Dell's new Inspiron all-in-ones feature InfinityEdge displays, dedicated GPUs, and a focus on the cinema experience

The decline in desktop sales has slowed in recent years, and one of the reasons behind this could be the rise of Windows-powered all-in-one (AIO) PCs (to complement the iMac from Apple). AIO computers, like the newly refreshed Dell Inspiron 24 5000 and Inspiron 27 7000, offer a middle ground with larger displays and with more powerful hardware than many laptops around the same price range, while still providing better compactness (and arguably portability) than a traditional desktop PC.

Both feature InfinityEdge IPS displays with the 24-inch model being FullHD and the 27-inch model coming in at a crisp 4K UHD (touch and non-touch options for both). Dell is putting a lot of emphasis on the multimedia capabilities of these devices with CinemaStream software included, to promote streaming traffic in the same way that Killer Wireless prioritizes gaming traffic. CinemaSound and other audio processing features (Waves MaxAudio Pro) are included, with the bottom bezel of the computer housing a front-facing speaker setup in a similar fashion to a TV. The display on the larger 27-inch model is a CinemaColor model with support for HDR content.

Outside of the marketing speak, what Dell has presented are two plain-but-good-looking AIO PCs with screens that appear to be of good quality (on paper), options for quad-core and hexa-core processors, and the ability to order a model fitted with an Nvidia GTX 1050. They have also included an HDMI in port, which means that these can still be useful as an external monitor for another system in a few years time when the hardware inside is obsolete.

The Inspiron 24 5000 AIO should be available now starting at US$850, but as at the time of writing the Dell website was still only offering the Kaby Lake model without dedicated GPU. The Inspiron 27 7000 will start selling in late May from US$1000 and upwards, but the previously released Ryzen 5 1400 plus AMD RX560 or RX580 models are still available.