Best Buy via eBay has
ASUS 14" Touchscreen Chromebook (CM3401-R3128BL) on sale for
$279.
Shipping is free.
Best Buy has
ASUS 14" Touchscreen Chromebook (CM3401-R3128BL) on sale for
$279.
Shipping is free.
Thanks to community member
SerenoG for finding this deal.
Specs (
source):
- 14" 1920x1200 Touchscreen Display
- AMD Ryzen 3-7320C Processor
- 8GB LPDDR5 Memory
- 128GB Solid State Drive
- Wi-Fi 6 802.11ax + Bluetooth 5.3
- Chrome OS
- Ports:
- 1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-A
- 2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C support display / power delivery
- 1x HDMI 2.1 TMDS
- 1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack
- 3-Cell 63Whr Battery
- Weight: 4.08 lbs
Top Comments
it is a 2-in-1
it is a touchscreen
it does have backlit keyboard
nice processor, much better than my MT8183 speed wise
Sharp screen, bright (300 nits but seem brighter), shows as 1980x1200 native resolution, glossy but OK.
Noticeably heavier than Lenovo, but more solid too.
8GB RAM is awesome for Chrome... Solid. No crashes/hangs. (Old Lenovo/4GB/MT8183, not so much.)
128GB NVMe drive (better than built-in, IMHO)
Camera, OK. Bluetooth, OK. Speakers good, but downward facing, so you can't really hear how good they are. Meh.
Does have a cooling fan, but (a) very quiet, and (b) not used much/high
Running crouton with full Linux (Ubuntu, Thunderbird, LibreOffice) , so Intel based CPU is a plus for coding/debugging vs ARM
Currently streaming baseball in one Chrome window, casting to TV, 15 tabs open in another Chrome window and fan is 23% with CPU temp at 90F, so no problem at all.
Overall I would suggest that your specific use case would best be matched to a platform that is easily expanded to meet your particular demands. Sadly this isn't typically a chromebook, since few offer user-accessible RAM. And rather than shopping for a premium chromebook to meet your requirements, a Windows laptop with a decent CPU (perhaps what you already have? Really any relatively modern 4-core i-series model), expandable memory (16GB minimum, but I'd daresay 32GB to be safe) and a speedy SSD could meet the challenge you've set up.
Of course, there's no reason you have to run Windows. I'm simply suggesting that chromebooks, coming in essentially fixed configurations, might not (without some tweaking) be a solution targeted at very specific, demanding needs.
Good luck!
Jon
Weighs 3.97 lbs. and measures 0.82" thin
Ultrathin and ultralight for maximum portability, featuring a smaller screen size and omitting the DVD/CD drive to achieve the compact form factor. Lithium-polymer battery.
3.97lbs as ultralight might be a stretch even 5 years ago.
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50 Comments
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-need to compile FROSTFLOW coreboot rom (since mrchromebox doesnt have this model supported yet)
-need to purchase Coolstar's SOF audio drivers after you install windows ($10)
-need to force AMD Radeon Drivers (manually) not through installer
I have one running Windows 11 Pro and get about 30fps on OW2 (Low Settings/ 1080p)
-need to compile FROSTFLOW coreboot rom (since mrchromebox doesnt have this model supported yet)
-need to purchase Coolstar's SOF audio drivers after you install windows ($10)
-need to force AMD Radeon Drivers (manually) not through installer
I have one running Windows 11 Pro and get about 30fps on OW2 (Low Settings/ 1080p)
Seems like decent specs for the price, no? Have a highschooler that uses an HP Chromebook that is not holding up well after a few years.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank The_Love_Spud
The key features in a Chromebook like this which ensure you can have a full and positive experience include:
- 1080p touchscreen
- 8GB of RAM
- x86 CPU
One thing to point out is that this device isn't intended as a properly premium Chromebook (despite delivering on many premium features). Note that the CPU is good (particularly considering the minimal requirements of ChromeOS). However, this is a Chromebook-specific Ryzen model that sits above many of the lower-end Atom-based and/or 2-core CPU options in the marketplace but isn't necessarily representative of modern Ryzen performance (this is a power-optimized CPU based upon older Zen 2 cores). This has been a regular feature of AMD-based Chromebooks. At this price, however, it would be hard to ding the level of performance being delivered... especially (and almost critically) on an OS that often demands so little of the CPU.The 1080p resolution makes this device well-equipped for media consumption (i.e. - streaming video). The touch screen functionality makes ChromeOS support for Android apps more natural. As a bonus, the 2-in-1 form factor means you can use this as a tablet, if an admittedly heavy one. I would suggest that given the long support life (8-10 years) ChromeOS makes a much better long term investment for running Android apps than almost any Android device.
The 8GB of RAM facilitates operation of Android apps, games, and even the Linux sandbox in a way that commodity 4GB chromebooks don't. ChromeOS tends to operate well within 4GB, but plenty of advanced applications (such as those in the aforementioned list) work best with a bit more headroom. This significantly improves the flexibility of a given Chromebook.
Fortunately, ChromeOS can run on a potato. However, there are generally two tiers of chromebook CPU. ARM-based Chromebooks are functional, particularly for browsing and general-purpose apps, but can be more limiting for high-performance apps (most typically games). Chromebooks based upon x86 then compose the general top-tier of Chromebook devices performance. I'll note later how this device's CPU isn't exactly placing it as a top-fuel dragster in the world of Chromebooks, but a buyer of this model can be confident in the knowledge that they're buying a relatively friction-less ChromeOS experience at this price point.
