I used the Asus Chromebook CM14 for everything from productivity to gaming and found its performance as light as its weight
Asus Chromebook CM14: Two-minute review
The Asus Chromebook CM14 occupies the lower end of the market with its low price and spec, but it aspires to nail the basics.
It boasts a thin and light design that’s impressive for a 14-inch Chromebook. The steely black colorway is fairly austere but it looks smart. Build quality is also good, although the lid is a little flimsy – still, it does recline all the way back to 180 degrees, so it’s certainly flexible.
The partially recycled materials feel solid, and the keyboard is laid nicely, with plenty of space between keys whilst remaining compact, which is a combination I prefer. There’s also a good selection of ports on the Asus Chromebook CM14, with two USB-C ports, a SuperSpeed (SS) USB-A port, a microSD slot and a 3.5mm headphone port.
What isn’t so good, however, is the display. It lacks the clarity and sharpness of some of the best Chromebook devices around, and it’s too reflective when it strays even marginally beyond the optimal viewing angle, either washing out or blacking out entirely.
Things are worse when it comes to performance. Although it can handle light productivity, general browsing, 2K video playback and some light gaming, it can struggle with these on occasion. What’s worse, though, is that it’s severely hamstrung by multitasking, with stutters, slow downs, and crashes a frequent occurrence, at least when equipped with 4GB of RAM, which is low by today’s standards.
The typing experience of the Asus Chromebook CM14 is pleasant enough, thanks to the tactile feel of the keys and their low profile. However, the touchpad is another drawback, as there’s too much friction; the surface is nowhere near as smooth as that on, say, the best MacBook models. And no matter what you do with the sensitivity settings, it either travels too much – continuing to move even once your finger stops – or too slowly, making it feel sluggish and imprecise.
One of the saving graces of the Asus Chromebook CM14, though, is the battery life. It lasted over nine hours during our battery test, which isn’t that far off its claimed 15 hour figure. It’s also quite quick to charge, taking about four hours to replenish completely from empty, again close to Asus’ claim.
The Asus Chromebook CM14 is also very cheap, and undercuts many other Chromebooks, even those that are considered good value. But performance is sacrificed, especially when multitasking. If you’re on the lookout for Chromebooks that won’t break the bank, then the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook is the best in this regard, while the Acer Chromebook Plus 515 is great for students.
Asus Chromebook CM14: Price and availability
- $299 / £299 (about AU$473)
- Available now in black
- Cheaper than the competition
The Asus Chromebook CM14 costs $299 / £299 (about AU$473) and is available now in one color: black. It can be configured with 4GB or 8GB of RAM, but only one storage size: 64GB.
It’s cheaper than the best laptops in the budget-friendly realm, and even cheaper than the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 Chromebook, which is the best Chromebook for those on a budget in our view. However, the IdeaPad Flex 3 is a 2-in-1 device, so can be used like a tablet when the mood strikes. It also has an even better battery life than the Asus Chromebook CM14, and is built like a tank to boot.
For about the same price or cheaper than the Asus Chromebook CM14 in some territories, you could have the Acer Chromebook 314, which is one of the best student Chromebook picks for those on a budget. Like the Asus Chromebook CM14, it has a great battery life, but with the added benefits of a 2-in-1 design and an impressive display – aspects the Asus Chromebook CM14 lacks.
Asus Chromebook CM14: Specs
The review unit of the Asus Chromebook CM14 I had was configured with 4GB of RAM.
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Asus Chromebook CM14 |
|---|---|
| Price: | $299 / £299 (about AU$473) |
| CPU: | MediaTek Kompanio 520 2.0 GHz (1M Cache, up to 2.0 GHz, 8 cores) |
| Graphics: | ARM Mali-G52 MC2 |
| RAM: | 4GB |
| Screen: | 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 16:9 aspect ratio, non-touch screen |
| Storage: | 64GB eMMC |
| Ports: | 1x Type-A USB, 2x Type-C, 1x Micro SD, and 1x headset jack |
| Wireless: | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2, Bluetooth 5.3 |
| Camera: | 720p HD camera with privacy shutter |
| Weight: | 3.20lbs (1.45kg) |
| Dimensions: | 12.78 x 8.93 x 0.72 inches (32.46 x 22.67 x 1.83cm) |
Asus Chromebook CM14: Design
- Thin and light for its size
- 180-degree opening
- Not the sharpest display
The Asus Chromebook CM14 sports a smart, understated design. The dull black colorway does little to inject much interest, but it certainly fits in a professional environment. It’s also pleasantly light and thin given its 14-inch size, weighing just 1.45kg (3.20 lbs). Both these aspects make it easy to travel with.
