Before buying a desktop, you need to know the different types that are offered and understand the desktop components inside and out to get the best value for your money. Here are some things to consider when researching your new desktop and finding the right one at a reasonable price.
Desktop Users COMPARE Desktop user FEATURES Recommended User Processor Processor Speed Operating System Memory Storage Capacity Graphics Coprocessor Weight Overview HP Curved Envy AIO 34" Screen Heavy Intel® Core™ i7 up to 2.9 GHz Windows 10 Pro 16 GB 1,000 GB Radeon RX460 25.8 lbs A more expensive desktop but is a computer, personal home theatre and gaming system all in one. SYNCROREVIEW'S CHOICE Dell XPS 8930 Medium Intel® Core™ i7 up to 4.6 GHz Windows 10 Home 16 GB up to 2 TB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 22 lbs This full-size tower is less expensive and starts out powerful enough for virtual reality games and has room inside and out for expansion Best bang for your $ Dell Inspiron Gaming Desktop Heavy Intel® Core™ i5 up to 4.0 GHz Windows 10 Home 8 GB 1,000 GB NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1060 30.3 lbs Smooth HD performance, pleny of storage, speedy processor, making this an attractive bargain for gamers on a budget. Apple iMac 4K Retina 21" Light Intel® Core™ i5 up to 3.0 GHz MacOS up to 16 GB up to 1 TB Radeon Pro 555 12.5 lbs Small multi-user system with a fantastic resolution screen that's a great family computer built around MacOS. Mac Mini Light Intel® Core™ i5 up to 3.0 GHz MacOS 8 GB up to 256 GB Intel UHD graphics 630 2.9 lbs Has been around for many years and is the smallest and cheapest way to use MacOS. Best for basic home office task & media use.
Our review process:
Desktops Considered
Hours Researched
Experts & Consumers Surveyed
FAQs
What is the difference between desktops and laptops?
The basic difference between desktops and laptops is that laptops are designed for portability. Laptops can be put in a bag and be taken anywhere, while a desktop is set up on a desk, table, or counter with the intention that it stays there. One of the major differences is the screen size. Laptops will rarely exceed 17” to preserve portability but desktops can incorporate large screens up to 27” or more and can even use multiple screens. Due to its portability function, laptops are designed to be the size of a notebook and its components are smaller than the components of a desktop, which sacrifices performance. Some high-end laptops have hardware specifications that allow them to exceed the performance of some laptops. However, an average desktop has more hard drive space, faster central processing unit and better graphics performance than an average laptop with a standard hardware configuration. A desktop is generally preferred for graphics-intensive users, such as gaming.
Are laptops better than desktops?
The answer depends on a user’s preference. If you are a gamer or want an alternative media center you may want a desktop with a powerful CPU and video card, while someone who only needs MS Office for homework or business may want a laptop. People who travel a lot for work will want a laptop due to its portability, while stay-at-home workers may want a desktop.
Which is cheaper, desktops or laptops?
A desktop is typically cheaper than laptops. If you look at a laptop with all the best features and specification it will be expensive. With a desktop, you have a wider range of prices and a powerful one can still cost less than a laptop with comparable specifications. The main reason for this price difference is the portability factor of a laptop because the components need to fit in a small package that specific engineering is needed. Whenever you want to “miniaturize” technology, the cost goes up.
How often should I buy a new computer?
Many studies conclude that users should typically replace their computers every 3 to 4 years due to the daily wear and tear users put on it and the constant upgrades & features from new computers that come out each year. The replacement factor basically depends on how you, your employees, or students are using the computer, issues you are encountering and your expectations from the computer itself.
Different types of desktops:
There are essentially three distinct types of desktops out there:
- Towers. A tower will take up more space than other desktop options, which could potentially limit where you can use it in your home or office. Plus, if you don’t already have a monitor, keyboard or mouse, you’ll need to add the cost to buy them. However, with a tower you can get a lot more computer for your money with fewer performance setbacks. On top of that, towers have ample room for expansion both inside and out and you can open them up easily to do upgrades or repairs yourself.
