ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400)

Updated on May 17, 2026

The ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400) is a budget 14-inch clamshell that has been on shelves since mid-2021 in two flavors: the older CX1400CNA with an Intel Celeron N3350, and the newer CX1400CKA with an Intel Celeron N4500. Both share the same fanless aluminum-and-plastic chassis, the same 14-inch Full HD anti-glare panel, the same 64GB eMMC, and 4GB of soldered RAM. ASUS has aimed this Chromebook squarely at students, parents shopping for a first laptop, and anyone who needs a reliable web browsing machine for under $300.

This is a “good enough” laptop, not a fast one. Choose the CKA variant if you can find it: the N4500 (Intel Jasper Lake, 2021) is a real generational step up from the N3350 (Apollo Lake, 2016), and it also carries a much longer ChromeOS support window (June 2031 vs June 2027). The other reason to prefer the CKA is that it is the unit most current reviewers are testing, so the coverage is fresher.

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ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400) Comparison Chart

	ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400)	ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400)	ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400)
Price	List Price: $279.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $269.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices...	List Price: $209.99 Amazon Prices: Loading prices... Best Buy: Loading price...
Model number	CX1400CNA-AS44FV	CX1400CNA-AS44F	CX1400CKA-AS44F
Performance Rating	2.8	2.8	3.1
Chromebook Plus	No	No	No
Processor	Dual-core 1.10 Ghz (max 2.40 Ghz) Intel Celeron N3350	Dual-core 1.10 Ghz (max 2.40 Ghz) Intel Celeron N3350	Dual-core 1.10 Ghz (max 2.80 Ghz) Intel Celeron Processor N4500
RAM	4 GB	4 GB	4 GB
Internal Storage	64 GB eMMC	64 GB eMMC	64 GB eMMC
Screen Size	14"	14"	14"
Screen Resolution	1920x1080	1920x1080	1920x1080
Screen Type	Anti-glare	Anti-glare	Anti-glare
Touch Screen	No	No	No
Stylus / Pen	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support	No Stylus Support
Dimensions width x length x thickness	12.85 x 9 x 0.74 inches (326.39 x 228.6 x 18.8 mm)	12.85 x 9 x 0.74 inches (326.39 x 228.6 x 18.8 mm)	12.85 x 9 x 0.74 inches (326.39 x 228.6 x 18.8 mm)
Weight	3.2 lbs (1.45 kg)	3.2 lbs (1.45 kg)	3.2 lbs (1.45 kg)
Backlit Keyboard	No	No	No
Webcam	HD	HD	HD
WiFi	WiFi 5 (802.11 ac)	WiFi 5 (802.11 ac)	WiFi 5 (802.11 ac)
Bluetooth	Bluetooth 4.2	Bluetooth 4.2	Bluetooth 4.2
Ethernet	No	No	No
Cellular Modem	No	No	No
HDMI	No HDMI	No HDMI	No HDMI
USB Ports	2 USB 3, 2 USB-C (USB-C supports DisplayPort and charging)	2 USB 3, 2 USB-C (USB-C supports DisplayPort and charging)	2 USB 3, 2 USB-C (USB-C supports DisplayPort and charging)
Thunderbolt Ports	No	No	No
Card Reader	microSD Card Reader	microSD Card Reader	microSD Card Reader
Battery	2 cell, 38WHrs, Li-ion	2 cell, 38WHrs, Li-ion	2 cell, 38WHrs, Li-ion
Battery Life	12.0 hours	12.0 hours	12.0 hours
Fanless	Yes	Yes	Yes
Auto Update Expiration Date	June, 2027	June, 2027	June, 2031

ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400) In-Depth Details

The CX1 (CX1400) is built around a 14-inch Full HD (1920x1080) IPS-style anti-glare panel. PC Varge’s hands-on review of the CX1400CKA measured the panel at 93% sRGB coverage and roughly 250 nits of brightness, which is fair budget-tier glass: workable outdoors in shade, perfectly usable for streaming and documents, but not bright enough to fight direct sunlight on a patio. The anti-glare coating helps in fluorescent-lit classrooms and offices, where glossy panels usually pick up every overhead bulb.

The chassis is the same on both processor variants: 12.85 x 9 x 0.74 inches and 3.2 pounds. ASUS specifies a MIL-STD-810H rating, which in practice means the lid hinge survives drops from desk height and the corners can take a knock without shattering. The fanless design is the other key build choice. There is no spinning fan to gather dust or fail in year three, and the laptop is silent at every workload, but the trade-off is that the N3350 and N4500 both throttle under sustained heavy load (long video exports, heavy multi-tab Linux use). For typical Chromebook workloads (web, docs, video, light Android apps) the thermal ceiling never gets in the way.

