The best computer 2024: top desktop PCs for work and play
14 min read
If you’re considering a desktop upgrade, finding the best computer for your needs and budget can be a challenge. Fortunately, there are more options than ever to choose from, including everything from full workstation tower setups to mini-PCs.
For word processing and general productivity tasks you aren’t going to need anything too flashy. However, if you’re considering more demanding processes such as video editing, model rendering, and gaming then you’re going to want a PC equipped with some of the best processors and best graphics cards available.
For the latter option we can have an entire guide dedicated to the best gaming PCs you’ll want to check out next. However, those with a knack for creativity may find that an Apple desktop may be more suited thanks to the powerful M2 and M3 chips found inside the ultra-compact Mac Mini and the all-in-one iMac featured below.
Check out our quick list of the best computers we’ve tested, or scroll down to find more in-depth write-ups to find the right PC for your needs and budget.
The quick list
With so many options on the shelves, we whittled down the list to make it easier for you to choose the best PC for your needs. Whether you need a gaming computer, a mini PC for your small setup, or an all-in-one, we’ve got all the top choices right here. Be sure to click on “Read more below” to know more about your choice before you fully commit.
1. Dell XPS Desktop (2023)
Best computer overall
When it comes to performance, the XPS line remains top of its class, whether you need something for office and casual use or for creative workloads.
Read more below
Best budget computer
More than capable of tackling everyday tasks, from work to schoolwork, this affordable option is the one to get if you don’t have high demands.
Read more below
3. Apple Mac Mini M2 (2023)
Best Mac overall
Despite its compact size, it’s capable of handling demanding workloads, thanks to that M2 chip inside. That’s while keeping its price grounded.
Read more below
4. Apple iMac 24-inch (M3)
Best all-in-one
There are many all-in-one PCs on the market, but this Apple offering beats them all in performance, design, and footprint, now with the power of Apple’s new M3 chip.
Read more below
5. Lenovo Legion Tower 5i (2023)
Best gaming PC overall
A solid performer when it comes to gaming, this mid-range gaming PC can tackle some of the most demanding games on Ultra without costing a fortune.
Read more below
Best high-end gaming PC
Sporting a new sleeker and more compact chassis, one of the best gaming PCs on the market now boasts an even more impressive cooling system.
Read more below
The best computer 2024
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The best computer for most people
Buy it if:
✅ You need an extra-strength PC: While it’s not an RGB-laden gaming desktop, the Dell XPS 8960 is a secret powerhouse that can handle anything you throw at it.
✅ You like that nondescript aesthetic: With platinum and graphite finishes, this isn’t a flashy desktop – it’s a clean, reserved tower.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re economizing like the rest of us: The modern XPS desktop doesn’t have any budget configurations, so if you’re looking for a cheap PC, this isn’t the one.
❌ You don’t need all that power: If you just want to answer emails and write reports, this beast of a computer is frankly overkill.
We called the Dell XPS Desktop (8960) a “formidable gaming PC dressed as an office cog” for good reason. Though the XPS line isn’t exactly marketed by Dell as gaming hardware, it’s had a massive boost in specs in the last few years so that at its highest configurations, it’s a worthy opponent to the most kitted-out gaming and content creation PCs.
And it does that without shedding its office attire, which in our opinion is a bit of a double-edged sword. On one hand, that minimalist design allows it to fit right in, in just about any setting. On the other, it’s become bland, boring, and a bit archaic at this point.
When it comes to performance, however, there’s nothing archaic about this new generation. Of course, if you just need something for office work, the lower configurations, which are much more affordable, should serve you well.
But if you want something for gaming and content creation, the highest configurations proved to be capable of handling just about any workload, no matter how intensive. Running it through our suite of benchmarks, it managed to keep up with the more powerful RTX 4090-powered Alienware Aurora R15 at 1080p, and go neck and neck with the Lenovo Legion Tower 7i in both 1080p and 4K gaming. On top of that, it comes stays impressively cool and quiet under pressure.
Read our full Dell XPS Desktop (2023) review
The best budget PC
Buy it if:
✅ You want great value: If you’re on a strict budget, the Acer Aspire TC desktop is right up your alley with its more than affordable pricing.
✅ You want a PC with a DVD drive: As DVD-writer drives are even being phased out in PCs, the Acer Aspire TC still has a handy one built right in.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want a sleek design: Unfortunately, practicality comes at a price and in this case, it’s the lackluster design.
❌ You want a quiet machine: For those wanting a more peaceful PC, this is not the machine as its fans are quite loud.
We have yet to fully review the Acer Aspire TC. But we can already assure you that it’s guaranteed to give you the best price-to-performance ratio if you’re looking to save money on your next PC or if you only need something to browse, send out emails, do homework, and stream on.
