ASUS N7043U Mini Chromebox 3 Desktop


ASUS N7043U Mini Chromebox 3 Desktop

Why are these so expensive compared to a laptop that has so much more to it?

It seems so wasteful to have a killer i7 processor and be locked down to ChromeOS. Why not Linux or Windows?!?

Wasteful indeed. i7 processor just to surf the internet and only 32GB of storage

Thing were crazy in the pre-COVID days when i7’s were plentiful.

As to Linux, some googling will get you what you need. This is a good start https://mrchromebox.tech/

I’d been using Windows for a decade or so and after facing a hard-drive failure and contemplating how annoying it was going to be to try to reinstall Windows on the new drive, I moved to a Chromebook. This was nearly seven years ago and I’ve been thrilled with the move since because I spend exactly zero time “administering” my computer.

99.9% of what I need to do every day can be done within a browser: email, calendar, documents, spreadsheets, contacts, notes, banking, music, etc. (And if you’re not in the Google ecosystem, I believe that Microsoft Office does a decent job running in the browser.) If you require special software which must be installed on your computer (e.g., video-editing software), then a Chromebook (or Chromebox, like this) isn’t a good choice. (I own a 3D printer and it’s easier for me to borrow my wife’s WIndows laptop to update its firmware a couple times a year vs. learning how to do it in Linux on my Chromebook, since all modern Chromebooks will run Linux, if you want.)

Every time I have to untangle some cryptic Windows nonsense for an elderly relative, I’m reminded of how much I love not having to mess with any of that on my Chromebox. (I have a similar Chromebox to this one as my daily driver and a Chromebook for travel.)

“Just to surf the internet” isn’t the only use case for these devices, but if someone wants to buy a Chromebox with an i7 to do that, more power to them (haha)!

1 Like

Updates through 2025 (I THINK)

Hey Woot (and @ThunderThighs): I know I bust your buns about putting the EoL date at the top (and this still still holds true as the EoL date is the single most important spec and should be at the TOP of the specs) but where’s the EoL date on this one? I scrolled up and down through the specs and don’t see any mention of the EoL date.

4 Likes

I asked for it to be added and told them you would post. Last I heard, they were waiting to hear back from the vendor. I has failed you.

4 Likes

The i7 does seem like an odd pairing here. But I’d probably still consider it (OS can be changed, after all) if not for the 4MB of RAM. Even the Raspberry Pi now comes with as much as 8. I’m sure it is soldered on, so I don’t think I can use it.

I take my above comment back… it is apparently upgradable, along with the internal 32GB M2 card. Hmmm…

1 Like

It appears that this is part of the Asus CN65 line which will receive updates until Jun 2025.

Looking at ASUS | Memory RAM & SSD Upgrades | Crucial.com, the SSD is SATA, but there’s no word on what physical form factor. Between that and the replaceable SODIMM for RAM, I’m on the fence.

So does anybody know if this Chromebox comes with any cables or not? It looks as if it doesn’t.

For that matter, does this include the power supply? I realize that it accepts USB-PD over USB-C, but I imagine that many will want to use that port for a second monitor instead.

I went for it - the processor alone is almost worth this price.

1 Like

A very worthy project computer! I was close to jumping on one too but I just added an SSD and extra RAM to my 2012 Mac Mini and it’s working well for the family. I’ve got my T430 to tinker with

My son keeps using my basement computer (also a Woot find) because the one in the guest room won’t run his video games. I want my basement computer back because it’s in my “workshop”, so this will likely go in the guest room if I can get it running Windows. I already have a 500GB M2 SSD sitting around doing nothing… just need some RAM.

1 Like

And the i7 should handle his games well. Steam runs on Linux pretty well I’m told (not a gamer myself) so that might work for him

The gen 8 i7 in this is quite a bit more powerful than the computer he’s using now, so he’ll be happy for sure. Linux has steam, but the computer in the guest room is primarily for my wife, who will need Windows. If I can’t get it to run Windows, I may use it to power an arcade cabinet that I have currently running a Raspberry Pi. An i7 should be able to emulate much newer games.

1 Like

The power adapter is included. No other cables are included.

This looks like it would be an emulation beast, definitely better thany ShieldTV. Too bad I already bought a high dollar item today from here.

1 Like