The build quality seems quite good too, with the partially recycled materials appearing relatively robust for a Chromebook of this class. However, the hinge for the lid isn’t the tightest, causing the screen to feel a little flimsy, but I wouldn’t highlight this as a major concern.
The hinges also prop up the back of the chassis when the lid is open past 90 degrees, but thankfully the bottom remains stable enough to type on. The lid also reclines all the way to 180 degrees, which provides flexible usage options.
The two USB-C ports are a welcome addition considering their versatility, as they allow for power and data – including internet – to run through, as well as facilitating connections to a myriad of peripherals, including external displays. There’s also one USB-A port with SuperSpeed (SS) capability, a Micro SD slot, and a 3.5mm audio jack, useful for those using wired headphones or speakers.
The display, on the other hand, is a let down. The 1366 x 768 resolution looks outdated, with an ever-present blurriness plaguing the interface, no matter how you resize it in the system settings. It also looks a little washed out, lacking the vibrancy of other Chromebook displays. It’s quite reflective too, with certain angles causing the screen to turn almost completely white or black, depending on the ambient lighting.
Asus Chromebook CM14: Performance
- Handles light work and gaming
- Good for typing
- Terrible for multitasking
Benchmarks
These are the results of our benchmarking tests for the Asus Chromebook CM14:
TechRadar Battery Life Test: 9 hours and 26 minutes
Jetstream2 Benchmark: 86.506
Kraken Benchmark: 1769.0ms
Speedometer 3.0: 3.49 (±0.12)
The Asus Chromebook CM14 handles the kind of light productivity Chromebook users typically perform reasonably well. Word processing and spreadsheet creation are viable, as is video playback, even at 2K resolutions – but expect the occasional buffer and slowdown at this quality.
As for gaming, the Asus Chromebook CM14 can handle titles with low graphical demands smoothly. I was able to play Clash of Clans with no issue, and Asphalt Legends Unite was just about feasible on high settings; although it was prone to stutter and slowdowns, it wasn’t enough to render it unplayable. At lower settings and 30fps, it ran much more smoothly. I was also able to connect a controller via Bluetooth with no issue. More demanding games would be out of the question, though, as the spec is certainly no match for the best gaming laptops out there.
Unfortunately, the Asus Chromebook CM14 falls flat when it comes to multitasking, with the 4GB of RAM installed in my test unit failing to handle even weak workloads. Lightweight applications, including Google’s own software, can create serious issues, with frequent slow-downs, freezes, and outright crashes.
If you hope to run even a couple of apps in tandem, then you’ll likely be disappointed with the performance. Even Chrome can struggle to run with a less-than-moderate amount of tabs open, and basic ChromeOS functions, such as entering task view, can result in freezes too.
One of the more positive aspects of the performance, though, is the lack of heat and noise produced by the Asus Chromebook CM14. During my time with it, I never heard the fans whirring up under heavy loads, and it never got too hot to touch.
Typing on the Asus Chromebook CM14 is mostly a pleasant experience as well, as the keys are well-spaced and provide enough tactility. Their profile is low too, which makes gliding around them easy. And despite the corner of my right palm making contact with the touchpad while typing, gestures, swipes and clicks never unintentionally registered.
However, that’s about the only positive aspect of the touchpad, as it’s one of the more frustrating aspects of the Asus Chromebook CM14. No matter what sensitivity settings I used, cursor movements were either too sluggish or too fast, with the cursor continuing to move after my finger had stopped, making accurate navigation difficult. What’s more, the surface isn’t smooth enough and generates too much friction, causing a nasty rubbing sensation on the fingers.
As for the webcam, the 720p resolution provides just enough clarity, but there is certainly an element of graininess to images. My camera footage did freeze when making a call in Google Meet, but this could’ve been more of a software glitch rather than a hardware one.
The speakers on the Asus Chromebook CM14 provide reasonable playback quality, with little in the way of distortion and tinniness, as other Chromebook and laptop speakers can suffer from. However, as they’re located on its underside, audio is somewhat muffled, so those after the utmost clarity won’t be best pleased. However, I found them sufficient for calls and other content where sound quality isn’t a top priority.
