Desktop computers offer a great combination of performance, comfort, and convenience. You get the benefits of a large screen and you don’t need to worry about the battery running out, no matter how strenuous a workload you’re running. Moreover, you have the freedom to use the best mechanical keyboards for gaming or productivity workloads, whatever the case may be. Sure, the best laptops have their own advantages, but if you’re not worried about portability and simply want a powerful machine for home use, there’s nothing better than a desktop PC. And with more options available than ever before, there’s a great desktop computer for everyone at every budget.
Be it classic towers, compact PCs, AIOs, or mini PCs, you have no lack of variety when it comes to choosing the right computer for your use case. You can opt for a high-end gaming PC or a sleek yet powerful home workstation. You could go for an Apple computer or a Windows machine, based on your preference and workflows. Whatever the case may be, this article will help you narrow down the choice from hundreds of options to the best desktop computers in 2023.
Desktop computers offer a great combination of performance, comfort, and convenience. You get the benefits of a large screen, and you don’t need to worry about the battery running out, no matter how strenuous a workload you’re running. Moreover, you have the freedom to use the best mechanical keyboards for whatever task. Sure, the best laptops have their own advantages, but if you’re not worried about portability and simply want a powerful machine for home use, there’s nothing better than a desktop PC. And with more options available than ever before, there’s a great desktop computer for every budget.
Whether you want a classic tower, a compact PC, an all-in-one (AIO), or a mini PC, you have no lack of variety when it comes to choosing the right computer for your use case. You can opt for a high-end gaming PC or a sleek yet powerful home workstation. You could go for an Apple computer or a Windows machine, based on your preference and workflows. Whatever the case may be, this article will help you narrow down the choice from hundreds of options to the best desktop computers in 2023.
Our picks for the best desktop computers in 2023
Source: Dell
Dell XPS Desktop 8960
Best overall
For just about anything
The Dell XPS 8960 desktop computer brings the power of the latest Intel 13th-generation CPUs and Nvidia RTX 40-series GPUs to Dell’s already-stellar lineup. It might look similar to its predecessor, but it leaves it in the dust in gaming, video editing, or really anything else.
- Ultra-premium performance
- Understated office PC look
- Great design and port selection
- Expensive
- Only high-end configurations available
Dell manages to grab the top spot on our list due to its commitment to consistently producing high-end desktop PCs. The Dell XPS Desktop 8960 is a refresh of the brilliant XPS 8950 series, offering specs up to the Intel Core i9-13900K CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4090. The XPS 8960 is very clear in what it is — a no-holds-barred machine powered by the absolute best consumer-grade components currently available. It does offer the option of downgrading to the Intel i7-13700 and the RTX 4080, but let’s be real, even that configuration is no slouch.
The chassis of the XPS 8960 looks almost the same as that of the XPS 8950, but that’s not a bad thing. Similar to the previous-gen model, it’s housed in a respectable 15-inch-high and 17-inch-deep case with plenty of vents for airflow. The dual black and silver color variants are still there for you to choose from. The stealthy design will be right at home anywhere, even in an office. The no-frills look tends to work in favor of the XPS 8960 here, as it makes it a versatile computer that’s not tied to a gaming-only aesthetic with excessive RGB or an aggressive design language.
But when it comes to performance, there’s nothing understated about Dell’s flagship desktop PC. The top-tier CPU and GPU are complemented by 32GB of 4400 MHz DDR5 RAM and a 1TB NVMe SSD for smooth, no-hiccup performance, whether you’re gaming in 4K or creating and editing videos. And, of course, you get a bundled keyboard and mouse and a copy of Windows 11 Pro.
Although Dell hasn’t yet unveiled lower-tier variants with, say, the RTX 4070 or RTX 4060, the XPS 8960 still makes a lot of sense for the high-end desktop buyer. If you’re looking for a minimalist-looking gaming and productivity beast, this is one of the best gaming desktops in the market today.