- All-in-one. An all-in-one desktop is basically a large monitor with the actual computer built into the back or base. This style keeps your desk clutter-free and makes these desktops much easier to move from one room to another. The components are usually the same as a laptop, which means you won’t have the same performance or expansion capabilities of a tower. Since this desktop is in one piece, setup usually requires a little more than just plugging it in and connecting a mouse and keyboard. Also, if something goes wrong with the display, you can lose your entire computer.
- Minis and Sticks. Both mini computers and sticks are very compact and portable. Mini computers are typically mainstream systems made for day-to-day tasks, web surfing and media use. They come in the form of a small square box that are so small that you can hide behind a monitor or tuck into an entertainment center to use as a media server connected to a TV. Mini computers have plenty of ports to connect devices to, but internal expansion is very minimal if available at all. Stick computers take it a step further, shrinking an entire computer into a small USB thumb drive. There’s an HDMI video output on one end, allowing you to plug it into a monitor or TV. Stick computers are even less powerful than Minis, but still good for emails, social media and movies.
Guide for buying a desktop:
Here are some factors you should know or think about before buying a desktop:
- Usage: the first thing you must consider is how you will be using the desktop.
- Light users require very little effort on the desktop. You only need the desktop for surfing the web, paying bills online, email and social media. Light users also include watching movies or streaming videos.
- Medium users need to browse and edit photos or do a lot of typing for work. You may also be a student who need to do a good amount of research. If you have a full line of HD movies, you would need a slightly more powerful desktop to play the movies without any lag.
- Heavy users may include content creators or avid gamer. You will need the most high-end components in a desktop. Whether you’re running Photoshop or video editing tools or maybe even playing intense games, you will require specific set of features in a desktop to get the most out of it.
- Determine your price range: most of the newer, more powerful desktops cost well over $1,000 to $2,000 range. Going back to factor 1 above, if you are a light user, the price of the desktop will be at the lower end of the price range and heavy users will be at the higher end and medium is in between of the price range. With a desktop (as opposed to desktops), you can choose to upgrade the machine later and so you don’t have to spend a fortune immediately if you get a system that can be upgraded later. The more powerful a desktop, the more you will pay for it. For example, if you want a gaming-level machine with a ton of RAM and a powerful processor, you’ll pay more for it. Read more below in the “Understanding Desktop Components” to see what you will be getting for your money.
- Research your purchase. If you want a brand-new desktop with a warranty, you’ll want to go with a manufacturer or retail site that offer warranties. If you don’t mind used, you may want to check out Amazon, eBay or Craigslist. This way you may find what you want (even locally) and avoid shipping fee or wait time. Sites such as Amazon or eBay will give you a good price view of what a specific desktop model is going for and you can get feedback and history on previous models to help you decide if the newer model will potentially have similar problems as the old models.
Understanding Desktop Components:
- Processor: the processor is your desktop’s brain. The better and more powerful, the more it can do and do it faster. Generally, there are two companies that make the processor for desktops – Intel and AMD. Each company makes various processor series. Here are the different series you can choose, depending on what kind of user you are:
- Intel Pentium come labeled with either Gold or Silver. They are found in the very basic desktops and is good if you are in the light user category. Desktops with Intel Pentium are best for light internet browsing and maybe watching one or two Youtube videos. This type of process will not be able to keep up with anything more.
- Intel Celeron is slightly more powerful than the Intel Pentium. This processor has enough power to do multiple heavy tasks in Excel or make complex PowerPoint presentations.
- Intel Core i3 is the stepping stone into a more powerful processing unit. Core i3 processors allow better multitasking and open the gateway to 4K (Ultra High Definition) video playback.
- Intel Core i5 is the middle ground between the moderate and heavy user categories. The Core i5 processors are good for light gaming, editing photos and other average activities.
- Intel Core i7 is the most powerful desktop processors for Intel. It is ideal for the heavy avid gamers, professional photo editors and video editing.
- AMD A Series consists of A4, A6, A9, A10 and A12, increasing in power respectively. These are good for the light (A4, A6) and moderate (A9 – A12) desktop user categories.
- AMD FX Series is the flagship of AMD’s processing units and is good for the moderate user category.
