Lenovo

Lenovo 100E Chromebook G2 Mtk 11.6" HD ChromeOS Laptop

4.0 (211 reviews)

MediaTek MT8173C and Chrome OS deliver a locked-down, fast-booting learning platform that survives the classroom floor for under $200.

$48.99*$161.96Save 69%
In Stock on Amazon.com
View on Amazon

*Price sourced from Amazon.com. Last updated:Jul 17, 2026.Price and availability are subject to change.

Affiliate Disclosure: Studio Supplies may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through links on this page, at no additional cost to you. This helps support our editorial team.

Notice a mistake? Let Us Know

Overview

The Lenovo 100E Chromebook Gen 2 MTK is a purpose-built K–12 computing device running a MediaTek MT8173C quad-core ARM SoC alongside 4GB of DDR4 SDRAM and 16GB of eMMC TLC storage under Chrome OS. Those specs exist in a specific context: Chrome OS's cloud-first architecture means the 16GB eMMC is not the primary storage medium — Google Drive is. The MT8173C, while not competitive with current-generation x86 Celeron chips in raw compute benchmarks, is thermally efficient enough to run fanlessly in this chassis, contributing to the unit's reliability profile. The 11.6-inch IPS display at 1366 x 768 is the functional minimum for comfortable document work and video calls, and the 500-nit brightness variant handles glare in varied classroom lighting.

This machine is engineered for managed fleet deployment in educational institutions, not individual power users. The MIL-SPEC drop and spill resistance targets the actual abuse profile of shared student hardware. Chrome OS's built-in sandboxing, automatic updates, and zero-touch enrollment support make it operationally straightforward for IT departments managing hundreds of units. For a student whose workflow is Google Classroom, Docs, Sheets, Meet, and YouTube, the 100E Gen 2 delivers a complete, reliable experience. For anyone expecting to run demanding Android apps, perform video editing, or maintain a heavy local file library, the MT8173C and 16GB storage will become the constraint within weeks.

Key Features

Works almost as hard as a teacher does

System ram type, ddr4_sdram

Operating system, Chrome OS

Memory storage capacity, 4.0

Specifications

Processor
MediaTek MT8173C (quad-core, up to 2.1 GHz)
Operating System
Chrome OS
Memory
4GB DDR4 SDRAM
Storage
16GB eMMC TLC SSD
Display
11.6-inch HD (1366 x 768)
Graphics
PowerVR GX6250
Color
Black

Pros & Cons

👍 Pros

  • Chrome OS boots in under 10 seconds from cold start and resumes from sleep nearly instantly, maintaining consistent responsiveness that ARM-based Windows laptops at this price point cannot match.
  • The 4GB DDR4 SDRAM provides enough headroom for 15–20 active browser tabs alongside a Google Meet session — the practical ceiling for most student workflows.
  • 16GB eMMC TLC storage, while modest in absolute terms, is fast enough that Chrome OS never feels storage-bottlenecked during normal use.
  • MIL-SPEC construction addresses the actual failure modes of student hardware — the reinforced chassis and spill-resistant keyboard are engineering choices that reduce total cost of ownership in K–12 deployments.
  • The 11.6-inch form factor at HD (1366 x 768) resolution hits the minimum usable pixel density for text-heavy educational content without adding weight or cost.

👎 Cons

  • The MT8173C is a 2016-era SoC — its single-core performance lags behind even entry-level Intel Celeron N-series chips, which becomes noticeable in JavaScript-heavy web apps and complex Google Sheets operations.
  • 16GB eMMC storage is a hard ceiling with no expansion slot; users who push beyond cloud-native workflows will exhaust local storage quickly, requiring careful file management.
  • The 1366 x 768 display resolution is below the 1080p floor that most current educational content and video platforms are optimized for, resulting in letterboxing or visible downscaling on some materials.
  • PowerVR GX6250 GPU support in modern Android apps is inconsistent — some applications drop frames or render incorrectly due to driver compatibility gaps with newer graphics APIs.

Frequently Asked Questions

The MT8173C is a quad-core ARM-based SoC from MediaTek running at up to 2.1 GHz, paired with a PowerVR GX6250 GPU. It handles Google Docs, Classroom, Meet, and web-based learning apps without issue, but it is not suited for video editing, heavy tab multitasking beyond 8–10 tabs, or Android apps with significant GPU demands.
For Chrome OS, yes — the operating system is lightweight and most work is cloud-native through Google Drive. The constraint appears when storing offline files, Android apps, or Linux apps locally. Students working primarily in Google Workspace will rarely feel the 16GB limit; those downloading media or large app packages will.
Chrome OS on the 100E Gen 2 supports the Google Play Store for Android apps. Performance is adequate for most educational Android apps, though GPU-intensive games and complex productivity apps will be constrained by the PowerVR GX6250's capabilities relative to current mobile SoCs.
The 100E Gen 2 is built to MIL-SPEC durability standards, including drop resistance and a reinforced chassis designed for K–12 environments. The rubber bumpers and spill-resistant keyboard directly address the most common classroom failure modes.
Lenovo's Auto Update Expiration (AUE) date for this model should be verified against Google's official AUE list before purchase, as Chrome OS devices receive automatic updates only through their published end-of-support date — a critical consideration for institutional buyers planning multi-year deployments.