Dell Chromebook 11.6" 3120

A nearly indestructible Chromebook for the classroom that makes total sense for schools and zero sense for anyone who values a good screen. Buy it for durability, not for the display.

The Intel N100 processor is the real surprise here. For a chip in a rugged education laptop, it's actually snappy enough for a dozen Chrome tabs and a YouTube video without choking. It's not going to set any speed records, but it's a big step up from the sluggish Celerons that used to haunt these machines. The 8GB of RAM helps keep things moving, though the 64GB of eMMC storage is a real bottleneck. It's slow to load big files and fills up faster than a kindergartner's cubby. The 1366x768 screen, on the other hand, is exactly as mediocre as you'd expect. It's not bright, colors are washed out, and it's a far cry from the crisp panels you'll find on even a budget consumer Chromebook.

The Dell 3120's real competition isn't a MacBook Air or a fancy Lenovo Yoga Book 9i. Those are in a different universe. Its true rivals are other education-focused Chromebooks like the ASUS Chromebook Cx1 or the HP Fortis series. Compared to those, the Dell's build quality is a standout, it feels tougher. But ASUS and HP often offer similar specs with a better screen or more storage for the same or less money. If you're a school IT director buying in bulk, the Dell's durability and repairability might win out. For a parent buying a single laptop for their kid, a consumer-focused Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook will be lighter, have a vastly superior display, and just be more pleasant to use for homework and Netflix, even if it's not drop-proof.

This is where things get tricky. We've seen this model priced anywhere from $438 to $612 across different vendors. At the low end, around $440, it's a fair price for an indestructible school machine. At $600 or more, it's a rip-off. For that kind of money, you're in the territory of a much nicer, more powerful Chromebook Plus model with a good screen and real storage. If you're buying one, hunt for the deal. The best price we've seen is at the lower end of that spread, so don't just grab the first listing you see.

The Dell Chromebook 3120 is a tank built for the chaos of K-12 classrooms, and that's exactly who should buy it. It's not trying to be a sleek ultrabook or a gaming rig. It's a rugged, spill-resistant 2-in-1 that can survive a drop from a desk and keep on ticking. The one thing to know is this: it's a specialized tool for a specialized job. For a student who needs to hammer out Google Docs, poke at a touchscreen, and not worry about breaking the thing, it's a solid choice. For anyone else, the compromises will feel pretty steep pretty fast.

If you're looking for a laptop to watch Netflix in bed, do photo editing, or play anything more demanding than a crossword puzzle, this isn't it. Go get a Lenovo Flex 3 Chromebook or an ASUS Chromebook Plus instead. You'll get a vastly better screen, more storage, and a nicer overall experience for a similar price, without the chunky, ruggedized bulk you don't need.

The Dell Chromebook 3120 is a purpose-built machine that excels at its one job: surviving students. If you're equipping a classroom or need a laptop for a kid who treats their gear like a crash test dummy, this is a top contender. The rugged design and decent performance for basic tasks are a winning combo. But if you're a student who wants to watch movies, play Android games, or do anything creative, the terrible screen and cramped storage will drive you nuts. For a personal device, spend your money on a standard Chromebook with a better display. You'll be much happier.