Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA in review: Silent convertible offers good endurance
The Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA is a slim, compact 14-inch convertible. The computer is powered by a Core m3 processor of the Amber Lake generation. Direct competitors include the Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 and the HP Chromebook x360 14 G1. But the device also competes with Windows convertibles such as the Acer Spin 3 SP314-51, the Lenovo IdeaPad C340-14API, the Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA and the HP Pavilion x360 14.
Rating | Date | Model | Weight | Height | Size | Resolution | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 81.2 % v7 (old) | 01 / 2020 | Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 m3-8100Y, UHD Graphics 615 | 1.5 kg | 15.7 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 83.4 % v6 (old) | 04 / 2019 | HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 i5-8350U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.6 kg | 16 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1200 | |
| 87.2 % v6 (old) | 01 / 2019 | Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 i3-8130U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.8 kg | 17.7 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 79.9 % v6 (old) | 01 / 2019 | HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng i3-8130U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.6 kg | 20 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 80.6 % v7 (old) | 10 / 2019 | Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE R5 3500U, Vega 8 | 1.7 kg | 17.9 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 82.8 % v6 (old) | 04 / 2019 | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T i3-8130U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.5 kg | 17.6 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 | |
| 80.8 % v6 (old) | 04 / 2018 | Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L i5-8250U, UHD Graphics 620 | 1.7 kg | 20.8 mm | 14.00" | 1920x1080 |
Case and connectivity - Asus gives the C434TA a fancy metal case
Asus has opted for a fancy, slim, silver metal case in the Chromebook, which, despite having a 14-inch screen, is about the size of a 13.3-inch device. The resulting slim display bezel increases the computer's visual appeal. There's nothing to complain about in terms of workmanship. The gap dimensions are in order, and there aren't any sharp edges. We see a need for improvement in regard to stability since the base unit can be twisted too easily.
The convertible doesn't come with a maintenance hatch. In order to reach the inside, the bottom cover must be removed. Opening the case would only be necessary for the replacement of the battery or the motherboard. After removing all the screws on the bottom, the bottom cover can be detached with the help of a grout finishing tool. Attention: Further screws are hidden under the two rear rubber feet.
The C434TA has three USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports (1x Type-A, 2x Type-C). The two Type-C ports are used for both power delivery and video output (DisplayPort via USB-C; this requires a separately available adapter).
The built-in microSD memory card reader is located in the medium speed range. The transfer of 250 JPG image files (each of about 5 MB) is completed at a speed of 64.1 MB/s. We test memory card readers using a reference card (the 64 GB Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC).
The Wi-Fi module uses an Intel chip (Dual Band Wireless AC 7265). In addition to the 802.11 a/b/g/h/n Wi-Fi standards, it also supports the fast ac standard.
Port configuration
| SD Card Reader | |
| average JPG Copy Test (av. of 3 runs) | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Average of class Convertible (17.7 - 209, n=29, last 2 years) | |
| HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 microSDXC 64GB) | |
| Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (Toshiba Exceria Pro M501 UHS-II) | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| maximum AS SSD Seq Read Test (1GB) | |
| Average of class Convertible (22.6 - 263, n=28, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L (Toshiba Exceria Pro SDXC 64 GB UHS-II) | |
Input devices - The Chromebook convertible offers keyboard backlighting
Asus has equipped the convertible with a backlit chiclet keyboard. The flat, slightly roughened keys have a short travel and a clear pressure point. The resistance provided by the keys is in order. While typing, the keyboard gives way slightly. It didn't prove to be bothersome. All in all, the keyboard has proven its suitability for everyday use. Moreover, the lighting offers five brightness levels. However, the characters on the silver keys are difficult to see when you're in a bright environment and the backlight is active.
The multitouch ClickPad takes up an area of about 10.5 x 6.2 cm. This means that there is plenty of space available to use gesture control. The pad's smooth surface makes it easy for the fingers to glide over it. The pad has a short travel and a clear pressure point.
Display - IPS on board of the C434TA
The glossy 14-inch touchscreen display has a native resolution of 1920x1080 pixels. Brightness (272.3 cd/m²) and contrast (754:1) are too low. We see values beyond 300 cd/m² and 1000:1 as good. In addition, the display is very unevenly illuminated. At least it shows no PWM flickering.
Out of the box, the display shows a quite decent color reproduction, and it doesn't suffer from a blue tint.
