Asus Chromebox 4
Capable, affordable and packed with features, but it falls short of mini PC perfection
SCORE ★★★★☆
PRICE £352 (£422 inc VAT) from uk.insight.com
If you’re looking for a lightweigh lightweight alternative to Windows or macOS machines, this might be the Chromebox that ticks all the boxes. There’s a version for every budget: this Core i3-based machine here costs £352 exc VAT, but Celeronbased versions start at £209 exc VAT. If you need more power there are Core i5 and Core i7 versions available too.
Its design is focused on function rather than form. It weighs only 648g and its square body is just 149mm wide and 40mm deep. That means it will take up minimal space on a desk, and you can even sling it into a bag and carry it around without issue – perfect for hotdesking or jumping between home and office. The Chromebox also supports VESA mounting, and with a mount in the box it’s easy to attach to the back of a monitor. Neatly, once the Chromebox is installed using VESA, the power button faces upwards, so it’s still easy to access. The system has four rubber feet, with screws beneath – remove those, and the base panel lifts free.
It’s then simple to reach the SSD and memory slots for quick upgrading.
All that said, the Asus is a fraction bigger than other small form-factor systems. For example, Asus’s own Mini PC PN50 ( see issue 315, p47) is a barebones machine that’s narrower than the Chromebox if a fraction taller. It only costs £225 exc VAT with a Ryzen 3 4300U, but that price doesn’t include RAM, an SSD or an operating system. The PN50 also feels better made than the Chromebox 4. The latter is covered in cheap-feeling plastic and has a bland gunmetal finish that doesn’t draw the eye.
This Chromebox 4 uses an Intel Core i3-10110U processor, which has two multithreaded cores alongside base and boost speeds of 2.1GHz and 4.1GHz. In this rig it’s paired with 8GB of dual-channel memory and a 128GB SSD, and graphical power comes from an unimpressive Intel UHD 620 chip.
That h isn’t a spectacular l specification, but it has the power
to h handle dl everyday d computing. I loaded browser tabs with Google Docs files, email clients, social media tools and conventional web pages – the Chromebox handled them simultaneously without slowdown. That makes the Asus a solid option for daily office tasks. The Chromebox is never loud, either: there is a fan inside this machine, but it’s quiet during all tasks, and virtually silent in many situations.
Benchmarks highlights this specification’s limitations. In Geekbench 5’s single and multicore tests our dual-core Core i3 chip returned middling scores of 1,002 and 2,155; the £399 exc VAT Asus Mini PC PN50 we tested included an eight-core Ryzen 7 4800U, and that raced to 1,164 and 6,421 in Geekbench.
It’s possible to run Linux software on the Chromebox, too, and this rig handled mainstream Linux tools smoothly. However, while Chrome OS can also run Android apps, photo-editing tools, games and Office software were sluggish.
If you want to tackle demanding tasks then more cores will deliver a big boost, and the four-core Core i5-10210U version of the Chromebox (£460 exc VAT) makes sense if you want to run Chrome OS’s Linux VM options. The most expensive configuration partners a Core i7-10510U processor with 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD, but that costs a lofty £628 exc VAT.
Whichever version you choose, the Chromebox 4 is well-equipped with ports. On its front, you’ll find a microSD card reader, an audio jack and two USB 3.1 ports (so 10Mbits/sec). The rear has three further USB-A 3.1 ports and a USB-C connector that supports DisplayPort and 15W of power delivery, as well as two HDMI ports. For networking, there’s dual-band Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.2 and Gigabit Ethernet.
The only notable omission can be found by looking in the box: Asus hasn’t included a keyboard or mouse with this PC. While that’s not mandatory, we’ve come to expect basic peripherals bundled with mainstream PCs, and they would have been welcome here.
The Chromebox 4 is small, well-made and has good connectivity, and Chrome OS is a solid alternative for mainstream tasks. Unless you’re on the tightest of budgets, we would avoid the lightweight Celeron version, while the Core i7 specifications are tempting but also expensive. Instead, focus your attention on the Core i3 version – as we have seen here, it has enough grunt to handle everyday workloads – and the Core i5 option if your work will benefit from four cores.
The Core i3-based Chromebox is the best value, though, with solid performance inside a versatile, compact case. If you’re happy with Chrome OS, which has matured into a smart and effective operating system, the Chromebox 4 is a compact and effective mainstream choice.
SPECIFICATIONS
Dual-core 2.1GHz (4.1GHz burst) Intel Core i3-10110U 8GB RAM Intel UHD 620 graphics 128GB M.2 SSD microSD card slot Wi-Fi 6 Bluetooth 5.1 2 x HDMI 5 x USB-A 3.1 USB-C 3.1 (15W power delivery) Gigabit Ethernet Chrome OS 149 x 149 x 40mm (WDH) 650g 1yr RTB warranty part code G3032UN
“The Chromebox 4 is small, well-made and has good connectivity, and Chrome OS is a solid alternative for mainstream tasks”