Dell Inspiron Desktop (3880): Basic, But Does the Job

The Dell Inspiron Desktop model 3880 is a modest general-purpose budget desktop that will blend into any home-office setup. You’ll find few frills—note the simple, super-compact design and the lack of USB Type-C ports—but the system does the job for everyday multitasking with its Core i5 processor and built-in Wi-Fi.

- MATTHEW BUZZI

If you like the design, it’s a safe buy, but the Acer Aspire TC-895-UA91 remains our top pick in the category for delivering USB-C support, double the storage, and similar performance at a lower price.

A SIMPLE SPACE-SAVER

If you don’t have much desk space, the Inspiron’s small footprint might be enough of a draw on its own. The tower, such as it is, measures 12.8 by 6.1 by 11.5 inches (HWD) and weighs 10.8 pounds. That’s not very tall or wide. It won’t go back far on your desk (or take up much floor space, if that’s your preference), and it’s easy to move with one arm.

The visual design is very simple but not totally devoid of stylization. It’s an all-black rectangle with a pleasant striped pattern on the front panel. The look and size befit the machine’s price and purpose as a no-fuss, plug-and-play desktop.

There’s plenty of functionality to be had, though. The front panel offers four USB Type-A ports (two USB 3.1 and two 2.0), as well as an SD card slot. There’s a slot where an optical drive could be, but our test unit didn’t have one.

The rest of the ports are located around back, including two more USB 3.1 Type-A ports and two more USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and VGA video outputs, and an Ethernet jack. By now, you’ve noticed that you get no USB Type-C ports, the only major missing link.