ASUS Chromebook Plus 14" CX5403CMA-DB588 2024, Core Ultra 5 115U, 8GB, 128GB SSD, Fog Silver

The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX54 pairs a stunning 14-inch 2560x1600 display with an Intel Core Ultra 5 and AI Boost NPU, which is rare horsepower for ChromeOS. The catch is 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD, which rank near the bottom of our database. At USD 600 to USD 700, it's a fair deal for display-obsessed Google users, but the storage limit and weak gaming score will push others away.

Let's talk about that Core Ultra 5 115U. It's an 8-core chip running at 1.5GHz base, and it's paired with Intel's integrated graphics. In our rankings, the CPU sits right around the 40th percentile for laptops overall. That's... fine. Not exciting, not embarrassing. For ChromeOS, which is lighter than Windows, it should handle a dozen browser tabs, Android apps, and even some light Linux container work without breaking a sweat. The AI Boost NPU is the wildcard here. ChromeOS has been adding AI features like Magic Eraser in Google Photos and enhanced dictation, and having a dedicated NPU means those tasks won't tank your CPU.

The GPU is integrated Intel Graphics, which lands at the 69th percentile. That sounds decent until you remember this is a Chromebook. You're not running Cyberpunk on this thing. You're not even running most Steam games well. The gaming score of 7.9 out of 100 is the weakest area by a mile. This is a work machine, not a play machine. The 8GB of LPDDR5X RAM is the real bottleneck. It's fast memory, sure, but 8GB is 8GB. Open too many tabs and you'll feel it. The 128GB NVMe SSD is quick for what it is, but it's the 9th percentile for storage capacity. You'll be leaning on cloud storage and that microSD slot more than you'd like.

The obvious comparison is the Apple MacBook Pro M5. That machine crushes this ASUS in raw performance, build quality, and storage. But it also costs dramatically more. If you're cross-shopping these two, you're either confused or you really value macOS. The MacBook is the better laptop, full stop. The CX54 is the better value if you live in Google's ecosystem and don't need local storage.

Against the HP OmniBook X Flip and Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro, both Windows machines, the CX54 holds its own on display quality and port selection. The OmniBook and Galaxy Book both offer more RAM and storage at similar price points, but they run Windows, which some people actively avoid. The Lenovo Legion 5i is a gaming machine, so it's not really a fair fight. The MSI Creator A13V is aimed at creators, and it has the GPU and RAM to back that up. The CX54's advantage is simplicity, battery life from that 63Wh cell, and ChromeOS's low overhead. The trade-off is flexibility. You're locked into Google's world, and that 128GB SSD means you're living in the cloud whether you like it or not.

Here's where things get tricky. The CX54 doesn't have a listed price from the retailer we pulled this from, but we found it selling for USD 600 to USD 700 across two US listings. That's a USD 100 spread, which is worth paying attention to. The best deal we saw was at Best Buy, so if you're in the US, start there. At USD 600, this is a compelling package. At USD 700, it starts bumping against some serious Windows ultrabook competition.

For context, the affordability score sits at the 63rd percentile. Not a bargain, not a ripoff. You're paying a premium for that display and the Core Ultra chip. The question is whether ChromeOS can actually use all that hardware. For most people, a cheaper Chromebook with a lesser screen would do the job. But if you want the best screen in the Chromebook world and don't mind the storage and RAM limits, USD 600 is a fair ask.

The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX54 is a weird one, and I mean that in the most interesting way possible. You've got a Chromebook, the platform most people associate with cheap plastic clamshells for schoolkids, packing an Intel Core Ultra 5 with a dedicated AI Boost NPU. That's a chip you'd normally expect to find in a midrange Windows ultrabook, not something running ChromeOS. And yet here we are. ASUS clearly wants this to be the Chromebook for people who think they've outgrown Chromebooks.

The headline feature is that 14-inch display. 2560x1600 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and full DCI-P3 color coverage. That's a screen that would look right at home on a laptop costing twice as much. It ranks in the top 12% of all laptops we track for display quality. If you spend your day staring at documents, spreadsheets, or streaming video, this panel is going to spoil you.

But there's a catch, and it's a big one. 8GB of RAM and a 128GB SSD put this machine in the bottom quarter of our database for memory and dead last for storage. For a Chromebook, that might be workable. For a machine ASUS is positioning as a premium productivity device with AI features, it feels like putting racing tires on a car with a governor installed. The potential is there, but the ceiling is low.

Skip this if you need real storage. 128GB is the 9th percentile in our database, and that's just not enough for anyone who works with large files, keeps a big media library, or installs a lot of Android apps. You'll be fighting the storage limit within months. Look at the HP OmniBook X Flip or Samsung Galaxy Book5 Pro instead, both of which offer more storage and RAM at similar prices.

Also skip it if you want to game. The 7.9 out of 100 gaming score is one of the worst we've seen. Integrated Intel Graphics and ChromeOS's limited game library make this a non-starter for anything beyond browser games. The Lenovo Legion 5i is the obvious alternative if gaming matters. And if you're already deep in Apple's ecosystem, the MacBook Pro M5 is the better machine in every way except price.

If you're a student or a professional who lives in Google Workspace, spends hours in Chrome, and wants a screen that makes everything look fantastic, the CX54 is a strong pick at USD 600. The Core Ultra 5 gives it enough headroom for the next few years of ChromeOS updates, and the port selection means you won't need dongles. The 8MP webcam is genuinely better than most laptops at this price, and the privacy shutter is a thoughtful touch.

But if you need local storage for photos, videos, or offline work, look elsewhere. 128GB is a joke in 2025, even for a Chromebook. And if you want to game even a little, this is not your machine. The 2.7 out of 5 customer rating from 7 reviews is a red flag, though with such a small sample size it's hard to know if that's a real pattern or just bad luck. I'd want to see more reviews before calling this a slam dunk.