Connectivity is where ASUS made the bigger budget compromises. WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.2 are both a generation behind what 2026 Chromebooks ship with. WiFi 5 is fine on most home networks but you will see lower throughput than a WiFi 6 router can deliver, and Bluetooth 4.2 means slightly more pairing friction and shorter range with earbuds. The wired side is more generous than the spec list suggests: two USB-C ports, both with DisplayPort and Power Delivery, plus two USB-A 3.2 ports, microSD, and a combo headphone jack. There is no HDMI, but a $10 USB-C to HDMI dongle gets you to any external display. For wired internet, a USB-to-Ethernet adapter plugs into either USB-A or USB-C port.

The processor split is the most important spec to understand. The original CX1400CNA ships with the Intel Celeron N3350, a 2016-era Apollo Lake dual-core that is showing its age. The newer CX1400CKA ships with the Intel Celeron N4500, a 2021 Jasper Lake dual-core that is roughly 1.6x faster on multi-thread CPU benchmarks and noticeably snappier in the ChromeOS shell. Both pair with 4GB of soldered LPDDR4X RAM, and 4GB is the real ceiling on this laptop: open more than a dozen Chrome tabs alongside an Android app or a Linux terminal and the system will start swapping aggressively. If you live in tabs, the Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook or any 8GB CX5/Plus model will feel meaningfully less constrained.

What Reviewers Found

Independent coverage of the CX1400 is thinner than for ASUS’s higher-end Chromebooks, but the reviews that exist line up on the same conclusions: solid budget value, real battery life, slow when pushed.

In his CX1400CKA review, Allan Smith at PC Varge tested the N4500 SKU and gave it 3.8 out of 5. His battery numbers held up the headline claim: “you’re getting up to 12 hours of battery life on a single charge, which is double what you’re getting with budget Windows laptops.” On performance, Smith was direct: “Don’t be surprised when this Chromebook fires a dozen Chrome tabs and streams a 1080p HD video in the background.” The catch in his write-up is that the N4500 starts to lag once you push past that point or layer in heavier Android apps. He also measured the keyboard at 1.4mm key travel and 71 grams of actuation force, which is slightly shallower than his preferred 1.5 to 2mm range but reasonable for the price, and the 4.1 x 2.4-inch touchpad as “responsive” and larger than most budget Windows machines.

On YouTube, Fix IT Ken’s 2025 hands-on of the CX1400CKA reaches the same verdict from the other direction: a “budget king” for students and casual users, with the soldered 4GB or 8GB RAM and the weak HD webcam as the standout limitations. He confirms the WiFi 6 radio on the newest CKA stock (an upgrade ASUS quietly rolled out partway through the production run; older CKA units shipped with WiFi 5), and praises the dual USB-C charging flexibility (you can plug the included charger into either side of the laptop, which sounds minor until you live with a one-sided charging laptop for a week).

A common thread in the older 2021-era coverage of the CNA variant (the N3350 model) is less flattering: the Celeron N3350 was already two ChromeOS generations behind when the laptop launched, and reviewers consistently called it out as the floor of usable performance for ChromeOS. If you are shopping today and finding a deeply discounted CNA at a deep discount, the right read is that you are buying a laptop with an AUE date of June 2027 and a processor that handles email and YouTube but not much beyond.

Battery, Build, and Real-World Use

The 38Wh two-cell battery is the part of this laptop most readers will care about day-to-day, and it is the part that holds up. ASUS rates it at 12 hours; PC Varge’s testing landed in the same range, and that lines up with how cheap Apollo Lake and Jasper Lake Celerons sip power in light workloads. In practice, a school day of Google Docs, Classroom, and a few YouTube breaks comfortably finishes the day with charge to spare, and a long flight on streaming video drains the battery to roughly 25-30% on landing.

Charging is over USB-C, with both ports accepting power. The included charger is a 45W USB-C brick, but the laptop will accept any reputable 30W or higher USB-C PD charger (a phone charger will trickle-charge but will not keep up with active use). For travel, this means one USB-C charger can handle the Chromebook, a phone, and (with the right brick) most USB-C laptops in a household.

Build quality is the other quiet strength. The CX1 chassis carries an ASUS MIL-STD-810H certification, which covers drop, shock, and vibration testing meant for military gear. In normal use that translates to a laptop you can hand to a 7th grader without flinching, and a hinge that does not get loose after a year of daily open-close cycles. The keyboard deck flexes a little if you press hard in the middle, which is normal at this price.

ChromeOS Support and Auto Update Expiration

The CX1400 ships in two ChromeOS support windows, and this matters for any used or open-box purchase. The CX1400CNA (the N3350 variants) has an Auto Update Expiration date of June 2027, per Google’s official AUE list. Google extended the original 2025 AUE on this model as part of its 2023 Chromebook longevity update, so the device gets two extra years of security patches than originally promised. After June 2027, the device continues to boot and run installed apps and websites, but Chrome itself stops getting updates and you should think of it as an offline or limited-use machine.

The CX1400CKA (the N4500 variants) carries an AUE of June 2031, which is the larger reason to favor it. A 2026 buyer gets five more years of full ChromeOS updates on the CKA than on the CNA, for roughly the same retail price. If a listing does not specify the model number, look for “CKA” in the model number string (CX1400CKA-AS44F) and confirm the processor is the Celeron N4500, not the older N3350.

