Choosing one of the best home computers can make your everyday tasks quick and simple. Choosing the wrong computer for your needs could mean you end up with a model that’s either too slow or too overpowered and expensive. But with so many manufacturers and specs to choose from, it’s hard to know what to look for first. With some models, it’s possible to customize the parts and components, while a pre-built computer is ready to go straight out of the box.
While the best laptops are more portable, with a computer you generally get better performance and power, as well as a big monitor which is ideal for gaming, watching content and viewing or editing photos.
The best home computer for you will ultimately be the one that matches your budget, available space and most importantly, the tasks that you’ll be carrying out. For example, if you want to do a lot of advanced video editing or coding, you’ll want a powerful computer with a capable graphics processing unit (GPU), and the same goes for playing the latest games at high settings. If you just want a basic machine for checking emails, viewing photos of friends and family and typing up documents, there are many more affordable options.
Perhaps the biggest choice is the operating system, with Windows and Mac each having their own pros and cons – as well as loyal fans. Apple Mac machines tend to be expensive, but they hold their value and last a long time. Windows PCs, on the other hand, aren’t usually quite as good-looking, but their parts can often be swapped and upgraded for a better gaming experience.
Last but not least, you’ve got to consider the design. Would you rather have a “headless” model like the Mac Mini, which doesn’t include a monitor, or would you be better off with an all-in-one model like the iMac? Whatever the balance of your needs, we’ve listed the best home computers you can buy in 2023 below.
Best home computers
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While we've reviewed most of the home computers below, we're still in the process of reviewing some. For these models, we've provided a summary of user reviews to help you make the best decision for you and your home office.
The best home computers
We choose the Dell XPS desktop range as our best home computers for 2023 for a number of reasons. The XPS is Dell’s premium PC offering, and the build quality of the components inside each unit is very impressive. Running on the Windows 11 Pro or Home operating system, the range itself is hugely customizable depending on your needs and budget.
Starting at around $650, you get a basic desktop with a 12ᵗʰ Gen Intel Core i5-12400 processor, 8GB of memory and 256GB of storage. The most expensive and well-equipped XPS models feature a 13th Gen Intel Core i9-13900K processor, powerful NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090 24GB GDDR6X graphic card and up to 64GB RAM memory and 1TB storage. Such advanced specs are sure to suit gamers and videographers, but of course, there’s a huge range of models in between, and we like how easy it is to build your perfect home computer on the Dell website.
If you want your PC for web browsing and running more basic applications, then an i5 is fine- we’d suggest this build, which has an i5 processor, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD with a 1TB HDD, and an Nvidia 1650 GPU. This covers all bases, and you’ll usually get it for less than $1000.
If you want something more powerful, for video editing, gaming, and other more demanding tasks, this i7 model is perfect. You get an 11th-gen i7 chip, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of SSD and 1TB HDD, and an Nvidia 1660Ti graphics card for around $1400. If you’re working with 4K video, we suggest this model, with 32GB of RAM and an i9 processor.
The XPS design is fairly similar across the range – a modern, boxy tower with cooling fans on the front and sides, coming in either platinum silver or graphite colorways. There are certainly enough ports for creatives, let alone general users. On the front you’ll find a power button, optical drive (optional with some configurations), SD card slot, headphone/microphone jack, 3 USB 3.2 Gen 1 Type-A ports (one with PowerShare to charge external USB devices) and a USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with PowerShare. There are more ports at the back, for audio, display and Ethernet connections.
All the Dell XPS PCs have a great range of fast connections and come with WiFi6 built-in, so you can connect to a wireless router and get a strong signal. They’re excellent PCs.
- Read our full Dell XPS desktop review
The Apple iMac is a stunning all-in-one home computer, and the perfect choice if you want a compact yet capable desktop that runs on the Mac operating system. This iMac was a bold step for Apple upon release in 2021, coming in six vibrant colors (as well as silver) and replacing the iconic 21-inch and 27-inch Intel iMacs which hadn’t been properly updated for years.