Dell OptiPlex 7010 Tower Plus
Best value
Affordable non-gaming desktop
The Dell OptiPlex 7010 series is a business-focused desktop with impressive performance and incredible value. With an Intel i5-13500 processor, DDR5 RAM, and NVMe storage, you can breeze through all of your non-gaming workloads. It offers many customization options, and our chosen configuration includes a wireless keyboard and mouse.
- Impressive value
- Plenty of customization options
- Decent port selection
- Looks a bit dated
- Can get hot
Not every computer needs to excel at everything. Sometimes, all you need is a modern and competent machine that can run all your basic tasks. The Dell OptiPlex 7010 Tower Plus focuses exactly on this use case and delivers great performance thanks to the Intel i5-13500 processor and 16GB of DDR5 RAM. It’s not a gaming PC by any stretch, as there aren’t any discrete graphics, but there are a decent number of configurations that allow you to drive the cost to as low as $800.
The configuration we’ve picked here features a 512MB NVMe SSD, a wireless keyboard and mouse, and a copy of Windows 11 Pro. All the standard ports are here — USB 3.2 Type-A and Type-C, USB 2.0, DisplayPort, and Gigabit Ethernet. You even get a DVD writer that could come in handy. The chassis here is nothing remarkable; it’s a classic black tower with a catchy mesh-like design at the front. It doesn’t take up much space with its 14.5-inch height and 12-inch depth. There’s not much in terms of airflow vents, but you don’t need that, considering the absence of a discrete graphics card and a powerful but cool i5-13500 processor.
The OptiPlex Tower series is meant to be a sleek, no-frills desktop capable of easily powering your day-to-day work and even some basic editing workflows. What you’re paying for here is the quality of components and the overall value offered by Dell.
Source: Lenovo
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8
Best for gaming
High-end pre-built PC for serious gamers
The Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 offers phenomenal 4K-ready gaming performance in a design that doesn’t disappoint. There’s a lot of upgrade potential, and Lenovo has managed to provide a better value than its competitors.
- Flagship-grade gaming performance
- Upgradable design
- Impressive look for a pre-built PC
- Bloatware
- More plastic than is tolerable
For gamers who want a beefy gaming desktop with top-of-the-line specs and don’t want to settle for building a mainstream gaming PC themselves, the latest iteration of Lenovo’s Legion 7i gaming desktop can be the perfect solution. Powered by the flagship Intel i9-13900KF CPU and the Nvidia RTX 4080, this pre-built gaming desktop cuts no corners when it comes to performance. You can also choose a relatively modest configuration with the Intel i7-13700KF and the RTX 4070 Ti for under $2,000. Lenovo’s offering actually manages to provide a better value compared to competitors like the Alienware Aurora R15 or the MSI Infinite RS 13th.
The Legion 7i desktops have consistently been among the best gaming desktops in the market, thanks to an equal focus on its upgradable design as well as top-tier specs and looks. The Gen 8 series continues this trend with a solid pairing of the i9-13900KF and RTX 4080 in its topmost variant. The memory and storage departments are handled by 32GB of fast DDR5 RAM and a 1TB Gen4 SSD. The PC is further equipped with a 250W, 360mm liquid AIO cooler and additional ARGB fans for effective cooling during your gaming sessions.
For a prebuilt desktop, Lenovo has delivered a good-looking case with plenty of RGB and a tempered glass side panel. The front mesh looks the part and provides ample airflow for the internals. There’s a generous selection of USB-A 2.0, USB-A 3.2, and USB-C 3.2 ports across both Gen 1 and Gen 2 variants. All standard ports like Gigabit Ethernet and a headphone jack are present, of course. Lenovo also offers a free 3-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate along with a copy of Windows 11 Home.
You can easily upgrade the Gen 8 in the future thanks to its use of standard form factors for the motherboard and an easy-to-work-in case with impressive cable management. With a standard keyboard and mouse included in the bundle, you’re ready to fire up your games in 4K as soon as you receive the computer. If Lenovo manages to phase out the plastic used in the case and tone down the pre-installed software, the Legion 7i series can become a no-brainer for any serious gamer looking for a no-nonsense gaming desktop.
