Computers which is the best

Read our full Lenovo ThinkStation P review. Picking the right desktop to serve your needs for the next few years can be an overwhelming decision given the large selection of models on store shelves and online.

Some are more expensive than others, but the options are there. SSDs and graphics cards are premium upgrades that will be worth it to help keep your desktop running smoothly for a long time to come. Instead, students on a budget can go with a dual-drive strategy, combining a more manageable and speedy SSD with enough capacity to store the OS and frequently used applications, while resorting to a less expensive and more expansive hard drive to house larger files.

With more apps offloading some of the heavy lifting from the processor to the GPU, a good graphics card can help speed up some office tasks and web browsing where GPU acceleration is enabled. Gamers who want the utmost performance will want an overclockable Intel Core iK found on most high-end systems, while creatives looking at juggling large media files will want something with more cores.

However, it is even less common on desktops than plain old USB-C. Black Friday and Amazon Prime Day usually bring the steepest discounts on desktop computers, but the reality is that you can score a deal on a PC almost any time during the year.

Make sure to keep our roundup of the best desktop deals handy for when you want to upgrade. Choosing between a desktop and a laptop comes down to portability and comfort.

Why we picked the Apple iMac M1 inch : Apple is more of a laptop than a desktop brand, but the iMac is an exception. When is the best time to buy a desktop? How do you know if you need a laptop or desktop? What is the best processor for a desktop computer? The Microsoft Surface Studio 2 is the best thing around for anyone who does digital art, thanks to a gorgeous touchscreen that drops down low for comfortable touch and pen use.

The better-than-4K display looks amazing, the touch screen supports both the Surface Pen and Surface Dial and the design is top-notch. The design alone would make this the best touchscreen all-in-one for drawing, but the addition of best-in-class pen support takes it up another level. The updated Surface Studio 2 gets beefier processing and graphics hardware, switches to all-solid-state drives for storage, and gets an even better version of the PixelSense display that offers enhanced brightness and contrast.

It's one of the best all-in-one computers we've seen, and our top pick for media creators and artists. Read our full Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review. This small, angular machine fits easily into just about any gaming nook, and is ideal for either desktop or living room setups. With a variety of processor, GPU and RAM options from which to choose, you'll be able to customize a machine that works for your games, and for your monitor.

Still, in terms of both physical design and raw performance, the MEG Trident X is one of the most gorgeous and functional gaming PCs on the market today. The Raspberry Pi ushered in a new era of DIY tech, and the latest model, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B, pushes that to new heights with a more powerful processor, 4K video output and an improved part selection.

If you want to do something different with your technology, the Raspberry Pi 4 Model B is the best mini PC for tinkering and experimenting. Whether you buy it alone or in a kit, the Raspberry Pi is hard to beat. Read our full Raspberry Pi 4 Model B review.

Finding the right computer is mostly about form and function: What do you want it to look like, and what do you want it to do? In our roundup of the best desktop computers, we look at a free different styles of computer, each offering unique designs and tailored to specific use cases.

Standard PC towers are often the most affordable desktop option, as well as the most basic. With simple designs and plenty of configuration options, a basic desktop tower is still the best option for cost-effective computing power.

And thanks to the flexibility of the design you can outfit these standard computers for everything from basic web browsing and media streaming to incredibly demanding uses such as gaming and animation. All-in-one desktops , as the name suggests, provide a combination of PC and monitor in the same device. These all-in-one designs give you a powerful desktop without the bulk of a tower or the tangle of cables that come with a separate monitor.

The best all-in-one computers range from budget-friendly systems to high-powered workstations, so check out our in-depth reviews of the best all-in-one computers. Gaming desktops , by and large, use the traditional tower design, but are outfitted with powerful components optimized for high performance gaming. These high octane systems are built to accommodate the latest discrete graphics cards, potent processors, large volume storage, and all of the cooling necessary for a high performance machine.

There are several options for gaming, whether it's your choice of hardware, or the stylized design that fits your taste. Mini PCs take a very different approach, leveraging the tiny components used in laptops and tablets to provide a desktop experience that fits in the palm of your hand or into a pocket. These pint-sized or smaller desktop computers can be easily stashed out of sight or incorporated into less traditional arrangements, such as into a home theater system for streaming movies.

Whether it's a small box on your desk or a stick PC in your pocket, our reviews layout the features and performance of the best mini PCs. Once you know what type of computer you want to get, it's a question of what you want to do with it.

While any of the systems on the list above can be used for web browsing and basic productivity uses like typing up documents or putting together a PowerPoint presentation, different use cases have slightly different demands. Choosing the best PC for your needs is a bit more complicated than just going for the most expensive or kitted out one you can afford.

Storage: Up to 2TB M. Reasons to avoid - Still very expensive at highest configurations. Best all-in-one PC: iMac inch, Graphics: Integrated 7-core — 8-core GPU. Screen: inch 4. Storage: up to 2TB. Reasons to avoid - Lack of ports remains - Mac mini may offer better value for some. Reasons to avoid - No high-end configurations available.

Reasons to avoid - Can get pretty pricey at the highest configurations. Best Mac: Mac mini M1, Graphics: Integrated 8-core GPU. Reasons to avoid - Can't use eGPUs. Best in features: Lenovo Yoga A Note, however, that some models in pursuit of a thinner and slimmer look may include laptop-style components such as onboard graphics on the motherboard rather than a dedicated graphics card and even a 2.

The traditional desktop computer has a large and roomy upright case which, due to its size, usually sits under the desk. While bulky, it offers unmatched versatility and the opportunity to upgrade or replace parts to extend the capabilities or life of the unit. The mini tower upright and horizontal form factor models have less room inside. Also known as small form factor SFF or Mini PCs, these sandwich-sized computers include cut-down components like an all-in-one, but with no built-in screen.

If you're looking for a general-purpose desktop computer with a big screen but compact size, an all-in-one could be just what you need. These self-contained desktop computers house all the components plus the monitor in a single unit that looks just like a desktop monitor.

The computer itself is usually built-in behind the screen. Although they lack the expandability of a traditional tower-case unit, they provide a space-saving and even stylish alternative that can be a multimedia focal point for the whole family. If you're skipping a slim all-in-one for a modular PC tower or compact models , there are some advantages:. Whichever desktop family you choose from, picking the model to meet your needs requires a little planning. Consider which of the following categories you fit into:.

A cheaper computer built to cover all basic activities such as browsing the internet, writing emails and occasionally using office productivity software. An all-rounder for web browsing, email, office programs and other general purpose software and casual games. This type is typically aimed at families, students and business people. Mid-range computers can run most software and games, but may struggle a bit with high-end programs such as video editing and high-level games that require very fast graphics processing.

The sky's the limit with both performance and cost. Most people will only require a mid-range system — and there's plenty of scope available in this category, depending on the type of processor, graphics card and storage that you choose. Don't just consider your current needs, though.

Look to buy a system that will still serve you well for the next three years or so. Check which parts can later be upgraded — for example, can key components such as processor, graphics card and hard drive be easily replaced with better ones at a later date?