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||
Brightness Distribution: 70 %
Center on Battery: 294 cd/m²
Contrast: 754:1 (Black: 0.39 cd/m²)
ΔE Greyscale 3.44 | 0.5-98 Ø5.2
Gamma: 2.51
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 IPS, 1920x1200, 14" | Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng Chi Mei CMN14D9, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE BOE CQ NV140FHM-N48, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T AU Optronics B140HAN04.0, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L BOE CQ NV140FHM-N41, IPS, 1920x1080, 14" | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Display | |||||||
| Display P3 Coverage | 41.32 | 39.63 | 39.56 | 39.68 | |||
| sRGB Coverage | 61.8 | 58.6 | 59.5 | 58.9 | |||
| AdobeRGB 1998 Coverage | 42.74 | 40.94 | 40.88 | 41 | |||
| Response Times | 15% | 11% | 10% | 8% | 18% | 4% | |
| Response Time Grey 50% / Grey 80% * | 48 ? | 42 ? 12% | 40.8 ? 15% | 44 ? 8% | 43 ? 10% | 40 ? 17% | 43 ? 10% |
| Response Time Black / White * | 34 ? | 28 ? 18% | 32 ? 6% | 30 ? 12% | 32 ? 6% | 28 ? 18% | 35 ? -3% |
| PWM Frequency | 2439 ? | 208 ? | 1000 | ||||
| Screen | -8% | 29% | 19% | -0% | 16% | 22% | |
| Brightness middle | 294 | 267 -9% | 348.1 18% | 225 -23% | 285 -3% | 251 -15% | 220 -25% |
| Brightness | 272 | 247 -9% | 321 18% | 195 -28% | 273 0% | 242 -11% | 221 -19% |
| Brightness Distribution | 70 | 88 26% | 85 21% | 72 3% | 87 24% | 87 24% | 78 11% |
| Black Level * | 0.39 | 0.45 -15% | 0.28 28% | 0.14 64% | 0.4 -3% | 0.25 36% | 0.18 54% |
| Contrast | 754 | 593 -21% | 1243 65% | 1607 113% | 713 -5% | 1004 33% | 1222 62% |
| Greyscale dE 2000 * | 3.44 | 4.06 -18% | 2.6 24% | 3.98 -16% | 3.97 -15% | 2.55 26% | 1.68 51% |
| Gamma | 2.51 88% | 2.65 83% | 2.206 100% | 2.32 95% | 2.28 96% | 2.48 89% | 2.37 93% |
| CCT | 6486 100% | 6058 107% | 6441 101% | 6163 105% | 6848 95% | 6831 95% | 6382 102% |
| Colorchecker dE 2000 * | 1.75 | 5.44 | 5.62 | 4.03 | 3.98 | ||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 max. * | 4.74 | 20.38 | 17.22 | 7.33 | 7.69 | ||
| Color Space (Percent of AdobeRGB 1998) | 39 | 38 | 38 | 38 | |||
| Color Space (Percent of sRGB) | 62 | 58 | 59 | 58 | |||
| Colorchecker dE 2000 calibrated * | 4.46 | 4 | |||||
| Total Average (Program / Settings) | 4% /
-2% | 20% /
24% | 15% /
17% | 4% /
2% | 17% /
16% | 13% /
18% |
* ... smaller is better
Display Response Times
| ↔ Response Time Black to White | ||
|---|---|---|
| 34 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 19 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 15 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.1 (minimum) to 240 (maximum) ms. » 90 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (20.9 ms). | ||
| ↔ Response Time 50% Grey to 80% Grey | ||
| 48 ms ... rise ↗ and fall ↘ combined | ↗ 24 ms rise |  |
| ↘ 24 ms fall | ||
| The screen shows slow response rates in our tests and will be unsatisfactory for gamers. In comparison, all tested devices range from 0.165 (minimum) to 636 (maximum) ms. » 81 % of all devices are better. This means that the measured response time is worse than the average of all tested devices (32.8 ms). | ||
Screen Flickering / PWM (Pulse-Width Modulation)
| Screen flickering / PWM not detected |  | ||
In comparison: 53 % of all tested devices do not use PWM to dim the display. If PWM was detected, an average of 8705 (minimum: 5 - maximum: 343500) Hz was measured. | |||
Asus equips the Chromebook with a viewing-angle-stable IPS panel. Therefore, the screen can be read from any position. The screen readability outdoors goes from poor to nonexistent - especially in bright sunshine. The convertible is primarily designed to be used inside buildings.
Performance - Asus laptop with Amber Lake CPU
With the Chromebook Flip C434TA, Asus delivers a 14-inch Chrome OS convertible. The built-in hardware provides enough computing power for office and Internet applications. Our test device can be obtained at prices between 640 Euros (~$710) and 720 Euros (~$799). Other configuration variants were not available at the time of conducting our review.
