Dell Inspiron 3464 i3464-3038BLK-PUS Review

The Dell Inspiron 3464 i3464-3038BLK-PUS is a capable All-in-One Desktop that will get the job done, for less. Although it doesn’t bring anything new into the market, performance-wise, it still has its credits in order including a full HD screen, a powerful seventh-generation processor, good connectivity and nimble aesthetics that look like a standalone display.

It is reasonably priced, as configured, and its compact chassis and wireless connectivity suffice for office setups in cramped spaces, plus its anti-glare and power make it a shoo-in for the creative folks.  It’s a less powerful performer, and has less –in fact half– storage than the HP Pavilion 24-a210 AIO PC, our Editors’ Choice, and of course it doesn’t have the multimedia prowess of the 21-inch  Apple iMac. But for bargain hunters, who need an affordable AIO PC, it is the go-get system with the right features and muscle that make it an excellent PC for the home office.

Large Screen for Work

The Inspiron 3464 is housed in 23.8-inch FHD (1,920-by-1080) In-Plane Switching (IPS) non-touch display. The PC’s body plus easel stand measures 17.3 by 22.7 by 8.1 inches (HWD) by itself, which isn’t too much space occupied on your work surface. It is clad in a dark gray and black chassis, that matches most dell OptiPlex desktops and display. It looks more understated, than the flashy AIOs we’re seeing in the market, but it will blend with most office environments just fine.

The stand isn’t versatile. It takes away the luxury of pivoting the monitor from portrait to landscape, especially when you want to collaborate with a colleague at the office. All it does is let you adjust the angle and orientation of the screen. The 23.8-inch 1,920-by-1,080 non-touch panel display full HD video with great clarity, though it can’t be as vivid as what you’d get from a 4K panel. The screen is surrounded by a thick black bezel, with a silver easel stand that makes it easy on the eyes.

Good Connectivity Plus a DVD Drive

On the back of the screen, you’ll find several recessed ports: two USB 2.0 ports, an RJ-45 port, Audio Line Out, DC Power, and an HDMI-out port (for connecting to another monitor). On the left edge of the system, there are two more USB 3.0 ports, a headphone jack, and a smart card reader. It’s always exciting to have a couple of ports on the side of an AIO system, since those set on the back are sometimes difficult to reach.

On the right, there are three buttons above the Power button that function to putting the monitor to sleep and adjusting its brightness. Also on the right, almost at the back is a DVD/CD-RW, which rounds up the perfect collection of I/O ports for a business AIO, and should be fine with most business uses.

Storage, Upgrades and Operating System

In case you need to do a few upgrades, the system’s internals are easily accessible: Just press a button on the back to release the stand, and right there is a small door through which you can access components such as the hard drive and memory. Our review unit came with a 500GB 5400RPM hard drive, quite slow, and 8GB of memory (can be upgraded to 16GB).

Bundled into the package is a black wired keyboard and mouse. The full-size keyboard is comfortable and responsive to type on, and the key are well set. The mouse is rather plain, but still acceptable for office use. The Inspiron come with Windows 10 Home (64-bit) that has a few preinstalled programs. Network connectivity comes in way of dual-band 802.11ac and Bluetooth 4.2, in addition to the aforementioned Ethernet port.

Speedy Performance

The Dell Inspiron 3464 is equipped with a 2.40 GHz Intel Core i3-7100U processor, Intel Graphics HD 620, and 8GB DDR4 system memory, that help it turn solid performance. You’ll particularly be impressed by the system’s ability to handle day-to-day computing tasks ranging from launching multiple spreadsheets, keeping open a couple of browser tabs open at the same time, and copying files in the background. The seventh-generation processor allows the system handle office tasks quickly and efficiently, and can even allow you indulge in enthusiast-level multimedia projects without slowing down.

The business-centric Dell Inspiron isn’t cut for gaming, so it’s understandable when it will lag once you throw RAM-taxing games its way. That notwithstanding, you’ll possibly play basic games at medium quality settings at 1,366-by-768 resolution, anything higher will be calamitous. That simply means that you can play basic games like Minecraft or other classics like Star Wars in a small window while you’re not working.

Better PC, Good Choice, but With a Few Flaws

The Dell Inspiron 3464 i3464-3038BLK-PUS is a prime choice for businesses that primarily need simple computing power, ideally for spreadsheets, MS Office and video conferencing, and don’t want to spend so much on the same. It is one of those systems that your IT department will appreciate for its ease of access to the hard drive and memory, in addition to a clear 1080p screen and a plethora of ports for connecting various peripherals.

On the downside, it comes with a slow 500GB hard drive, while others are offering double that storage, and the lack of height adjustment is a notable flaw, though, not prohibitively so. But it makes up with a powerful processor, good connectivity and a Full HD screen, over last year’s model. Those upgrades are certainly worth mentioning, and for that reason we can recommend the system for anyone in the market for and affordable –yet powerful– business all-in-one desktop PC.