Acer Chromebox

Updated on June 4, 2026

This product has been discontinued. The original Acer Chromebox CXI reached its Chrome OS Auto Update Expiration in September 2019, and the later CXI2 reached its AUE in June 2021. Neither model receives security updates or feature releases any longer. This page is maintained for owners researching their existing hardware. If you are shopping for a current Chrome OS desktop, browse the live entries on the Chromebook comparison chart instead.

The Acer Chromebox CXI launched in 2014 as one of the earliest sub-$200 Chrome OS desktops, and the CXI2 refresh followed in 2015 with a bumped Broadwell Celeron and an optional Core i3. Both generations share the same diamond-textured plastic shell, the same four-port USB 3.0 layout, and the same complete-package value that included a wired keyboard, optical mouse, vertical stand, and VESA mount in the box. Across the line, Acer pitched the Chromebox at schools, government desks, and anyone who wanted to turn a spare monitor or HDTV into a cloud-first workstation. TechRadar’s Kevin Lee called the original CXI “a wonderfully affordable way of turning any monitor or HDTV into a capable computer.”

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Acer Chromebox Comparison Chart

	Acer Chromebox	Acer Chromebox	Acer Chromebox	Acer Chromebox
Price	List Price: $349.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $179.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $219.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon	List Price: $399.99 Amazon Prices: Check Price on Amazon
Model number	CXI-i34GKM / DT.Z07AA.001	CXI2-2GKM / DT.Z09AA.003	CXI2-4GKM / DT.Z09AA.003	CXI2-I38GKM / DT.Z0AAA.003
Performance Rating	3.1	2.2	2.7	4.4
Chromebook Plus	No	No	No	No
Processor	Dual-core 1.90 Ghz Intel Core i3-4030U	Dual-core 1.50 Ghz Intel Celeron 3205U	Dual-core 1.50 Ghz Intel Celeron 3205U	Dual-core 2.00 Ghz Intel Core i3-5005U
RAM	4 GB	2 GB	4 GB	8 GB
Internal Storage	16 GB SSD (upgradable)	16 GB SSD (upgradable)	16 GB SSD (upgradable)	16 GB SSD (upgradable)
Screen Size	No Screen	No Screen	No Screen	No Screen
Screen Resolution	No Screen	No Screen	No Screen	No Screen
Screen Type	No Screen	No Screen	No Screen	No Screen
Touch Screen	No	No	No	No
Stylus / Pen	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support
Dimensions width x length x thickness	5.1 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches (129.54 x 165.1 x 33.02 mm)	5.1 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches (129.54 x 165.1 x 33.02 mm)	5.1 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches (129.54 x 165.1 x 33.02 mm)	5.1 x 6.5 x 1.3 inches (129.54 x 165.1 x 33.02 mm)
Weight	1.2 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.2 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.2 lbs (0.55 kg)	1.2 lbs (0.55 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	No	No	No	No
Webcam	No Webcam	No Webcam	No Webcam	No Webcam
WiFi	802.11 b/g/n/ac	802.11 b/g/n/ac	802.11 b/g/n/ac	802.11 b/g/n/ac
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.0	Bluetooth 4.0	Bluetooth 4.0	Bluetooth 4.0
Ethernet	Yes	Yes	Yes	Yes
Cellular Modem	No	No	No	No
HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI	Full-Size HDMI
USB Ports	4 USB 3	4 USB 3	4 USB 3	4 USB 3
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No	No	No
Card Reader	SD	SD	SD	SD
Battery	No Battery	No Battery	No Battery	No Battery
Battery Life	0.0 hours	0.0 hours	0.0 hours	0.0 hours
Fanless	No	No	No	No
Auto Update Expiration Date	September, 2019	June, 2021	June, 2021	June, 2021

Two generations on one page

The variants tracked here span two closely related releases. The original Acer Chromebox CXI shipped in mid-2014 with Intel’s Haswell-generation Celeron 2957U and a 4GB Core i3-4030U option that Acer added a few months later (the CXI-i34GKM tracked as v1). The 2015 CXI2 refresh kept the same chassis and port layout but moved to Intel’s Broadwell-generation Celeron 3205U for the 2GB and 4GB SKUs, with a Core i3-5005U at the top end (the CXI2-I38GKM tracked as v4). Acer left the form factor, the bundled peripherals, and the entry pricing alone, so a buyer in 2014 and a buyer in 2015 walked away with very similar hardware aside from the processor generation.

The original CXI base configurations (CXI-2GKM at around $179 and CXI-4GKM at around $219, both with the Celeron 2957U) are not tracked as separate variant rows here, but they are the configurations the contemporary press reviews tested. The four variants listed on this page cover the launch i3 SKU plus the full CXI2 lineup that Acer sold into 2016.

Hardware and connectivity

Every Chromebox CXI and CXI2 shares the same compact footprint: 5.1 inches wide, 6.5 inches deep, 1.3 inches thick, and 1.2 pounds. The exterior wears Acer’s diamond-textured plastic finish, which was a deliberate departure from the slab-matte enclosures common on Chrome OS devices in that era. The unit can lie flat on a desk, stand vertically in the bundled plastic base, or hide behind a display thanks to the metal VESA bracket that Acer ships in the box.

