If you need an inexpensive secondary PC that will handle basic email and Web browsing tasks, the Dell Inspiron Small Desktop 3000 Series (3646) is worth a look. Priced at only $249.99 (as tested), this small-form-factor desktop is one of the most affordable systems around, and it offers Bluetooth and Wi-Fi networking capabilities. That said, it’s Celeron processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated graphics don’t offer a lot in the way of raw computing power, and the system’s diminutive chassis doesn’t offer much upgrade potential.

Design and Features
The Inspiron 3000’s 10.4-by-3.9-by-13.7- inch (HWD) chassis is ideal for locations where space is limited. The front of the matte-black chassis has a glossy-black finish,
with silver trim and side-by-side vertical panels that pop open when pressed. Behind the panel on the left are two USB 2.0 ports, headphone and microphone jacks, and an 8-in-1 card reader. The panel on the left hides a tray-loading DVD +/- RW drive.

There’s very little room for expansion with this desktop. There are no PCI slots on the motherboard, nor are there any open SATA ports for adding another hard drive. The lone memory slot is populated with a 4GB RAM module but the system will support up to 16GB of memory. At the rear of the chassis are two more USB 2.0 ports, one USB 3.0 port, one HDMI input, one VGA input, a LAN port, and three audio jacks (line-in, line-out, and microphone). Wireless networking comes by way of an 802.11 b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0 module installed on the motherboard.

The 500GB, 7,200rpm hard drive is loaded with Windows 8.1 with Bing, Cyberlink’s Media Suite software, and the usual assortment of trial-ware (MS Office 365 and McAfee LiveSafe). Other software includes Dell Backup and Recovery, Dell Digital Delivery, and Adobe Revel. The Inspiron 3000 also comes with a full-size keyboard and a two-button optical mouse and carries a one-year warranty.

Similar Products

4.0

Excellent

Gateway DX4885-UR2D

Read Our Gateway DX4885-UR2D Review

3.0

Average

Lenovo H500

Read Our Lenovo H500 Review

4.5

Outstanding

Lenovo C260 Touch

Read Our Lenovo C260 Touch Review

Performance
The Inspiron 3000’s 2.41GHz Intel Celeron J1800 processor, 4GB of RAM, and integrated Intel HD Graphics solution provide ample power for basic home computing workloads, but the system is slow when it comes to loading applications and running graphics-intensive games. Its PCMark 8 Work Conventional score of 1,549 lagged behind that of the Intel Core i5-powered Gateway DX4885-UR2D by 1,478 points and trailed the Lenovo C260 Touch, which uses an Intel Pentium J2900, by 234 points.

It managed a woefully slow 3.2 frames per second (fps) on the medium-quality Heaven gaming test and only 1.1fps on the ultra-quality test. Multimedia tasks will also take longer, as evidenced by the system’s time of 10 minutes 22 seconds on the Handbrake video encoding test and its time of 13:32 on the PhotoShop CS6 test. However, the Lenovo H500 scored 11:40 on Handbrake and 13:54 on PhotoShop CS6. The Gateway DX4885-UR2D completed both these tests in 1:30 and 3:54, respectively.

Conclusion
If you only have $250 in your spending budget and need a basic PC for lightweight computing duty, the Dell Inspiron Small Desktop 3000 Series will fit the bill. Its small chassis makes it a good fit for dorm rooms, small apartments, or any place where space is limited, and its wireless capabilities let you connect to the Internet and other peripherals without any cable clutter. This system will handle most light home tasks but you’ll have to be patient, as its performance is sluggish. Additionally, you’ll have to live with this level of performance, since it doesn’t offer much of an upgrade path. If your budget allows, our Editors’ Choice for budget desktop PCs, the Gateway DX4885-UR2D, offers much better performance, thanks to a Core i5 processor, and it has a larger hard drive and room for future expansion.