Asus Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5400FMA-DN388T-S [Review]

Not everyone needs a state-of-the-art laptop with a Xeon processor and a dedicated graphics card that can give NASA a run for its money when it comes to gaming. Some people really just want a simple laptop that doubles as a 2-in-1 so that they don't have to compromise between performance and portability. And if you can also manage that within a tight price point then you've got yourself a winner. 

Such is the case of the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5400FMA-DN388T-S. A 14-inch Chrome OS convertible that boasts not only excellent reviews by most of its customers but also a relatively affordable price-point that'll have you clicking the "Buy" button so fast you'll punch a hole in your trackpad. 

But is this the Chromebook you've been pining for? Is this the 2-in-1 your heart desires? That's what we're here to find out!

At first sight, the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5400FMA-DN388T-S rocks an ultrathin and lightweight Blue aluminum chassis with diamond-cut edges. Its 0.62 inches in thickness and 3.09 pounds in weight, also mean that it's in the more "portable" segment of the Chromebook market.

Furthermore, its military-grade design means that it successfully surpassed many durability tests, including hinge, ports, panel pressure, humidity, and temperature, among other quality tests. And thanks to its 360° hinge you can easily flip the screen and use it as a tablet.

As you can corroborate throughout the customer reviews, its 14-inch Full HD screen is bright, beautiful, and responsive. Featuring touch capabilities along with a stylus pen you can use to easily take notes, surf the web, draw and do other stuff with better precision and comfort.

Additionally, it comes with decent viewing angles (IPS display), up to 300 nits of brightness, and vivid colors that can reach up to 100% of sRGB standard, so you can enjoy a pleasant multimedia experience especially indoors as the display isn't matte but glossy - meaning it's not meant to be used under direct sunlight -.

Although it's a bit loud, the keyboard will enhance your productivity even in the most challenging lighting condition as it features decent key travel and backlit functionality while the multi-gesture touchpad works well.

Overall, we're quite impressed. It's not common for a Chromebook to deliver such a carefully crafted design, not to mention a solid display with a Full HD resolution. This is how you can quickly tell you're not dealing with an entry-level Chromebook but rather a high-end variant of the Chrome OS operating system. 

The ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 CX5400FMA-DN388T-S is powered by the Intel Core i3-1110G4 processor with two cores, four threads, and 6 MB of SmartCache memory, reaching a clock speed of up to 3.90 GHz when needed.

Moreover, it packs a low-consumption 8 GB LPDDR4x RAM (upgradeable up to 16 GB) that will allow you to work on demanding cloud-based apps, as well as software downloaded from the play store. 

Bear in mind that while 8 GB of RAM is cutting it a bit tight on a Windows laptop, Chrome OS is a far less memory-hungry OS, meaning that 8 GB of RAM on Chrome OS would more closely resemble the performance we've come to expect out of 16 GB on a Windows laptop.

In that regard, and taking into account the fact that it boasts a powerful dual-core i3 processor and 128 GB of SSD storage, you can expect the CX5400FMA-DN388T-S to handle itself effortlessly amongst any task you can think of.

From programming to editing pictures and working on spreadsheets. This laptop pretty much has you covered in just about any scenario you can think of - excluding hardcore gaming -. 

Much like the ASUS VivoBook Flip 14 TP470EA-AS34T, this convertible comes with flexible connectivity solutions to cover your daily needs. It has a single USB-A 3.2 input and two Thunderbolt 4 ports which support fast charging, data transfers, and display connection.

Moreover, we've got a Micro SD card reader, a headphone/microphone audio jack, and an HD webcam with a privacy shutter. And when it comes to wireless connections, it features Bluetooth 5.1 and Wi-Fi 6 standards (previously known as Wi-Fi 802.11ax) providing up to three times faster speed when surfing the web.

We particularly appreciate the inclusion of a microSD card reader which could prove quite useful when we remember that we're talking about a Chromebook that only boasts 128 GB worth of storage. However, being that Chromebooks are designed to be devices that operate on the cloud we can understand that Asus was reluctant to add more.

In any case, there's no standard ethernet port nor HDMI port so you'll need to get your hands on an adapter if you wish to connect this Chromebook to a monitor that doesn't feature DisplayPort technology.

The CX5 CX5400FMA-DN388T-S is an all-in-one solution intended for students and users who prefer a convertible laptop over a traditional one as well as Chrome OS instead of Windows to suit most non-demanding everyday tasks with ease.

Amongst its best attributes, we'd like to highlight its premium and easy-to-carry design, the versatility of the Stylus Pen when immersing in both productivity and entertainment scenarios, the excellent performance of the battery, and its extensive connectivity to keep you connected everywhere you go.

Ultimately, while we would've liked to see more storage, if you're in the market for a Chromebook then this is possibly the best option currently available in the market.