Source: HP
HP Omen 40L
Best budget gaming
For the everyday gamer
$1300 $1500 Save $200
The HP Omen 40L is one of HP’s most powerful gaming pre-built PCs, with the RTX 3060 variants providing the maximum value for money. You can choose between either Intel or AMD processors and pair them with excellent aesthetics and a compact form factor.
- Great bang-for-buck PC
- Ryzen 7000 and Intel 13th-generation CPUs
- Stylish and roomy case
- High-end configurations are overpriced
The HP Omen line of desktops is one of the best gaming pre-built PCs on the market. The Omen 40L offers an attractive combination of power and affordability to satisfy the majority of gamers. HP now offers up to the latest RTX 4000 graphics cards along with the latest-gen Intel 13th-generation and AMD Ryzen 7000 processors in a variety of configurations. But the most value to be had is with the mid-range configurations, which pair the RTX 3060 with either the i5-12400F or the Ryzen 5 7600.
The RTX 3060 is a decent mid-range graphics card to power your 1080p high-refresh and 1440p 60+ FPS gaming. The processor department is ably handled by the very capable six-core i5-12400F or Ryzen 5 7600. Based on the customization you do on HP’s website, you can even manage the i7 -13700K with 16GB of DDR5 RAM and 1TB NVMe SSD, all under $1,500. Wi-Fi 6E and Bluetooth 5.2 support is also here, along with a copy of Windows 11. These prices might not sound very “budget,” but every price segment has inflated over the years, and this is where we are now. The HP Omen 40L’s case is also among the best we’ve seen among gaming pre-builts. It looks great, has subtle RGB implementation, and is large enough to allow for future upgrades.
Overall, the HP Omen 40L desktops are easy choices for the average gamer wanting to play the latest games at decent framerates. You can comfortably make it last for a few years and easily make meaningful upgrades in the future if you need more performance.
Source: Amazon
Apple iMac (2021)
Best for Apple users
Gorgeous and powerful for every user
The Apple iMac (2021) 24-inch is currently the best all-in-one desktop for Apple users, combining the power of the M1 chip with a high-resolution 4.5K screen and the sleek and beautiful iMac design. For those willing to adopt the macOS for their daily home computing needs, the iMac 24-inch is a solid contender.
- Great performance
- Beautiful design and colors
- Fluid macOS experience
- Base model needs more memory and storage
- Can start to slow down under heavy load
Sometimes, all you need is an all-in-one solution without having to purchase a display and peripherals. In those cases, an AIO desktop is an easy recommendation, provided it delivers enough value for your money and gets the job done. Well, the Apple iMac (2021) ticks those checkboxes and more. It’s a beautiful piece of hardware that manages to pack impressive performance, a great speaker system, and an eye-watering 4.5K Retina display into an 11.5mm-thick form factor. And, of course, the included Magic Keyboard, Magic Mouse, cables, and the base of the iMac are all color-coordinated to the variant you choose. There are seven different colors to choose from if you go for the mid-range or high-end variants of the iMac (the base model only has four).
All around, the design is top-notch and speaks to the care that goes into every Apple product. The 4.5K Retina display in a 24-inch screen provides a highly crisp PPI that you’ll especially notice when reading text. The screen can easily be tilted with one hand to adjust it to your liking. It’s downright magical what Apple has been able to achieve with the iMac’s form factor and speakers, offering a better experience than most high-end laptops.
The macOS further adds to the refined and no-nonsense value proposition and is ably supported by the M1 processor for almost all daily tasks. For any “pro-grade” workloads, you’ll have to look elsewhere. The iMac 24-inch is meant to be a replacement for clunky, bad-looking, and sluggish home desktops. And in that regard, it stands peerless.
