Dell XPS 8940 Review : Compact. Capable. Elegant.
8.5 Total Score EXCELLENT The Dell XPS 8940 (XPS8940-7627BLK-PUS) is a highly customizable system across a wide range of configurations and price points, with a solid build, compact form factor, and elegant design. This is a Dell desktop PC at its best. PROS Small, elegant design
Solid performance
Powerful high-end build
Included DVD/Blu-Ray drive option CONS Best configuration is expensive
Included keyboard/Mouse are basic
The Dell XPS 8940 desktop PC is ultimately the PC that’s at the core of Dell’s dominance in the computer market. It matches the company’s well-earned reputation of building clean, capable, and powerful systems with an increasingly keen eye for gorgeous design, this PC is certainly one of the best business PCs Dell has ever produced.
As ever, this is a Dell XPS, so it will comfortably sit at home in an office or a campus library than an eSports fete. That said, there are some configurations created specifically for gamers, with some pretty powerful hardware – with up to an RTX 3070 and an Intel Core i9-11900K – so you can get a gaming alternative, in the same compact design, though.
The robust array of ports on both the front and back make it an excellent workstation, offering lots of options for USB peripherals, a full-sized SD card slot, and an easy-access USB Type-C port on the front, and even includes a DVD drive – for those times when you need to install software from a CD or burn data/video to a disc.
If you’re looking to replace a family computer, upgrade a home office machine, outfit your business or organization’s workstations, or simply need a powerful computer without turning your desk into a gaming carnival, then we can’t recommend the Dell XPS 8940 highly enough – it’s an absolute beast!
Dell XPS 8940 Specs
Here is the Dell XPS 8940 in this Digital Weekly review:
CPU : Intel Core i7-11700
: Intel Core i7-11700 Graphics : Intel UHD 750 graphics
: Intel UHD 750 graphics RAM : 32GB DDR4 RAM
: 32GB DDR4 RAM Storage : 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD + 1TB SATA 7200RPM HDD
: 512GB PCIe NVMe M.2 SSD + 1TB SATA 7200RPM HDD Operating System : Windows 11 Pro
: Windows 11 Pro Weight : 13.89 pounds (6.3 kilos)
: 13.89 pounds (6.3 kilos) Size: 12.13 x 6.65 x 14.45 inches
A Redesigned XPS, Inside and Out
The physical design of the Dell XPS 8940 is one of its biggest appeals. It sports a compact form factor – quite unique for a desktop – that makes it a good fit for just about any workspace setup you have.
As mentioned, the several ports on the front of the PC – including a USB Type-C and an SD card slot – make it very versatile, especially for professional creatives who need to connect many peripherals all at once. Again, the inclusion of a DVD/Blu-ray drive is handy and isn’t something you see these days, even though some business software and records are still supplied in disc format.
Moving away from the PC’s practical function, the chassis is beautiful. The Dell XPS has a charcoal black chassis, but you also have the Dell XPS 8940 Special Edition with a mineral white chassis.
In total, the Dell 8940 has three USB-A ports, one USB-C port, a 3.5mm audio jack, and an SD card slot on the front. Around the back, there are three 3.5mm audio ports, six USB-A ports, an Ethernet port, and a power port. You also get various DisplayPorts, HDMI ports, and DVI ports depending on the GPU you go for.
The monitor is sold separately, but you can get the XPS 8940 as a combo bundled with a 27-inch Dell SE2722HX FHD monitor.
Scalable Performance for Work
Given the hardware configuration in our review unit, it’s not surprising that this machine scores very high in benchmark tests, and the same is replicated in day-to-day productivity use. This is thanks to an Intel Core i7-11700 processor, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD, and Intel UHD Graphics 750, running Windows 11 Pro.
With the Intel UHD 750 graphics card, this model of the Dell XPS 8940 isn’t designed for gaming, but rather as a productivity machine for office tasks and entertainment. So, keep that in mind when purchasing.
If you need one for gaming, there are some configurations of the same base model with dedicated graphics cards, we’ve seen one with up to an RTX 3070 and an Intel Core i9-11900K, which is well versed for playing modern AAA games. Also, check out our best gaming PCs for 2022, we have a list of powerful gaming rigs.
As a productivity machine, the XPS 8940 is no slouch, coming in as powerful as these systems get. On Geekbench 5.3 benchmark, which measures a system’s overall performance, the XPS 8940 scored 8,974 points. (It’s an absolute value, higher numbers are better.)
