though I used to be shocked by how sluggish the trackpad feels.
Spoiler alert: This most likely received’t be thought to be one of many finest Chromebooks, however preserve studying to see if it’s best for you.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip worth and configuration
Falling on the facet of one of many extra inexpensive Chromebooks on the market, the Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip is constructed with a MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, 4GB of RAM, 64GB of eMMC storage, and a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel contact show. Our precise mannequin is on the market for $279 at Walmart.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip design
Sporting an inoffensive grey inexperienced chassis and lid with the signature ASUS emblem smack within the center and the purple, yellow, inexperienced, and blue of the Chromebook image, the CM14 Flip doesn’t do a lot to face out. Its exterior is extra colourful than the identify suggests, giving it a sea inexperienced look as if a colony of algae was gently resting beneath the outside’s floor. Lifting the lid reveals an identical deck, with the lowercase keys boasting a bumpy texture in opposition to a black hue.
I’m a bit uncomfortable when the laptop computer’s hinges convey the lid near a 90-degree angle. It’s as if I’ve to bend the whole show and I begin worrying it’s going to snap in two. As an example how awkward the ratio from hinge to physique energy is, lifting the lid up ends in the whole deck coming with it if I don’t push it down. It’s because the lid weighs greater than the deck itself, and the design of the bottom makes it troublesome to push the angle previous that time. I’ve to raise the Chromebook up so as to comfortably convey it to a 360-degree angle.
Measuring 12.8 x 8.9 x 0.7 inches and weighing 3.44 kilos, the CM14 feels good to carry. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 (12.3 x 8.8 x 0.71 inches, 3.2 kilos) and Acer Chromebook Vero 514 (12.3 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches, 3.2 kilos) are additionally 14-inches however lighter. The Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook (12 x 7.4 x 0.28 inches, 2.24 kilos) is unsurprisingly lighter and smaller than every of those, as its keyboard is removable.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip ports
That includes two USB Sort-C ports, one USB 3.2, a microSD card reader, audio jack and Nano Kensington lock, this Chromebook has sufficient ports that it ought to suffice for many. In spite of everything, we don’t anticipate you’ll be doing rather more than writing or utilizing easy apps on this Chromebook.
Nonetheless, I acquired confused by a stylus plate on the appropriate facet of the CM14. It’s a smooth grey indent that made it appear to be I might pull it out, however after some analysis, I spotted this was only a placeholder plate for the place the stylus would go if I had that mannequin. Whereas I perceive that producing separate fashions of the bottom only for customers who don’t get the stylus can be additional work, this complete course of was fairly complicated.
I’ve beforehand written about how having a energy button on the facet of a laptop computer is an annoying pattern, and the CM14 Flip is one other pocket book that does precisely that. Whereas that is acceptable on 2-in-1 laptops, I want producers might implement it higher. In spite of everything, this Chromebook has a smartphone-inspired quantity button on the appropriate facet; urgent its higher half will increase quantity, whereas its decrease half does the other. But the laptop computer nonetheless has devoted quantity keys on the deck, so why can’t that be the case for an influence button as effectively?
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip sturdiness and safety
It has additionally handed the MIL-STD 810H military-grade customary, going via exams for port sturdiness, vibration, altitude, panel strain, keyboard sturdiness, and hinge sturdiness. The CM14 Flip additionally has a waterproof keyboard of as much as 400 milliliters. Past my points with the lid being heavier than the bottom, I might actually really feel its sturdiness once I put strain in opposition to totally different factors of the chassis. This can be an inexpensive Chromebook, however it feels good to carry.
It additionally incorporates a bodily webcam privateness shutter within the type of a little bit bar you possibly can snap into place. When the shutter is lively, a purple dot is seen atop the lens. That is nice for privateness, though you may not need to use the webcam a lot, anyway.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip show
Throughout the CM14’s lid rests a 14-inch 1,920 x 1,080-pixel shiny contact show, which is able to get the job accomplished for individuals who simply want one thing to have a look at. It’s no secret that I fawn over lustrous, enchanting screens, because the quickest means a laptop computer can slither into my coronary heart is by melting my eyes. I had no purpose to assume that this Chromebook might ship on that entrance and neither must you. If you would like a good show, you’re going to wish to spend fairly a bit extra. It is a sensible machine, and though its display is undeniably poor, that isn’t stunning or a dealbreaker at this worth level.
