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日本ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) review – Premium Feel, Middling Specs
The Chromebooks are a curious case. These are regular-looking laptops that rely on ChromeOS. This means you can install most of your favorite Android apps and enjoy them on a larger screen. Yep, games like Asphalt Legends Unite look pretty good on the 14-inch screen of the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) that we’re going to inspect today. Speaking of which, you get a choice of two 1080p IPS touch panels. The tested model is good in terms of sRGB color coverage.
The hardware of this ASUS 2-in-1 laptop is dated, literally. The Tiger Lake CPUs are kind of old-school tech in 2024. However, the OS is light and all apps run fast without hiccups. Still, given the 2020 hardware under the bonnet, this notebook seems expensive for what it is.
If you pop the bottom panel, you’ll see that the only replaceable part on the inside is the SSD. The memory and the Wi-Fi card are soldered. Still, the keyboard backlight, the privacy shutter, and the Wi-Fi 6 + Bluetooth 5.2 are standard features for all notebooks.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/asus-chromebook-flip-cx5-cx5400/
Contents
Specs, Drivers, What’s in the box
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) - Specs
- HDD/SSD
- up to 512GB SSD
- M.2 Slot
- 1x 2280 PCIe NVMe 3.0 x4 See photo
- RAM
- up to 16GB
- OS
- Chrome OS
- Battery
- 48Wh, 3-cell
- Body material
- Aluminum
- Dimensions
- 320.9 x 206.5 x 15.7 mm (12.63" x 8.13" x 0.62")
- Weight
- 1.40 kg (3.1 lbs)
- Ports and connectivity
- 1x USB Type-A
- 3.2 Gen 1 (5 Gbps)
- 2x USB Type-C
- Thunderbolt 4, Power Delivery (PD), DisplayPort
- Card reader
- MicroSD
- Ethernet LAN
- Wi-Fi
- 802.11ax
- Bluetooth
- 5.0
- Audio jack
- 3.5mm Combo Jack
- Features
- Fingerprint reader
- Web camera
- HD
- Backlit keyboard
- Microphone
- Array Microphone
- Speakers
- Speaker with Smart Amp Technology
- Optical drive
- Security Lock slot
All ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) configurations
Drivers
All drivers and utilities for this notebook can be found here: https://www.asus.com/laptops/for-home/chromebook/asus-chromebook-flip-cx5-cx5400/helpdesk_download?model2Name=ASUS-Chromebook-Flip-CX5-CX5400
What’s in the box?
The box contains a 45W Type-C adapter, an optional stylus, and a bit of paperwork. Some devices are also bundled with a sleeve and a wireless optical mouse.
Design and construction
The ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) has a modern look. Its matte finish in AI Blue color picks almost zero fingerprints during work. The metal chassis is solid. You can twist the lid a tiny bit and the base is also rigid with e few exceptions here and there. When it comes to dimensions, this machine shines bright thanks to the low weight of just 1.40 kilos and the thin 15.7 mm profile.
Just like most compact transformers, you’ll need both hands to open the lid. The hinges aren’t too stiff (but they feel stable) so you don’t have to apply a lot of force.
The side bezels are thin and the other two are slightly more thick.
The 720p Web camera with a privacy shutter is positioned above the panel.
The presence of the so-called ErgoLift hinge means that the lid raises the back of the base when the machine is opened above the 90-degree mark. As always, this is beneficial for cooling and for ergonomics during typing.
Since that’s a 2-in-1 laptop, it can lay flat on an even surface.
The 360-degree hinge allows you to use this gadget in a Tent or Tablet mode. In these scenarios, you can take advantage of the touchscreen and the stylus. The latter charges when it’s garaged into the base. The pen is a great complement to the laptop for taking notes and sketching.
The backlit keyboard is relatively nice thanks to the well-spaced keycaps with long travel. However, the feedback is too soft for our liking. On the flip side, the keys are quiet on press.
The touchpad is pleasantly wide and smooth. The accuracy is average which is enough for normal work.
The bottom plate houses four rubber feet and two speaker cutouts. The heat from the internals isn’t additionally warming the display since the cooling is passive.
Ports
On the left, you get a 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 port, a USB Type-A 3.2 (Gen. 1) port, an Audio combo jack, and an optional MicroSD card reader. We can spot a stylus storage and another 40 Gbps Thunderbolt 4 / USB4 port on the right. Both Type-Cs support DisplayPort and charging capabilities.
Display and Sound Quality
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) is equipped with a 1080p Touch IPS panel. It supports a digital pen which is included in the box. The diagonal is 14.0″ (35.6 cm), and the resolution – 1920 х 1080p. Additionally, the screen ratio is 16:9, the pixel density – 157 ppi, and their pitch – 0.16 x 0.16 mm. The screen can be considered Retina when viewed from at least 55 cm (this is based on the pixel density and the typical viewing distance at which individual pixels cannot be distinguished by the human eye).
