Asus Chromebook Flip CM3200 and CM5500 available, $369 and $599
Some of you have been waiting to buy the latest Asus Chromebook Flip models and if you’re a Costco member, you can choose between two of them. Today on the retailer’s website, I found both the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3200 and CM 5500 devices available to order, with pricing at $369.99 and $599.99, respectively.
First, don’t confuse the lower-priced CM3 with the CM3200. This model is a convertible version of the newest Asus detachable Chromebook that I recently featured earlier this week.
The Asus Chromebook Flip CM3200 has a larger 12-inch touchscreen compared to the smaller detachable device and has a 3:2 aspect ration. It uses the same MediaTek MT8183 processor as its little sibling but loses out when it comes to display resolution. You’re looking at a 1366 x 912 panel with 220 nits of brightness here.
Here are the rest of the hardware specifications, which are quite similar to the Asus Chromebook Flip CM3:
| CPU | MediaTek 8183 Processor 2.0 GHz(1M Cache, up to 2.0 GHz, 8 cores) |
| GPU | Arm Mali-G72 MP3 |
| Display | 12-inch, LCD, 1366 x 912 resolution, 3:2 aspect ratio, glossy display, 220nits, NTSC: 50% |
| Memory | 4GB LPDDR4X on-board |
| Storage | 64 eMMC plus microSD card expansion |
| Connectivity | WiFi 5, Bluetooth 4.2 |
| Input | Keyboard and trackpad, 720p webcam |
| Ports | 1 USB Type-C (2.0), 1 USB Type-A (2.0) built in microphone & stereo speakers |
| Battery | 32 WHr, claimed run-time of 16 hours |
| Weight | 2.51 pounds |
| Software | Chrome OS automatic update expiration date: TBD but likely June 2028 or June 2029 |
The more expensive Asus Chromebook Flip CM5500 is the Ryzen-powered version of the company’s new 15.6-inch Chromebook. You’re paying $30 more for this over the 11th-generation Intel Core i3 configuration but without testing this Ryzen chip, I can’t yet say if it’s worth it.
In terms of ports, you get a nice assortment: 2 Type-C USB 3.2, 1 Type-A USB 3.2, an HDMI port, microSD card slot, and mic/headphone jack. There’s also a 720p webcam, support for WiFi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, and a USI stylus. The 3-cell 57 WHr battery is rated for up to 10 hours of run-time, at least on paper.
I’m not in the market for a large-screened Chromebook, but right now, either the Intel or the Ryzen version of this Chromebook would be my first look.
I’m hungry but they are aspect rationing here.
I bought the CM5500 in January. It’s going back to Costco this week (April). The screen/display is lovely. And while I generally hate NUM pads, I’ve gotten along ok with this one. But the fan. OMG. They should include noise cancelling headphones with this thing. When that sucker kicks on, only the dead don’t know it. And the wifi receiver has something bad going on. It loses the connection with my solid/strong network several times a day. This morning I had to reboot the damn thing to get it back. When it loses the network, it tries to connect with my Pixel 6 Pro phone. It goes so far as to kick in the phone’s hotspot (as it should) but it never manages to complete the connection. I’m going back to my old Yoga until I can find something better. At least I bought it at Costco and returns are easy.
Ugh, sounds like too many problems to deal with. This is one reason I’ll buy a device from Costco over other places!