There are plenty of reasons to choose a desktop over a laptop, despite the latter’s greater popularity. What you sacrifice in portability with a desktop you gain in other areas, including greater performance and value plus a greater ability to upgrade. Desktops come in all shapes and sizes, from small-form-factor (SFF) and all-in-one PCs to full-tower, high-powered gaming rigs. At CNET, we test and review all varieties of desktop computers and have been doing so for decades. Here are the best desktop PCs you can buy right now, starting with Apple’s excellent iMac and also including our favorite gaming PCs in three budget classes.
Our Picks
What is the best desktop computer overall?
The best desktop for most people is Apple's new M4-based iMac. It integrates the display and offers everything you could want in an all-in-one. For a reasonable sum, the iMac provides a fantastic design centered on a high-resolution, 24-inch display powered by Apple's new M4 processor. Performance from Apple's latest silicon is, without a doubt, impressive on all counts. If you need more screen space than you'd get with a laptop, the 24-inch iMac gives you added room on which to work and play. Yet, with its compact design and power cable that magnetically pops into place, the iMac is easy to relocate from room to room. The computer is also available in seven fun colors with accessories to match.
If you're looking for a traditional tower desktop or a small-form-factor PC instead of an all-in-one like the iMac, then keep reading because we also have recommendations for those. We like a pair of Lenovo Legion Towers as lower-cost gaming PCs and an HP Omen system at the higher-end. HP also makes our favorite Windows-based all-in-one PC and two other Macs made the list.
Best desktop computers of 2025
Pros
- Elegant, compact design
- 16GB RAM is new minimum without price increase
- Nano-texture glass is effective in reducing glare and reflections
- Sweet-sounding six-speaker set
Cons
- Standard 256GB SSD is insufficient
- Upgrades are pricey
- Misses out on Wi-Fi 7
The iMac starts at $1,299 for a configuration that features an M4 chip with an eight-core CPU and eight-core GPU along with a 16-core Neural Engine for running Apple Intelligence, the company's suite of AI features. It also includes Apple’s Magic Keyboard and Magic Mouse, which are now USB-C. An upgraded M4 chip with two more CPU cores and two more GPU cores is available, and you can also choose to expand the memory and SSD capacity.
Why we like it
With the recent update to Apple’s M4 processor, the iMac is a more capable machine, especially with its new minimum 16GB of RAM. It also supplies an improved Center Stage webcam. And if you plan to put it in a bright and sunny room, there’s an optional nano-texture glass option that reduces glare and reflections.
Who it's best for
The 24-inch iMac is especially well-suited as a family computer or if you want something other than a laptop to easily move from room to room. It's small enough to squeeze into tighter spaces, like a kitchen nook, but big enough to spread out your work, kick back and stream a movie or do some casual gaming.
Best budget gaming desktop
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8
Pros
- Strong 1080p performance for the money
- Lovely case design and lighting
- Good base specifications
- A few user upgrade options
Cons
- Lacks dust filtration
- Some unsightly components
- Just one USB-C port
The Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 serves as a simple and economical entry point with the right blend of components, a reasonable price and a classy exterior to get gamers on their way to gaming without all the fuss.
Why we like it
At a base price of $1,149 before the many little discounts Lenovo systems usually see, the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 is already a good bargain. For the money, you get a system that is ready to handle 1080p games with relative ease.
Who it's best for
The Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 is a good starting point for anyone looking for an entry point into PC gaming. The base configuration is absolutely respectable for 1080p gaming. The Intel Core i5-14400F is no powerhouse but it carries enough weight to keep frame rates fast in games that demand more from the CPU and the RTX 4060 proved more than adequate.
Best mainstream gaming desktop
Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8
Pros
- Great 1080p and 4K performance
- Some quick and easy upgrade options
- Good looks and abundant lighting
- Quiet operation alongside sustained speeds
Cons
- Lenovo's nebulous pricing leaves some uncertainty
- Could use more USB-C ports
- Limited dust filtration
While we like all-in-ones for their convenience, they're not easy to upgrade, if they can be at all. Gamers and other power users need a traditional tower PC for its upgradability. And while building your own PC can often be the most cost-effective way to get a powerful gaming PC, it comes with its own share of hurdles.
Why we like it
Lenovo's Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 is a prebuilt system that offers a respectable array of powerful hardware packed in, wired up and cooled for only a small premium over what you'd pay if you tried to DIY.
Who it's best for
Gamers without unlimited budgets looking for an excellent machine with style and substance.
Best high-end gaming desktop
HP Omen 35L
Pros
- Classy, RGB-lit design
- Effective cooling with dust filtration on the intakes
- Strong 4K performance
Cons
- Memory and storage upgrades are overpriced
- AMD CPU is a nonsensical pairing
- Unimpressive port selection, though good quantity
The HP Omen 35L is a stylish machine with a compact chassis packing in any number of components and dousing them all in RGB lighting. HP has done smart work with the case, with effective airflow and useful filtration.