Granted, that’s significantly less than the Aurora R12’s 11,386 points with its Intel Core i7 11700F processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti graphics card. Still, it’s remarkably more capable than straight-up productivity machines, which tend to hover in the 4,000-6,000 range.
From a qualitative standpoint, however, there’s nothing to complain about the Dell XPS 8940. It’s a machine that has the character to be used at the office at home, and pretty everywhere else, with enough raw power to run most productivity applications. It’s also worth mentioning that it is one of the few systems I’ve reviewed lately to still come with a physical media drive.
Dell XPS 8940 Review : Verdict
The Dell XPS 8940 is a neat piece of equipment: It makes you wonder why Alienware machines from the same company have to be so huge and loud. Sure, Alienware systems are mostly created for gamers and are more powerful than the XPS 8940, but the XPS 8940 packs lots of performance into a small, respectable, quiet package.
It’s not surprising that Dell XPS desktop PCs dominate the enterprise workstation market for a reason, and this configuration is one of the best models they’ve put out so far and is easily the best-looking one at that. And, for the price, the Dell XPS 8940 packs a lot of value into its entry-level configuration. We recommend it.
Last update on 2022-12-19 at 08:51 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
OUR PICK Dell XPS 8940 Desktop Computer - Intel Core i7-11700, 32GB DDR4 RAM, 512GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Intel UHD Graphics 750, 2Yr OnSite, 6 months Dell Migrate Services, Windows 11 Pro – Black $ 1,529.00 in stock 8 new from $1,529.00
1 used from $1,049.00
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Dell Inspiron 27-7790 desktop PC review
The Dell Inspiron 27-7790 desktop PC is a powerful machine with a large high-definition display, complete with pop-up camera which all make it ideal for remote teaching.
If setting up a virtual classroom from scratch at home seems daunting, try using an all-in-one PC, such as the Dell Inspiron 27-7790 desktop computer. Technophobes take note: Set up is as easy as opening the box, putting it on a desk, and plugging it in -- yet its hardware graphics give enough kick to master Zoom video lessons and more.
The system provides more than enough power to do everything from preparing lessons and grading tests to teaching over video. It offers the best of all-in-one systems with a secure pop-up webcam, integrated hardware graphics accelerator, and the ability to serve as a standalone monitor.
While the touchscreen version will cost you more, and there are higher powered machines out there, this sits at a reasonable price point while still looking modern. Features such as HDMI input and dual storage drives are also really appealing.
So is the Dell Inspiron 27-7790 your next best teaching assistant? Read on to find out everything you need to know.
(Image credit: Dell)
Dell Inspiron 27-7790: Design, build and setup
Very simple setup
Spacious screen
Touchscreen is extra
It literally took five minutes to go from a sealed box to the working system and the best part is that the system’s only cable is a power cord.
With a 27-inch display, the Inspiron 27-7790 will feel luxurious compared to a cramped notebook or tablet screen. It offers Full HD 1920x1080 resolution, and Dell’s CinemaColor software allows adjustments for movies, night use, and other situations. The Movie setting, which gives everything a warm look, works well for video teaching.
On the downside, the display of the $1,000 system is not touch-sensitive; the touch-screen version is $100 extra. We wouldn't bother paying the extra for the touch screen unless you have a good reason for it. With a screen this big you'll likely sit far enough away that touching the display with any regularity will be a stretch, and you'll also avoid smudges.
Happily, it comes with a wired mouse and keyboard that matches the look of the system and slides under the screen if desktop space is tight; some models include a wireless keyboard and mouse.
The display can tilt as much as 25 degrees away, which can cut screen glare and reflection from overhead lighting, and is ideal for aiming the webcam for a face-to-face video lesson. By contrast, the Acer Chromebase 24 all-in-one system has a way to independently adjust the camera’s angle, which is a neater solution.
You don’t need to cover the webcam with a sticky note so that it doesn’t accidentally broadcast you eating your lunch to the class because the camera stays retracted until you’re ready to teach. Once you activate it, the camera module physically pops up and is ready for a video lesson, a conference with a parent, or to record.
Below the screen is a speaker bar that can handle movie soundtracks and music but works best with the spoken word, ideal for presentations or YouTube instructional videos. The system has a single microphone on top that sounds hollow, so you might be best served by using a separate microphone or headset.
On top of tapping into 802.11ac Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 5, the Inspiron 7790 has a good assortment of ports, from four USB 3.1 and a USB-C connection to a wired network plug, a headphone jack, and an SD card reader. All are in the back, which can make it awkward to quickly plug in a headset for a video lesson. That said, the inbuilt Bluetooth means you can use a wireless headset easily.
