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This refurbished ASUS 14″ Chromebook CX1400 (2022) sits in a very specific lane: affordable, simple, and reliable. At $189.99 on StackSocial right now, it isn’t trying to compete with premium MacBooks or Windows ultrabooks. Instead, it’s meant to give you a capable everyday computer for cheap, without looking or feeling disposable. The 14-inch Full HD display with slim NanoEdge bezels keeps it from feeling dated, and at just 3.59 pounds, it’s light enough to carry around all day.
Under the hood, the Intel Celeron N4500 isn’t going to wow anyone with performance. It’s a dual-core processor with a base speed of 1.1 GHz that can burst up to 2.8 GHz. That’s enough for web browsing, Google Docs, Zoom calls, and streaming, but not for heavy workloads. The 8GB of RAM is actually a pleasant surprise at this price point—it keeps multiple Chrome tabs from slowing the whole system to a crawl. Storage is 128GB eMMC, which is better than the 64GB you usually see in budget Chromebooks, but it’s still flash storage, not a proper SSD. If you’re storing a lot of files locally, it’ll feel cramped, though most Chromebook users live in Google Drive anyway.
It’s a Grade “A” refurbished unit, meaning it should look close to new, and it’s a 2022 model that comes with a one-year warranty. But, of course, you’re buying into older hardware that won’t receive ChromeOS updates forever, though support is guaranteed through June 2031—so, six more years of automatic updates, which is actually decent for a budget device. If you need a travel laptop, a backup for the kids, or just a no-fuss machine for email and streaming, this is a smart buy at under $200. But if you’re hoping for future-proof performance or want something that can replace a full-fledged laptop for work or creative projects, this one probably isn’t the right fit.