Viewing angles are good. We offer images from different angles to evaluate the quality.
Also, a video with locked focus and exposure.
The maximum measured brightness is 327 nits (cd/m2) in the middle of the screen and 338 nits (cd/m2) average across the surface with a maximum deviation of just 2%. The Correlated Color Temperature on a white screen and at maximum brightness is 6380K.
In the illustration below you can see how the display performs from a uniformity perspective. The illustration below shows how matters are for operational brightness levels (approximately 180 nits) – in this particular case at 74% Brightness (White level = 177 cd/m2, Black level = 0.17 cd/m2).
Values of dE2000 over 4.0 should not occur, and this parameter is one of the first you should check if you intend to use the laptop for color-sensitive work (a maximum tolerance of 2.0 ). The contrast ratio is good – 1040:1.
To make sure we are on the same page, we would like to give you a little introduction to the sRGB color gamut and the Adobe RGB. To start, there’s the CIE 1976 Uniform Chromaticity Diagram that represents the visible specter of colors by the human eye, giving you a better perception of the color gamut coverage and the color accuracy.
Inside the black triangle, you will see the standard color gamut (sRGB) that is being used by millions of people on HDTV and on the web. As for the Adobe RGB, this is used in professional cameras, monitors, etc for printing. Basically, colors inside the black triangle are used by everyone and this is the essential part of the color quality and color accuracy of a mainstream notebook.
Still, we’ve included other color spaces like the famous DCI-P3 standard used by movie studios, as well as the digital UHD Rec.2020 standard. Rec.2020, however, is still a thing of the future and it’s difficult for today’s displays to cover that well. We’ve also included the so-called Michael Pointer gamut, or Pointer’s gamut, which represents the colors that naturally occur around us every day.
The yellow dotted line shows ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400)’s color gamut coverage.
Its display covers 92% of the sRGB/ITU-R BT.709 (web/HDTV standard) in CIE1976, and 73% of DCI-P3.
We tested the accuracy of the display with 24 commonly used colors like light and dark human skin, blue sky, green grass, orange, etc.
Below you can compare the scores of the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) with the default settings compared to the sRGB color space.
Response time (Gaming capabilities)
We test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “black-to-white” and “white-to-black” method from 10% to 90% and vice versa (these terms refer to the time it takes for pixels to change from one color to another (black to white and back to black in this case), a shorter time reduces picture blur with fast moving images).
We recorded Fall Time + Rise Time = 24 ms.
After that, we test the reaction time of the pixels with the usual “Gray-to-Gray” method from 50% White to 80% White and vice versa between 10% and 90% of the amplitude.
Health Impact: PWM (Screen flickering)
Pulse-width modulation (PWM) is an easy way to control monitor brightness. When you lower the brightness, the light intensity of the display is not lowered, but instead turned off and on by the electronics with a frequency indistinguishable to the human eye. In these light impulses, the light/no-light time ratio varies, while brightness remains unchanged, which is harmful to your eyes. You can read more about that in our dedicated article on PWM.
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400)’s display doesn’t flicker at any brightness level. This makes the screen pretty comfortable for long periods of use.
Health Impact: Screen Reflectance
Glossy-coated displays can be inconvenient in high ambient light conditions due to reflections. We measure the screen reflection level for each laptop when the display is turned off and the measurement angle is set at 60°.
The reflectance of the Chromebook’s screen is 105 GU.
High Gloss: >70 GU
Medium Gloss: 30 – 70 GU
Low Gloss: <30 GU
Sound
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400)’s “Harman Kardon premium” speakers produce a sound of very good quality. Furthermore, the low, mid, and high tones are clear of deviations.
Performance: CPU, GPU, Storage
Тhis device doesn’t offer any performance presets.
CPU options
This machine is offered with Core i3-1110G4, Core i5-1130G7, or Core i7-1160G7. We chose the mid option – i5-1130G7.
The passive cooling system limits this CPU’s performance, resulting in lower single and multi-core Geekbench 6 scores compared to a phone like the Poco F5.
Here, we evaluate the CPU's performance using a real-world 3D rendering task, assessing its ability to handle complex computations and rendering workloads efficiently.
Results are from the Cinebench 2024 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
Single-core performance ensures smooth operation and responsiveness in operating systems, providing a better user experience.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Single-Core test (higher is better)
Multi-core performance is essential for handling complex and demanding tasks, such as Video editing, CAD, and Scientific simulations.
Results are from the Geekbench 6 Multi-Core test (higher is better)
GPU options
All devices of this ASUS series are iGPU-only laptops.
Our notebook has the Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 (80EU).
The results are from 3DMark Wild Life Extreme Unlimited. Higher is better.
ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) GPU variants
Here you can see an approximate comparison between the GPUs that can be found in the ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) models on the market. This way you can decide for yourself which ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) model is the best bang for your buck.