Processor
The Chromebook has an Amber Lake generation Core m3-8100Y dual-core processor on board. A low TDP of 5 watts allows passive cooling of the CPU, which is also implemented here. The Core m3 operates at a base speed of 1.1 GHz. Turbo can be used to increase it to 2.7 GHz (two cores) and 3.4 GHz (one core), respectively.
| Sunspider - 1.0 Total Score | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Chrome 79.0.3945.86) | |
| Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (Chrome 71.0.3578.127) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 (Chrome 72.0.3626.122) | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y (117.4 - 305, n=2) | |
| Mozilla Kraken 1.1 - Total | |
| HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng (42.17134.10 EDGE HTML 17.17134) | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y (1295 - 2163, n=5) | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T (Edge 44) | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE (Edge 44) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Chrome 79.0.3945.86) | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L (Edge 41) | |
| Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (Chrome 71.0.3578.127) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 (Chrome 72.0.3626.122) | |
| Average of class Convertible (407 - 2676, n=63, last 2 years) | |
| Octane V2 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Convertible (50984 - 92146, n=14, last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (Chrome 71.0.3578.127) | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L (Edge 41) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Chrome 79.0.3945.86) | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE (Edge 44) | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T (Edge 44) | |
| HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng (42.17134.10 EDGE HTML 17.17134) | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y (14701 - 29318, n=3) | |
| Speedometer 2.0 - Result | |
| Average of class Convertible (150 - 357, n=13, last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 (Chrome 72.0.3626.122) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Chrome 79.0.3945.86) | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y (29.8 - 83.7, n=2) | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T (Edge 44) | |
| WebXPRT 3 - Overall | |
| Average of class Convertible (84.2 - 407, n=62, last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 (Chrome 72.0.3626.122) | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T (Edge 44) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Chrome 79.0.3945.86) | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y (128 - 139, n=4) | |
| JetStream 1.1 - Total Score | |
| Average of class Convertible (393 - 443, n=3, last 2 years) | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L (Edge 41) | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE (Edge 44) | |
| HP Pavilion x360 14-cd0002ng (42.17134.10 EDGE HTML 17.17134) | |
| Dell Inspiron 7486 Chromebook 14 2-in-1 (Chrome 71.0.3578.127) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 (Chrome 79.0.3945.86) | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y (124.6 - 135.4, n=4) | |
* ... smaller is better
System performance
The system operates smoothly, and we didn't encounter any problems. The operating system loads quickly and applications are opened briskly.
| PCMark for Android | |
| Work performance score | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y, Intel UHD Graphics 615 () | |
| Work 2.0 performance score | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y, Intel UHD Graphics 615 () | |
| Storage score | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y, Intel UHD Graphics 615 () | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Computer Vision score | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| Average Intel Core m3-8100Y, Intel UHD Graphics 615 () | |
Storage
The system drive is an eMMC module with a capacity of 64 GB. An expansion of the storage space would be possible via a microSD card.
Graphics card
Graphics output is handled by Intel's UHD Graphics 615 graphics core, which operates at speeds of up to 900 MHz. The decoder built into the GPU can unload the processor when playing videos in popular formats such as H.264 and HEVC/H.265.
| 3DMark - 1280x720 offscreen Ice Storm Unlimited Graphics Score | |
| Average of class Convertible (55846 - 642928, n=5, last 2 years) | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE | |
| Acer Spin 3 SP314-51-548L | |
| Asus VivoBook Flip 14 TP412UA-EC969T | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (50702 - 73265, n=7) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| GFXBench (DX / GLBenchmark) 2.7 | |
| 1920x1080 T-Rex Offscreen | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (65 - 88, n=3) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| T-Rex Onscreen | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (41 - 81.4, n=3) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| GFXBench 3.0 | |
| 1920x1080 1080p Manhattan Offscreen | |
| Average of class Convertible (last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (32 - 40.9, n=3) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| on screen Manhattan Onscreen OGL | |
| Average of class Convertible (last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (29 - 34.7, n=3) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| GFXBench 3.1 | |
| 1920x1080 Manhattan ES 3.1 Offscreen | |
| Average of class Convertible (last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (22 - 27.7, n=3) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| on screen Manhattan ES 3.1 Onscreen | |
| Average of class Convertible (last 2 years) | |
| HP Chromebook x360 14 G1 | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (21 - 22.5, n=3) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
| Geekbench 5.0 - Vulkan Score 5.0 | |
| Lenovo Ideapad C340-14API 81N6004UGE | |
| Average Intel UHD Graphics 615 (736 - 3714, n=2) | |
| Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 | |
Emissions and energy - Asus notebook operates quietly and barely heats up
Noise emissions
The Chromebook is cooled passively and doesn't have a mechanical drive on board. Therefore, the device works silently.