Sitting halfway between its two predecessors in terms of screen size, this 24-inch 4.5K version is incredibly stylish, and it’ll happily slot into any desk or home office space as it’s only 11.5mm deep. Weighing under 10 pounds, it’s also quick to set up in different rooms around the house as and when you want to – unlike some of the large tower desktops in this guide. What you can’t do is rotate the screen or use any touch capabilities, but there is a 1080p FaceTime HD camera for crisp video calls.
Generally speaking, the downside of Mac machines is that you pay a lot for them, and they don’t have the same raw power as a Windows PC. On the plus side, the iMac is efficient and quiet, and the M1 chip is more than enough to plow through picture editing and multitasking. Realistically you’d need to spend a lot to upgrade an iMac to be capable of heavy video editing. It’s not really a great choice for gamers, either, as you can’t upgrade the inner components yourself.
However, as a general working computer, for design-conscious creatives, this is an exceptional machine. There are three options for 24” iMac, all with 8Gb of memory. The base model starts at $1,299 and has 256GB and two thunderbolt ports, but no USB3 ports, ethernet, or Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard. The most expensive model starts at $1,699, with 512GB storage, but this can be extended to 2TB SSD for $600.
You simply can’t beat the new iMacs for style – but they have substance, too. By default they might not be as powerful as many PCs, but they blend in to work quietly and efficiently. The main concern you might have is the lack of storage space on the iMac itself – unless you fancy a costly upgrade – but using iCloud and external hard drives will allow you to expand as you accumulate more files and apps.
- Read our full Apple iMac review
Sometimes you just don’t want to spend $1000s on a new computer. That’s where Dell’s Inspiron range comes in - you still get the quality and customer service of a Dell product, but you’re paying less for a non-premium machine that will still do an excellent job at everyday tasks. Unlike the XPS desktops that top our guide, the Inspirons are better for simple internet browsing, word processing, and smaller apps that help you organize your everyday life.
The Dell Inspiron range starts around $470, although deals are frequent, and for this you get an i3 processor, 8GB RAM, and a 1TB HDD. For low-power users, this is all you really need, and while your PC won’t load Windows super fast, or run a load of apps at once, you’ll have a cheap, solid machine for basic tasks - all backed up with a year of Dell support and a free copy of Windows 10.
If we were buying Inspiron, we think this build is incredible value. What you get here is an all-in-one PC, so no need to spend extra on a monitor or keyboard. It has an 11th-gen i5 processor, which is pretty damn quick, 8GB of RAM, and a combo storage drive with a 256GB SSD and a 1TB HDD, and a 27-inch Full HD screen. All for less than $930. That may not seem very budget, but you get all you need here for less than $1000, discounts are frequent, and your PC is actually pretty fast and versatile.
- Read our full Dell Inspiron desktop review
Alienware has long been known as a gaming brand, and the Aurora R13 is a powerful, compact machine that offers striking looks to boot.
The design won’t be to everyone’s tastes visually. Technically, however, it has rear and top vents to keep temperatures in ideal ranges. On the front, you get a headphone port, 2 USB 3.2 Gen 1 ports, plus USB 3.2 Gen 1 port and USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C ports with PowerShare technology. There are also plenty of rear ports, including a rear and side surround plus a subwoofer output.
The Alienware Aurora R13 gets a very respectable 4.4 out of 5 stars from more than 3,000 reviews on the Dell website. Users were blown away by the machine’s speed and performance, but also by how quiet it is when running intensive games. "Commit and buy the best you can, it’s worth it,” said one satisfied user, who praised its lighting design. Users who gave it a low rating were disappointed by the cheap power cable and system lockup issues.
There are several price points and spec options for the Aurora R13. The base model features 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processors, and during intensive CPU tasks, it's up to 9% quieter than its predecessor. The NVIDIA GeForce RTX graphics ensure smooth and stunning gameplay, while the hard drive capacity of a 2 TB SSD and 2 TB HDD ensures plenty of storage room.
The highest-spec model is very expensive but does offer 2TB of superfast NVMe storage, 64GB of RAM, and perhaps most importantly for anyone looking to play the latest releases, Nvidia’sGeForce RTX 30900 GPU. It’s a beast and runs Windows 11 right out of the box.
