Tech & Gadgets · Head-to-head

Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P) vs ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

Which should you buy? Here's the honest call, pulled from our full The Best Budget Laptops for Everyday Use: 4 Compared (and One to Skip) comparison.

The Acer Aspire Go 15 is the best all-round budget laptop: a genuinely good screen, capable Core i5 performance, and all-day battery with full Windows flexibility. The ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 is the smarter buy if everything you do lives in a browser - it feels faster than any budget Windows machine and stays that way.

Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P)

Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P)

Buy it

The rare budget Windows laptop that gets the fundamentals - screen, speed, and battery - right at the same time.

  • Sharp 15.3-inch 1920x1200 IPS display that independent testing calls a standout at this price
  • Core i5-1334U with 8GB RAM handles everyday multitasking smoothly
  • Solid-feeling chassis and a full-size keyboard with number pad
  • Owners consistently report all-day battery for light work
  • No keyboard backlighting, which feels dated even at this price
  • Display color accuracy is mediocre - fine for documents, not for photo editing
  • Basic 720p webcam and no fingerprint reader
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ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34

Buy it

If your life already runs in a browser, this is the fastest, most pleasant everyday machine you can get for the money.

  • Core i5 power makes ChromeOS feel instant - tabs, video calls, and web apps never stutter
  • Excellent keyboard and responsive touchpad that reviewers single out for praise
  • Roughly 10-hour real-world battery life in owner reports
  • Chromebook Plus certification brings a 1080p webcam and built-in AI features
  • ChromeOS can't run traditional Windows desktop software
  • 8GB RAM and 128GB storage are not upgradeable
  • Display is sharp but colors look muted next to pricier panels
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Side by side

Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P)ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34
Our verdictBuyBuy
Best forStudents and home users who want a real Windows laptop that stays pleasant to use for years without spending mid-range moneyAnyone whose work and play live in Chrome, Google Docs, and streaming apps - and who values speed and simplicity over software flexibility
Price tier$ · budget$$ · mid-range

The bottom line

Our overall pick is the Acer Aspire Go 15 (AG15-51P) - The rare budget Windows laptop that gets the fundamentals - screen, speed, and battery - right at the same time. Choose the ASUS Chromebook Plus CX34 instead if anyone whose work and play live in Chrome, Google Docs, and streaming apps - and who values speed and simplicity over software flexibility.

Want the full picture, including the other options we compared and the popular one we'd skip? Read the complete The Best Budget Laptops for Everyday Use: 4 Compared (and One to Skip).