ASUS Chromebook 14" CM1402CM2A-M8186 2024, MediaTek Kompanio 520, 4GB, 64GB eMMC, Gravity Gray

The GPU is a shocking 96th percentile performer, but the 4GB of RAM is a dealbreaker for multitasking. Owners consistently praise the battery life and price, but the washed-out screen and reliability complaints drag the user sentiment down to the 22nd percentile. It's a fine secondary machine for the basics, just keep your expectations in check.

For a sub-$200 laptop, the Kompanio 520 chip is a pleasant surprise. It's snappy for everyday tasks and keeps ChromeOS feeling light on its feet. The 96th percentile GPU ranking is the hidden gem here. It's not going to run Steam, but it decodes 4K YouTube streams without breaking a sweat and handles Android apps from the Play Store surprisingly well. The real bottleneck is the 4GB of LPDDR4X RAM. Our database shows this is a major weak spot, and in practice, you'll see tabs reload when you switch between them if you're a heavy multitasker. The 64GB eMMC storage is also painfully slow and cramped. You'll be living in Google Drive, which is the point, but don't plan on installing a ton of large Android apps.

Stacked against something like the Lenovo Yoga 7, the ASUS looks like a toy. The Yoga offers a vastly superior screen, more RAM, and a more versatile form factor, but it also costs several times more. The HP OmniBook X Flip is in a different universe performance-wise. The real comparison is against other budget Chromebooks. Here, the ASUS holds its own with a surprisingly strong processor and GPU for the money. The Acer Predator Helios and MSI Cyborg are gaming laptops that crush it in raw power but are irrelevant if you just need a simple ChromeOS machine. The biggest trade-off you make versus a slightly pricier Chromebook is that dim, 45% NTSC screen. It's the first thing you'll notice and the main reason to look elsewhere.

Value is where this ASUS gets interesting. We see a wild price spread from $174 to over $44,000 across vendors, which is clearly some bad data in the mix. Ignore the crazy high end. If you can snag this near the $174 mark, it's a steal for a basic couch surfer or a kid's school machine. At that price, the long battery life and decent keyboard make it a compelling buy. Just know that you're trading performance and screen quality for that low price tag.

The ASUS Chromebook CM14 is a budget Chromebook that nails the basics and not much else. Its MediaTek Kompanio 520 processor lands in the 76th percentile for CPU performance, which means it's well above average for this class of machine. You'll zip through web browsing, Google Docs, and streaming without a hitch. The real standout spec is the integrated GPU, sitting in the 96th percentile. That sounds wild for a Chromebook, but it mostly means it handles video decoding and light Android games better than most of its peers. Just don't mistake it for a gaming rig. The 4GB of RAM and 64GB of eMMC storage are bottom-of-the-barrel, landing in the 4th and 5th percentiles respectively. You'll feel that 4GB limit the second you open more than a handful of tabs.

Power users and tab hoarders should steer clear. The 4GB of RAM is a constant bottleneck that will have you pulling your hair out. If you need to run Linux apps or more than a couple of Android apps simultaneously, this isn't the machine for you. Gamers should also look elsewhere, as the gaming score is a dismal 9.2 out of 100. And if you're picky about displays, the dim, 250-nit screen with washed-out colors will be a daily disappointment. Spend a bit more for a Chromebook with 8GB of RAM and a brighter screen.

The ASUS Chromebook CM14 is a classic case of getting what you pay for. The processor and GPU punch above their weight class, making it a responsive little machine for basic tasks. But the 4GB of RAM and that disappointing screen are constant reminders of its budget status. If your workflow is a handful of browser tabs, Google Docs, and Netflix, and you find it for under $200, it's a solid buy. If you're a tab hoarder or care about display quality, you'll be frustrated within a week.