I was very surprised and dismayed to find that I cannot connect them with the cable (DP, I think?) provided with the monitor.

* The online monitor User's Guide pages 5/6 state what cables ship with what monitor model.
DisplayPort Cable (for E2318H only)
HDMI Cable (for E2318HN/E2318HX/E2318HR only)
VGA Cable (for Europe, the Middle East and Africa only, except E2318HX/E2318HR)

After researching a bit about this problem, I believe I understand it to be that the Inspiron only has HDMI and VGA outputs, whereas the monitor only has DP and VGA inputs? I find this to be an incredibly horrible design flaw and/or customer relations fail, but that doesn't address my immediate needs.

* The Inspiron 3670 has the top onboard HDMI out and VGA out port. But you had the choice at the time of purchase to add the additional Nvidia GeForce GT710/GTX 1030/1050/1050Ti/1060 video card which would have had the DP out port.

So I guess my question is, are my choices here to either pay $150 for an adapter or use a VGA cable? And if I use a VGA cable, will I still be able to use the monitor's built-in speakers?

* The monitor User's Guide makes no mention of built-in speakers? Nor are there any audio in/out ports. It only mentions the add on, "Dell soundbar mounting slots". So you could use the provided VGA to VGA cable with your current setup. Then attach the add on Dell soundbar to the E2318H. Then connect its audio cable to the green audio out jack on the rear of the Inspiron 3670. Or plug powered standalone speakers into the green audio out jack on the rear of the Inspiron 3670

* Or, you could purchase locally a low profile PCIe x16 Nvidia GeForce GTX which has DP out port
* Disconnect the power cable from the Inspiron 3670
* Install the video card in the long black PCIe x16 slot
* Close the case cover
* Reconnect the power cable to the Inspiron 3670
* Connect the E2318H
Low Profile Nvidia GeForce GTX DP out port --> E2318H DP to DP cable --> E2318H DP in port

Hi Chris,

Like I said, I'm a computer novice.  I thought I'd be able to buy a computer and a monitor from Dell and not have any issues connecting them.  I freely admit I didn't pore over every page of the user manual online before buying each product.  I was also unfamiliar with the differences between HDMI, DP, DVI, etc until just recently, so even if I had seen the option to add that video card, it wouldn't have meant much to me.

I AM relieved to know that the VGA connection should do the job for me, though.  I thought I had read in the packaging that the monitor had speakers, but I have some speakers I can hook up to the Inspiron, so that's just fine. However, there was not a VGA to VGA cable provided with the monitor or the computer, as I think you had referenced.

Thanks.