Looking for an outstanding gaming laptop with a proper current-gen graphics card while staying in the one-grand price range? Today’s your lucky day because B&H is selling the Acer Nitro V on sale for $999.99 right now. That’s a $250 discount off its regular price and a blazing good deal for the hardware and features of this laptop. View this B&H deal Let’s cut right to the quick: an Intel Core 7 240H processor with 10 cores, a Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics card with the latest DLSS 4 features like multi-frame generation, a whopping 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a speedy 512GB Gen4 SSD for fast system boots, app launches, and file transfers. This thing will deftly run Windows 11 and all your apps and games without complaining. Indeed, with the ongoing memory shortage, you’re getting a great deal just for that much RAM! That’s a lot of hardware power for a grand, but it gets better. The Acer Nitro V features a 16-inch IPS display with a lovely 1920×1200 resolution and 180Hz refresh rate, which is perfect for gaming and watching TV/movies in style. Connectivity options include Thunderbolt 4 USB-C, triple USB-A, HDMI 2.1, and a microSD slot. It’s a bit heavy at 5.29 pounds and the battery life is average, but neither are deal-breakers. There’s a reason why the Acer Nitro V has long been one of our favorite affordable gaming laptops—it strikes such a good balance between specs, features, and price. If you’re interested, you might want to score this laptop deal at B&H before prices are driven up even further! The Acer Nitro V is a tried-and-true winner. Save $250 nowBuy now from B&H Read...

Going forward, it’ll be easier to book meetings that fit all participants’ schedules with Google Calendar. In a recent announcement, Google says Gemini is now smarter about suggesting the most suitable times for a meeting—if it has access to all the participants’ calendars. Furthermore, if several participants decline a meeting you’re organizing, it will now be easier to reschedule it. When you open the meeting in Google Calendar again, you’ll see the next time block that works best for all participants, and you’ll be able to reschedule the meeting for that new time slot with the click of a button. Google is currently rolling out the new Gemini features in Google Calendar. These features are available in Rapid Release domains, while other users may have to wait until February 2nd to access them. The features are available to Google Business and Enterprise customers, as well as add-ons to Google AI Pro and Education subscriptions. Read...

Microsoft recently published a security advisory warning of a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability in Office applications. The vulnerability, designated CVE-2026-21509, is classified as “high” risk. According to the advisory, this vulnerability can be exploited to bypass security features in various versions of Office, including Microsoft Office 2016, 2019, 2021 LTSC, and 2024 LTSC. Users are urged to install the emergency updates provided by Microsoft as soon as possible. Microsoft explains that attackers can abuse this vulnerability to take control of COM/OLE controls, which are used for interaction between different Windows applications. No word on how exactly the attack works or what the consequences of such an attack would be. Where to get the emergency updates If you’re using a current version of Office (2021 LTSC or newer), you’ll receive the relevant security updates automatically. To be on the safe side, you may want to restart the installed applications. The build number of the updated Office version is 16.0.10417.20095. Older versions of Office must be updated manually. You can obtain the necessary updates from the Microsoft Update Catalog. Here are the links for the Office 2016 update and Office 2019 update. If you’re unable to update your Office for whatever reason, Microsoft offers an alternative (but more advanced) solution that involves editing the Windows Registry. You can find it under the “Mitigations” section on the security advisory warning for this vulnerability. Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Fast, quiet 80Gbps performance Super-beefy, heat-shedding, fanless aluminum enclosure Stylish carrying case Cons Included cable throttled to 40Gbps On the pricey side No anti-skid feet Our Verdict There’s no chance of thermal throttling with TerraMaster’s fast 80Gbps D1 SSD Pro enclosure thanks to massive cooling fins. It’s pricey, but exceptional. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro 80Gbps Retailer Price $212.49 View Deal $249.