The graphics options on this aren’t the most exciting, but overall, the available specs should see you through everyday workloads and maybe some light gaming. What’s more, there are more than enough ports on it for most people, including two HDMI ports that will let you hook up two monitors, if you so choose.
The design could indeed be better. It’s not in any way ugly, but it is a bit of a plain Jane, which shouldn’t matter if you’re more concerned about functionality rather than form. The one thing that could be a bit of a turnoff is its cooling – those fans tend to get loud when the hardware is pushed to the limit.
The best Mac desktop for most people
Buy it if:
✅ You want a compact PC: The Mac mini remains the best compact computer on the market, and configuration is no issue since every model offers the same tiny chassis.
✅ You want an affordable way to get a Mac: At $599 / £649 / AU$999, the entry-level 2023 Mac mini is the cheapest current-gen macOS device you can buy right now.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You prefer Windows: At the end of the day, macOS isn’t for everyone. If you’re a seasoned Windows (or Linux!) user, this might be too big of a change to make.
❌ You want an upgradable PC: Unlike many of the PCs on this list, the Mac mini isn’t a modular device you can crack open to swap out components further down the line.
If you didn’t think the Mac mini could get any better, then think again. The Mac mini (2023) is by far the best mini PC you can buy right now, with Apple improving the smallest Mac in every way that matters. While it’s still not upgradeable, it’s more powerful than ever, powered by the new M2 and M2 Pro chips. We performed similar tests on the Mac mini as we did on the MacBook Pro 16-inch (2023), and it performed brilliantly, seeing us through editing 8K movie files and making projects in Ableton Live 11 without a sweat.
It’s also touting a cheaper price – or, at least a price of entry, which makes it accessible to more people, especially those with smaller setups. What’s more, its body is ever so slightly thinner so you can slip easily slip it in your backpack to take to the office or while traveling. If you’re looking for a compact PC to sit unobtrusively on your desk, in a studio, or even under a TV, this is an excellent choice – even die-hard Windows users may be tempted.
Read the full Apple Mac Mini M2 (2023) review
The best all-in-one computer
Buy it if:
✅ You want the best all-in-one PC: Once again, Apple holds on to the best AIO crown thanks to a beautiful display and the impressive power of the M3 chip.
✅ You’ve got limited space: Although we still miss the larger-screened iMacs of yore, this 24-inch model is perfect for users without much desktop real estate to spare.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You need lots of processing power: There aren’t any M3 Pro or M3 Max configurations available for this iMac, and RAM is limited to 8GB too.
❌ You’re a serious gamer: While there have been great advancements in terms of the gaming capabilities of Apple’s silicon, macOS still isn’t an ideal platform for games.
Apple’s signature all-in-one computer might have skipped over the M2 chip generation, but last year’s M3 model offers an excellent straight upgrade from the 2021 M1 version. Performance is incredible for an AIO system, firmly cementing this as the best all-in-one computer on the market.
The 24-inch 4.5K display is unchanged from the M1 model and remains absolutely gorgeous, offering colors that pop and good maximum brightness plus a high-quality 1080p webcam. Despite its powerful internals, the whole system is surprisingly light and compact, making this perfect for anyone with limited desk space. The variety of colorways is a nice inclusion too, letting you customize the aesthetic of your workspace.
The only downsides here are primarily holdovers from the 2021 iteration; somewhat limited port selection and annoying design choices with the peripherals (why does the Magic Mouse charge from the bottom, Apple?!) remain an issue. 8GB of RAM and 256GB of storage in the base version is also a bit low for our liking – though these are minor complaints against an otherwise nearly perfect system.
Read the full iMac 24-inch (M3) review
The best gaming PC for most gamers
Buy it if:
✅ You want a fantastic 1080p machine: Although it’s not a powerhouse gaming rig, the Legion Tower 5i makes its components work hard to deliver solid 1080p performance.
✅You want good value: This is one of the most competitively-priced midrange gaming desktops out there right now.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You want 4K or ray tracing: 4K ray-traced gameplay is only an option here if you shell out for the $2,000+ top-end configuration.
❌ Your budget is very tight: While it’s excellent value for money, the starting configuration of the Legion Tower 5i is still more than $1,000 / £1,000 – not exactly super-cheap.
There aren’t a lot of configurations of the Lenovo Legion Tower 5i available, and not all of its configurations are available in one place. For example, in the US, you can only get our review unit at Best Buy – at least at the time of writing. However, it is worth seeking out, especially if you’re looking for something affordable as your gaming PC. This mid-range option offers great 1080p performance at an affordable price.
