Best Desktop Deals for May From Alienware, Lenovo, HP, and More

How Much Should I Pay for a Desktop Computer?

Your money goes further with desktop PCs and their components than with laptops. You can find complete mini PCs for less than $400 and perfectly serviceable small towers for $500 to $600. Gaming desktops with dedicated graphics cards start at around $700. You can also find all-in-one (AIO) desktops, with the display and all of the computing components built into a single device, starting at around $600. The sky’s the limit once you get into high-end gaming PCs and business-workstation power desktops, but the prices above are in the right range for most mainstream buyers.

Is It Better to Get an All-In-One Computer or a Desktop?

Traditional tower desktops offer the most upgrade and power flexibility, at the cost of bulk. Most towers have generous interior space and full-size motherboards, so you can install one or more (sometimes many more) secondary storage drives, more RAM in empty slots on the motherboard, and a video card (if the PC doesn’t come with one). PC gamers will want to stick with a traditional tower.

An all-in-one desktop’s big appeal is saving you lots of space since the PC is built right in with the monitor, with the components living behind the display. It comes down to how much you care about the desk area your PC uses up and whether you happen to be shopping for a desktop monitor at the same time. Budget AIOs with basic feature sets are common, but spending more can gain you some combination of a touch-enabled screen, a panel with a high native resolution, roomier storage, and a more muscular processor. Higher-end AIO desktops tend to cater, though, to content creators and productivity-app power users, not gamers.

Is It Cheaper to Buy a Desktop Than a Laptop?

Desktops are usually a better value than laptops because your money goes further with desktop components in lieu of a screen, keyboard, and mouse. Building your own PC will often be the cheapest option, but for those who don’t have the know-how, even a pre-built PC tends to cost less than a laptop equivalent.

Is It Cheaper to Build a PC or Buy One Right Now?

It depends largely on the kind of desktop you are looking to buy or build. At the low end, economies of scale for the components, plus the cost of single Windows 10 or 11 licenses, tend to make buying a prebuilt PC a better deal. It’s when you get into the $1,000-and-up zone that building your own starts to make more sense, especially if you can reuse parts from an existing PC build. This will all likely remain the case as we’re in a market burdened by substantial shipping tariffs at the time of writing, though building PCs might lose its value luster as individual component sales get taxed as well.

How Much Does a Good Budget PC Cost?

Expect to pay at least $500 for a basic, competent small tower for day-in/day-out productivity and web work. You’ll find plenty of models for less than $500, especially in the mini PC class, but you should insist on at least 8GB of system memory for any PC, with 16GB required at minimum for AI tasks. For anything beyond basic productivity work, look for an Intel Core i5 (or Ultra 5) or AMD Ryzen 5 processor at least.

When Is the Best Time to Buy a Desktop on Sale?

Black Friday is typically the best time to buy electronics (computers included). You can also shop around the back-to-school season, which starts in July and usually features price drops on configurations geared toward productivity. However, if you need a deal outside of those shopping rushes, do more research on the product lines you’re looking to pick from. Determine the products that have most recently received annual updates with new processors and other parts. Then, find the previous, outgoing editions of those products. By the time the latest models are available, retailers are already clearing stock of those outgoing ones with considerable discounts.

Do Desktops Get Major Discounts During Black Friday or Prime Days?

Yes! We see substantial PC price cuts on both Black Friday and Prime Days. This includes even more attainable budget models and high-end systems discounted down to more approachable figures. All told those are the two best days of the year (Cyber Monday, too) to buy a new desktop online if you’re in need.

Who Has the Best Deals on Refurbished Desktops?

Dell Outlet is a great source of certified refurbished desktops in various conditions. Best Buy Outlet also deals in expert refurbished computers, but they also offer open-box options that are like new and can save you some serious cash. 

Which Brands Offer the Best Desktop Discounts?

Some brands post deals and discounts on their products more often than others, particularly Acer. Dell, HP, and Lenovo also do this, but you should always double-check exactly what you’re getting and whether you can buy it for less at other retailers. Brands like Lenovo adjust their prices frequently, making assessing the raw value of deals you see there difficult. Notably, Apple has improved its image as a value-focused brand, permanently dropping prices on some of its laptops and often hosting limited deals on shopping holidays.

What Is the Best Desktop Under $800? 

Our experts have named the Acer Aspire TC-1780-UA92 their top budget pick for its decent performance and Wi-Fi 6E support—all for around $600 (though it was just $479.99 as tested). For more budget options, check out our top picks for the best cheap desktop PCs. 

What Is the Best Gaming Desktop Under $1,000?

While it was just $979.99 when we tested it, the new $1,049 MSI Codex R2 is the PC we’ve tested that is closest to that mark and worth recommending. The Codex R2 earned our Editors’ Choice award for its 1080p gaming performance and well-made, upgradable build. You might still find base models just under $1,000 (depending on the day), packing an Intel Core i5 14th Gen CPU and an Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics card.

What Are Good Websites to Find Computer Deals? 

Why, right here on PCMag! We have dedicated deals articles and comprehensive lists of configurations suited to different users.