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices TerraMaster’s 80Gbps D1 SSD Pro gave OWC’s mighty 1M2 80G a run for its money performance-wise, even besting that rival in several tests. Its massive cooling fins also make it one of the coolest-running 80Gbps SSDs I’ve tested. It’s on the pricey side, but hey, you pay for the latest, greatest tech. Read on to learn more, then see our roundup of the best external drives for comparison. What are the D1 SSD Pro’s features? The D1 SSD Pro is an 80Gbps external SSD enclosure supporting all flavors of USB from 2.x (excluding 3.2×2, which is treated as 10Gbps 3.2) through 80Gbps USB4, as well as Thunderbolt 3/4/5. The enclosure is rather massive, even compared to the previously reviewed and somewhat bulky D1 SSD Plus. Approximately 4.75-inches long by 2.4-inches wide by 1.5-inches thick. A lot of the thickness is due to the copious radiator fins on both the top and bottom of the unit. As for the radiator fins, they allow the D1 SSD Pro to perform without throttling if the drive inside gets too hot, yet without the noise a fan might generate. Such white noise doesn’t bother me an iota, but I know there are those that hate it. Opt for a finned design in that case. The Type-C port and status light on the end of the D1 SSD Pro. There’s a single Type-C port on one end of the unit, and a tiny power/activity light sitting just above it. The all-aluminum enclosure makes for a rather hefty paperweight at 10.5-ounces, though it’s missing the anti-skid rubber strips on the D1 SSD Plus. As a result, the D1 SSD Pro slides around a smooth surface a bit too readily for my taste. A minor deal to be sure, but an odd omission. I rarely mention packaging, but the D1 SSD Pro ships with a classy, zippered hard shell carrying case. Inside I found a shorty 6-inch Type-C cable that was labeled as 80Gbps. Alas, said cable actually only allowed 40Gbps operation and I had to switch to another cable I had on hand to complete testing. Test yours and alert the company if you don’t see an 80Gbps connection. Note that you can find the speed of your USB4/Thunderbolt connection in the latest Windows 11 under Settings/Bluetooth & Devices/USB4/USB4 hubs and devices. Under macOS it’s found under System Settings/About/System Report/Thunderbolt/USB4. How much is the D1 SSD Pro? Apparently, 80Gbps (in this early adopter phase), still carries a hefty premium. The D1 SSD Pro retails for a substantial $250. That’s $50 more than the unpopulated version of competing OWC 1M2 80Gbps. Note that the 1M2 80Gbps was not available sans drive at the time I reviewed it for Macworld. How does the D1 SSD Pro perform? Once we replaced the cable limiting the D1 SSD Pro to 40Gbps, all was hunky-dory with the drive. Hunky-dory to the tune of a very close 2nd-place finish to the mighty OWC 1M2, which it actually outpaced in several tests. It severely outclassed the LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 (a much smaller, more portable drive) performance-wise Keep in mind that the NVMe SSDs inside the compared models had a lot to do with the results. Change them, and the numbers might be different. The D1 SSD Pro arrived unpopulated, and I filled that void with a Corsair MP700 Pro XT — a very fast PCIe 5.0 SSD. The OWC had one of the company’s own Aura Ultra IV’s — a very fast PCIe 4.0 model. The difference in PCIe generation had little to no effect as both 4.0 (roughly 7.5GBps real world) and 5.0 (roughly 14GBps real world) easily outstrip the capabilities of 80Gbs USB4/Thunderbolt 5 (around 7GBps maximum). Caveats aside, the D1 SSD Pro took home the bacon in the CrystalDiskMark 8 sequential throughput tests. Caveats aside, the D1 SSD Pro took home the bacon in the CrystalDiskMark 8 sequential throughput tests. Longer bars are better. The story changed with CrystalDiskMark 8’s 4K tests where the 1M2 bested the D1 SSD Pro by a fair margin. The story changed with CrystalDiskMark 8’s 4K tests where the 1M2 bested the D1 SSD Pro by a fair margin. Longer bars are better. In our 48GB transfers, the D1 SSD Pro was very fast, just not quite as fast as the OWC 1M2. In our 48GB transfers, the D1 SSD Pro was very fast, just not quite as fast as the OWC 1M2. Shorter bars are better. Though only slightly off the OWC 1M2’s 450GB write pace, the D1 SSD Pro again finished in second place. Though only slightly off the OWC 1M2’s 450GB write pace, the D1 SSD Pro again finished in second place. Shorter bars are better. As I said, the SSD you choose to populate an external enclosure can alter the enclosure’s performance. But forget PCIe 3.0 (if you can even find one these days) for the D1 SSD Pro, it will relegate performance to the 40Gbps level. But any decent PCIe 4.0/5.0 NVMe, host memory buffer or DRAM (pricier) should realize the D1 SSD Pro’s full potential. All this goes for any 80Gbps enclosure. As I touted the copious radiator fins, I should report that the D1 SSD Pro ran only slightly warm to the touch, and never showed a hint of slowing down under sustained heavy loads. Cool. Should you buy the TerraMaster D1 SSD Pro? If you want a very fast external SSD that’s quiet, but won’t thermally throttle during heavy use, then the D1 SSD Pro is definitely worth checking out. If you like the style, go for it. After careful comparison shopping, of course. How we test Our storage tests currently utilize Windows 11 (22H2) 64-bit running on a Z790 (PCIe 5.0) motherboard/i5-12400 CPU combo with two Kingston Fury 32GB DDR5 modules (64GB of memory total). Intel integrated graphics are used. The 48GB transfer tests utilize an ImDisk RAM disk taking up 58GB of the 64GB total memory. The 450GB file is transferred from a Samsung 990 Pro 2TB, which also contains the operating system. Each test is performed on a newly formatted and TRIM’d drive so the results are optimal. Note that as any drive fills up, performance will decrease due to less NAND for secondary caching, and other factors. The performance numbers shown apply only to the drive we were shipped as well as the capacity tested. SSD performance can vary by capacity due to more or fewer chips to read/write across and the amount of NAND available for secondary caching (writing TLC/QLC as SLC). Vendors also occasionally swap components. If you ever notice a large discrepancy between the performance you experience and that which we report (systems being roughly equal), by all means — let us know. Read...