There’s an argument that you’d get more for your money by building your own computer, but the Aurora R13 will save you from doing the legwork yourself and will have you set for many years to come. If you want a good-looking and powerful home computer for gaming, this is one of the best options.
Recently upgraded to include the new Apple M1 chip, the Mac Mini starts at just $800. You’ll need to add a monitor, keyboard and mouse to that to actually be able to use it, of course, and by adding options through the build-to-order website it’s possible to spec yourself a decently powerful computer, as long as you don’t need graphics processing performance - the Mini is never going to be a games machine.
As with the iMac, the Mac Mini comes with Apple’s MacOS operating system rather than Windows, although you can install Microsoft’s OS if you want to. Choosing between the two is largely a matter of taste, with no single big feature one can do that the other can’t.
The Mac Mini is at the bottom of Apple’s range, and despite the build to order options it’s never going to be the computer you want if your interests include 3D rendering or anything that needs a GPU. With the new M1 CPU, however, it will blitz its way through photo editing and any other CPU-intensive tasks with ease. It’s the perfect home office machine, and also excels as a media center, connecting to a TV directly or storing your media on its large, fast SSD and serving it via a system such as Plex. And it’s so small, you can easily keep it in a cupboard.
- Read our full Apple Mac Mini review
We’re actually seriously impressed with how much computer you get for your money with Acer. While the support and customer care options can’t match Dell, and you’re getting older and lower quality components inside, you actually get more power for your buck than at any other home computer manufacturer. The Aspire TC series is at the heart of Acer’s value range, and we think you could do loads worse than one of these basic, but solid, desktops.
The range starts with the Intel i5 build, which comes with 8GB RAM and a 1TB HDD - more than enough for everyday use - and it starts at $479, which is a great price. If you’d rather have a super fast SSD inside your PC instead of a hard drive (and we’d recommend that, no matter what kind of user you are) then you can get the same spec but with a 512GB SSD for a few bucks more at $549. These desktops are often on sale too, so don’t be surprised if you buy it for less than $500. This is superb value for what you’re getting.
Acer has other desktop ranges, including the PS4-looking Veriton computers, but you’re paying more for the compact design here, and you’re getting less powerful PCs for your money. Stick with the Aspire sub-brand you’ll get a neat PC for less.
- Read our full Acer Aspire TC desktop review
If Windows and Mac are a little too heavy for you, then Google’s ChromeOS is doing some very interesting things in the home computing space. While the company’s Chromebook range offers portability in spades, the Chromebase is a joint venture with HP that offers an all-in-one PC.
Because it runs using ChromeOS, the apps included are Google’s own. If you’ve used an Android phone or are a keen Google Photos, Docs, or Drive user, you’ll feel right at home. There’s even the Play Store for adding additional apps to use, or playing games or streaming movies.
The HP Chromebase received an average of 4.3 out of 5 stars from customers on Amazon. Users loved that the screen can swap between portrait or landscape mode seamlessly, and found it to be a good height for reading but mentioned that it isn’t anti-glare. They also praised the sleek and minimalist design. On the downside, though, some found the lack of Windows operating system to be limiting, and struggled to find a compatible printer for the machine.
That’s also arguably the biggest downside, though – because ChromeOS is a lightweight operating system, it just can’t compete for the sheer number of programs, services, and applications available on macOS or Windows.
Still, if you can look past that, the swiveling display and built-in speaker are well worth a look. It’s got plenty of ports tucked into the base, comes with a Bluetooth mouse and keyboard combo, and has a built-in webcam for work calls and family time. There’s even Google Assistant support, so you can use it like a smart speaker, too, and ask what the weather is like or start playing a song using just your voice.
8. Corsair One i300: Best compact gaming computer
The Corsair One i300 is a serious gaming PC with a serious price tag of nearly $4,000. But is it worth the investment? For starters, it features an Intel Core i9-12900K CPU, one of the best processors on the market that will keep performance high for many years to come.
