Asus recently launched the third iteration of its Chromebox product line. Over the years, there has been a shift from chunky desktop personal computers to small form-factor devices that leave a minimal footprint on your desk. The Chromebox, for example, has become very popular since its inception in 2012. It's no surprise that the current market is flooded with tons of Chromebox offerings from all the major computer manufacturers such as Acer, Asus, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, and Samsung. Surprisingly, Asus is actually one of the biggest players in the Chromebox market, and the Taiwanese manufacturer recently expanded its portfolio with its latest model.
The Asus Chromebox 3 features Intel’s latest 8th generation Intel Core processor based on the Kaby Lake-R architecture with integrated Intel HD Graphics 620, up to 16GB of DDR4 memory, and up to a 256GB M.2 SATA solid-state drive. The device comes equipped with three USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-A ports, two USB 2.0 ports, USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port, 3-in-1 memory card reader, audio jack, and an HDMI port.
Asus touts support for dual displays via the HDMI port and DisplayPort functionality over the USB 3.1 Gen 1 Type-C port. Internet connectivity consists of a traditional Gigabit LAN port and a wireless dual-band 802.11ac Wi-Fi modem with integrated Bluetooth 4.2. Measuring just 148.5 x 148.5 x 40 cm, and weighing barely 1kg, the Asus Chromebox 3 is also VESA-compatible and comes with the corresponding mounting kit to attach itself behind monitors or TVs with relative ease.
Asus currently ships the Chromebox 3 in four flavors. The base model costs $239.99, and it comes equipped with an Intel Celeron 3865U 1.8 GHz dual-core processor, 4GB of DDR4 memory, and a 32GB M.2 SATA solid-state drive. The next model in line packs an Intel Core i3-7100U 2.4 GHz dual-core processor and shares the same memory and storage configuration as the base model. It carries a $429 price tag. A similar Core i3 model with 8GB of DDR4 memory is also available for $479. The highest-end model is priced at $699 and carries the Intel Core i7-8550U 1.8 GHz quad-core processor, 8GB of DDR4 memory, and a 32GB M.2 SATA solid-state drive. Asus is expected to release additional models with different hardware configurations in the future including one with an Intel Core i5-8250U 1.6 GHz quad-core processor.