Home surveillance used to be pretty complicated, involving steps like running internet and power cables all over your house to connect everything into a cohesive network. Nowadays, you can get it all done with Wi-Fi and battery power—and if you get a security camera with a built-in solar panel, you don’t even have to worry about charging. I’m talking about this Eufy SoloCam S220 that’s on sale for $49.99 on Amazon. That’s a whopping 50% discount from its original $99.99 price, meaning you can effectively get two for one now. And given how much Eufy users love the brand, you can’t go wrong here. View this Amazon deal With the SoloCam S220, all you have to do is drill a couple of holes, screw in the mount, then click the camera into place. Use the Eufy app to connect it to your Wi-Fi network. And you’re done! No need to hassle around with cables or wires. No need to periodically recharge the battery either, thanks to the integrated solar panel—only 3 hours of sunlight per day to keep it fully charged. (Just make sure you install it in a good spot that gets ample sun exposure.) This entire design simplifies home surveillance, and the camera itself is quite good. It can capture video in 2K resolution during both day and night, plus it has AI tech to differentiate between humans, vehicles, and more. The best part? Eufy doesn’t require a monthly subscription for features (most other brands do). The only exception is for cloud storage, but you don’t need it if you use the camera’s internal 8GB storage. (Sadly, there’s no microSD slot for storage expansion.) The Eufy SoloCam S220 is a catch for $50, so get in on this sale while you still can. In fact, consider grabbing a few and putting them up everywhere for full coverage of your property and peace of mind. This popular solar-powered Wi-Fi security cam is 50% offBuy now at Amazon Read...

Earlier this month, Google started rolling out a new feature that lets users change their Gmail addresses—and it’s already being exploited by cybercriminals and malicious actors. The new feature allows one’s original Gmail address to remain as an alias, so that incoming emails continue to land in the same inbox. The feature is primarily intended for users who want to replace their old address. Security experts are now warning that scammers are specifically exploiting this new feature by crafting deceptively genuine phishing emails that are sent via legitimate Google systems and aim to take complete control of Google accounts. Phishing via Google imitations According to security experts, scam emails are currently being sent that purportedly originate from Google and refer to an alleged change of Gmail address or a necessary security confirmation. The messages appear particularly credible because they’re sent via Google’s own systems and display real Google addresses, such as “no-reply@accounts.google.com” as the sender. These emails often mention a security-related action, such as activating a new address or confirming your identity. A link supposedly leads to a Google support or security page, but in reality users end up on fake websites where they’re asked to enter their password. What makes this particularly insidious is that the scammers are using the “sites.google.com” domain, which is a legitimate Google service for user-generated websites—and is therefore not blocked by many spam filters. These fake sites are made to imitate genuine Google support pages in a way that seems visually authentic at first glance. If attackers succeed in taking over your Google account, the consequences are serious. Not only are Gmail messages affected, but all connected services (such as Google Drive, Google Photos, and Google Calendar) will also be compromised. Furthermore, if your Google account is used to log into third-party services (such as social networks, online shops, or financial services), attackers can trigger a chain reaction and gain access to those other accounts. Security experts warned of this before Security company Check Point Research had previously pointed out a first wave of these attacks at the end of 2025, even before Google had officially announced the new feature more widely. Back then, the attackers had abused a workflow automation tool to send phishing emails via legitimate Google infrastructure. Google stated that its own systems had not been compromised, but that protective measures had been taken. How to recognize phishing emails Despite their professional appearance, many of these fraudulent emails can be spotted if you know what to look for. Typical red flags include: Impersonal salutations such as “Dear customer” instead of your actual