Note: The chart shows the cheapest different GPU configurations so you should check what the other specifications of these laptops are by clicking on the laptop’s name / GPU.
The results are from 3DMark Time Spy (Graphics). Higher is better.
Results are from the 3DMark: Fire Strike (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the 3DMark: Wild Life (Graphics) benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Results are from the Unigine Superposition benchmark (higher the score, the better)
Storage performance
Our machine has a 128GB Kingston OM8PDP3128B-AB1 SSD. We tested its speeds with PCMark for Android. The scores are very goodfor such an NVMe drive.
Temperatures and comfort, Battery Life
Max CPU load
In this test we use 100% on the CPU cores, monitoring their frequencies and chip temperature. The first column shows a computer’s reaction to a short load (2-10 seconds), the second column simulates a serious task (between 15 and 30 seconds), and the third column is a good indicator of how good the laptop is for long loads such as video rendering.
Average core frequency; CPU temp.
| Intel Core i5-1130G7 (15W TDP) | 0:02 – 0:10 sec | 0:15 – 0:30 sec | 10:00 – 15:00 min |
|---|---|---|---|
| ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) | 0.90 GHz @ 50°C | 1.00 GHz @ 51°C | – |
Prime95 and Cinebench R23 or 2024 aren’t available for ChromeOS. That’s why we used the built-in system diagnostic tool to load the CPU at max. The test isn’t long and that’s why we can show the CPU clocks in short and medium loads. They are pretty low which is expected because of the lack of a cooling fan.
Comfort during full load
Thanks to the Wild Life Stress test, you can pound the internals with a serious load for a long time. After 20 benchmark loops, the stability is ~80%. Still, no fan no noise – yay!
We measured the exterior thermals during the last run of the test. Overall, the keyboard feels just warm and the display bottom side doesn’t get hot either.
Battery
The 48Wh battery pack lasts for around 6 hours of video playback.
Brightness: 180 nits; Display Mode: SDR
Time to Full Discharge: Higher is Better
Disassembly, Upgrade options, and Maintenance
To open this small machine, you have to undo 10 Phillips-head screws. Pry the sides and the front. The panel goes deep into the chassis and you have to push harder than usual to pop it. Keep in mind that there is a potential risk of bending the chassis if your plastic tool isn’t thin enough. Then, pop the back by lifting it in the zones behind the hinges with a lever tool. After that, pry the top the edges, and the rest of the rear. You can also unplug the stylus but it’s not necessary.
Here’s how the bottom panel looks on the inside.
The battery of this notebook is a 48Wh model. To remove it, unplug the connector from the mainboard and undo the 2 Phillips-head screws that secure the unit to the base.
Expectedly, the memory is soldered. You get 8GB or 16GB of LPDDR4x RAM. For storage, you can rely on a single M.2 slot compatible with 2280 Gen 3 SSDs.
The soldered Wi-Fi card is placed above the NVMe slot.
The passive cooling covers more than one-third of the motherboard. We can spot one heat pipe.
Verdict
The ASUS Chromebook Flip CX5 (CX5400) could impress future buyers with its transforming capabilities and solid metal build that feels premium to the touch. The port selection is modern with its two Thunderbolt 4 connectors but unfortunately, because of the Type-C charging, you can rely on just a pair of ports when the adapter is plugged in. The input devices are capable enough for standard work.
Despite the dated CPU under the hood, the performance is more than acceptable for daily usage. Web browsing, watching videos, and light gaming aren’t a problem for the 15W Tiger Lake CPU despite the low clocks of around 1.00 GHz in short and medium loads. The memory is soldered and if your budget isn’t too limited, get a laptop with 16GB of LPDDR4x which sounds a bit more future-proof than the default 8GB option.
The comfort under load is fine. This machine is dead silent because the cooling lacks a fan and the keyboard doesn’t get hot during gaming. The 1080p IPS touch display is surprisingly capable. It boasts 470 nit average brightness and a 92% sRGB coverage. The unit is also PWM-free.
The Chromebook Flip CX5 is a solid metal 2-in-1 laptop with a good display, decent battery life, and a nice comfort under load.
You can check the prices and configurations in our Specs System: https://laptopmedia.com/series/asus-chromebook-flip-cx5-cx5400/
Pros
- Good IPS display with 92% sRGB coverage
- Wide viewing angles and 327 nit average brightness
- Solid metal build
- ErgoLift hinge that raises the back of the base
- Good audio setup
- 360-degree hinge for tent and laptop modes
- Decent input devices
- Privacy shutter
- Passive cooling – zero noise
- Decent battery life
- 2x USB4 ports + Type-C charging
- Thin and light (15.7 mm, 1.40 kg)
Cons
- Too expensive for what it is
- Only one M.2 slot + soldered RAM
- The CromeOS could be a limitation factor for some users
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