Pros & Cons
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- Wireless peripherals included
- Excellent webcam clarity
- Useful port variety and Wi-Fi 6E support
- Modern aesthetic
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- Underpowered CPU in test model limits performance
- Disappointing speakers
- Screen could be a bit sharper
- Stand design limits placement
Dell 24 AIO (EC24250) Specs
| All-in-One Screen Native Resolution | 1920 by 1080 |
| All-in-One Screen Size | 23.8 |
| All-in-One Screen Type | IPS touch screen |
| Boot Drive Capacity (as Tested) | 512 |
| Boot Drive Type | SSD |
| Desktop Class | All-in-one |
| Graphics Card | Intel Graphics |
| Operating System | Windows 11 Home |
| Processor | Intel Core 5-120U |
| RAM (as Tested) | 16 |
All-in-one desktops remain a living room staple, packing PC hardware into a footprint no larger than the display itself. Dell’s 24 All-in-One (starts at $649.99; $1,008.99 as tested) hits the mark in several areas, including visual quality, port selection, webcam fidelity, and bundled wireless peripherals. The desktop is capable of day-to-day tasks and streaming, but its laptop-grade internals curb performance for anything beyond that, and its underperforming speakers sap media appeal. Dell's sub-$1,000 configurations of this AIO PC are a decent value, and our test model has dropped to as low as $799.99 during the review period. Still, Apple’s iMac entices with superior visuals and processing power, if you're willing to spend a bit north of $1,000 for one of Apple's base models. Regardless, for budget-conscious families, Dell’s AIO is a respectable contender.
Configurations: A Core Conundrum
Dell’s latest AIO is a rebranded Inspiron 24 AIO (5430), part of the company’s marketing revamp that eliminated Inspiron as a brand. Little has changed beyond that, especially on the silicon front. It still relies on older internals, none of which support Microsoft's on-device Copilot+ features.
The $649.99 EC24250 base model includes an Intel Core i5-1334U processor, 16GB of memory, and a 512GB solid-state drive. However, it lacks a touch screen, which is only available with a newer-generation Core 5 or a Core 7. Our review model features the same RAM and SSD capacities but upgrades to the Intel Core 5-120U processor.
The 120U is an unusual chip, released in early 2024 and outfitted with a mere two Performance cores, plus eight Efficient cores; it would seem better-suited, on paper, to a thin ultraportable. The Performance cores feature a base clock of 1.4GHz and a maximum boost clock of 5GHz. Notably, the 120U is not one of Intel's Core Ultra chips, outfitted with a neural processor, or NPU; the similar-sounding first-generation Core Ultra mobile processors, dubbed "Meteor Lake," have a modest one. The 120U, despite using Intel's newest numbering scheme, without the "Core i," is still one of its earlier-generation "Raptor Lake" laptop-class processors.
Dell's top-level Core 7 model of this AIO can also come with an entry-level Nvidia GeForce MX570A discrete GPU, though don’t mistake this for a gaming desktop. Also, Full HD (1,920 by 1,080 pixels) is the only screen resolution available, which is also true of Dell's 27-inch version of this all-in-one.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)While Dell’s pricing is competitive with the Intel-based Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 24 (see our review of the 27-inch model), Lenovo sold a touch-enabled AMD version for only $630 at publishing time, which ought to give value-conscious buyers a second thought.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Design and Screen: Modern Aesthetics, Limited Placement
Dell’s all-white design strikes a clean, modern look, complemented by slim display bezels, a sleek speaker bar, and a pop-up webcam for added privacy. The triangular "isosceles" stand (as Dell calls it) provides solid desk stability, but its wide footprint limits it to desks rather than kitchen-counter corners. Without VESA mount compatibility, the included stand is the sole mounting option, the whole unit measuring 16.3 by 20.9 by 7.9 inches (HWD) and weighing 12.9 pounds. The display supports tilt but lacks height adjustment.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Most of the hardwired connections are on the back, where you’ll find four USB 3.2 Type-A ports (two 5Gbps, two 10Gbps), a Gigabit Ethernet jack, an SD card reader, and a 3.5mm headset jack. The system also features separate HDMI 1.4b input and output ports, the former enabling this AIO to work as a display for another PC. The lone front-accessible port is a USB Type-C connection on the right edge, a convenient spot where Dell should have also placed the audio jack. The power button and monitor-mode toggle are under the same edge. Internally, Dell includes Intel Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.3 wireless.
As noted, this AIO is limited to a 1,920-by-1,080-pixel screen resolution—adequate for a 24-inch display but underwhelming on a 27-inch one, where individual pixels start to become visible. Still, the IPS display produces eye-catching visuals, thanks to vibrant colors, ample brightness, and wide viewing angles. The anti-glare coating tames reflections while the touch functionality is responsive. Up top, the pop-up webcam provides sharp, well-lit imagery and an infrared sensor for Windows Hello facial recognition.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)For an AIO aimed at entertainment, Dell’s sizable speaker bar disappoints. Widely spaced 5-watt speakers produce convincing stereo separation and clear midtone clarity, but bass performance suffers from bothersome distortion that rapidly sets in around mid-volume. Dolby Atmos equalizers help tame the muddiness, though not enough to make bass-forward music enjoyable. (Curiously, the Dolby Access app wasn’t preinstalled, requiring a manual download from the Windows Store.) Movies play back reasonably well at moderate volume, but the speaker system feels like a missed opportunity for a media-centric machine.