first and last name. Urgent wording and threats, such as risk of account suspension, account deletion, or monetary consequences. The urgency is meant to scare you into acting without thinking. Requests to enter passwords or other access data via a link. The link often takes you to a fake website that’s dressed up like the real thing, hoping you’ll enter your credentials—which are then intercepted by the scammer. Google itself recommends never clicking links in emails and instead always checking security warnings directly in your account. To do this, open your browser and manually navigate to your Google account page instead of clicking on links in emails. Genuine warnings usually contain details such as device type, time, and location of access. How to protect your Google account The most important thing you can do is maintain healthy skepticism towards unsolicited emails. Be sure to enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for your Google account—even if attackers know your password, 2FA will prevent access in many cases. Check your security settings regularly, use a long and unique password, and never enter your login credentials via links in emails. When in doubt, always go directly to the official Google website, log into your account, and check whether any action is actually required. New features are often abused by criminals for phishing. It’s therefore important to remain vigilant when it comes to alleged security messages—even if they appear to come from a legitimate source. Further reading: Never, ever delete your spam email. Here’s why Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Plans for every budget and need Simple, effective interface Reliable, bug-free clients Sharing, encryption, and mobile apps Cons No online editing Small operational inConsistencies between the Windows and macOS clients Our Verdict There’s no slicker, easier, or smoother online backup and sync service than OpenDrive. The company offers customizable plans to fit any need and budget, as well as some basic collaboration features. Top notch. Price When Reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: OpenDrive Retailer Price OpenDrive $50 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices There are a lot of online backup and storage services out there, some with more features. But OpenDrive won itself an Editors’ Choice with its straightforward interface, smooth reliable operation, and most especially — versatile and affordable pricing. OpenDrive with both the local virtual drive and backup/sync client shown. What are OpenDrive’s features? OpenDrive offers both direct sync and backup, as well as web portal access and a virtual local drive for easy browsing and/or adding files. The former require little to no local storage space, though there is minimal caching involved. The virtual drive on the other hand will store a lot of stuff locally if you drag files to it. Unused files will be deleted over time, but if you drag a lot of data to it, it will take a lot of space on your internal drive. The location may be changed on Windows, but currently not on macOS. The OpenDrive virtual drive under Windows. Like Icedrive, OpenDrive for macOS uses Macfuse to implement the local virtual drive. It’s a separate download, though I already had it installed for my recent review update of Icedrive. The online OpenDrive portal. The Windows OpenDrive backup and sync client offers several types of tasks: Backup, where files online are never deleted, as well as Synchronization — a two-way sync where changes to either folder are implemented upon the other. There is also Move, which takes local files and moves them to the OpenDrive server, and One-way mirror, where all changes to the source folder are implemented on the OpenDrive destination folder, but not vice versa. The macOS client is different, offering only Backup and Mirroring. The latter actually being two-way sync and not the “one-way mirror” of the Windows client. Be aware of the discrepancies if you use both platforms. Both clients offer a variety of scheduling options from continuous (every 30 seconds or so), to hourly, to daily, and weekly. File filtering (excluding system files, etc.) is also provided. The versatile scheduling options shown on the macOS OpenDrive client. Email notifications are also provided for all except continuous backup, which would otherwise lead to a deluge of messages. The email notification options in the OpenDrive macOS client. There are also OpenDrive apps for iOS and Android. The iOS OpenDrive app. All told, the OpenDrive clients and virtual drive cover the sync and backup essentials nicely. In fact, interface-wise, OpenDrive is easily my favorite online backup service to date. Simple, logical, and efficient. There are some extras available, including multiple users per storage account, as well as notes and project/tasks collaboration. Those are beyond the purview of this review, but they do render OpenDrive suitable for small scale collaborations. Online previews are also available for most common file types. OpenDrive is easily my favorite online backup service to date. Simple, logical, and efficient. How does OpenDrive perform? I found the OpenDrive client software