Best Overall Value
Start with the price, because it decides this one. At roughly half what the 15.6 inch C523NA asks, the CX1405CTA gives you a newer chip and a sharper screen for less money. That's the whole argument in a sentence. The Celeron N50 is the freshest processor in this group, a generation on from the N4500 in the CR1100 and two ahead of the tired N3350 in the C523NA, C423 and C223NA. On a Chromebook, where the OS is light and most work happens in a browser tab, that generational step shows up as a machine that stays responsive longer as tabs pile up.
The screen is the other reason it leads. A 14 inch Full HD (1920x1080) panel is a real upgrade over the 1366x768 HD screens on the CR1100 and C223NA. More pixels means sharper text for long document sessions and a cleaner picture on video calls. If you spend hours in Google Docs or on Meet, the difference is the kind you stop resenting after the first day. The 14 inch size also hits the sweet spot between the cramped 11.6 inch models and the bulkier 15.6 inch C523NA that's harder to carry.
Storage is 64GB eMMC, matching the CR1100 and the C523NA and double the 32GB in the C423 and C223NA. On Chrome OS, where files sit in Google Drive and apps stay small, 64GB is genuinely enough for most people. The 4GB RAM is the ceiling shared across every laptop here, so heavy multitasking will still choke it, but that's a Chrome OS budget reality rather than a fault unique to this model. Owners of the CX1405 line consistently report quick boot times and all-day battery for browsing, and this is the newest revision of that family. We covered the closely related model in our ASUS Chromebook 14 CX1405CTA review.
One checkable detail: the listing specifies a full-size chiclet keyboard on the 14 inch chassis, which gives your hands more room than the squeezed decks on the 11.6 inch CR1100 and C223NA. For anyone who types a lot, that space matters more than another half-point of chip speed. Against every other laptop on this page, it wins on price, chip age or screen, and usually all three at once.
Pros
- Newest chip in the group (Celeron N50)
- Full HD panel where most rivals stick to 1366x768
- Lowest price of all seven
- 64GB storage, double the cheapest models
Cons
- 4GB RAM caps serious multitasking
- No bundled long warranty like the CR1100
- Chrome OS only, no Windows apps
Buy on Amazon£178.97Read full review
Best Build & Warranty
The 3 year ASUS warranty is why this one sits second and not lower. Almost nothing at this price ships with three years of cover, and that single line changes the maths. Spill something, drop it, watch a port fail in month 18, and you're protected where owners of every other laptop here are out of luck after the standard term. The CR1100 is built to education spec, which means a chassis designed to survive being thrown in a school bag daily.
The chip is a Celeron N4500, older than the CX1405CTA's N50 but a clear step up from the N3350 that powers three of the machines further down this list. Paired with 64GB eMMC storage, it handles the browsing, Docs and video-call workload a Chromebook is built for. Where it gives ground to our top pick is the screen: 11.6 inches at 1366x768 HD. That's fine for a child's homework machine or a compact second laptop, but it's tight for long spreadsheet sessions and lower resolution than the CX1405CTA's Full HD 14 inch panel.
So the trade is clear. You pay more than the CX1405CTA and accept a smaller, lower-res screen, and in return you get a rugged shell and three years of warranty. For a school-age user or anyone who's hard on hardware, that's a fair swap. For an adult who wants screen space and the newest chip, the CX1405CTA is the smarter buy. The 11.6 inch size does make it the most portable of the 64GB models, lighter and easier to hold than the 14 inch and 15.6 inch options.
One checkable detail from the listing: the reinforced, education-grade build is the reason ASUS is comfortable offering three years, which tells you something about how it's expected to hold up. Owners buying for kids consistently flag the warranty as the deciding factor.
Pros
- Rare 3 year ASUS warranty bundled in
- Rugged education-grade chassis
- Most portable of the 64GB models
- N4500 chip newer than the N3350 machines
Cons
- 11.6 inch 1366x768 screen is cramped and low-res
- Costs more than the faster, sharper CX1405CTA
- 4GB RAM ceiling like the rest
Buy on Amazon£299.99Read full review
Best Backup Pick
This is the previous-generation CX1405, sitting between the cheaper CX1405CTA and the older N3350 machines below. Think of it as the fallback: if the newer CX1405CTA is out of stock or its price creeps up, this gets you nearly the same experience. Same 14 inch chassis, same 64GB eMMC storage, same 4GB RAM, and the same roomy full-size keyboard that beats the cramped 11.6 inch decks.
