ASUS could be gearing up to launch the largest Chromebook this year

What you need to know

• New rumors suggest a 17-inch Chromebook is coming this August from ASUS.
• The ASUS CX1700 could be priced as low as $299.
• ASUS is said to include up to 8GB of RAM and up to 64GB of storage.

Hot on the heels of the ASUS Chromebook Detachable CM3 introduction, we're hearing that ASUS is keeping its foot on the gas. According to a source speaking to Chrome Unboxed, ASUS is working on the world's first 17-inch Chromebook. It's not often that we see the boundaries pushed in the world of the best Chromebooks and Chrome OS, but if this rumor comes to fruition, we'll be getting Chrome OS on bigger screens soon.

According to those rumors, this upcoming Chromebook will be called the CX1700 and will be powered by one of two processors. The CX1700 will use Intel chips, with ASUS still deciding between the Jasper Lake Celeron N5100 or the Pentium Silver N6000. There's no surprise in the RAM department, as we will see a minimum of 4GB with this Chromebook, but there could also be a configuration with 8GB.

Instead of trying to break the mold in more ways than one, it seems that ASUS will be playing it safe with the rumored CX1700. It will be firmly placed in the budget market with its FHD display panel and pricing rumored to start around $299. That's actually quite impressive given the larger display and the fact that it will be a first of its kind.

As for when we could expect to see the ASUS CX1700, the rumors suggest an announcement could be made as early as August. The timing would be practically perfect for all of those back-to-school shoppers or those who have just been wanting a Chromebook with the biggest screen possible. Sure, you could hook up your current option to one of the best external monitors for Chromebooks, but with a 17-inch display, chances are, you really wouldn't have to.

It will be interesting to see how the ASUS CX1700 stacks up to our current favorite Chromebook in the Lenovo Flex 5 Chromebook. However, we suggest tempering your expectations until an official announcement is made. It's entirely possible that ASUS is just dipping its toes in the water with this larger form-factor, before releasing a true powerhouse 17-inch Chromebook to compete with the Flex 5 or the Chromebook Flip C434.