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ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 Review

Chromebook Plus · 2025 · Released 2025-02-04 · Tested 2025-07-15 · Test Bench 1.1 · published

7.2/10

Overall · Test Bench 1.1

Best for
School, browsing, budget buyers
Not ideal for
Gaming and professional software
Tested config
Intel Core i3-1215U, 8GB, 128GB
Current price
$499
MSRP
$599
Warranty
1-year limited

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BestLaptop.ca Test Team

Reviewed and tested in-house · Updated 2025-07-15 · Test Bench 1.1

How we test →

Quick Verdict

The Chromebook Plus CX34 is a strong choice for students and budget buyers who live in a browser. It has good battery life and a usable keyboard for under $550. ChromeOS limits offline and pro software, so it is not for everyone.

Pros

  • Affordable
  • Good battery life
  • Light and quiet
  • Fast for web-based work

Cons

  • ChromeOS app limits
  • Plastic build
  • Only 128GB storage
  • Weak for demanding tasks

Score Breakdown

Each sub-score is weighted to produce the overall score. How scoring works.

Performance(20%)6.0 Decent
Display(15%)6.6 Decent
Battery life(15%)8.6 Great
Keyboard & touchpad(10%)7.0 Good
Build quality(10%)6.0 Decent
Portability(10%)7.4 Good
Thermals & noise(10%)8.4 Great
Ports & connectivity(5%)7.8 Good
Canadian value(5%)8.8 Great

Use-Case Scores

How this laptop performs for specific needs. Each score weights our test categories differently.

School8.2

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits school use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Business5.8

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits business use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Gaming2.4

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits gaming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Multimedia6.2

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits multimedia use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Workstation3.2

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits workstation use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Programming5.4

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits programming use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Travel7.6

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits travel use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Battery8.6

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits battery use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Value8.8

Measures how well the Chromebook Plus CX34 suits value use, weighting the most relevant test categories. Methodology.

Design, Build & Portability

The Chromebook Plus CX34 uses a plastic chassis, weighs 1.44 kg, and measures 322 x 215 x 19 mm. It earned a build score of 6.0 and a portability score of 7.4 in our testing.

Students and shoppers who mainly browse, write, and use web apps.

Display

The 14-inch IPS panel runs at 1920 x 1080 (16:9) and 60Hz. We measured 302 nits of brightness, 66% sRGB and 48% DCI-P3 coverage, and a colour accuracy of Delta E 3.

It does not have a touchscreen. See full display measurements →

Keyboard, Touchpad, Webcam & Speakers

The keyboard scored 7.0 in our typing tests. The webcam, speakers, and microphone feed the multimedia score of 6.2, which matters most for video calls and media.

Ports & Connectivity

Ports: 2x USB-C 3.2, 1x USB-A 3.2, HDMI, 3.5mm audio. Wireless: Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.2. Connectivity earned a score of 7.8.

Performance, Gaming & Creative Work

With the Intel Core i3-1215U and Intel UHD (integrated), the Chromebook Plus CX34 scored 6.0 for performance. It posted a Geekbench multi-core score of 5,200, a Cinebench multi-core score of 4,100, and averaged 10 FPS across our 1080p gaming suite. Our 4K video export test finished in 24 minutes.

SSD read/write speeds measured 1,900 / 1,100 MB/s.

Battery Life & Charging

In our fixed-brightness tests, the Chromebook Plus CX34 lasted 12.6 hours of web browsing and 14.4 hours of video playback, earning a battery score of 8.6. It charged to 80% in about 70 minutes.

Thermals & Noise

Under sustained load we measured 36 dB of fan noise (22 dB at idle), a CPU temperature of 82°C, and a keyboard surface temperature of 38°C. Thermals and noise scored 8.4.

Software, Configuration & Upgradeability

It runs ChromeOS. RAM (8GB LPDDR5) is soldered and not upgradeable, so size up at purchase. Storage (128GB UFS) is not user-replaceable.

Canadian Pricing & Availability

The Chromebook Plus CX34 carries an MSRP of $599 and currently sells for around $499 in Canada. It represents solid value at current pricing.

Compared to Similar Laptops

LaptopOverallBattery (web)WeightPrice
ASUS Chromebook Plus CX347.212.6 h1.44 kg$499
Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Carbon Gen 128.411.8 h1.09 kg$2,199
Apple MacBook Air 15 (M4)8.518.4 h1.51 kg$1,649
ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 (2025)8.18.6 h1.5 kg$2,699

Final Verdict

The Chromebook Plus CX34 is a strong choice for students and budget buyers who live in a browser. It has good battery life and a usable keyboard for under $550. ChromeOS limits offline and pro software, so it is not for everyone.

Buy it if: Students and shoppers who mainly browse, write, and use web apps. Skip it if: Anyone who needs Windows or macOS software, or lots of local storage.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 worth it?

The Chromebook Plus CX34 is a strong choice for students and budget buyers who live in a browser. It has good battery life and a usable keyboard for under $550. ChromeOS limits offline and pro software, so it is not for everyone.

Who should buy the Chromebook Plus CX34?

Students and shoppers who mainly browse, write, and use web apps.

What is the battery life of the Chromebook Plus CX34?

In our web browsing test at a fixed brightness, it lasted 12.6 hours; video playback lasted 14.4 hours.

How much does the Chromebook Plus CX34 cost in Canada?

It currently starts around $499 in Canada, down from an MSRP of $599.

Discussion

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