Why we like it
HP has style and performance on lock but choosing a smart configuration is key to getting a good value here. Our test configuration of that paired an AMD Ryzen 7 8700G CPU with RTX 4080 Super graphics is better suited for 4K gaming, but you have many options with the highly customizable Omen 35L to tailor it to your needs.
Who it's best for
Gamers looking for a compact system with lots of bling. HP has gone all-in with the looks of the Omen 35L. Just about every aspect that could have RGB LEDs has RGB LEDs -- it all adds up to one hell of a light show and much of it is readily customizable in HP's Omen Gaming Hub. And it's not all sizzle and no steak. In testing, it offered consistent performance and was also surprisingly quiet under heavy load.
The M4 Mac Mini plus Apple's current crop of USB-C Magic accessories makes for really nice portable computing solution. Add a portable monitor and you're set.
Pros
- Ultracompact design
- Strong performance
- Ample amount of ports
- Good starting price
- Supports up to 3 displays
Cons
- M4 Pro more than doubles base price
- Potentially awkward power button placement
- Only 256GB SSD in base model
The Mac Mini desktop is one of Apple's longest-standing product lines, dating to 2005 (in a pre-Intel version), a year before the first MacBook. Unlike Apple's MacBook Pro and Air laptops, or the iMac desktop, the Mini is designed to work behind the scenes, fitting into small spaces and pairing with your choice of display and input devices.
Why we like it
The surprising thing about the M4 Mac Mini isn't that Apple made it smaller; it's how much smaller it is than its M2-powered predecessor and how it can still have a more powerful M4 Pro chip in it and stay cool. And starting at $599, it remains the least expensive way to get a MacOS computer by a large margin.
Who it's best for
The Mini can fit in your hand and be everything from an everyday home office computer to a full-on professional content-creation machine -- and an easily portable one at that -- with support for up to three 6K-resolution displays.
Pros
- Really fast and quiet
- Compact
- Thunderbolt 5/USB4 added
- HDMI 2.1
Cons
- Can't upgrade memory
- M4 Max model has two fewer Thunderbolt connections than the M3 Ultra and the front ports aren't USB 4
The Mac Pro has long been the top dog in Apple's computer lineup but starts at a whopping $6,999. By comparison, the mainstream Mac Studio is far more affordable, starting at a reasonable $1,999.
Why we like it
The baseline Mac Studio model features Apple's M4 Max processor, 36GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The step-up $3,999 model bumps you up to an M3 Ultra chip while upping the RAM to 96GB and doubling the SSD capacity. Either model is essentially a Mac Mini on steroids and for anyone who doesn't want to shell out for a Mac Pro, it's a great pick for running creative-centric Mac apps, including animation, graphics, video-editing and audio-editing software.
Who it's best for
The Mac Studio is a powerful compact desktop that, given you spend enough money on it, can do almost anything most people likely need it to do.
Pros
- Huge, bright 4K display
- Compact, flexible design
- Strong overall performance
Cons
- 60Hz display not a good match for RTX GPU
- Fan noise is constant
- No Thunderbolt 4 or USB4
While Apple ditched its large-screen all-in-one years ago and sells only a compact, 24-inch iMac M4, HP has embraced a bigger-is-better ethos for its new line of OmniStudio X all-in-one PCs.
Why we like it
The OmniStudio X is available with a 27- or 31.5-inch display and the larger display is absolutely massive. With a 4K resolution, the picture is super sharp and bright. Despite the hulking, 31.5-inch panel, however, the OmniStudio X is fairly compact. And even with its compact and simple base, the design is sturdy and flexible.
Who it's best for
With an Intel Core Ultra CPU and mobile GeForce RTX 4050 GPU, the OmniStudio X offers performance on the level of a budget gaming laptop. It's pricey but provides plenty of value as a big-screen all-in-one for work and entertainment.
Best compact gaming PC
Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti
Pros
- Incredibly compact for a desktop
- Fast, sustainable performance
- Extra M.2 drive slot
Cons
- GPU is a slower mobile version
- Costs as much as high-end laptops
- Underwhelming storage
If you're looking for a powerful gaming system that takes up almost no space, the Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti might just be it.
Why we like it
This system packs powerful gaming laptop internals into an ultraslim tower PC form. Between its Intel HX-Series processor -- a desktop-class chip -- and its Nvidia RTX 4070 mobile GPU, it can keep up with office workloads and high frame-rate gaming. The CPU is properly fast, and the GPU does a decent job, although it slightly lags desktop RTX 4070 GPUs. Its clever, compact cooling system effectively keeps thermals in check.
