Dell Inspiron I3043-1250BLK Review

What about an inexpensive All-in-One (AIO) Desktop good enough for day-to-day stuff? Well, the Dell Inspiron i3043-1250BLK is an Intel-Celeron powered AIO desktop that is just OK for basic computing needs…mark the word OK. If you’re on a budget, this entry-level desktop PC should be tucked somewhere in your shopping list.

It is one of the few sleek-looking machines we’ve seen in the market at a very affordable price. What sets it apart is the decent design and the price, but the performance is quite right for the price. If you need a powerful AIO PC for gaming and media and editing with a few more bucks to spend, then there are other more attractive desktop PC choices to meet your needs.

Design

The system has a great design similar to that of premium AIOs like the Dell Inspiron I3043-1250BLK at surprisingly affordable prices. It measures 6.05 x 16.81 x 23.64 inches (HWD) and weighs 13.4 pounds, making it heavier than the 21.5-inch Acer Aspire AZ1-621-UR15 AIO desktop. It has a 19.5-inch screen with a maximum resolution of of 1600X900 but lacks the touch screen that makes using windows 8.1 more enjoyable. This Dell has integrated Intel HD Graphics making it suitable in running lightweight games that have a reduced resolution and settings.

Connectivity on the Inspiron i3043-1250BLK is on the bare minimum with only 3 USB 2.0 ports, conspicuously missing are the faster USB 3.0 Ports. It has an HDMI output and lacks a VGA; it is therefore possible to connect the machine to an external monitor such as the HDTV. This Dell has the mic/ headphones plug in ports. It also has a 3-in-1 media card reader installed which supports SD, SDHC, SDXC, and MMC format.

When it comes to video conferencing, the built-in webcam with a 720p resolution comes in handy. The dell has Built-in high-speed wireless LAN connects to your network on the most common Wi-Fi standards. Fast Ethernet LAN port plugs into wired networks and has a 4.0 Bluetooth. Also don’t expect to get a Blu-ray player or an optical drive in such a machine, since even high-end systems we’ve reviewed are also dropping the feature.

Performance

The Inspiron i3043 is powered by Intel Celeron N2830, with two cores and base speed of 2.2 GHz. Turbo speed feature will momentarily up the speed to 2.4GHz, although the overall performance of these Celerons is below average. That being said, typical tasks like web surfing, YouTube, MS Office and even older games (namely Minecraft) is very possible with this CPU. We have seen similar specs on the pricier Dell Inspiron 3043 i3043-3750BLK and the Dell Inspiron i3043-5000BLK, although they relatively powerful processor and are touch-enabled giving users a more intuitive Windows 8.1 experience.

It’s Intel Celeron that’s usually gets picked as the processor of low-cost desktops. Rightly so, the CPU itself is cheap and offers adequate performance. It comes with 4GB DDR3L memory that is expandable to 8 GB, but we expected more on RAM; however, you will have to first remove the 4GB chip since the motherboard has only one RAM Module.

The system comes with 500 GB (5400rpm) of hard drive space, yet another disappointment by Dell at least they could have compensated for the lack of touchscreen with more storage space. For home and small office use, 500 GB is quite enough. If you need more you will have to look elsewhere like the more pricier and powerful Dell Inspiron i3048 or even the 21.5-inch Lenovo C40-05.

Summary

While it’s best suited for handling your basic day-to-day workload, the Dell Inspiron i3043-1250BLK falls short of some basic home/small office specifications such as USB 3.0 ports or even an optical drive. However for its price, the performance is quite OK for home, office and student use. However, if you need stable performance, you’ll have to look elsewhere and probably pay more for powerful AIOs like the Lenovo C460 or even the newer Core i5-powered Acer Aspire C24-865-ACi5NT AIO desktop.