Hands on: Dell Latitude E6320 business-rugged laptop

PC World - The Dell Latitude E6320 isn't the prettiest ultraportable laptop, but it definitely gets the job done. It's a solid performer, and it has a lot of little features that business professionals will definitely appreciate. Spill-proof keyboard? Check. Business-rugged design? Check. Fast-charging battery? Docking station connector? Bright LED screen? Check, check, check.

Our review model, priced at $1,519 (as of October 3, 2011), came packed with a second-generation Intel Core i7-2620M processor as well as 4GB of RAM and a 320GB hard drive spinning at 7200 rpm (average, for its category). It also featured a built-in webcam and microphone, Bluetooth connectivity, and the 64-bit version of Windows 7 Professional.

In WorldBench 6 benchmark tests, the Latitude E6320 earned an excellent score of 125. That mark is high for the ultraportable laptop category (though at least one other ultraportable, the very expensive Sony VAIO SB Series, achieved a score of 144), and understandable considering the Latitude's Core i7 processor.

The Latitude E6320 didn't fare quite as well in our graphics tests -- also understandable, considering that it has no discrete graphics card. Of course, the E6320 is hardly a multimedia-oriented machine, so graphics performance isn't a high priority.

In Far Cry 2 at high quality settings and a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels, the E6320 managed only an unplayable frame rate of 12.3 frames per second. It wasn't until we ramped the quality settings down to 'low' that it produced a playable frame rate of 30.9 fps. While that is hardly impressive graphics performance, it is on a par with that of other laptops in the Latitude E6320's category. The Sony VAIO SB Series reached a frame rate of 30.3 fps at high quality settings and a resolution of 1024 x 768 pixels -- but it has a Radeon HD 6630M discrete graphics card and costs about $2,500.

The business-oriented E6320 has a sturdy case design -- after all, it is "business rugged." It sports Tri-Metal casing (instead of your typical plastic chassis), reinforced metal hinges and a spill-resistant keyboard. Unfortunately, it's also heavier than it looks: Although it's only 4.6 pounds with its six-cell battery, the average weight of the past five ultraportables we've tested is more than half a pound lighter.

Despite being a business machine, the Latitude E6320 is still somewhat svelte; the cover features a black brushed-aluminum panel and a matte-silver magnesium-alloy bumper. The aluminum panel, which tapers off at the sides, is a bit of a fingerprint magnet. The laptop isn't superslim, but it is small, measuring 1.2 in. at its thickest, and 8.8 in. wide x 13.2 in. long.