Who it's best for
People short on space who want a powerful desktop.
Best desktop computer for working from home
Dell XPS 8960 Desktop
Pros
- Excellent gaming and office performance
- Tame looks
- Ample front I/O
- Quiet operation
Cons
- Proprietary motherboard limits upgrade options
- No dust filtration
- Lackluster storage speeds for the price
Dell’s XPS 8960 is an Alienware in a business suit. Its tame looks let it blend in anywhere -- home office, den, guest room -- but has optional performance upgrades that allow it to run graphics tasks and games exceptionally well.
Why we like it
The case's tight confines might seem like they'd choke its mighty components but it runs demanding workloads and even 4K gaming, all without making too much noise or running into serious thermal throttling.
Who it's best for
If you're looking for a quiet, high-powered PC without the usual gaming PC flash, this XPS is that sleeper.
Recent additions
The most recent addition to our best desktops list is Apple's latest Mac Studio. The new M4 Max model takes the place of the previous M2 Max model. Maxed out, the Mac Studio is likely the most powerful Mac you can get at the moment, at least until Apple upgrades the Mac Pro. Now it supports Thunderbolt 5 but it's mostly unchanged from the model that shipped in 2023, which was mostly unchanged from the original. It remains a well-designed compact desktop for Mac upgrades and one of the best desktops in general.
Best desktops compared
See how our favorite desktops measure up.
| CPU tested | GPU tested | RAM tested | Storage tested | Operating system | |
| Apple iMac M4 | Apple M4 10-core | Apple M4 10-core | 24GB | 1TB | MacOS Sequoia |
| Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 8 | Intel Core i5-14400F | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 | 16GB | 1TB | Windows 11 Home |
| Lenovo Legion Tower 7i Gen 8 | Intel Core i9-14900KF | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 32GB | 1TB | Windows 11 Home |
| HP Omen 35L | AMD Ryzen 7 8700G | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 64GB | 2 x 2TB SSD, 2TB SATA HDD | Windows 11 Pro |
| Apple Mac Mini M4 | Apple M4 10-core | Apple M4 10-core | 16GB | 512GB | MacOS Sequoia |
| Apple Mac Studio | Apple M4 Max 16-core | Apple M4 Max 40-core | 128GB | 1TB | MacOS Sequoia |
| HP OmniStudio X | Intel Core Ultra 7 155H | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 | 32GB | 1TB | Windows 11 Home |
| Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti | Intel Core i9-14900HX | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 | 32GB | 1TB | Windows 11 Home |
| Dell XPS 8960 | Intel Core i7-14700K | Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 Super | 32GB | 1TB | Windows 11 Home |
Other desktops we've tested
Lenovo LOQ Tower Gaming Desktop: The LOQ Tower 17IRR9 borrows a lot from the Legion Tower 5i and packs it into a cheaper package but with some sacrifices.
Alienware Aurora R16 Desktop: It offers good performance, but you should probably wait for Nvidia's next-gen GPUs.
Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 27: This budget all-in-one PC is a good budget-friendly home office option and its extra screen space is welcomed but the low-resolution panel makes it much less attractive.
Dell Inspiron 24 All-in-One 5430: It costs hundreds less than the cheapest iMac but its design and build quality are also miles away from what you get with Apple's all-in-one.
How we test desktops
The review process for desktops consists of two parts: performance testing under controlled conditions in the CNET Labs and extensive hands-on use by our reviewers. This includes evaluating a device's aesthetics, ergonomics and features with respect to price. A final review verdict is a combination of objective and subjective judgments.
We test all desktops with a core set of benchmarks, including Primate Labs Geekbench 6, Cinebench R23, PCMark 10, a variety of 3DMark benchmarks (whichever can run on the desktop), UL Procyon Photo and Video (where supported), and our own battery life test. If a desktop is intended for gaming, we'll also run benchmarks from Guardians of the Galaxy, The Rift Breaker (CPU and GPU) and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
For the hands-on, the reviewer uses it for their work during the review period, evaluating how well the design, features (such as the screen, camera and speakers) and manufacturer-supplied software operate as a cohesive whole. We also place importance on how well they work given their cost and where the manufacturer has potentially made upgrades or tradeoffs for its price.
The list of benchmarking software and comparison criteria we use changes over time as the devices we test evolve. You can find a more detailed description of our test methodology on our page on how we test computers.