lightweight (18MB download), and efficient on both Windows and macOS. Of course, ultimately its performance, as with any other service, is dependent upon the speed of your broadband connection. My only, exceedingly minor, complaint is that the macOS client doesn’t automatically resume scheduled tasks that were in progress when I shut down my computer. The obvious way around this is to use the continuous option — however, it would be nice if scheduled tasks were re-initiated without user or schedule intervention. Most especially daily or weekly backups. It’s a choice, of course. How much is OpenDrive? OpenDrive is more affordable than many online storage services, but the great thing is that you can customize a plan to your exact needs — from 500GB/$5 a month all the way to 1Petabyte/$4,097 a month. Most users can stick with the minimum (or the free 5GB plan), but plans remain relatively affordable in the lower tiers. Moving up to 1TB is only $6 a month, 2TB/$9 a month, and 5TB/$17 a month. Not bad at all. OpenDrive lets you customize plans from 500GB to a full Petabyte (1000TB). There are no lifetime plans as with Internxt, which may be the best storage deal on the planet, but OpenDrive is more than competitive monetarily with any monthly/yearly service that I’m aware of. Should you buy OpenDrive? OpenDrive is definitely a short-lister. Take it for a test drive — I’m sure most users looking for simple storage will agree. Recommended. Read...

My advice when it comes to getting a new gaming laptop? Make sure the configuration is powerful enough to handle the latest games and that it won’t become obsolete in a couple of years. You don’t want to drop over a grand on a laptop only to have to do it again, do you? Fortunately, you won’t have to worry about either of those things with the laptop deal I found today, plus you’ll be saving some serious dough. When’s the last time you saw a high-end laptop on sale for over $500 off? Right now, Best Buy is selling the Lenovo Legion 7i for only $1,300, which is a massive price drop (32% off) from its original $1,870 MSRP. View this Best Buy deal This truly is an impressive gaming laptop. Lenovo’s Legion 7i is a powerhouse that runs on an Intel Core Ultra 7 255HX processor, a massive 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. Honestly, with the current RAM shortage driving up prices on PCs and laptops, it’s crazy that you can score this much quality memory and all the other powerful hardware in this laptop at this price. It’ll deftly handle Windows 11, plus all your games, plus all your day-to-day tasks. Easy peasy. The cherry on top of this luxurious laptop is, of course, the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 GPU. While it may not be the best in the RTX 50 series, it’s absolutely worth it at this price. If nothing else, it unlocks access to Nvidia’s DLSS 4 features like upscaling and multi-frame generation, plus ray tracing and all those other goodies. You’ll be playing the latest games with smooth visuals for years to come. And you’ll love playing those games on this laptop’s 16-inch OLED screen at its 2560×1600 resolution, 165Hz refresh rate, and 500 nits of brightness. That’s also perfect for productivity, providing loads of screen real estate for windows and tabs, plus enough brightness to look good and prevent eye strain even in brighter indoor environments. All in all, this laptop was admittedly overpriced at launch, but it’s a stunning package with this hefty discount. Get the Lenovo Legion 7i for $570 off at Best Buy before you miss your chance! Save $570 on this RTX 5060 laptop with 32GB RAM and 1600p OLED screenBuy now from Best Buy Read...

These days, a mini PC can perform just as well as a laptop—if not better—at a much more affordable price, all while taking up less space on your desk. How affordable, you ask? Well, check this out: Bosgame’s E4 mini PC is only $208 on Amazon, down from its regular $249. That’s a crazy good price right now given the current RAM shortage. View this Amazon deal At the heart of this tiny computer is an AMD Ryzen 5 3550H processor paired with 16GB of DDR4 RAM and a 512GB SSD. With the current RAM crunch, you’d pay close to the price of this entire mini PC just for that much memory! That alone makes this a great deal. Plus, it still packs enough power to run Windows 11 smoothly, handle your daily tasks like email and browsing, and enough storage for all your data and photos as long as you aren’t also hoarding videos and games. As far as connectivity, this compact PC supports up to three 4K/60Hz monitors at once via the available HDMI, DisplayPort, and USB-C video ports, making it a productive multitasker’s dream. And speaking of monitors, this mini PC comes with a VESA mount, so you can mount it to the back of any VESA-compatible monitor and free up desk space. Other connectivity features include four USB-A ports, dual Gigabit LAN ports, a 3.5mm audio jack, Wi-Fi 5, and Bluetooth 5.0. Is it going to knock your socks off? Probably not. But you can’t really complain at this low, low price. Get the Bosgame E4 mini PC for $208 while you can because this is an absolute bargain! This Ryzen mini PC with 16GB RAM is a steal for just $208Buy now at Amazon Read...