Temperature
The C434TA hardly heats up over the entire load range. Under load, we register temperatures slightly above 30 °C (~86 °F) at some measuring points. When idle, the values are clearly in the green range. In order to stress test a Chromebook, we run Google's Octane V2 benchmark and the Jetstream benchmark in a loop.
(+) The maximum temperature on the upper side is 32.4 °C / 90 F, compared to the average of 35.3 °C / 96 F, ranging from 19.6 to 60 °C for the class Convertible.
(+) The bottom heats up to a maximum of 35 °C / 95 F, compared to the average of 36.8 °C / 98 F
(+) In idle usage, the average temperature for the upper side is 23.3 °C / 74 F, compared to the device average of 30.3 °C / 87 F.
(+) The palmrests and touchpad are cooler than skin temperature with a maximum of 24.8 °C / 76.6 F and are therefore cool to the touch.
(+) The average temperature of the palmrest area of similar devices was 28.1 °C / 82.6 F (+3.3 °C / 6 F).
Speakers
The stereo speakers are located on the bottom of the device. They produce an acceptable sound, which is missing bass, however. In addition, the maximum volume is too low. For a better sound experience, the use of headphones or external speakers is recommended.
Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264 audio analysis
(-) | not very loud speakers (68.4 dB)
Bass 100 - 315 Hz
(-) | nearly no bass - on average 19.7% lower than median
(±) | linearity of bass is average (9.6% delta to prev. frequency)
Mids 400 - 2000 Hz
(±) | reduced mids - on average 6.1% lower than median
(+) | mids are linear (6.2% delta to prev. frequency)
Highs 2 - 16 kHz
(+) | balanced highs - only 3.6% away from median
(+) | highs are linear (6.3% delta to prev. frequency)
Overall 100 - 16.000 Hz
(±) | linearity of overall sound is average (21.7% difference to median)
Compared to same class
» 57% of all tested devices in this class were better, 10% similar, 33% worse
» The best had a delta of 6%, average was 21%, worst was 57%
Compared to all devices tested
» 58% of all tested devices were better, 7% similar, 35% worse
» The best had a delta of 4%, average was 25%, worst was 134%
Energy consumption
The Asus convertible doesn't show any abnormalities in terms of the energy requirement. When idle, we measure a maximum power consumption of 5.7 watts. Under load, the demand increases to up to 19.6 watts. The output of the USB Type-C power adapter is 45 watts.
| Off / Standby |   0.5 / 0.38 Watt |
| Idle |  3 / 5.4 / 5.7 Watt |
| Load |
7.1 / 19.6 Watt |
    
| |
Key:
min: ,
med: ,
max: Metrahit Energy | |
Battery life
With our practical Wi-Fi test, we simulate the load caused by accessing websites. The display brightness is adjusted to about 150 cd/m² here. The Asus Chromebook reaches a runtime of 9:58 h.
Pros
Cons
Verdict
Asus wraps the technology of the Chromebook Flip C434TA in a fancy, slim, compact metal case that's about the size of a 13.3-inch device. However, the convertible has a 14-inch display, making it a device with a thin display bezel.
The convertible is powered by a Core m3-8100Y processor that provides enough computing power for office and Internet applications. A decoder that's built into the GPU unloads the processor when playing videos. Therefore, using streaming services doesn't pose a problem.
The available storage space is not too generous at 64 GB. An expansion of the storage space would be possible via a microSD card. Good: The Chromebook comes with two USB Type-C ports through which the device can be powered. Both ports also support the DisplayPort via USB-C function.
The main problem of the Asus Chromebook Flip is its price or rather the weaknesses it reveals despite a price level of 640 Euros (~$710) to 720 Euros (~$799). You can just as well go for a much cheaper Chromebook.
The IPS touchscreen display scores points with stable viewing angles. But the brightness and contrast are too low for a device in the current price range. In addition, the display's brightness distribution turned out to be too uneven. The built-in keyboard has proven to be suitable for everyday use. Pros: Backlighting is available, which is complemented by very good battery life.
Asus Chromebook Flip C434TA-AI0264
- 01/20/2020 v7 (old)
Sascha Mölck
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