On Amazon, the Corsair One i300 gets a score of 3.8 out of 5. Many reviewers were attracted to the machine because of its compact size and were very pleased by the smaller footprint when it actually arrived, being able to keep it on their desks. They also praised the quiet operation, even during intensive games. Major complaints came from users who were unhappy with the cooling capabilities, adding that they had to manually adjust the fans every time they played a game.
Graphics are powered by the 10GB Nvidia Ge Force Rtx 3080 processor, and this allows you to experience the most cutting-edge gaming experiences and AI features around. Something that will also please gamers and developers is the 2TB hard disk, which is one of the highest in our guide.
Design-wise, this home computer has a surprisingly small form factor of 12 liters, which is somewhere between a gaming console and a tower PC. That means it can sit on the desk next to your monitor(s), rather than having to be stored underneath. You’ll likely want it on show too, thanks to the sleek green lighting that features on either side of the black front panel.
Up front you’ll also find a 3.5mm audio jack, two USB 3 ports and a USB Type-C port, which is fewer ports than some but more than enough altogether given the plethora of connections on the rear panel. There, it’s possible to connect up to four 4K HDR displays, ideal for professional video editing, gaming and even VR development applications.
If you need the very best compact gaming home computer that money can buy, the Corsair One i300 is a pretty good bet.
9. Microsoft Surface Studio 2 - Best Windows all in one computer
The Microsoft Surface Studio 2 is a few years old now, but it still has one of the best displays on the market. The 28-inch 4,500 x 3,000-pixel screen is perfect if you’re a creative regularly doing digital design work. It’s one of the only desktop home computers that can rival Apple’s all-conquering iMac, so if you prefer Windows to Mac, this is the best option out there for you.
The machine itself looks stunning too - with a double hinge that lets you adjust the screen between upright and shallow angles depending on what you’re doing. There’s also a magnetic stylus for drawing and writing, with accurate and responsive functionality. It attaches to bands on either edge of the display after use, so it won't get lost.
On the outside, the Studio’s base section has four USB 3.0 connectors, a USB-C socket, an SD card reader, a headphone jack and a wired internet connector, but no thunderbolt connection. Inside, the key component is an Intel Core i7-7820HQ processor with base and boost clock speeds at 2.9GHz and 3.9GHz.
The Microsoft Surface Studio 2 was released in 2017, and its age shows in the components. The CPU is still a decent model, but you can easily get cheaper and faster options these days. It’s the same with the GPUs that are available – they’re well suited to running creative software, but not top-of-the-line anymore. The Microsoft Surface Studio 2+ might be a better fit if you need the most up-to-date specs, otherwise, you’re paying a lot of money for that fancy screen.
- Read our full Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review.
10. Lenovo Legion Tower 5i
The Legion Tower 5i is an attractive option as far as home gaming computers go. It doesn’t come with a monitor or speakers, so you’ll have to factor in the cost of those as well, but for its price point, you do get plenty of other powerful features.
The machine now ships with Windows 11, and the same NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3060 graphics found inside the Alienware Aurora R13. With 12GB GDDR6 dedicated video memory to fuel your games, it should also be a dependable workhorse for video editing work if you’re a creative professional.
The Legion Tower 5i gaming desktop gets an average of 4.5 out of 5 from Best Buy customers. Overall, they felt the price of the machine was very reasonable for its performance, and said that there was very little lag when gaming. Users were also positive about the reliability and design but felt it was let down a little by usability and storage, with some upgrading the 256GB SSD themselves after purchase.
The graphics are backed up by a 12th Gen Intel Core i7-12700 processor, although there’s the option to spend less and opt for the Intel Core i5-12400 processor instead. While the SSD is only 256GB, you do get a respectable 1TB hard drive. And if you know what you’re doing, the machine is fairly easy to upgrade when it comes to storage and GPU.
The tower has 4 USB 3.1 ports to maximize the latest high-speed devices and peripherals, as well as 1 USB C port and 4 USB 2.0 ports. Bluetooth allows you to transfer music and photos to your smartphone, and high-speed wireless LAN and gigabit ethernet are also available.
When it comes to design, the Tower 5i is boxy and black, with a colorful light display and cutout side profile so that you can see inside the machine. You can even customize the lighting inside using Lenovo’s software called Legion Spectrum. Overall, this is a great entry-level gaming home computer for a great price.