The $1,299 base model of the iMac 24-inch ships with 256MB storage and 8GB RAM by default, and choosing the next higher options for both will quickly bump the price to $1,699. For most users, though, the base model’s default configuration will work fine without complaints. The iMac will look great anywhere you keep it and work seamlessly with the rest of your Apple devices. Even if you haven’t been a macOS user, the iMac 24-inch demands to be considered if you’re in the market for an all-encompassing home desktop.
Apple Mac Mini (2023)
Best mini PC
A great value mini PC for everyone
$549 $599 Save $50
The Apple Mac Mini (2023) is one of the best avatars of the macOS desktop experience, offering incredible performance powered by Apple’s M2 chips. For everyone else, it’s the best entry point into the Mac desktop ecosystem.
- Unprecedented value for the price
- Snappy performance
- Minimal design and footprint
- Base model has paltry memory and storage
- No bundled accessories
Mini PCs have been part of the industry since forever. More recently, there has been a flood of mini PCs from a variety of manufacturers aimed at both the office and the home user. But the Apple Mac Mini has been tough to beat when it comes to combining top-tier specs, a snappy OS experience, and a classy design. And the 2023 refresh brings the power of Apple’s M2 and M2 Pro processors, which features significant uplifts in CPU, GPU, and memory performance, offering incredible bandwidth to professionals working with even 8K videos.
The design of the Mac Mini remains virtually unchanged from the previous generation. It sports the classic silver finish on an industrial, smooth, and thin box with the Apple logo on top. The base model houses the M2 processor, 8GB memory, and 256GB storage. The rest of the specs include Gigabit Ethernet, Thunderbolt 4, HDMI, USB-A, and a headphone jack — everything you need to get started with a desktop. There are no bundled accessories, however. Also, if you want to equip your Mac mini with additional RAM and storage (and you’ll have to while buying as there’s no option for future upgrades), it will cost you dearly. At that point, you might as well jump to a full-fledged iMac.
Considering only the base model, though, it’s nearly impossible to beat the value you’re getting. The non-Pro M2 processor is no slouch when it comes to day-to-day tasks or even productivity workloads. With a decent display and peripherals, you can quickly create a desktop setup with a fast and fluid OS experience. For mini PC users, the Mac Mini represents an easy choice.
HP ENVY 34 All-in-One (2022)
Best high-end AIO
Premium display and high-end performance
$1630 $2000 Save $370
The HP Envy 34 All-in-One (2022) is targeted at the premium crowd with its 5K, 34-inch WUHD display and top-tier specs. There’s a magnetic, 16MP webcam for crisp video calls, and the sleek design is meant to enhance your overall experience.
- Strong performance at every configuration
- Ultra-sharp 5K screen
- High-resolution webcam
- Last-generation CPU and GPU
- Expensive
For those who prefer Windows to macOS, there’s no lack of AIO options out there. The HP Envy 34 All-in-One is one of the most premium Windows AIOs available today, not only due to its powerful internals but also due to its extravagant display. You’re getting a 500-nit, 5K (5120×2160) resolution display with a 34-inch ultrawide screen. Not only that but the Envy 34 also includes a premium 1080p webcam with a 16MP sensor that can attach magnetically at multiple positions around the screen. Clearly, the focus here is to provide a high-end productivity machine that looks good and makes you look good on screen.
The Envy 34 is handled by Intel’s 12th-generation processors, with options to go up to the i9-12900, and the mobile versions of Nvidia’s RTX 3000 series graphics cards, going all the way up to an RTX 3080. The variant we’ve included on this list ships with the i7-12700 and the RTX 3060 mobile. This combination can cost you anywhere from $2,200 to $2,400, depending on where you buy from and if there’s a sale. For that price, I think these specs pack a decent punch to power all of your work and gaming workloads. Sure, there’s no high-end gaming going on here, but then that’s not the kind of user this machine is targeted toward.