Who Should Buy the CX1400, and Who Should Skip It

The CX1400CKA is a defensible buy for elementary and middle school students, anyone running it as a secondary “couch laptop” for browsing and streaming, and any household that wants a cheap, drop-tolerant Chromebook to leave on the kitchen counter. The combination of a real Full HD anti-glare panel, MIL-spec build, and the long June 2031 AUE makes it a stable five-year purchase at the budget price point.

Skip it if you regularly run more than ten Chrome tabs or rely on Android apps for productivity (the 4GB ceiling will hurt), if you take a lot of video calls (the HD webcam is the weakest part of the laptop), or if you want a Chromebook that doubles as a light Linux dev box (the eMMC storage and 4GB RAM are too constraining). The next step up the ladder is a Chromebook Plus model, which gets you 8GB of RAM, a faster processor, and a longer AUE for roughly $150 to $200 more. The Lenovo Slim 3 Chromebook and Acer Chromebook Plus 514 are common starting points there.

To compare the CX1400 against other budget Chromebooks side-by-side, the Starry Hope Chromebook Comparison Tool lets you filter by AUE date, RAM, processor, and price.

Frequently Asked Questions About the ASUS Chromebook CX1 (CX1400)

Q: What is the difference between the CX1400CNA and CX1400CKA? A: The CX1400CNA uses the older Intel Celeron N3350 (2016 Apollo Lake) and loses ChromeOS updates in June 2027. The CX1400CKA uses the newer Intel Celeron N4500 (2021 Jasper Lake) and gets updates until June 2031. Both share the same chassis, 14-inch FHD display, 4GB RAM, and 64GB eMMC storage. The CKA is meaningfully faster in everyday use, and the longer support window makes it the better value even at the same price.

Q: Can I upgrade the RAM or storage on the ASUS Chromebook CX1? A: No. Both the 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM and the 64GB eMMC are soldered to the motherboard. You can expand storage with a microSD card (the slot accepts up to 1TB), and you can use external USB-C SSDs, but the internal storage and RAM are fixed for the life of the device.

Q: Does the ASUS Chromebook CX1 have a touchscreen? A: No. The 14-inch Full HD anti-glare display is a standard non-touch panel. If you want a touchscreen Chromebook in the same price range, look at the Lenovo Chromebook Duet (detachable, smaller screen) or step up to a Chromebook Plus convertible.

Q: How long does the battery actually last? A: ASUS rates the 38Wh battery at 12 hours, and independent testing from PC Varge confirmed that figure on the N4500 variant under mixed Chrome and streaming use. A typical school or work day at 80% screen brightness leaves 15-25% charge at the end. Heavier loads (Linux, many Android apps, high brightness) cut that to roughly 7-8 hours.

Q: Does the ASUS Chromebook CX1 support external displays? A: Yes. Both USB-C ports carry DisplayPort signal and Power Delivery, so a USB-C to HDMI or USB-C to DisplayPort dongle drives a 4K external monitor at 60Hz. There is no built-in HDMI port. Charging the laptop while driving an external display works fine: plug power into one USB-C and the display dongle into the other.

Q: Is the keyboard backlit? A: No. The CX1400 does not have a backlit keyboard. The keys are a standard light gray on dark gray, which is readable in normal room lighting but harder to see in a dim airplane cabin or a bedside reading light. PC Varge measured the keys at 1.4mm of travel and 71 grams of actuation force, which is slightly shallow but acceptable at this price.

Q: Does the ASUS Chromebook CX1 have a fan? A: No. The CX1400 is fanless, which means it is completely silent under any load and has no fan to gather dust or fail over time. The trade-off is that both the N3350 and N4500 will throttle slightly under sustained heavy loads (long video calls in a hot room, for example), but for normal Chromebook use the thermals never get in the way.

Q: What kind of connectivity does it offer? A: WiFi 5 (802.11ac) and Bluetooth 4.2 on the original production runs; some 2024 and later CKA units shipped with a WiFi 6 radio upgrade. Wired ports include two USB-C (DisplayPort and PD on both), two USB-A 3.2, microSD, and a combo headphone/microphone jack. There is no Ethernet port and no HDMI port.

Q: Is this Chromebook good for gaming? A: Not really. The integrated Intel UHD graphics handle 2D casual games and browser-based games (Krunker, Slither, etc.) and cloud gaming through GeForce NOW or Xbox Cloud Gaming works well on a fast network, but native Android games above the casual tier will struggle. For a more capable gaming Chromebook, see the Acer Chromebook Plus 516 GE or any other Chromebook with Steam support.

Q: When will the CX1400 stop getting ChromeOS updates? A: The CX1400CNA (N3350) loses ChromeOS updates in June 2027. The CX1400CKA (N4500) loses ChromeOS updates in June 2031. After AUE, the laptop keeps working but stops receiving security patches and new browser features.