A few years ago it seemed like it was going to be the beginning of the end of the traditional desktop computer. With cheap laptops and two-in-one tablets taking over the market, the old school PC took a backseat.
That’s mainly because of their bad reputation. In the old days you would have to resign yourself to buying a new one in a year or at most three. Thankfully, today's inexpensive systems will last at least twice that, even if you’re on a budget. The PCs on this list are all able to search the internet, stream videos, or work on Office documents and other everyday productivity tasks. You can even play games on most of them.
We also have a guide to the best Windows 10 laptops and hybrids for those on a budget.
The extra power and storage on a desktop, plus the ever-decreasing prices have seen them captivate the market once again. Buying a PC means averting dead batteries and personalising what components work for you and your needs.
With that in mind, there is also a wide range of features to choose from when shopping around for a new PC. You need to think about what sort of things you want and what you’re going to be using it for.
Below are some of the features you should consider before making a purchase.
Processing Ability
A PC's processor essentially lets you know how well it will handle the most basic of tasks. The faster your processor, the snappier the operating system will feel and the faster you'll be able to perform complex tasks. The more cores a processor has, the better it will be at performing multiple tasks at the same time without feeling the strain.
Storage Space
You’re going to want somewhere to store all your data. The ideal scenario will see you having your operating system installed on an SSD, which provide super-quick read and write speeds making your computer feel more responsive. SSDs can be pricey when it comes to capacity, however, so it's best to pair these with a secondary hard disk where you can store your media and documents.
Graphics Card
If the main reason you’re buying a PC is for gaming, then your processor speed is not the most important factor that will define its in-game performance. It's your graphics card that will handle the visuals for your games. You'll ideally want to have discrete graphics cards, foregoing the onboard graphics capabilities of their CPUs.
The Best Budget PCs To Buy
Dell Inspiron Micro
Price when reviewed: £199
It’s certainly not the most powerful, but the Dell Inspiron Micro is a fantastic mini PC thanks to its bargain price and eye-catching design. This machine has a grand total of four USB ports, DisplayPort and HDMI connectors, a gigabit Ethernet port, an SD card reader and a headset jack, making it a perfect PC for low-end work such as web browsing. Dell occasionally puts machines like this on special offer, so check the price regularly if you're not sure whether you want to splash the cash.
Acer CXI2-4GKM Chromebox
Price when reviewed: £282
It may be a few years old but Acer's CXI2-4GKM Chromebox remains one of the best budget desktops that offers powerful everyday performance. Powered by a Broadwell Intel Celeron 3205U processor, 4GB of RAM and a 16GB SSD drive, the Chromebox works almost entirely on the cloud, making the inclusion of loads of hard drive space unnecessary which means the cost stays low.
Designed with cloud-centric PC users in mind, Acer's Chrome OS runs entirely off the Chrome Web browser with a small partition for downloading files for offline use. The result is a desktop that takes up almost no room at 1.2 pounds and 6.8 x 5.5 x 2.3 inches.
If you're familiar with Google's apps, there's very little learning curve once you're connected via WiFi or Ethernet. Once you login, you're immediately placed into Google's ecosystem offering direct access to the Web, Gmail, YouTube, video chat with Google+ and cloud document creation with Google Drive. This really is a budget-friendly, easy-to-use desktop that welcomes all types of users.
Lenovo Ideacentre 300
Price when reviewed: £284
Lenovo’s Ideacentre 300 is a true budget option, which can do everything you ask without any additional flair. It includes a 6th generation Intel Core i3 3.7GHz processor, 8GB of RAM and 1TB of hard drive.
Daily computing is responsive for surfing the internet, watching movies, listening to music and more without any concern over speed. Lenovo even includes a specialised “AccuType” keyboard to provide extra comfort while using the Ideacentre 300. Admittedly, the integrated HD graphics are basic, but the included support for high-definition audio with 5.1 channel support allows the Ideacentre 300 to serve as a really nice entertainment hub.
Asus VivoMini UN45
Price when reviewed: £280
Looks really can be deceiving with this one. At first glance the VivoMini UN45 may look like one of Asus’ DVD burners, but in reality, it’s a full-fledged desktop that can be used as a companion for watching 4K movies.
Moreover, the UN45 bears an M.2 SSD regardless of which model you opt for, ranging from 32GB to 128GB. However, if you don’t mind the reduction in performance and configure your VivoMini UN45 with an Intel Celeron N3000, you’ll get the liberty of a fanless design that’s completely silent even when the CPU is under full load.
Acer Aspire TC-220
Price when reviewed: £299
Acer’s Aspire TC is just under £300 mark and - if you put any weight to these sort of things - is an Amazon bestseller. Powered by a 6th generation Intel Core i5 processor, 8GB of RAM and 2TB of hard drive space there’s more than enough power to get you through both work and play with this one. Throwing demanding tasks at the Acer won’t slow it down as multitasking on it feels as good as on computers that often cost far more.
Beyond power, there’s plenty of ports, including USB 3.0. All the ports, drives and memory are bundled up in a black chassis that offers a clean and modern look that fits in beautifully with the home office or the actual office. Topping off an already great machine, Acer adds high-definition audio with 5.1 channel support allowing movie and video playback, so you don't need to spend extra money on speakers.