At a glanceExpert`s Rating Pros Noticeably faster than Celeron and N100 Chromebooks Comfortable keyboard, large touchpad Useful features with 8 GB RAM and 128 GB storage Good selection of ports without adapters Cons eMMC storage slows down with large amounts of data Decent display, but unremarkable colours Our Verdict The Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 is a fast, practical 14-inch Chromebook that outperforms typical entry-level models while staying affordable. Price when reviewed This value will show the geolocated pricing text for product undefined Best Pricing Today Best Prices Today: Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 CX1405CTA Retailer Price $329.99 View Deal Price comparison from over 24,000 stores worldwide Product Price Price comparison from Backmarket Best Prices Today: Check today’s prices The Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 2025 is often on sale for $329.99 at Amazon, making it an appealing option for price-conscious buyers who still want more performance than a typical entry-level Chromebook. We put this 14-inch ChromeOS laptop through its paces to see how it handles everyday tasks, from web browsing and streaming to running multiple apps in parallel. Here’s what I discovered. Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: Design and workmanship Asus positions the CX14 within its Plus series as a more powerful alternative to older Chromebooks, and that’s apparent from the very first moment. With its 14-inch form factor, the Chromebook strikes a good balance between mobility and workspace. It’s large enough for comfortable multitasking, yet slim and light enough for daily transport in a rucksack. Christoph Hoffmann In terms of size (325 × 214 × 20 millimeters) and weight (just over three pounds), the CX14 clearly sets itself apart from smaller 11- or 12-inch Chromebooks, which are often heavily optimized for mobility but compromise on ergonomics and screen size. Visually, the CX14 remains pleasantly understated. Although the casing is mainly made of plastic, it feels solid and is surprisingly torsion-resistant. Asus has opted for a matt surface that hides fingerprints well and gives the device a functional, almost business-like look. Christoph Hoffmann The screen bezels are narrower than on older Chromebook generations, without going to fashionable extremes. This makes the device look more modern without compromising on stability. Christoph Hoffmann The keyboard is particularly impressive. It offers a clearly defined pressure point and sufficient travel, which is comfortable for longer typing sessions. This is by no means a given for a Chromebook in this price range. The generously sized touchpad responds precisely and reliably supports multi-touch gestures. Christoph Hoffmann Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: Features The 14-inch Full HD IPS display with a resolution of 1920×1080 pixels delivers decent sharpness and sufficient brightness for indoor use. Colors appear neutral, if not overly vivid–typical for a work device, less so for media enthusiasts. However, the panel is well suited for web browsing, office work, video conferencing, and streaming. The model we tested features an Intel Core 3-N355 processor, combined with 8 GB of RAM (LPDDR5, 4,800 MHz) and 128 GB of eMMC storage. This configuration clearly sets it apart from many entry-level Chromebooks, which still come with 4 GB of RAM and slow storage. Right from the first start, it’s noticeable how quickly ChromeOS boots up and how responsive the system is in use. The Intel Core 3-N355 is a modern entry-level mobile processor for Chromebooks, introduced in the first quarter of 2025, which operates with eight efficient Gracemont cores at up to 3.9 GHz, but has neither hyper-threading nor high-performance cores. Its eight cores without SMT and 6 MB of smart cache deliver noticeably more computing power than older N-series chips such as the N100, ensuring smooth multitasking and browser load in everyday use. Thanks to 15 W TDP, power consumption remains low, while at the same time achieving better results than many classic entry-level CPUs, without, however, reaching high-end performance. Overall, it offers a good balance of efficiency and everyday performance for ChromeOS devices. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 does not have a dedicated graphics card; instead, graphics are handled by the processor’s integrated GPU. Specifically, the Chromebook relies on Intel UHD Graphics, which works together with the Intel Core 3-N355 chip and handles graphics and multimedia tasks. This integrated solution shares memory with the system and is well suited for everyday tasks such as video streaming, presentations or web apps, but does not deliver high-end performance for demanding 3D graphics or games. Christoph Hoffmann With 8 GB of RAM, the CX14 is significantly better equipped than many older Chromebooks. Multiple browser tabs, Android apps and even Linux applications can be used in parallel without any noticeable bottlenecks. Although the 128 GB eMMC storage is not a performance driver, it offers sufficient space for offline