Microsoft is reportedly bringing the Surface brand to all-in-one PC desktops.

According to ZDNet's Mary Jo Foley, Microsoft will hold a hardware event in late October to launch a new Surface-branded device currently going by the codename Cardinal. The device is thought to be an all-in-one PC that may come in 21-inch, 24-inch, and 27-inch screen sizes - something that Windows Central has also claimed. Cardinal could use the same Perceptive Pixel screen technology found in Surface Hub.

Although ZDNet was unsure if two or three different sizes were in the works, as well as whether the device's codename is actually its real name, the site reminded readers that Microsoft had a patent published in 2016 for an all-in-one modular PC. It's also unclear if Microsoft plans to use its October event to update its existing Surface tablets with newer processors and possibly other minor feature upgrades.

Other Surface devices, like the expected Surface Book 2 and Surface Pro 5, will most likely be unveiled in spring 2017. A Surface Phone is not expected until much later. As for the Atom-based Surface 3, it won't get an update this calendar year.And finally, ZDNet noted that Microsoft's autumn hardware event landed on 6 October last year in New York City.

So, this year's launch, which apparently has its own Project Rio codename, will likely be held in NYC again this October. It might even be held on 26 October. Keep in mind the Project Rio codename has been used by Microsoft in the past for a game-streaming service that's since been axed.