I booted up a trailer for Pixar’s Elemental and because the numerous parts of this colourful metropolis acquired launched—air, earth, water and hearth—it took just a few moments for me to appreciate how dim the show was. This weirdly involves its profit by not destroying its shade, as I didn’t notably thoughts how the assorted hues of Firetown’s brick structure contrasted in opposition to the daring blues and greens of the remainder of the town.
| Laptop computer | DCI-P3 shade gamut | Show brightness common |
|---|---|---|
| Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip | 40.7% | 262 nits |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 714 | 76% | 389 nits |
| Acer Chromebook Vero 514 | 79.2% | 274 nits |
| Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook | 85.2% | 361 nits |
Our colorimeter locations the CM14 Flip at 40.7% of the DCI-P3 shade gamut, which is near the bottom I’ve seen. It’s additionally worse than the Chromebook common (72.5%), which isn’t shocking. That is worse than the Spin 714 (76%), Vero 514 (79.2%), and Duet 5 (85.2%).
The CM14 Flip managed an underwhelming 262 nits of brightness. That is considerably beneath the 471-nit class common, whereas the Spin 714 (389 nits), Vero 514 (274 nits), and Duet 5 (361 nits) had been all brighter.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip keyboard and trackpad
Whereas it’s removed from superb, the CM14 Flip’s keyboard feels fairly good—contemplating the aim of {hardware} this low cost is to be a fast and simple option to get work accomplished via Google’s utility suite, that is completely welcome. It options 1.5mm of key journey with spill-resistance and ASUS Antimicrobial Guard, which the corporate claims will “inhibit bacterial development by as much as 99% over a 24-hour interval.”
I took the 10fastfingers typing take a look at and managed 109 phrases per minute at 94% accuracy. The one discomfort I felt was having to push my fingers in the direction of the middle, because the keyboard doesn’t span the complete width of the deck. In any other case, I had no bother typing up articles and swiftly leaping between keystrokes. Be mindful, this laptop computer doesn’t characteristic LED backlighting or a quantity pad.
Sadly, this 5.3 x 3 inch trackpad is perhaps the worst I’ve used, as my fingers really feel street blocked every time I glide them throughout the floor. The extreme friction emitting a uninteresting audible vibration is sufficient of a sign that it’s nowhere close to as easy because it must be. Shopping the web and dragging recordsdata throughout the display was a nightmarish expertise.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip audio
Our dreaded arch nemesis—bottom-firing audio system—makes a daring return. Though, whenever you’re working with a 2-in-1 laptop computer, is there actually a backside? Jokes apart, I used to be stunned that the CM14 Flip’s audio carried out in addition to it did, presenting trailers and music with a compelling diploma of readability and fullness. The soundtrack in movies was typically lowered to make means for clear voices, however music sounded fantastic throughout.
I listened to “The Different Facet” by Dismemberment Plan and was impressed by how loud the speaker system acquired. It crammed my workplace sufficient that it might’ve been superb at a decrease quantity, which is spectacular for such an affordable Chromebook. The extreme rhythmic percussion in opposition to the guitar development that makes me need to bounce up and begin dancing was saved gloriously intact. There’s a slight flatness to this laptop computer speaker that makes it a transparent downgrade from my exterior set, however it’s fairly stable, regardless.
Whereas watching the trailer for Pixar’s Elemental, my perception that this speaker system is healthier than it has any proper to be was solidified. The one notable situation I might spot was that the music lowered itself to make means for dialogue at a number of factors within the trailer, however contemplating how loud, clear and full every scene of this trailer was in any other case, Asus must be proud.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip efficiency
Filled with a MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor, 4GB of RAM, and 64GB of eMMC storage, this light-weight machine is designed to deal with minor duties via Chrome OS like Google Docs, Sheets, and Slides alongside streaming apps like Spotify, Disney+ or YouTube. I opened ten separate YouTube movies and it began to wrestle, taking a minute earlier than it might load the remainder of the web page exterior of the movies themselves.
