Review: Asus Chromebook Plus CX34

Chromebooks are better than ever thanks to the Chromebook Plus initiative, which emphasizes a combination of more powerful hardware at affordable prices. As good as they’ve gotten, however, most Chromebook Plus laptops aren’t winning many style points. One entry that breaks that mold is the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34.

The first thing you’ll notice about this Asus laptop is that it’s contained in a beautiful white shell that stands out from the raft of gray slabs that cover most other Chromebooks on the market. Though it’s plastic (to keep costs down), the speckled back cover gives the laptop some added dimension that’s delightful to look at. That clean aesthetic extends to the area surrounding the keyboard deck and trackpad, though you’ll have to settle for plain-white bezels around the screen.

Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

The model Asus sent me to test is the CX3402CVA-I5128, which is an update to the CX34 line the company launched in late 2023. Prior models are still available, but this particular one upgrades the processor from a 12th-gen Intel Core i3 to a 13th-gen Intel Core i5 CPU. It also adds a touchscreen, which was sadly lacking from previous models.

As you’d expect, the Core i5 processor in this Chromebook handles the Chrome operating system with ease. I didn’t notice any hiccups handling dozens of tabs and apps; however, I did encounter occasional lag when trying out some Android games, which could have more to do with how the games work with ChromeOS than the hardware in the CX34.

This model also comes with 8 GB of RAM, which is fine for most everyday tasks. However, the 128-GB flash storage will be stifling if you’re used to loading your drive with lots of photos and videos. There are other models available with 256 GB of storage, but this model with the upgraded processor and touchscreen isn’t one of them.

Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

One major omission from this model is a backlit keyboard, which is disappointing if you want to use it in the dark. Older CX34 models came with a backlit keyboard, so, curiously, Asus opted not to ship one on this updated version.

The good news is that, despite the lack of a backlight, the keyboard is comfortable to use for long periods. It has a solid amount of travel and never feels onerous to type on. If I had to name one quibble, it’s the small size of the home-key ridges on the “F” and “J” keys, which make it a little harder to touch-type.

The trackpad is large and spacious, though the material it’s made of creates more drag on your finger than I’d like. I also encountered one bug with the trackpad during testing where it was unresponsive after waking the CX34 from sleep. This seemed to be a one-off and was remedied by a restart (a quick process for Chromebooks), but it’s worth noting.

For everyday work and web browsing, the touch display on the CX34 is fantastic. It’s a 14-inch, 1,920 x 1,080 pixel panel that looks crisp and cuts down on a decent amount of glare with a matte finish. It isn’t the brightest display out there though, and it can struggle when working outdoors on a sunny day.

Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

While the 16:9 screen ratio is pretty standard for laptops, I would have liked to see Asus go for a slightly taller 16:10 display here. The increased vertical space on a 16:10 screen is great for the productivity work the CX34 is targeting. You can see this in action on competitors like Acer’s Chromebook Plus Spin 714.

Port selection on the CX34 is pretty good, with two USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, an HDMI slot, and a standard headphone jack. The USB-C ports can charge the laptop with the surprisingly compact 45-watt charger Asus includes in the box, but they can also be used for DisplayPort over USB-C connections to external monitors.

Photograph: Daniel Thorp-Lancaster

The webcam is another bright spot here, giving you a 1,080p shooter that looks crisp on video calls in good lighting. It can’t compete with the best laptops on low-light performance, but it’s perfectly usable. There’s also a handy switch for the webcam cover right next to it above the display, letting you block it in a snap.

Overall, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is another example of a solid Chromebook Plus. At $499, it has a lot of competition from others in the space, but it’s the most attractive example by far thanks to its sharp white exterior. As long as you can deal with the lack of a keyboard backlight and battery life that’s just okay (I saw between seven and eight hours on a charge), then you have a great little productivity machine.