(Image credit: Dell)
Dell Inspiron 27-7790: Features
Intel processor
Nvidia graphics
SSD and HDD
With a very thin frame, the Inspiron 7790 is no bigger than the typical 27-inch monitor and takes up 7x24 inches of desktop space. Yet, it has a full PC hidden inside that uses a 10th generation quad-core Intel Corei3, i5, or i7 processor. Rather than using a desktop processor, the Inspiron uses laptop versions. This means it can have a svelte design and not draw too much power. The downside is it's not quite as powerful as a traditional desktop PC.
The i5 system we tested included 8 GB of RAM, which can be outfitted with up to 32 GB. We'd recommend opting for a little more; for example, 16 GB would allow it to multitask more effectively and future-proof it more.
It offers the one-two storage punch of 256 GB solid-state and a 1 TB hard drive. This gives the best of both worlds: the speed of an SSD for quick boot times and big storage reservoir of a traditional spinning hard drive for storing videos, images and audio.
The device has a secret that turns the Inspiron 7790 into a solid machine for graphics-intensive tasks like basic gaming, and video teaching. In addition to the stock Intel UHD 620 graphics engine, the system offers a high-performance Nvidia GeForce MX110 graphics chip and 2 GB of high-speed video RAM inside.
The system didn’t lag when editing video lessons and it worked much better than a Surface Pro 4 for leading Zoom and Meet video lessons. It went through 45 minutes without a glitch, any dropouts, freeze-ups or audio sync problems.
The screen has one more remote classroom trick: With two HDMI ports, one can be used for sharing its screen with a projector or large display, while the other allows it to be used as an external monitor via its HDMI-in port.
Dell Inspiron 27-7790: Specs Display: 27-inches, 1920x1080, touchscreen option CPU: 10th Gen Intel Core i3, i5 or i7 RAM: 8GB to 32GB Storage: SSD and HDD Graphics: Nvidia GeForce MX110
Dell Inspiron 27-7790: Performance
Better Zoom video lessons
Fast processing
Low power consuming
Version tested: 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10210U processor (6MB Cache, up to 4.2 GHz) | 8 GB RAM | NVIDIA® GeForce® MX110 with 2 GB GDDR5| 256GB SSD | 1 TB HDD
All the great specs and features contributed to surprisingly strong system performance. The Inspiron 7790 scored 1,085 and 2,620 on Geekbench 5’s single and multi-core processor tests, and a 4,653 on its Compute series of tests that mimic how computers are used.
This is spot-on in the single-processor tests with an HP Pavilion 590 desktop with a slightly older six-core CPU. With two fewer cores and a processor designed for laptops, however, the Inspiron 7790 was second-best compared to the Pavilion 590 by a wide margin: 5,068 to 2,620.
On the other hand, the Inspiron 7790 was able to hang in with the Pavilion 590 in Geekbench’s real-world Compute testing with a 5,232 versus the Inspiron 7790’s 4,653.
When it’s running, the Inspiron 7790 uses 48.6 watts of power and 3.7 watts at idle. This makes it inexpensive to use at school or at home for remote education.
An annual power bill of about $12.50 can be expected if it’s used for eight hours per day every school day at the national average cost of 12 cents per kilowatt-hour.
Should I Buy Dell Inspiron 27-7790?
All told, the Inspiron 7790 shows that an all-in-one system can be a power-consumption miser without sacrificing the ability to lead an interruption-free online video class. Its performance was more than enough for all teaching tasks and the system doesn’t require anything more than being plugged in to become the center of a classroom or home teaching effort.
Dell G5 Gaming Desktop Review: Console Competitor
The Dell G5 Gaming Desktop is a compact, affordable entry-level rig, but its cooling solution is limited and you can only do so much upgrading.
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If you’re on a budget and can’t or don’t want to build a PC , there are plenty of options. Dell’s new entry-level gaming PC, the Dell G5 Gaming Desktop ($599.99 to start; $1,149.99 as tested), offers lots of easy-access ports and houses the rig in a compact mid-tower. What you’ll trade, however, is upgradeability for the future. So if you want to get the best gaming PC for you, this is a play for someone who wants to set it and forget it rather than tinker later.
Design
The G5’s design is a bit of a mixed bag. It lacks creativity both inside and out, but it gets some points for being a small rig that could easily fit in small spaces (I say this as someone living in a tiny apartment with a larger PC).