Factors to consider when buying a desktop computer
Price
You can find a good PC tower from brands like Acer, Asus, Dell or HP for between $500 and $600 that will prove useful for years for general use. The specs we'd suggest for a basic Windows 11 machine:
- Intel Core i5 (13th- or 14th-gen) or AMD Ryzen 5 (7000 or 8000 series)
- Default integrated graphics (such as Intel Iris or Arc or baseline AMD Radeon)
- 16GB of RAM or more
- 512GB or larger NVMe SSD drive
- Four or more USB 3.2 or 4.0 ports with USB-C and USB-A formats (at least one or two on the front)
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth wireless
- At least one PCI-E (x16) expansion slot (for adding a video card)
Do you want to do some PC gaming, or do you spend time editing photos or videos? You'll want to level up the configuration with more RAM and better graphics options. Expect price points to be between $800 and $1,200 (or even more) if you go for a more bleeding-edge video card.
- Nvidia RTX or AMD Radeon RX graphics card (GPU)
- 16GB of RAM or more
- 450-watt (or more) power supply
Operating system
Microsoft Windows and Apple's MacOS do basically the same things but they do them differently. Unless there's an OS-specific application you need, go with the one you feel most comfortable using. Most desktops run Microsoft Windows while Apple's iMac, Mac Mini, Mac Studio and Mac Pro desktops feature Apple's MacOS. There is also the odd Chromebox offering based on Google's ChromeOS. A Chromebox is easier to use and usually cheaper than a Windows PC or Mac but can't run Windows or Mac software.
Processor
The processor, aka the CPU, is the brain of a desktop. Intel and AMD are the main CPU makers for Windows desktops. Both offer a staggering selection of processors. You can head to Intel's or AMD's sites for explanations so you get the performance you want. Intel's current lineup is its 13th generation of Core chips, with 14th-gen processors expected in early 2024. AMD's current desktop processor is its Ryzen 7000 series. Generally speaking, though, the faster the processor speed and the more cores it has, the better the performance will be.
Apple makes its own chips for Macs, which makes things slightly more straightforward. The iMac and Mac Mini feature Apple's latest M4 processor. The Mac Studio features either an M2 Max or M2 Ultra, while the Mac Pro is based on the M2 Ultra. Again, generally speaking, the more cores it has, the better the performance.
Graphics
The graphics processor (GPU) handles all the work of driving the screen and generating what gets displayed, as well as speeding up a lot of graphics-related (and increasingly, AI-related) operations. For Macs, Apple's M series processors integrate the GPU. For Windows desktops, there are two types of GPUs: integrated (iGPU) or discrete (dGPU). As the names imply, an iGPU is part of the CPU package, while a dGPU is a separate chip with dedicated memory (VRAM) that it communicates with directly, making it faster than sharing memory with the CPU.
Because the iGPU splits space, memory and power with the CPU, it's constrained by the limits of those. It allows for smaller desktops such as an all-in-one or SFF PC but doesn't perform nearly as well as a dGPU. In fact, there are some games and creative software that won't run unless they detect a dGPU or sufficient VRAM. Most productivity software, video streaming, web browsing and other nonspecialized apps will run fine on an iGPU.
For power-hungry graphics needs, like video editing, gaming and streaming, design and so on, you'll need a dGPU. Only two real companies make them: Nvidia and AMD, although Intel offers some based on the Xe-branded (or the older UHD Graphics branding) iGPU technology in its CPUs.
Memory
For memory, we highly recommend a minimum of 16GB of RAM. RAM is where the operating system stores all the data for currently running applications, and it can fill up fast. After that, it starts swapping between RAM and SSD, which is slower. Some lower-end models supply only 8GB, which, in conjunction with a slower disk, can make for a frustratingly slow Windows experience.
Tower PCs will usually have free internal slots for adding more sticks of RAM, but all-in-ones and SFF PCs may not. Even if they do, those DIMM slots could be difficult to access.
Storage
You may still find a cheaper hard drive in a budget desktop and larger hard drives in gaming PCs, but faster solid-state drives (SSDs) have all but replaced hard drives. They can make a big difference in performance. Not all SSDs are equally speedy, and cheaper desktops typically have slower drives. If your PC has only 8GB of RAM, it may end up switching to that drive and the system may slow down quickly while you're working.
Get what you can afford, but we recommend a minimum of 512GB for a desktop for most users. For storing large media or game libraries, we suggest 1TB or more. If you need to go with a smaller drive, you can usually add a second internal drive to a tower PC. For all-in-ones and SFF PCs, an external drive or cloud storage is usually the easier choice to bolster a small internal drive.
Display
An all-in-one integrates the display with the computer's components placed not in a tower or small-form-factor enclosure but behind the display or in its base. The trade-off for this space-saving, streamlined design is fewer options for upgrades. For the display, you'll want a large screen with good resolution. The sweet spots we'd suggest are:
- 24 inches at 1,920x1,080 pixels (aka 2K or 1080p)
- 27 inches at 2,560x1,440 pixels (aka 1440p)
- 32 inches at 3,840x2,160 pixels (aka 4K)