Connectivity is the same across generations. Four USB 3.0 ports split two-front and two-rear give you enough room for a wired keyboard, a wired mouse, and a couple of peripherals without reaching for a hub. Video output is split between HDMI Type-A and DisplayPort, so a dual-monitor setup works out of the box; Acer rated the i3 SKUs to drive a 4K display, though as detailed below the Celeron variants struggle with actual 4K playback. Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11ac WiFi (dual-band, 2.4GHz and 5GHz), and Bluetooth 4.0 cover the wireless side. A full-size SD card reader on the front lets you mount additional storage without opening the chassis, which is helpful given the 16GB internal SSD. A combo headphone and microphone jack sits on the back rather than the front, which several reviewers called out as awkward for desktop use. A Kensington lock slot lets the unit be secured to a desk in shared environments.

Internally, the SSD and RAM are technically upgradeable but inconveniently located. Both generations mount the storage and memory on the underside of the motherboard, which means a full disassembly and a careful removal of the heatsink to reach them. That single design choice ends up colouring most of the reviewer commentary on long-term use.

Performance across the variants

Performance follows the processor generation. On the original CXI with the Celeron 2957U at 1.4GHz, Lon Seidman’s Lon.TV review measured an Octane 2.0 score of 11,989, which Lon described as “pretty powerful” for the Haswell Celeron and competitive with the better Haswell Chromebooks of that era. TechRadar’s testing on the 4GB CXI handled “30 Chrome tabs open across three browser windows while streaming Google Play Music and editing images” without slowdowns, which surprised reviewers given the modest specs.

The CXI2 with the Broadwell Celeron 3205U at 1.5GHz pulled meaningfully ahead. In Lon Seidman’s CXI2 follow-up, the same Octane 2.0 benchmark returned 14,622, a roughly 22 percent gain over the original CXI. Lon noted that the Broadwell chip stayed responsive when switching between a browser window playing a YouTube video and additional tabs of light browsing. Where both generations stumbled was 4K video playback in Chrome: the hardware video decode pipeline that Chrome OS used at the time did not lean on the Intel HD Graphics block aggressively enough, and 4K at 30 frames per second turned into a slideshow even though the panel and the port could drive the resolution. The Core i3 variants (v1 and v4) sit above the Celerons on both Octane and real-world responsiveness, and they were Acer’s recommended pick for users who wanted to drive dual displays comfortably.

A small detail worth noting for owners: a small fan runs continuously on every CXI and CXI2 SKU. It is quiet under normal browsing but audible in a silent room, and the fan never spins down because Chrome OS does not park it. None of the configurations are fanless.

Reviewer insights

Lon Seidman on the original CXI

Lon Seidman from Lon.TV reviewed the 2GB Celeron 2957U CXI against the equivalent HP and ASUS Chromeboxes of the same generation. He found the Haswell Celeron “pretty powerful” for Chrome OS workloads, recorded the Octane score of 11,989, and called the bundle “a good value Chromebox” given that the price included the keyboard and mouse. His warning was on serviceability: he said it was a little hard to crack the case open and that the write-protect screw sits under the heatsink, requiring the thermal paste to be reapplied if you remove it. Lon’s verdict was that buyers who only wanted to run Chrome OS as shipped would do well, but anyone planning to flash the device for an alternate OS would have an easier time on the ASUS or HP Chromebox of the same vintage.

Lon Seidman on the CXI2

In his CXI2 review, Lon focused on the Broadwell Celeron 3205U bump and the Octane improvement to 14,622. He confirmed the same chassis and the same port layout as the original CXI, and the same upgrade-unfriendliness: RAM and storage still sit on the underside of the motherboard. He explicitly steered viewers toward the ASUS Chromebox of the same year if upgradeability mattered, while recommending the Acer for buyers who would leave Chrome OS installed and were happy with the 2GB or 4GB Celeron tier.

Mike Elgan on TWiT’s Hands-On Tech

Mike Elgan on TWiT’s Hands-On Tech evaluated the original CXI as a giveaway-grade desktop for non-technical users. He praised the build quality as “not flimsy” and the port count, saying “this is a good product right here it has tons of ports.” His sharpest criticism was reserved for the bundled keyboard, which he called “a really horrible keyboard. This is a terrible terrible keyboard.” Despite that, he recommended the unit as an ideal computer to hand to a non-technical relative, citing the one-button Powerwash factory reset as a frictionless recovery path. His sign-off: “give Chromebox a chance.”

Brian Fagioli’s BetaNews unboxing

Brian Fagioli’s unboxing for BetaNews walked through the 4GB Celeron 2957U CXI in detail. He confirmed the inclusion of the keyboard, optical mouse, vertical base, VESA mount, and the two-piece power adapter (a small brick plus a standard plug), and called the keyboard “not a $100 keyboard by any means” but workable. The unboxing is useful as a tour of what physically arrived in the box, and as a sanity check on the front and rear port layout.