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The front is a series of gray criss-crossed lines (the rest of the chassis is black), with one line diagonally across the center that lights up blue when the machine is turned on. Dell’s logo is in blue at the very bottom of the front of the machine, and the G5 moniker is printed above the stripe. If that one part didn’t light up, I could easily see this design used for a business desktop.
On the right side of our review unit, there’s a plastic window to see into the PC. Inside, there’s blue LED lighting (there’s a $50 upcharge for this - see Configurations below). It definitely makes it feel a bit more like a gaming machine, though there isn’t a ton to look at. All of the PCBs are bare, and the window isn’t centered on the side panel.
I worry a bit about airflow in the PC case . There’s not much in the way of fans. Specifically, there are two fans. There’s one 80mm exhaust fan in the far back and another 80mm fan on what appears to be a stock cooler (Configurations with a Core i9 have a bigger cooler, Dell tells me). In theory, it’s pulling some air through the front, though you can’t really add another fan there because of the 3.5-inch HDD cage.
The whole thing measures 14.5 x 6.7 x 12.1 inches (367 x 169 x 308mm). While I wouldn’t call it a small form factor build, it’s still relatively small compared to your average mid-tower.
Specifications
Swipe to scroll horizontally Processor Intel Core i7-9700 Motherboard Dell proprietary 0DXJD9 (Intel H370 Chipset) Memory 16GB DDR4-2666MHz Graphics Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 (6GB GDDR5) Storage 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD Networking Qualcomm DW1810 1x1 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.2, Ethernet jack Ports Front: Microphone jack; Headphone jack; 2x USB 2.0; USB 3.0; USB 3.1 Type-C Back: Audio in; Surround line-out (Left/right); Center Line-out; 4x USB 3.1; Ethernet jack; 2x USB 2.0 Video Output HDMI; DisplayPort; DVI; Power Supply 460W Case Dell G5 Gaming Desktop Cooling 1x 80mm rear case fan; 1x 80mm CPU fan; Operating System Windows 10 Home Extras Blue LED lighting and side panel window Dimensions 14.5 x 6.7 x 12.1 inches (367 x 169 x 308mm) Price As Configured $1,279.99
Ports and Upgradeability
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
Perhaps my favorite part of the G5’s design is that it has a whole bunch of ports on the front. On the front there are separate headphone and microphone jacks, as well as a pair of USB 2.0 Type-A ports, a USB 3.1 Type-A port and a USB 3.1 Type-C port.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
The ports on the back of the motherboard are more sparse. Up top are audio in and line out ports. Lower down are four USB 3.1 Type-A ports, an Ethernet jack and two USB 2.0 Type-A ports.
(Image credit: Tom's Hardware)
You can easily remove the left-side panel by loosening two hand-screws. The front panel with the light also comes off, but you can’t remove the back panel at all.
There were two extra RAM slots on our unit, so you could go up to 64GB of RAM, but the slots are very close together. If you have RAM with coolers or RGB lights, they may touch.
Our G5 came with a 512GB PCIe-NVMe M.2 2230 SSD. If you want to switch that out, it’s simple, as the board has room for a 2280 in the same space. Some configurations come with HDDs. But since ours didn’t, there are empty hard drive cages. You can put two 2.5-inch HDDs up top and a 3.5-inch HDD in the front.
The motherboard also has x1 and x4 slots for extras, though the latter is directly under the GPU.
Beyond switching the processor (to anything that works with the H370 chipset ) or the GPU, there’s not much else you can do upgrade-wise. If you want to replace the CPU fan, for instance, you would probably have to remove the entire motherboard to install a backplate.
HP has done a better job in a slightly larger chassis with its Omen Obelisk , which uses fully standardized parts, meaning you can swap them out more easily. And while it’s a pain to get the Omen Obelisk’s back panel off, at least it’s possible.
Gaming and Graphics
The Dell G5 we reviewed came with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 graphics card. You may not play every game on its highest settings, but this graphics card will get the job done for many. I played Control on high settings, and it hovered between 40 and 50 frames per second (fps) as Jesse fought off hordes of the Hiss. The two little fans were really loud, though, in their attempt to cool the whole case.
As we don’t see too many budget pre-builts pass through our labs, we’re comparing this to an oldie, the Acer Nitro 50 . That had an Intel Core i7-8700 CPU and a GTX 1060 , so the G5 15 should show some generational improvements.
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On Hitman (1920x1080, ultra), the G5 ran at 94 fps, surpassing the Nitro (72 fps).
