By Are you looking to spend less than $200 on a laptop? If so, you’re going to have a difficult time. Extremely low-cost laptops frequently have poor screens, sluggish performance, and dubious construction. The Asus Chromebook CX15 avoids the other issues, but not the first one (performance). For the cost of dinner, drinks, and a movie, it’s a reasonable option if you want a simple laptop.
Specs and features
The specifications of the Asus Chromebook CX15 are as basic as those of any new laptop. It features 128GB of eMMC storage, a dual-core Intel Celeron processor, and just 4GB of RAM. The screen is at least 1080p.
- Number of model: CX1505CKA
- CPU: two-core Intel Celeron N4500, 1.1 GHz to 2.8 GHz
- Graphics/GPU: Intel Integrated; NPU: None; Memory: 4GB LPDDR5X
- 15.6-inch 1080p display LCD Capacity: 128GB eMMC
- 720p webcam with a privacy shutter
- Integration: 1x USB-A 3.2, 1x HDMI 1.4, 1x 3.5mm combo audio, 1x USB-C 3.2 with DisplayPort and Power Delivery
- Networking: Bluetooth 5.4, Wi-Fi 6
- No biometrics
- 42 watt-hour battery capacity; 14.5 x 9.14 x 0.79-inch dimensions
- 3.51 pounds in weight
- System software: ChromeOS
- Cost: $159.00 MSRP
Design and build quality
I was prepared for the worst when I opened the Asus Chromebook CX15. For a laptop, $160 isn’t much, and many devices in this price range have poor build quality. Luckily, the Chromebook CX15 doesn’t follow that pattern.
Please understand that it still feels cheap. The laptop is made of basic polymers that seem hollow and have no unique texture. However, generally, the laptop is quite sturdy. When held from a corner, the lower chassis seems sturdy, and the display barely flexes when opened.
It also has a pleasing appearance. The interior and exterior are both silver, giving it a clean, unobtrusive appearance that blends well with most types of interior design. Spending $500 on a laptop could easily result in a device that is no more visually appealing than this modest $160 Chromebook.
The design has practical advantages as well. The laptop is just eight-tenths of an inch thick and weighs about 3.51 pounds. Although there are many lighter and thinner 15-inch laptops on the market, such as the MacBook Air 15 and the LG Gram series, they are typically far more costly.
Connectivity
The Asus Chromebook CX15 may be charged via its only USB-C port. It can also be used to connect to an external display because it supports DisplayPort. However, the Chromebook also has an HDMI-out port, which makes connecting it to a TV, projector, or older displays simple. The possibilities are completed with a 3.5mm combination audio jack and a single USB-A port.
Even for low-cost Chromebooks, this is a small selection of ports. Numerous substitutes, such as the Acer Chromebook 315 and Lenovo Ideapad 3, have an additional USB-A port. A microSD card reader is another feature of some. However, HDMI-out is frequently left out, particularly on Chromebooks with USB-C and DisplayPort, so it’s nice to see it here.
Performance
At this point, the $160 price tag of the Asus Chromebook CX15 may have you baffled. Although it’s not a really good laptop, it has a 1080p display, a small design, and a fun keyboard. Why, then, is it so reasonably priced?
due to its slowness.
- Speedometer 2.0: 101 CrXPRT 2: 82
- Web 3.0 baseline: 506
- Kraken: 1298.4
- Jetstream: 111.289
The benchmark findings appear to be lacking. With scores that frequently doubled those of the Chromebook CX15, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX34 is significantly faster. The Chromebook CX15 frequently lost against the Lenovo Chromebook Duet, which uses a MediaTek Kompanio 838. The Chromebook CX15 is, all things considered, the slowest ChromeOS device bestcomputerfinder has reviewed in several years—yet, it is also the least expensive.
Part of the fault lies with the Intel Celeron N4500 processor. With a base frequency of 1.1GHz and a maximum boost clock of 2.8GHz, it is a dual-core chip. It’s not much.
Battery life and portability
The Chromebook CX15 from Asus comes with a little 42-watt-hour battery, which isn’t particularly large. In contrast, the majority of 15-inch Windows laptops have batteries that last between 60 and 80 watt hours.
I completed the CrXPRT 2 battery test and recorded 10 hours and 57 minutes. That is significantly less than the 14-hour endurance of the Asus Chromebook Spin 314 or the 13-hour endurance of the Asus Chromebook CX34.
Despite having a short battery life, the Chromebook CX15 may be used reliably for a whole workday. Additionally, I saw that the laptop’s real-world battery life held up well, with 51% of the battery left after five hours of moderate use, primarily web browsing.
As previously stated, for a 15-inch low-cost laptop, the Chromebook CX15 is light and thin. Additionally, a compact 45-watt USB-C power brick is included with the device. This implies that a large range of USB-C power bricks can supply enough power to the CX15.
Conclusion
The $160 Asus Chromebook CX15 has all the features you need, but it lacks any obvious defects that would make it unattractive. It isn’t quick enough for much more than light web browsing, and its battery life isn’t as lengthy as that of more costly Chromebooks. However, it still has a good keyboard, a sleek design, and a clear 1080p display.
Think of the Chromebook CX15 as the bare minimum of a laptop. Although it isn’t very good at anything, it can manage the essentials for a very reasonable cost.
