ASUS Chromebook 14" CX1400CKA-BH01-CB, Celeron N4500, 8GB, 128GB eMMC, Transparent Silver

The ASUS Chromebook CX1400CKA-BH01-CB is a budget-friendly 14-inch Chromebook with 8GB of RAM and a durable build. It's great for students and casual users who live in a browser, but the Celeron N4500 processor and eMMC storage mean it's not built for heavy lifting. At around CAD 450, it's a smart buy for basic everyday tasks.

The Intel Celeron N4500 is a 2-core, 1.1GHz processor that lands at the very bottom of our CPU rankings for Chromebooks. That sounds harsh, and it is, but ChromeOS is light enough that basic tasks still feel okay. Opening Gmail, Google Docs, a few news sites, and a YouTube tab won't bring this thing to its knees, especially with 8GB of RAM backing it up. The RAM is doing a lot of heavy lifting here, and it's the main reason this machine feels more responsive than its processor would suggest.

Storage is 128GB of eMMC, which sits near the bottom of our database. eMMC is slower than the NVMe SSDs you'll find in pricier laptops, but for a Chromebook that mostly streams and syncs to the cloud, it's acceptable. Boot times are quick, apps load fine, and you won't notice the slower storage unless you're moving large files around locally. The integrated graphics are what you'd expect, fine for video playback and light web games, but our gaming score of 3.7 out of 100 tells you everything you need to know about playing anything demanding.

Stacked against the Apple MacBook Air M5, this ASUS is not even in the same conversation. The MacBook Air costs several times more and delivers performance, screen quality, and build materials that embarrass this Chromebook. But that's not a fair fight. The more realistic comparison is against other budget Chromebooks and entry-level Windows laptops. The Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 and HP OmniBook X Flip 14 are both far more capable machines, but they're also aimed at business users with bigger budgets. The Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 and MSI Summit E14 Flip are premium 2-in-1s that make this ASUS look like a toy, but again, you're paying triple or quadruple the price.

If you're cross-shopping this against a cheap Windows laptop, the Chromebook advantage is simplicity and security. ChromeOS updates itself, rarely gets bogged down with bloatware, and boots in seconds. The trade-off is that you can't install full desktop apps. For someone who lives in Google Workspace and doesn't need Windows software, this ASUS is the more sensible buy than a similarly priced Windows machine with a spinning hard drive and 4GB of RAM.

At around CAD 450, the ASUS Chromebook CX1400CKA-BH01-CB is priced where budget Chromebooks live, and it delivers more RAM than most of its direct competition. That 8GB of memory is the main reason this feels like a decent deal rather than a compromise. You could spend less and get a 4GB model that struggles with a dozen tabs, or you could spend more and jump into mid-range Windows laptops or a MacBook Air. For a student or casual user who just needs a reliable browser machine, this hits a sweet spot. Just don't expect it to punch above its weight in raw performance.

The ASUS Chromebook CX1400CKA-BH01-CB sits in that budget Chromebook lane where you're mostly asking one question: can this thing handle a full day of tabs, docs, and maybe a YouTube break without falling over? The short answer is mostly yes, as long as you keep expectations realistic. You get an Intel Celeron N4500, 8GB of RAM, and 128GB of eMMC storage in a 14-inch chassis that ASUS says meets MIL-STD 810H durability standards. At around CAD 450, it's aimed squarely at students and anyone who lives in a browser.

People searching for a cheap Chromebook for school or a lightweight laptop for basic tasks will find a lot to like here. The 8GB of RAM is actually a pleasant surprise at this price, since plenty of budget machines still ship with 4GB and choke the moment you open more than a few tabs. The 128GB of storage is also fine for ChromeOS, which leans heavily on cloud storage anyway.

But let's be honest about what this isn't. The Celeron N4500 is a low-end dual-core chip, the display is a basic Full HD panel, and the port selection is minimal. If you're hoping to edit video, play anything beyond browser games, or run Linux apps with any real muscle, this isn't the machine for you. For everyday web work, though, it's a surprisingly capable little laptop.

Skip this if you need to run Windows or Mac software, edit video, play modern games, or do any kind of heavy multitasking with demanding apps. The Celeron N4500 and integrated graphics will frustrate you quickly. If you need more power, look at a mid-range Windows laptop like the Lenovo ThinkPad T14 Gen 6 or stretch for a MacBook Air M5. If you want a 2-in-1 with a better screen and stylus support, the HP OmniBook X Flip 14 or Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro 360 are worth the extra cash. This ASUS is for browser work, not much else.

Should you buy the ASUS Chromebook CX1400CKA-BH01-CB? If you're a student, a casual user, or someone who needs a second machine for browsing and light work, yes, this is a solid pick. The 8GB of RAM and durable build make it feel like a smarter buy than most budget laptops, and the price is right. It's not going to impress anyone with speed, but it'll get you through a day of classes or remote work without drama.

If you need to run demanding apps, play games, or do any kind of creative work, look elsewhere. This is a browser machine, full stop. But for what it is, it's a good one. The customer reviews back that up, with owners praising the lightweight design, premium feel for the price, and overall reliability.