The G5 played the Rise of the Tomb Raider (1920 x 1080, very high) benchmark at 43 fps, beating the Nitro’s 34 fps.
And on Grand Theft Auto V (1920 x 1080, very high), the G5 ran the game at 53 fps, ahead of the Nitro 50’s 45 fps.
To stress test the G5, we ran Metro: Exodus 15 times in a loop on ultra settings. It ran at an average frame rate of 38.7 fps. The highest was a little over 39 fps on the first run, and the lowest was actually the second run at 38.6 fps. It was otherwise fairly consistent.
During the tests, the CPU ran at an average clock speed of 4.4 GHz and an average temperature of 71.2 degrees Celsius (160.2 degrees Fahrenheit). The GPU runs at an average speed of 1.7 GHz with an average temperature of 72.1 degrees Celsius (161.8 Fahrenheit).
Productivity Performance
Our G5 came with an Intel Core i7-9700, 16GB of RAM and a 512GB PCIe-NVMe SSD, which makes it a strong productivity machine alongside gaming.
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To compare like with like, we went back to Geekbench 4.0. The Dell G5 earned a score of 26,623 on the test, handily surpassing the Nitro 50 (19,179, Core i7-8700).
Our file transfer test was a study in PCIe-NVMe SSDs versus HDDs . The Dell G5 copied 4.97GB of files in 9 seconds, a speed of 565.5 MBps. The Nitro, by comparison, crawled at 611 MBps.
On our Handbrake test, in which computers transcode 4K videos to 1080p , it took the G5 7 minutes and 50 seconds to complete the task, showing some generation-over-generation speed.
Peripherals
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Dell includes a keyboard and mouse in the box, but they’re definitely not gaming-grade. There’s a plastic keyboard with flat keys and a cheap-feeling wired mouse with two mouse click buttons, a scroll wheel and nothing else. If you want a true gaming keyboard or gaming mouse , you’ll have to source one on your own.
Software and Warranty
There’s a little bit of extra software on the Dell G5. Some of it’s useful, but there’s also some bloat.
Alienware Command Center, which comes with Dell’s more premium line of machines, shows CPU and GPU usage and lets you launch games from a unified library. Dell Mobile Connect lets you control your phone and send messages from your laptop; although, the Your Phone app built into Windows 10 is starting to make that unnecessary.
But Dell has also added McAfee Personal Security, Dropbox and Netflix preinstalled. That’s on top of the usual bloat in Windows 10, like Hotspot Shield Free VPN and Candy Crush.
Dell sells the G5 Gaming Desktop with a one-year warranty included. For additional payment, you can buy up to four years of premium support.
Configurations
We reviewed an $1,149 configuration of the Dell G5 Gaming Desktop with a 9th Gen Intel Core i7-97000, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660, 16GB of RAM, a 512GB PCIe-NVMe SSD, a 460W power supply and a chassis with a clear side panel.
The G5 starts at $599.99, with an Intel Core i3-9100, GTX 1650, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB, 7,200-rpm HDD, 360W power supply and a chassis without the clear side panel.
There are lots of small upgrades available. For instance, the default wireless option is Qualcomm DW1810 with Bluetooth 4.2 (which is what was in our review unit). For $25, you can get Killer Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.0.
Additionally, the default is a 360W power supply without a clear side panel. An upgrade to a 460W adds $20, while both a 460W PSU and a windows on the right-side panel adds $50.
The options for storage, including combinations of HDDs and SSDs , are plentiful, as are options for CPUs.
You could, in theory, max the G5 out with an Intel Core i9-9900K , Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 , 64GB of RAM, a 1TB PCIe-NVME M.2 SSD , 2TB 7,200-rpm HDD, Killer Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 6, a 460W power supply and a clear side panel -- all for $2,964.99.
Bottom Line
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The Dell G5 Gaming Desktop is a compact rig that can play most games at an affordable price. It has got easily accessible ports, but a proprietary motherboard and a power supply meant for a server mean that parts beyond the RAM, CPU and GPU aren’t easily upgradeable.
This is something you buy to play PC games on out of the box, not to tinker with later. It does that job well for the price, and I have to hand it to Dell; there are a ton of configuration options.
If you are looking for something as a starting base to get into the bigger world of PC building , I suggest configuring a cheap version of the HP Omen Obelisk , which uses completely standardized parts for more easy upgrading.
But if you’re more focused on having lots of ports, this will serve you as something you can set up and play with quickly.
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