It proved to be a surprisingly solid performer during testing, hitting over 70fps on Ultra settings when we played Cyberpunk 2077, pretty impressive considering that’s a demanding title, and delivering great results when we ran Far Cry 6 and Gotham Knights on high settings.
Of course, being a mid-range gaming PC, it does have its limitations. Both Control and Hogwarts Legacy struggled a little on max settings. After all, our review model – which is your best bet if you don’t want to spend a lot – only had an RTX 3060.
However, if you’re willing to give up ray tracing and play some titles at medium graphical settings, then it’s a great value. That’s especially true if having attractive RGB lighting and an elegant design is a priority to you.
Read our full Lenovo Legion Tower 5i review
A premium gaming PC with impressive cooling
Buy it if:
✅ You need a well-rounded PC: Gaming, content creation, office productivity – this desktop can handle it all.
✅ You need a PC for the office: Unlike most Alienware desktops, the Aurora R16 looks pretty professional and is also a bit more compact.
Don’t buy it if:
❌ You’re on a budget: The Aurora R16 offers excellent bang for your buck, but the cheapest configuration is $1,749 (£1,349 / around AU$2,670), so it’s hardly a budget system.
There’s a good reason why we declared the new Alienware Aurora R16 an office-worth gaming PC. The first model to adopt Alienware’s new sleeker, more compact design – it’s so compact you might be able to slot it in the chassis of its predecessor if you tried – this stunner impresses with its robust gaming performance and superb ventilation.
It still has remnants of Alienware’s signature space-age look, but it now sports some more minimalist modern touches, which makes it a wonderful addition to your office setup as well. That’s especially true if you have a home office and want the same unit for both work and play.
On test, we found it an incredibly capable computer, handling high-end PC titles with ease. Cyberpunk 2077 and Dirt 5, for example, respectively ran at nearly 60 fps and over 150 fps on lower settings. Although the mid-range configurations will prove to be a little limited. Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K resolution drastically dropped frame rates down to around 16 fps.
We can, however, guarantee that no matter how hard you push it, its ventilation is going to keep up. It didn’t experience a single moment of overheating during our long gaming sessions – and that was while keeping things whisper-quiet, too.
Read our full Alienware Aurora R16 review
How to choose the best PC for you
Finding the best computer can be challenging since there are so many different types of desktop PCs. We look at all different kinds and compare them to other PCs in their class and consider everything from price to performance.
Just because something is cheap doesn’t mean it’s bad, so budget PCs need just as close an inspection as high-end systems, and in all cases we consider the performance of the PC against the expected price for a product in that class.
That means a PC less than $500/£500/AU$800 won’t be as powerful as the best gaming PC, but if it outperforms our expectations then it is a strong candidate for our list. Meanwhile, if a PC has best-in-class performance but is selling for three times what it should, we’re very unlikely to recommend it to anyone since you can pay considerably less with just a slight decrease in performance.
Frequently asked questions about PCs
Which computer configuration is best?
The best computer configuration will depend on what you’re using your PC for. You need to pay attention to the CPU, GPU, hard drive and SSDs, and RAM in your tower because each individual aspect needs to be changed for the optimal computer configuration.
If you’re using your desktop PC for everyday tasks, you won’t need a high-powered CPU or GPU and the standard SSD and RAM will do just fine. Gaming PC towers, however, will need those high-power CPUs and GPUs as well as lots of hard drive and SSD storage to account for high-resolution gaming.
Which is the best computer brand?
The best computer brand depends on what your PC’s functionality is and what you use it for. Dell and Lenovo make great everyday use computers if you like Windows operating systems, but Apple also has great desktop computers if you’re able to afford how expensive they can be.
On the other hand, if you want a PC that has gaming capabilities, you’ll want to look at brands like MSI, Corsair, or even Alienware (a gaming-focused brand owned by Dell) if you’re looking for the highest quality gaming PC.
Many computer brands have the best PCs that are top-quality and affordable, so the best computer brand for you will ultimately depend on what you want your PC to accomplish.
How we tested these computers
Here at TechRadar, we believe in rigorously testing every piece of hardware that passes through our hands. If it fails to impress during testing, we’ll always let you know; we won’t recommend you buy any product that falls short of the performance median for its price range.
Our testing process varies from product to product, but we’re always sure to run the most appropriate tests considering the target purpose of whatever we’re reviewing. This means we’re always sure to run plenty of gaming tests on a gaming laptop, or editing benchmarks for a desktop workstation PC. We also always examine the build quality of a product to see whether it aligns with the attached price tag.
If you want to know more about how we test and rate the computers in this guide, check out our explainer on how we test laptops and desktops to learn more.
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