Asus Chromebook CM14: Battery life
- Great battery life
- Better than rivals
- Quick charging too
The Asus Chromebook CM14 redeems itself somewhat with its battery life. Asus claims it will last up to 15 hours, and during our benchmark, it lasted close to nine and a half hours, which is an admirable performance. Charging it from flat to full took about four hours, which is in line with what Asus claims.
It beats the Acer Chromebook Plus 515, our current pick as the best student laptop, which only managed five hours according to our test and was one of the biggest drawbacks of that particular Chromebook. However, it is bested by the best Chromebook overall in our view, the Acer Chromebook Spin 314, which managed over ten hours.
Should I buy the Asus Chromebook CM14?
| Attributes | Notes | Rating |
|---|---|---|
| Price | It might be cheap, but that doesn’t necessarily equate to good value. | 3.5 / 5 |
| Design | The Asus Chromebook CM14 is light and thin, yet still a good size for easy use. The display is disappointing, though. | 3.5 / 5 |
| Performance | It can handle light tasks by themselves, but becomes very sluggish when you attempt anything more. | 2 / 5 |
| Battery life | Both the running and charging times are impressive, and closely match the figures Asus claims. | 4 / 5 |
| Total Score | The overall form of the Asus Chromebook CM14 sadly isn’t matched by its functionality, as it struggles with even basic multitasking, while the display fails to inspire with its visual fidelity. It does have a low price, but for good reason. | 3 / 5 |
Buy it if…
Don’t buy it if…
Asus Chromebook CM14 review: Also consider
| Header Cell – Column 0 | Asus Chromebook CM14 | Acer Chromebook Spin 314 | Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price: | $299 / £299 (about AU$473) | $380 / £329 (around AU$661) | $349 / £399 / AU$549 |
| CPU: | MediaTek Kompanio 520 2.0 GHz (1M Cache, up to 2.0 GHz, 8 cores) | Intel Pentium N6000 Processor | 1.1GHz Intel Celeron N4020 (dual-core, 4MB cache, up to 2.8GHz Burst) |
| Graphics: | ARM Mali-G52 MC2 | Intel shared graphics | Intel UHD Graphics 600 |
| RAM: | 4GB LPDDR4X | 4GB DDR4 | 4GB DDR4 |
| Screen: | 14.0-inch FHD (1920 x 1080), 16:9 aspect ratio, non-touch screen | 14-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080p | 11-inch IPS touchscreen, 1,366 x 768 pixels |
| Storage: | 64GB eMMC | 128GB eMMC | 64GB eMMC |
| Ports: | 1x Type-A USB, 2x Type-C, 1x Micro SD, and 1x headset jack | USB Type-C x 2, USB 3.1 x 1 , HDMI x 1 | 2x USB-C with charging, 2x USB-A 3.1 Gen1, Micro SD |
| Wireless: | Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) (Dual band) 2*2, Bluetooth 5.3 | Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0 | 802.11AC (2 x 2) WiFi, Bluetooth® 4.2 |
| Camera: | 720p HD camera with privacy shutter | 720p webcam | 720p webcam |
| Weight: | 3.20lbs (1.45kg) | 3.42lbs (1.55kg) | 2.64lbs ( 1.2kg) |
| Dimensions: | 12.78 x 8.93 x 0.72 inches (324.6 x 226.7 x 18.3m) | 26.5 x 326 x 227mm | 0.7 x 11.41 x 8.18 inches (17.8 x 290 x 207.8mm) |
If you’re in the market for a new Chromebook, here are some alternatives to the Asus Chromebook CM14…
How I tested the Asus Chromebook CM14
- Tested for about a week
- Used in a variety of scenarios
- Extensive laptop and Chromebook experience
I tested the Asus Chromebook CM14 for about a week, during which time I used it for working, browsing, watching video content and playing games. I also connected various peripherals to it via Bluetooth and USB, including a mouse and a gamepad.
I played games such as Clash of Clans and Asphalt Legends Unite. I used Google Docs and Google Sheets, and made use of third-party apps, including Steam and VLC. I also used other popular apps, including YouTube for watching video content in full-HD and ultra-HD. I also streamed video content via Twitch and made a video call to try out its webcam and inbuilt mic.
I have experience testing laptops and have owned a number of such devices, including other Chromebooks, Windows and Mac laptops.
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