The catch is that it costs more than the newer CX1405CTA while running an older chip. That's an awkward position. You're paying a premium for the slightly less current model, which only makes sense when availability forces your hand. The 14 inch screen and 64GB storage keep it comfortably ahead of the 32GB C423 and C223NA, and it's a better all-round machine than the ageing 15.6 inch C523NA despite the smaller screen.
For browsing, email, YouTube and Google Meet, it does everything a Chromebook should. We went deeper on this model in our ASUS Chromebook 14 CX1405 review. One checkable detail: the listing specifies the same 14 inch form factor as our top pick, so ergonomics and portability are effectively identical. Buy the CX1405CTA first; buy this if you can't.
Pros
- Same 14 inch chassis and keyboard as the top pick
- 64GB storage, double the 32GB models
- Good stock fallback if the CX1405CTA sells out
Cons
- Older chip yet costs more than the newer CX1405CTA
- 4GB RAM limits multitasking
- Only makes sense on availability, not on merit
Buy on Amazon£199.99Read full review
Best for Windows
The one machine here that isn't a Chromebook. If you need Windows programs or Microsoft Office, none of the six Chromebooks help you, and this becomes the only option on the page. It runs Windows 11 in S Mode with 128GB eMMC, the largest storage of the group, and ships with Microsoft Office 365 included. That's a genuine software bundle the Chrome OS machines can't match.
The compromise is honest and it's the RAM. 4GB is fine for lightweight Chrome OS, but Windows 11 is heavier, so the same 4GB that feels adequate on the CX1405CTA works harder here. Expect to keep tab counts and open apps modest. The Celeron N4500 matches the CR1100's chip, and the 14 inch Full HD screen matches our top pick for sharpness, so the hardware isn't the issue; the operating system's appetite is. S Mode also restricts you to the Microsoft Store unless you switch it off, which is a free one-way change.
One checkable detail: the 128GB storage is double the CX1405CTA's 64GB, which matters more on Windows where programs install locally rather than living in the cloud. Buy this only if you specifically need Windows or Office. If you don't, the CX1405CTA gives a snappier experience for less money.
Pros
- Only Windows machine here, runs real Windows apps
- 128GB storage, the most of any model
- Microsoft Office 365 bundled
- 14 inch Full HD screen
Cons
- 4GB RAM is stretched under Windows 11
- S Mode limits software until you disable it
- Costlier than the faster-feeling CX1405CTA
Buy on Amazon£199.00Read full review
Best Big Screen
The 15.6 inch screen is the only reason to consider this over the CX1405CTA. It's the largest panel on the page, better for anyone who wants a desktop-replacement feel or struggles with smaller text. But the chip is the old Celeron N3350, two generations behind our top pick, and at around £260 you're paying near the ceiling for dated internals. It shares the 64GB storage of the CX1405CTA but loses badly on chip speed and price. See our ASUS C523NA review for the detail. Buy it only if screen size trumps everything.
Pros
- Largest 15.6 inch screen of the group
- 64GB storage matches the top picks
Cons
- Old N3350 chip, two generations behind
- Near £260 for dated hardware
- Bulkiest and least portable here
Buy on Amazon£255.00Read full review
Best for Light Browsing
A 14 inch Chromebook, same size as our top pick, but that's where the good news stops. It runs the ageing N3350 chip and only 32GB eMMC, half the storage of the CX1405CTA, at a price close to it. For a machine that spends its life on a couple of browser tabs and Docs, it works. But the CX1405CTA outguns it on chip, storage and often price all at once, which makes this hard to recommend unless it drops well below its rivals. One checkable detail: the 32GB storage will fill faster than you expect, pushing you toward a microSD card or heavy cloud reliance.
Pros
- Roomy 14 inch chassis and keyboard
- Fine for light browsing and Docs
Cons
- Only 32GB storage
- Old N3350 chip
- Priced too close to the far better CX1405CTA
Buy on Amazon£249.99Read full review
Best for Travel
The most compact machine here, an 11.6 inch Chromebook with a bundled mouse thrown in, which is a nice touch for a travel or spare laptop. But the internals are the oldest combination on the page: N3350 chip and just 32GB storage. Against the CR1100, which is the same 11.6 inch size but adds a newer chip, double the storage and a 3 year warranty, the C223NA has little to argue back with beyond the free mouse. Buy it only if it's the cheapest thing available and you want something tiny for occasional use.
Pros
- Smallest and lightest of the group
- Mouse included in the box
Cons
- Oldest chip and only 32GB storage
- CR1100 beats it on nearly every spec
- Cramped 11.6 inch HD screen
Buy on Amazon£209.66Read full review