What to look for in the best home computer
Home Computer Explainer
There are several key components to the best home computers. Here’s a quick rundown of what they are, and what they do.
CPU
Short for “Central Processing Unit”, think of the CPU as the brain of a home computer that’s in charge of lining up tasks and ensuring they’re completed.
In Apple machines, the company now uses its own system on a chip (SoC) which contains multiple components. This makes it quicker because it’s not transferring data.
On the other hand, Intel and AMD are the primary manufacturers of CPUs on Windows and ChromeOS machines, and they’ll pass on information to the GPU.
GPU
The Graphics Processing Unit is more commonly referred to as a graphics card, and the more powerful your GPU the more impressive graphical fidelity you’ll get while working in large video projects or playing the latest games.
Because Apple now integrates both the CPU and GPU on the same chip, their machines have a sort of “ceiling” depending on the chip in your device. On the other hand, Windows machines are much more customizable (if you know what you’re doing), and you can put a GPU that outpaces the latest game consoles inside.
RAM
If your CPU is the brain and your GPU is the muscle, then RAM essentially acts as the nerves connecting the two. Short for Random Access Memory, the more RAM you have, the more you can do at once – meaning more RAM is ideal for multitasking.
More RAM is also ideal for gaming, because it means the CPU and GPU can “talk” more easily. Many GPUs even have their own dedicated RAM, so that they have more resource to pull from.
Storage
While your personal memories and files used to be stored on large mechanical hard drives (HDDs) that were prone to failure after extended periods of use, things are a little different in the modern computing world.
That’s because much of the industry has moved to Solid State Drives (SSDs) which don’t have moving parts and are more reliable in the long term. They’re also much faster than older drives, and have advanced to take up much less space – allowing for slimmer computers.
What extras do you need to buy?
If you get an All-in-One computer, like an iMac, you don't need any extras to get started. However, if you're buying a desktop tower - like most of the PCs on our list - then you'll need extra equipment.
Monitor - Unless you plug your PC into the TV, which we don't recommend as a full time solution for anything other than it being a media center, you'll need a monitor. Most PC monitors start around 24-inches, and can go well past 32-inches. We think the sweet spot is a 27-inch monitor, for most home offices. Almost all monitors are Full HD ready now, so will display up to 1080p, which is fine for anything except higher demand tasks like video and photo editing, and high-end gaming. For these you may need either a higher-refresh monitor, or a 4K screen. Monitors start at just over $100, and run to... well, over $2000 for the mega gaming screens.
Keyboard - Yeah, you'll need a keyboard for your desktop too. Happily, you can get a wired keyboard and mouse combo for around $25, which is only a little extra on top of your PC purchase. Most manufacturers offer the chance to bundle a keyboard and mouse when you buy a desktop, so we suggest you just do that.
Mouse - As mentioned above, you'll also need a mouse, but they can be easily bundled with a keyboard at little extra expense when you buy. While you'll probably be fine with a wired keyboard, we do think it's worth paying a little extra for a wireless mouse, to eliminate the tangle of wires.
Cables - While most PCs come with all the cables you need, it's worth considering whether or not you need to plug anything else in. Some monitors include an HDMI, for example, but not all do. If you want to plug into your router for a wired connection you'll need an ethernet cable to do that.
Router - While almost all households have a router nowadays, it should be mentioned that you can't access the internet without one, so make sure you have a router when you buy your PC. We have a list of the best wireless routers if you need it, although most internet providers will bundle one with their subscription plans.
Webcam - While some All-in-One computers come with built-in webcams, and some monitors have them, you'll likely need a separate camera if you want to take part in video calls, or record yourself. Again, we have a guide to the best webcams, and they really aren't all that expensive.
Printer - This isn’t a necessity, but a printer is a great addition to your home office set up. A good all in one printer will let you print, scan, and copy documents from the comfort of your own home - ideal when you’re working from home. If you’re short on space, you could get a compact printer, while photography buffs can benefit from a photo printer to make the most of your camera work.
