First announced at this year’s CES, the Asus Chromebook Flip C536 (CX5 in the UK) has gone on sale this week. This is the first Chromebook with Intel’s Tiger Lake 11th gen processors to hit the shelves, narrowly beating HP’s 11th gen x360 14c, and is likely to rank highly among our best Chromebooks.
The Asus Chromebook Flip CX5/C536 features a 15.6-inch screen FHD touchscreen display, which – as the name suggests – can be tilted back a full 360-degrees thanks to the ErgoLife hinge. This allows the device to be used not just as a laptop, but also in a tent mode for presentations, a stand mode for watching videos or fully reclined into a tablet position. The display also supports a USI-standard stylus, for creative use.
However, the star of the show has to be the inclusion of the Intel 11th generation processor, codenamed Tiger Lake. While only the i3 G4 version with UHD graphics rather than the more powerful i5 or 17 G7 versions, but it is still a big boost over the 10th generation models. The Asus website also seems to suggest that a more powerful version with an i7 processor and Iris Xe graphics could be on the way.
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For connections, the Asus Chromebook Flip CX5/C536 features WiFi 6 as well as two USB-C ports, a USB 3.2 port, an HDMI 2.0 port for up to a 4k display, an audio jack and a microSD slot to bolster the 128GB SSD and 8GB RAM onboard. The laptop is finished in white on the outside with a backlit keyboard, while Harman/Kardon sound comes from dual speakers in the base.
The other great thing about this new Asus Chromebook Flip CX5/C536 is the price. Right now, it’s selling for $569 (£411/AU$738) at Best Buy. The HP Chromebook x360 14c that uses the same 11th gen i3 processor features a smaller 14-inch screen and cost around the same when it becomes available – currently, the product page just says coming soon.
This is an exciting time for Chromebooks, as we see them start to get some real power behind them. While we’re still holding out for the EVO-certified i5 and i7 processors, this little Asus should be a great buy.