data, apps, and Linux containers, making it significantly larger than many basic models. The selection of ports is also suitable for everyday use: all ports are located on the left side and include USB-C for charging and data transfer, classic USB-A ports for existing accessories, and HDMI for external monitors. This allows the Chromebook to be used as a desktop workstation without the need for an additional dock. Christoph Hoffmann The connectivity is very practical for a Chromebook in this class and supports wireless exchange via 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6) and Bluetooth 5, enabling stable, fast connections to networks, headsets, and peripheral devices. The speakers on the Asus Chromebook deliver average laptop sound quality: they are loud enough for video conferences and simple media playback, but sound a bit tinny because they are located in the base of the case and offer little bass. Christoph Hoffmann The webcam on the Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 is not top of the range, but it does the job in typical everyday scenarios. It is sufficient for better video quality during calls or streaming, but not above average. Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: ChromeOS ChromeOS makes the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX14 particularly easy to use: after switching it on for the first time, simply log in with your Google account to automatically sync your data, settings, and Chrome content. Christoph Hoffmann The system updates itself automatically in the background and receives security and feature updates for years without you having to intervene. You can conveniently install applications via the Google Play Store, including Android apps and productivity tools. In addition, Google Gemini AI Pro is included free of charge for three months, so you can try out AI-powered features right away. Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: Battery life The 42 Wh battery in the Asus Chromebook CX14 is on par with typical Chromebooks. In real-world web surfing tests over Wi-Fi, the device achieved over eight hours of runtime, which is sufficient for a normal working day without a power outlet and covers everyday tasks such as office work, streaming, or browsing. However, the difference between this and the upper class is clear: Chromebooks with energy-efficient ARM SoCs can often achieve several more hours in the same scenario. Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: Performance The Intel Core 3-N355 is an interesting choice. It belongs to a newer generation of efficient Intel processors and is clearly positioned above the well-known Celeron and Pentium models that have long dominated the Chromebook market. We ran our usual series of browser-based Chromebook benchmarks, and here are the results: WebXPRT 4: 195 Speedometer 3.0: 13.5 Basemark Web 3.0: 858 Kraken JavaScript Benchmark 1.1: 645.1 Jetstream 2: 222,295 These are average values at best. The Asus Chromebook Plus CX34, powered by an Intel Core i5-1335U, delivers a whopping 42 percent more in Jetstream 2, reaching 316,606, with similar results in other benchmarks. Even with multiple tabs open and Android apps running in parallel, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 remained pleasantly smooth in my testing. For everyday use, this means that the CX14 is ideal for home office, study, or school. The device is not designed for complex image or video editing, but it delivers impressive performance within its target class. Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: Conclusion From my perspective as a tester, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 shows just how far Chromebooks have come. In daily use, I was particularly impressed by the responsive ChromeOS, decent battery life, and clear performance advantage over classic Celeron models. The Core 3 processor ensures that the system feels fast and stable at all times. Even with multiple tabs open and Android apps running in parallel, the Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 remained pleasantly smooth in my testing. The weaknesses are manageable: the webcam is only average, the plastic casing is functional, and the display is solid but not outstanding. Compared to more powerful Chromebook Plus models with Core i or better ARM chips, the CX14 lags slightly behind in terms of performance, but offers a very coherent overall package. For price-conscious users, I believe it is a reliable everyday companion with a clear performance leap over simple Chromebooks. Asus Chromebook Plus CX14: Specifications Model: Asus Chromebook Plus CX14 CX1405CTA-S60133 Model number: 90NX0936-M005H0 Operating system: ChromeOS Display: 14 inches, Full HD (1920×1080 pixels) Processor: Intel Core 3-N355 GPU: Intel UHD Graphics Memory: 8 GB RAM Internal storage: 128 GB eMMC Connections: USB-C, USB-A, HDMI, audio Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Webcam: integrated HD camera Keyboard: Full-size, ChromeOS layout Touchpad: multi-touch capable Construction: Plastic casing Dimensions: 32.45 × 21.44 × 1.99 cm (W × D × H) Weight: approx. 1.4 kg Read...