The design and build quality here are impressive and will make your AIO feel right at home on any desk, provided you have the space. In terms of the ports, HP has equipped the Envy 34 with plenty of USB 3.0 ports, USB-C Thunderbolt 4 ports with DisplayPort 1.4, HDMI, and Ethernet ports. You also get additional USB-A and USB-C ports on the stand itself, along with an SD card slot. And you can adjust the height and tilt of the stand, as you’d expect from a high-end AIO. Plus, there’s wireless charging built-in to the base of the stand to make things easier during your day. HP’s Palette software further enhances convenience by enabling wireless sharing between your AIO and other devices. Upgradability is minimal here, limited to storage and memory only. A wireless keyboard and mouse are also included in the package.
The HP Envy 34 AIO is a premium, elegant, and highly convenient end-to-end computer aimed at creative and work-from-home professionals. It might be a tad more expensive than other AIOs and lack the power of full-fledged desktop-class graphics cards, but for the right customer, it could be the right machine.
Source: Lenovo
Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3i (27″) Intel
Best budget AIO
Sleek all-in-one on a budget
Lenovo’s 13th-generation Intel CPU upgrade to its AIO 3i series combines decent performance and a sleek, 27-inch Full HD display. For anyone looking for a budget all-in-one desktop, the AIO 3i is a great system despite the lack of a high-res display and a discrete graphics card.
- Intel’s latest 13th-generation CPU
- Large 27-inch display
- Decent port selection
- PPI is a bit low
- No discrete graphics
When you’re looking for budget desktops, you know you might have to make some compromises. And when it comes to AIOs, this can quickly become a problem. Fortunately, the Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3i makes a lot of great choices to provide a decent all-in-one offering on a budget.
You get the Intel Core i7-13620H processor under the hood, along with a 27-inch 1080p IPS display with an adjustable 5MP webcam. The design here is nothing to write home about. It’s utilitarian, doesn’t feel too cheap, and does the job. The Full HD resolution on a large, 27-inch screen isn’t the absolute best scenario, but this is a necessary compromise in favor of screen real estate. The display is also 99% sRGB rated and will appeal to creative professionals and anyone who cares about accurate color reproduction.
The PC features tilt adjustment and a helpful “Smart Cable” that manages multiple cables on the back. Port selection is decent, with dual USB 3.2 Gen 2 ports, two USB-A 2.0 ports, a headphone jack, an Ethernet port, and an HDMI port. In the memory and storage departments, you’re getting 16GB of 3200MHz RAM and a 1TB Gen4 NVMe SSD. Peripherals are standard here, with a wireless keyboard and mouse. There’s no discrete graphics card available, and the Intel UHD graphics are just enough for basic, day-to-day browsing and media consumption. There are no compromises on connectivity, thanks to Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1. A copy of Windows 11 Home is included as well.
There are many budget AIOs in the market, but the IdeaCentre AIO 3i is one of the better choices thanks to its inclusion of the latest Intel processors and a more-than-decent amount of RAM and storage. What this PC does well is work as a home computer with enough power to handle family use cases such as streaming videos, surfing the web, and basic multitasking on the large 27-inch screen.
Spoiled for choice with the best desktop PCs
Buying a pre-built desktop PC in 2023 is far easier than it used to be. You have multiple vendors offering PCs across price points, form factors, performance classes, and operating systems. If you’re currently in the market for one, you really have limitless choices. But, if I have to choose, the Dell XPS 8960 is the best desktop for the majority of users. It’s extremely powerful, can handle gaming and non-gaming workloads with ease, can be configured to your liking, and doesn’t look bad either.
Source: Dell
Dell XPS Desktop 8960
Best overall
The Dell XPS 8960 desktop computer brings the power of the latest Intel 13th Gen CPUs and the NVIDIA RTX 4000 series GPUs to Dell’s already-stellar lineup. It might look similar to its predecessor, but it leaves it in the dust in gaming, video editing, or really anything else.
For those looking for the best value-for-money product, the Dell OptiPlex 7010 Tower Plus can be a great option. It is powered by the Intel i5-13500 processor, and the rest of the specs make it ideal for home and office use. On the other hand, if you want a gaming pre-built and have the cash to splurge, the Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 is the one to go for. It’s packed with high-end, gaming-grade CPU and GPU options, along with overkill memory and generous storage.
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