FedTech Magazine on government deployment

FedTech Magazine’s review evaluated the Chromebox CXI specifically for government and agency deployment. The article highlighted the speed of provisioning: “Users can be on Google docs five minutes after opening the box, including time needed to connect cables and find the office’s Wi-Fi password.” It called out the TPM 1.2 chip, the verified-boot pass on every startup, and the separate user-data and system partitions as the features that made the unit attractive for federal environments, alongside the Kensington lock for physical security.

Auto Update Expiration and what it means for owners

Google set the Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date for the original Acer Chromebox CXI at September 2019, and for the later CXI2 at June 2021. After those dates each model stopped receiving Chrome OS security updates and feature releases. The hardware still boots and the browser still loads, but Google no longer ships patches for newly disclosed vulnerabilities, and an increasing number of web platform features have rolled past what the frozen Chrome version can support. For background on what AUE means in practice, see the Chromebook Auto Update Expiration FAQ.

Owners who still want to keep a working Chromebox CXI or CXI2 alive past AUE have two reasonable options. The first is to leave Chrome OS in place and use the device for tasks that do not depend on a current browser or current security patches (kiosk-style signage, a guest browser, a dedicated video conferencing endpoint on a managed network). The second, and the one Lon Seidman repeatedly hinted at in both review videos, is to flash an alternate OS. The Haswell and Broadwell platforms in the CXI and CXI2 are well-supported targets for installing Linux on a Chromebook, and the i3-equipped SKUs make a passable light desktop under a current Ubuntu or Debian release once the write-protect screw is removed and a coreboot or MrChromebox firmware is flashed. Neither path is officially supported and both require the disassembly described in the reviews above.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Acer Chromebox CXI still safe to use online? No, not in a meaningful sense. The AUE passed in September 2019, so the device no longer receives security updates. For casual personal browsing on a trusted home network the practical risk is low but non-zero; for any environment that touches sensitive data, retire the device or reflash it.

Can I upgrade the RAM or storage? Technically yes, in practice it is involved. Both the SODIMM slot and the SSD sit on the underside of the motherboard, which requires fully disassembling the chassis and removing the heatsink (and reapplying thermal paste) to reach. Lon Seidman documented this in detail in his original CXI review.

Will it drive a 4K display? The HDMI and DisplayPort outputs can address a 4K panel, and Acer marketed the Core i3 SKUs as 4K-capable for desktop use. Video playback at 4K is a different question: reviewers found the Chrome OS video pipeline of the era did not hardware-decode 4K well, so a 4K YouTube stream stuttered even when the display itself was running at 4K.

What is the difference between the CXI and the CXI2? Mostly the processor generation. The CXI uses Intel Haswell silicon (Celeron 2957U or Core i3-4030U). The CXI2 uses Intel Broadwell silicon (Celeron 3205U or Core i3-5005U). The chassis, ports, included peripherals, and AUE date are the same.

Does it come with a keyboard and mouse? Yes, both generations ship with a basic wired USB keyboard and an optical USB mouse, plus a vertical stand and a metal VESA mount. Reviewers were uniformly unimpressed by the keyboard; most owners replaced it.

Is there a fan? Yes, every CXI and CXI2 SKU has a small fan that runs continuously. None of the variants are fanless.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Complete in-box bundle (Chromebox, keyboard, mouse, vertical stand, VESA bracket) at sub-$220 list pricing
• Generous port layout for the size: four USB 3.0 ports, HDMI plus DisplayPort, Gigabit Ethernet, SD card reader
• TPM 1.2, verified boot, and Kensington lock made it a defensible pick for education and government rollouts
• Fast Chrome OS boot and quick Powerwash factory reset

Cons

• AUE expired September 2019 (CXI) and June 2021 (CXI2); no longer eligible for Chrome OS security updates
• 16GB internal SSD across every SKU pushes users to cloud storage or SD card expansion
• RAM and storage are upgradeable only after a full disassembly, with the write-protect screw buried under the heatsink
• Bundled keyboard is widely panned by reviewers
• Headphone and microphone jack sit on the back of the unit, not the front
• 4K video playback under Chrome OS was unreliable on every variant, even the i3 SKUs

Conclusion

The Acer Chromebox CXI and CXI2 served their purpose as the cheap-and-cheerful entry into Chrome OS desktop computing in the 2014 and 2015 windows. The bundled accessories, the strong port layout, and the VESA mounting flexibility made them genuinely good fits for office deployments, classroom labs, lobby kiosks, and the spare-room living-room PC. The trade-offs that owners run into today are exactly the ones the reviewers flagged at launch: the bundled keyboard is forgettable, upgrades require an annoying disassembly, and 4K video playback never worked well. Past AUE, the long-term answer for an owner who still has a working unit is either a constrained Chrome OS deployment on a trusted network or a Linux reinstall on the bare metal. As a current purchase, the Chromebox CXI line has been comprehensively superseded by Acer’s later CXI3, CXI4, CXI5, and CXI6 generations on the Chromebook comparison chart.