Dell Chromebox Review

If you’ve been looking at the inexpensive Chromeboxes, but want something with a little more power, then the Dell Chromebox ($361.98 as tested) might be the desktop you want. This Chrome OS system offers an Intel Core i3 CPU, but the price premium over other Chromeboxes, like the Acer Chromebox CXI-4GKM and the Asus Chromebox M004U($69.99 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), our Editors’ Choice Chrome destkop, gives us pause.

Design and Features
The Chromebox measures a compact 1.75 by 5 by 5 inches (HWD), and is made of matte-black polycarbonate. It’s almost identical in size and appearance to the Asus M004U, though the Asus desktop has its power switch on the side instead of on the top like the Chromebox. The Asus and Dell Chromeboxes sit on a desk horizontally, while competitors like the Acer Chromebox CXI-4GKM sit vertically. The Chromebox comes with a VESA mounting bracket, so you can mount it behind a large screen display. The system has a pair of USB 3.0 ports on the front, with a SD card and Kensington lock port on the left side. On the back, you’ll find a DisplayPort, an Ethernet port, an HDMI port, a headset jack, and two more USB 3.0 ports. Wireless connections include 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.

Since the Chrome OS is centered on the Chrome browser, it’s a good choice for people who almost exclusively work with Web-based apps or websites. The 4GB of memory lets you have more than a dozen tabs or Web apps open simultaneously. The included 16GB solid-state drive (SSD) would be considered very tight for a Windows PC or Mac like the Apple Mac mini (2014) or Dell Inspiron Small Desktop 3000 Series (3646)($499.00 at Amazon)(Opens in a new window), but since the system is meant to be online 24/7, you’re expected to use cloud storage like Google Drive or an external drive for storage. You can also use an SD card for additional local storage of media like videos and photos.

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4.0

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Asus Chromebox M004U

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Read Our Asus Chromebox M004U Review

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Apple Mac mini

 

 

 

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Acer Chromebox CXI-4GKM

 

 

 

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You won’t be able to use Windows programs like Office 2013 on a Chromebox, but you will be able to use the Web interface of both Google Docs and Microsoft Office 365 in Chrome online. In any case, a large selection of Web-based programs is available on Google’s Chrome Web store. Offline program use shouldn’t be a problem for a desktop like the Chromebox, but you can install programs that will run offline.

At its $329 base price, the Chromebox doesn’t come with a keyboard and mouse, but both were included with our review configuration. That’s part of the problem though, since the complete all-in-one desktop LG Chromebase( at Amazon)(Opens in a new window) only costs about $350. That means you’ll still have to budget for a monitor if you’re not planning on using an HDTV or another display you already own. The system comes with a standard one-year warranty.

Performance
The fourth-generation Intel Core i3-4030U processor with Intel HD Graphics 4400 helped the Chromebox boot up in a few seconds. The system is faster when rendering websites and displaying HD video than systems with Celeron processors, like the Acer CXI-4GKM, the Asus M004U and the Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190 (57327830), but you’re unlikely to notice unless you have a critical eye or are using the system for business purposes, like video conferencing. When we opened several tabs playing HD videos, the Chromebox could keep all the video streams running smoothly, something you won’t see on a base Celeron-powered Chromebox with only 2GB of memory.

See How We Test Desktops

Our big issue with this system is that it pushes the upper price boundary for Chromeboxes. Sure, it’s less expensive than a Core i3-equipped Windows system like the Acer Aspire AXC-605-UR11($488.19 at Staples)(Opens in a new window), but the Acer has a lot more expandability and more of the features you’d expect from a full desktop system like storage and internal card slots. When compared with its peers, like the Editors’ Choice Asus Chromebox M004U, you begin to question whether the Dell Chromebox is worth close to double the price. If you’re a business user who’s going to write off the costs, the extra performance gains totally makes sense, but for most consumers, the Asus M004U is a better buy.