Good luck!
Jon
Weighs 3.97 lbs. and measures 0.82" thin
Ultrathin and ultralight for maximum portability, featuring a smaller screen size and omitting the DVD/CD drive to achieve the compact form factor. Lithium-polymer battery.
3.97lbs as ultralight might be a stretch even 5 years ago.
The key features in a Chromebook like this which ensure you can have a full and positive experience include:
- 1080p touchscreen
- 8GB of RAM
- x86 CPU
One thing to point out is that this device isn't intended as a properly premium Chromebook (despite delivering on many premium features). Note that the CPU is good (particularly considering the minimal requirements of ChromeOS). However, this is a Chromebook-specific Ryzen model that sits above many of the lower-end Atom-based and/or 2-core CPU options in the marketplace but isn't necessarily representative of modern Ryzen performance (this is a power-optimized CPU based upon older Zen 2 cores). This has been a regular feature of AMD-based Chromebooks. At this price, however, it would be hard to ding the level of performance being delivered... especially (and almost critically) on an OS that often demands so little of the CPU.The 1080p resolution makes this device well-equipped for media consumption (i.e. - streaming video). The touch screen functionality makes ChromeOS support for Android apps more natural. As a bonus, the 2-in-1 form factor means you can use this as a tablet, if an admittedly heavy one. I would suggest that given the long support life (8-10 years) ChromeOS makes a much better long term investment for running Android apps than almost any Android device.
The 8GB of RAM facilitates operation of Android apps, games, and even the Linux sandbox in a way that commodity 4GB chromebooks don't. ChromeOS tends to operate well within 4GB, but plenty of advanced applications (such as those in the aforementioned list) work best with a bit more headroom. This significantly improves the flexibility of a given Chromebook.
Fortunately, ChromeOS can run on a potato. However, there are generally two tiers of chromebook CPU. ARM-based Chromebooks are functional, particularly for browsing and general-purpose apps, but can be more limiting for high-performance apps (most typically games). Chromebooks based upon x86 then compose the general top-tier of Chromebook devices performance. I'll note later how this device's CPU isn't exactly placing it as a top-fuel dragster in the world of Chromebooks, but a buyer of this model can be confident in the knowledge that they're buying a relatively friction-less ChromeOS experience at this price point.
Good luck!
Jon
Will this handle the tab abuse I inflict upon it? That's really the most demanding thing I'll do. I need stability under tab stress.
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Will this handle the tab abuse I inflict upon it? That's really the most demanding thing I'll do. I need stability under tab stress.
why in the hell do you need so many tabs?
Anyway linus tech tips did a video a couple years ago comparing different ram levels and how many tabs they could open before it page swapped into SSD memory. I forget the results. But I want to say 8GB could hold like 100 tabs, but that was a while ago too. Try searching something like linus ram test 8GB 4GB or something maybe.
Just in general though you're gonna want a lot of RAM for that many tabs, 16GB might be right for you. or 8GB might be fine, buy it and return it if you dont like it? One thing I've been wondering lately is shouldn't the proliferation of SSD make RAM less important? If you run out of RAM it shouldn't be such a big hit, but I dont know. obviously ram is still a thing so i guess not.
BTW I think a strong point of this device I remember from checking reviews last time it came up is crazy battery life. IIRC one review got like 18-19 hours. I guess thats the flip side of being a chonky boy. Personally I use my laptops at home so i dont care about weight.
The two caveats that bother me a bit are that it's Chrome OS and IIRC also the screen while 300 nits (good) is 45% NTSC which is not the best. But you cant have everything for the price.
Also if anyone wants to use a digital pen you need one that is USI. https://universalstylus
The two caveats that bother me a bit are that it's Chrome OS and IIRC also the screen while 300 nits (good) is 45% NTSC which is not the best. But you cant have everything for the price.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank A2Zog
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank The_Love_Spud
Will this handle the tab abuse I inflict upon it? That's really the most demanding thing I'll do. I need stability under tab stress.
Overall I would suggest that your specific use case would best be matched to a platform that is easily expanded to meet your particular demands. Sadly this isn't typically a chromebook, since few offer user-accessible RAM. And rather than shopping for a premium chromebook to meet your requirements, a Windows laptop with a decent CPU (perhaps what you already have? Really any relatively modern 4-core i-series model), expandable memory (16GB minimum, but I'd daresay 32GB to be safe) and a speedy SSD could meet the challenge you've set up.
Of course, there's no reason you have to run Windows. I'm simply suggesting that chromebooks, coming in essentially fixed configurations, might not (without some tweaking) be a solution targeted at very specific, demanding needs.
Good luck!
Jon
Weighs 3.97 lbs. and measures 0.82" thin
Ultrathin and ultralight for maximum portability, featuring a smaller screen size and omitting the DVD/CD drive to achieve the compact form factor. Lithium-polymer battery.
3.97lbs as ultralight might be a stretch even 5 years ago.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Weighs 3.97 lbs. and measures 0.82" thin
Ultrathin and ultralight for maximum portability, featuring a smaller screen size and omitting the DVD/CD drive to achieve the compact form factor. Lithium-polymer battery.
3.97lbs as ultralight might be a stretch even 5 years ago.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!