- AMD Ryzen is the top of the line processors for AMD. The Ryzen 3 series offers the same level of performance as Intel Core i5 and the Ryzen 7 series matches that of the Intel i7.
Did you know? Cores are like the number of workers in a factory. The more Cores you have, the more work gets done and heavy-duty multitasking. Processors which have 4 or Quad Cores are more than enough for most day-to-day usage.
- Processor Speed: also known as the clock speed and is generally shown in GHz (Gigahertz). Higher clock speeds indicate how fast the Cores on your desktop can run. If the Core is similar to the workers in a factory, then the speed at which they complete their job are similar to the clock speed in a desktop.
Did you know? The more powerful a processor (more Cores + fast clock speed), the faster it will drain your desktop’s batteries. Think of it as your processing unit being a sports car and your battery as the fuel. The faster the car runs, the faster it will drain the tank.
- Operating System: it is the foundation of the desktop’s software and manages all the other software and hardware on the desktop including files, memory and connected devices. It enables you to run all your favorite programs and games in a visual way instead of computer codes. The most common operating systems are as follows:
- Microsoft Windows is the most common in the world. The latest is Windows 10 and has a Home edition or Pro edition. The Pro edition is more suited for businesses so a consumer, you wouldn’t lose anything by getting a Home edition.
- MacOS can be found running on desktops made by Apple such as the Macbook, Macbook Air and Macbook Pro.
- ChromeOS can be found on desktops called Chromebooks. It is Google’s dedicated operating system for Chromebooks and is generally listed as a separate device type for desktops.
Did you know? A desktop with Windows 10 will cost slightly more than a desktop without it. But it is better to buy a desktop with Windows pre-installed because the standalone license for Windows cost more than the difference in price of a desktop with and without Windows.
- Memory: also known as RAM and is the internal memory which stores all of your Apps, files, games, etc. More RAM allows more of these to be open and still allow for a seamless experience, without lagging or hanging. Generally, 8GB is ideal for the average user.
Did you know? DDR4 RAM are the latest models and saves power and improves battery life. DDR3 RAM or older are cheaper, but they may soon be extinct, and any upgrades or replacements will not be possible.
- Storage Capacity: a storage on a desktop is where the operating system is installed, followed by all saved games, movies, documents, photos or other applications and software. There are 2 kinds of storage on a desktop, Hard Disk Drive (HDD) or Solid-State Drive (SSD).
- Screen size: all-in-one desktops come in several sizes, all measured diagonally, and bigger displays make content easier to see. 21” is the most common, but there are sizes ranging from 22” – 34”. The bigger the screen, the heavier the desktop will weigh. So, if you will be moving your desktop to other room regularly, you should consider a desktop with a smaller screen.
- Display Resolution: is a number that tells you how many pixels on a display and is usually measured in width x height. Higher number of pixels delivers higher clarity and sharpness. The higher resolution also means higher cost.
Did you know? Resolution can also be referred to as HD-Ready (720p), FullHD (1080p) or 4K (2160p). You may want to consider FullHD on a display since it is the perfect balance between good visuals and battery life.
- Ports & Connectivity: Ports connect desktops to a monitor or an external display and connect pen drives, hard disks or even charging phones. Different ports serve different purposes. Here are the most common ports an average user will need.
- USB-A: is shaped like a thin rectangle and allows you to charge and transfer data at the same time. This type of port can operate at USB 3.0 speed or USB 2.0 speed. Desktops use USB ports to plug in everything such as a mouse, external hard drive or even a camera to transfer photos.
- USB-C: is the newest version of the USB port and provides faster data transfer and fast charging for your phone or other such devices. The best part is it allows you to plug in the cable any which way, so a user no longer has to fumble with how to insert the cable.
- Thunderbolt: allows any kind of accessory to be connected to the desktop through a single USB-C port. The same cable can be used to plug into a 4K monitor or something simple as an external hard drive. It makes it convenient to have one cable to connect anything to the desktop.
- HDMI: connects the desktop to a TV, projector or a second screen. This allows you to connect external display with FullHD resolution or even 4K and can be super helpful if you don’t have a smartTV and you want to watch movies on a big screen.