Dell’s included software is minimal: SupportAssist offers diagnostics and updates, while Dell Optimizer, now found on many Dell PCs, provides just basic display settings on this AIO. Dell includes an industry-standard one-year warranty.
Keyboard and Mouse: Basic But Wireless
No one buys an AIO expecting to contend with a mess of cables, and Dell prevents that by bundling wireless peripherals with the 24 AIO. Both connect via one USB wireless adapter.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)The keyboard’s low-profile, non-backlit keys feel slightly vague but deliver a soft, comfortable typing experience. Unremarkable overall, some details stand out: calculator shortcuts above the number pad, a dedicated Copilot key (to access the cloud-based features in the Copilot suite), and a Function-Lock toggle that lets you make the F1 through F12 or their underlying functions, such as volume controls, the primary action when pressed. It relies on two AAA batteries.
(Credit: Joseph Maldonado)Dell's mouse doesn't impress me as much. While its large ambidextrous shape fits comfortably in my medium-size palm, and both the buttons and the scroll wheel feel dependable, the sensor placement seems off. I find its cursor control awkward, as though the sensor should have been positioned closer to the front. (I probably would get used to this if it were my only mouse, but I've seen too many others.) The mouse's power comes from a single AA battery.
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The all-white designs align with the AIO’s aesthetic, but durability may be another story. I imagine these pale peripherals will show wear and discoloration over time, especially in households with children.
Performance Testing: Basic Competency, But Little Else
Our Dell 24 All-in-One (EC24250) test unit—equipped with a Core 5 120U CPU, Intel HD Graphics, 16GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD—will face the M4-based Apple iMac ($2,299 as tested) and the Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 27 ($849.99 as tested). While the iMac is far pricier, its base model starts closer to the Dell, at $1,299.99.
With our latest AIO review unit supply tapped out, we rounded out the comparisons with two VESA-mountable mini-PCs: the ECS Liva Z7 Plus ($499 barebones) and the Geekom A6 Mini ($499 as tested).
Performance will vary significantly in this group. The Dell and Lenovo systems feature mainstream laptop hardware, while the Geekom and ECS include faster H-class CPUs. Meanwhile, the iMac’s M4 chip should easily be the most powerful of the bunch.
Productivity and Content Creation Tests
Our primary overall benchmark, UL's PCMark 10, tests a system in productivity apps ranging from web browsing to word processing and spreadsheet work. Its Full System Drive subtest measures a PC's storage throughput.
Three more tests we use are CPU-centric or processor-intensive: Maxon's Cinebench 2024 uses that company's Cinema 4D engine to render a complex scene; Primate Labs' Geekbench 6.3 Pro simulates popular apps ranging from PDF rendering and speech recognition to machine learning; and we see how long it takes the video transcoder HandBrake 1.8 to convert a 12-minute clip from 4K to 1080p resolution.
Finally, workstation maker Puget Systems' PugetBench for Creators rates a PC's image editing prowess with a variety of automated operations in Adobe Photoshop 25.
The Dell turned in respectable numbers in PCMark 10 and held its own in the storage testing, suggesting it can easily handle everyday apps like Word and PowerPoint. However, the desktop's Core 5 120U showed its limitations in the CPU tests, delivering significantly less performance than the ECS (Core Ultra 5 125H) and Geekom (Ryzen 7 6800H) mini-PCs and only occasionally outperforming the Lenovo (Ryzen 5 7535HS). As for the iMac, it operates on a different level entirely, driving superior performance from its M4 chip for a slightly higher starting price (albeit with less storage). The Dell AIO could not complete our Photoshop test.
One benefit of the laptop-grade hardware is minimal heat. The 24 AIO’s single cooling fan exhausts left of the webcam on top of the unit, making almost no noise.
Graphics Tests
We challenge each reviewed system’s graphics with a quintet of animations or gaming simulations from UL's 3DMark test suite. Wild Life (1440p) and Wild Life Extreme (4K) use the Vulkan graphics API to measure GPU speeds.
Steel Nomad's regular (4K) and Light (1440p) subtests focus on APIs more commonly used for game development, like Metal and DirectX 12, to assess gaming geometry and particle effects. A fifth test, Solar Bay, emphasizes ray-tracing performance. (The Apple iMac is excluded from these tests.)
While the ECS and Geekom delivered notably stronger benchmark results than Dell, none of these integrated graphics systems is built for gaming. Even with the optional Nvidia dedicated GPU, the Dell still wouldn’t be a compelling fit for that purpose. Nonetheless, it has ample capability for its audience's everyday use and streaming demands.
Display Tests
As with laptops, we use a Datacolor SpyderX Elite monitor calibration sensor and software to measure the color saturation of all-in-one desktops' displays—what percentage of the sRGB, Adobe RGB, and DCI-P3 color gamuts or palettes each screen can show—and its 50% and peak brightness in nits (candelas per square meter).
Dell presents decent display quality, with nearly full sRGB coverage and respectable peak brightness, given this AIO's price. The Lenovo model delivers similar color coverage, though its brightness falls short. Those with deeper pockets may consider the iMac’s superior visuals, but if the Dell fits your budget, its screen won’t leave you second-guessing.