The Chromebox 5 from ASUS is a follow on from the previous generation Chromebox 4. If you’re well invested in the Google Ecosystem and aren’t gaming heavily or doing content creation, they’re a device worth investigating.

The updated version has some pretty strong specs (SKU dependent) and a great feature:

  • 12th Gen Intel i7/i5/i3 or Celeron processor options
  • PCIe Gen 4×4 SSD
  • Two HDMI ports and a DisplayPort for video
  • 2.5Gbps Ethernet, Wi-Fi 6E, Thunderbolt and four USB-A ports for connectivity
  • A front panel 3.5mm headphone jack and microSD reader

The feature that makes me think this might win a place on my desk soon is the 15W wireless charger built into the chassis. My main concern is the USD$399.00 cost which will probably result in a $650 starting price for the lower-end options within Australia. Time will tell for sure; if a review unit becomes available, we’ll certainly be aiming to take a look.