| Laptop computer | Geekbench 5.0 | Jetstream 2.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip | 1,449 | 74.5 |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 714 | 6,335 | 250.2 |
| Acer Chromebook Vero 514 | 4,415 | 246 |
| Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook | 1,727 | 70 |
In the course of the Geekbench 5 general efficiency take a look at, the CM14 Flip’s lowkey processor completed a multi-core rating of 1,449. That is removed from unimaginable efficiency when in comparison with the 4,991 Chromebook common, however it displays its low-cost effectivity. The Spin 714 (Intel Core i5-1335U, 6,335), Duet 5 (Qualcomm Snapdragon 7c, 1,727) and Vero 514 (Intel Core i5-1235U, 4,415) all did higher. As soon as once more, every is significantly costlier than the Asus.
It didn’t do this significantly better on the JetStream 2.0 benchmark, which measures how briskly massive net pages load. Its rating of 74.5 was far beneath the class common of 216.3. As soon as once more, the Spin 714 (250.2) and Vero 514 (246) did higher, however the Duet 5 (70) was only a step behind.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip battery life
The advantage of Chromebooks with underpowered MediaTek processors is that they usually have long-lasting battery life. And that’s not an exception with the CM14 Flip, because it lasted a complete of 10 hours and 14 minutes on our Laptop computer Magazine battery take a look at, which entails steady net browsing over Wi-Fi at 150 nits.
| Laptop computer | Battery life take a look at consequence (hours and minutes) |
|---|---|
| Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip | 10:14 |
| Acer Chromebook Spin 714 | 12:43 |
| Acer Chromebook Vero 514 | 9:59 |
| Lenovo Duet 5 Chromebook | 13:31 |
This was a little bit longer than the Chromebook common of 9 hours and 59 minutes. The one competitor to carry out worse was the Vero 514 (9:59), whereas the Spin 714 (12:43) and Duet 5 (13:31) did fairly a bit higher.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip warmth
The CM14 Flip acquired surprisingly heat when working a 1080p video for quarter-hour. Its peak warmth reached as excessive as 104.5 levels Fahrenheit at its rear underside. Its touchpad remained at a pleasant 75 levels no less than, whereas the G/H key did not fairly cross our 95-degree threshold at 87 levels. The Spin 714’s peak warmth was 83 levels on the underside, whereas the Vero’s backside acquired a bit extra toasty at 97 levels, however nonetheless not crawling over that 100 threshold.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip webcam
Did you assume a 720p webcam from a Chromebook below $300 can be first rate? I didn’t—and that proved true a few pictures later. The pink partitions of my workplace had their shade sapped, making them pale and ugly.
The nice and cozy glow of my desk lamp was additionally overwhelmingly shiny, ensuing within the white ceiling changing into overexposed. It’s not a shock contemplating the worth level, so if you would like one thing higher, we suggest having a look at our finest webcams web page.
Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip software program and guarantee
Boasting the light-weight ChromeOS, this CM14 Flip comes pre-installed with a number of easy apps to get the person began. In case your main ecosystem will contain Google’s suite, together with Chrome, Docs, Sheets, YouTube and extra, you do not want rather more than what a Chromebook can supply. The Google Play Retailer additionally lets you set up apps like Spotify, Disney+ and way more.
The CM14 Flip comes with a restricted one yr guarantee. See how Asus carried out on our Tech Help Showdown rating.
Backside line
Laptops are in a relentless wrestle to stability worth and high quality. There are a number of poor features to the Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip, however when you think about that this factor is lower than $300, it does sufficient for us to suggest it. In case you want a light-weight 2-in-1 Chromebook with a sturdy exterior, a stable keyboard, and battery life that may final a full workday, you’ll be glad by this.
In case you’re out there for one thing with a greater show, smoother trackpad, clearer webcam, or sooner specs, we suggest wanting elsewhere. The Acer Chromebook Spin 714 is costlier at $699, however we known as it our favourite Chromebook of the yr due to a 1,440p webcam, practically 13 hours of battery life and superior show. In case you’re keen to depart these issues on the desk, the Asus Chromebook CM14 Flip is perhaps price it.
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