ASUS Chromebook Flip 14" Touch Convertible Laptop - Is it worth it?

When it comes to picking the best Chromebooks, ASUS stands out among the competition. The company has a history of manufacturing high-quality Chromebooks that caters to the needs of a wider audience. ASUS Chromebook series consists of power-packed devices equipped with the latest technology and user-accented features. The latest addition to this line is the Flip C434, which is an elegant 14-inch Chromebook. 

ASUS Chromebook Flip RFB-C434TA-AI0080 leaves behind its predecessors in almost every aspect and is really something special. It outclasses the competitors in terms of design, with its 14-inch display and almost 13-inch chassis. ASUS has pulled off the trick by diminishing the bezels, which in turn has delivered a smart, sleek body. But that’s not the only best thing, as ASUS has also nailed the basics.

ASUS Chromebook Flip C434ta features Intel Core M3 CPU along with SSD storage and a 4GB RAM which many will find satisfactory. The only question that remains in mind is whether it is worth the investment or not. Can it deliver in terms of performance, and more importantly, is it the right Chromebook for professionals?

We have reviewed this 14-inch ASUS Chromebook to find answers for these questions. So, continue to read if you are interested in this smart and nifty Chromebook.

Specs Sheet

Processor: Intel Core M3 8100Y (8th Gen.) / 1.1GHz Max. Turbo Speed 3.4GHz

Display: 14-inch Touchscreen FHD (1920 x 1080) Resolution

RAM: 4GB Storage: 128GB SSD

Graphics: Intel HD Integrated

Weight: 3.1lbs (1.4kg)

Operating System: Chrome OS

The hardware on the Flip C434ta is decent and ASUS has done well to balance the productivity with the price. Let’s find out what its strong and weak points are, and how its specs performs in the real world.  

Design

In terms of design, ASUS’s Flip C434ta can easily be mistaken as a ZenBook Ultrabook, thanks to its premium look. With its chrome trim and matte-silver aluminum finish, this 14-inch convertible gives hints of a fine-tuned design. To be honest, we haven’t seen any other convertible Chromebook that comes in such an elegant design as this one.

Its hinges are sturdy and offer adequate resistance yet let you rotate the display up to 360 degrees. You can use this Chromebook in tent mode as well where and whenever you deem fit. The smart display with barely-there bezels is the first thing that you’ll notice upon opening this ASUS Chromebook Flip. It is by far the most compact laptop with an 87% screen-to-body ratio and weighs around 3.1lbs (1.4kg).

Keyboard

The keyboard on this 2-in-1 Chromebook is backlit and follows the island-style. The keys are adequately places, while the key travel is about 1.3mm which is slightly shy than our preferred distance of 1.5mm. Nevertheless, this is a decent keyboard that delivers solid typing experience and we found it to be an absolute delight.

The actuation force is about 71g while the keys offer a nice tactile click. For a 14-inch Chromebook, the keys on this device are fairly large and easy to type on.

Touchpad

Coming to the touchpad, we found it to be tad jumpy at times, but still a nice one. This is a 4.1 x 2.4-inch touchpad that responds well to commands and delivers an impressive performance. We didn’t experience any problems while using Chrome OS gestures, such as two-finger swipes and pinch-to-zoom. The Touchpad responded instantly as we swipe and tap its surface to open tabs and zoom images.

Display

This is one of the best features of the 14-inch Flip C434. ASUS has equipped the laptop with n FHD IPS touchscreen that comes with a Nanoedge display. The screen resolution on this Chromebook is 080p, which we found fairly bright, if not groundbreaking. The slim bezels on this device draw your eyes towards them and offer an excellent visual experience. Although the panel on this ASUS Chromebook is livelier than previous models, it struggles under bright light.

Connectivity

ASUS Chromebook C434ta features a super-thin chassis, hence there is not much space available for ports. Nevertheless, ASUS has managed to add the basic essential ports on this laptop somehow. On the left side, the laptop houses a 3.5mm headphone jack, a Type-C USB port and a Type-A USB 3.1 port.

On the right side, there a microSD card slot and another Type-C USB port. The best thing is that both USB-C slots back fast charging and you can plugin charger from either side.

Performance

ASUS has armed the Flip RFB-C434TA-AI0080 with an Intel Core m3-8100Y processor that could deliver a base speed of 1.1GHz. The RAM on this 14-inch Chromebook is 4GB which is paired with 128GB SSD storage. This is a decent combination of hardware for a Chromebook and it offers enough oomph that could easily carry out your everyday tasks.

We were able to load 18 Chrome tabs while streaming 1080p videos. The Chromebook C434 didn’t show any lags or stuttering either when we tested its performance for multitasking and word processing tasks. However, we experienced minor lags when we were switching between apps.

Verdict

Overall, ASUS Chromebook Flip C434ta is a wonderful laptop for both professionals and students. It offers the best specs that you could get at this price and fits the bill, not to mention its sleek design and thin-bezels display. This 14-inch Flip is totally worth it in case you are looking for a convertible to accomplish day to day tasks