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Head-to-head · Best Chromebooks Under $500

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 vs HP Chromebook Plus 14a

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

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The short answer

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 comes out ahead by a clear margin (4.2 vs 3.8). The gap is mostly about Students and hybrid workers who prioritize all-day battery life and fast multitasking in a no-fuss clamshell. — read the strengths below before deciding.

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Chromebooks Under $500
ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
3 sources1 derived$390as of Aug 1

The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is the endurance and performance champion under $500. PCWorld clocked over 13 hours of battery and praised its fast multi-core Intel CPU, generous ports, and comfortable keyboard, awarding it an Editors' Choice. PCMag rates it 4.0 out of 5 and says it proves budget Chromebooks have more to offer than ever before. Its 16:9 1080p display is solid rather than special and the chassis is plainer than the Lenovo, but for stamina and speed per dollar it is hard to beat.

Strengths
  • — Exceptional battery life, over 13 hours in PCWorld's test at low brightness
  • — Strong performance from Intel Core i5/i3 options with up to 10 cores
  • — Generous port selection including USB-C, USB-A, and HDMI
Watch-outs
  • — 16:9 1080p display is competent but no longer stands out
  • — PCMag noted it lost some ground on battery versus the prior generation in heavier use
  • — 128GB storage is modest for buyers who keep files locally
$390 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →
HP Chromebook Plus 14a
Ranked #5 in Best Chromebooks Under $500
HP Chromebook Plus 14a
3 sources1 derived$354as of Aug 1

The HP Chromebook Plus 14a is a sturdy everyday Chromebook built around its keyboard and its cool-running chassis rather than its spec sheet. Laptop Mag rated it 3.5 out of 5, praising the typing experience while flagging a dim display and middling performance from the Intel Core i3-N305. It is a dependable clamshell for browsing and schoolwork that the higher picks here beat on screen, storage and speed.

Strengths
  • — Keyboard is comfortable enough to be the reason to buy the laptop
  • — Chassis is thick and heavy enough to survive a school bag
  • — Underside measured 77.5 degrees Fahrenheit after streaming video
Watch-outs
  • — Intel Core i3-N305 performance trails the best at this price
  • — The 14-inch 1920x1080 panel is dimmer and duller than average
  • — Only 128GB of UFS storage, a quarter of the Acer 514's 512GB
$354 · Check Price on AmazonFull review →

Derived means the reviewer published no score, so one was inferred from their written verdict. Everything else is a number the publisher printed. How we rank.

How they stack up

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

The CX34's standout is battery life, beating the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i Chromebook Plus (~9 hours) by a wide margin. Like the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 and HP Chromebook Plus 14a it is a 14-inch clamshell, but it offers stronger CPU options than the Acer's i3-N305 and the HP. Its widescreen 1080p panel is less spacious than the Flex 5i's taller, more square display.

HP Chromebook Plus 14a

It shares the Intel Core i3-N305 with the Acer Chromebook Plus 514 but pairs it with 128GB of UFS storage rather than the Acer's 512GB SSD. Its 14-inch panel is dimmer than the Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5i and ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 screens, and the 16:9 shape shows less than the Flex 5i's 16:10 display, though it is faster and better built than the budget ASUS Chromebook CX15.

Specs side-by-side

SpecASUS Chromebook Plus CX34HP Chromebook Plus 14a
CPUIntel Core i5-1335U (i3 option available)Intel Core i3-N305 (8-core)
RAM8GB8GB
Storage128GB SSD128GB UFS
Display14" 1920x1080 touchscreen, 16:914" 1920x1080, 16:9
Weight3.17 lb3.2 lb
BatteryUp to 13+ hours~8 hours 50 minutes
PortsUSB-C, USB-A, HDMI—
OSChromeOS (Chromebook Plus)ChromeOS (Chromebook Plus)
Webcam—1080p
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