If you don’t want to spend all of 2023 stuck on the same desktop computer you’ve been using for years, there’s no better time for a fresh start than right now. Even though the holidays have come and gone, there are still some excellent desktop computers on sale that offer speed, flexibility and upgraded graphics.
The Best Home and Office Desktop Deals for February
Our current best value deal pick is the $590 Lenovo IdeaCentre AMD Ryzen 7 desktop that also includes 16GB of RAM memory and dual storage (256GB SSD + 1TB HDD). Retailing at $599, the Apple Mac mini M2 desktop is not discounted but it’s a great option for those looking for a low-cost macOS computer with a small form factor. Speaking of small, the configurable Dell Optiplex 3000 or 5000 micro configs are worth taking a look at if you need a Windows Professional business desktop.
The Best Gaming Desktop Deals for February
HP has a budget Envy configuration with an Intel i5 processor and RTX 3050 graphics card; though you may need to get more storage sooner than later as it only includes a 256GB SSD. If you need more power, any of the Alienware Aurora options with RTX 3080 Ti or RX 6600 XT graphics will be a great option.
When it comes to desktops, many are no longer the massive plastic brick towers of yesteryear. Oftentimes they sit snugly on a bookshelf or even in a drawer if you’ve got enough airflow to keep it cool. Whether you tuck it away or sit it next to your monitor, these devices offer a flexibility that’s hard to equal with a laptop.
Want to swap your old creaky HDD for an 8TB solid-state drive? Go for it! Add in some more RAM? Plug it in. Want a wall of monitors, be they curved, vertical, or extra-wide? Still need that CD burner drive? Add away. All of these are much easier options to trick out on a desktop device.
If your desktop upgrades include a high-powered graphics processor, the best way to see those impressive graphics is with a sharp monitor. Max out your brightness and refresh rate for the strongest, sharpest response (and save a few dollars with our roundup of discounted monitors).
Home and Office Desktop Deals
Dell OptiPlex 3000 Micro 12th Generation Intel i5
Think of this tiny OptiPlex as a response to the Mac mini. Dell packed a high-powered PC into a desktop box just about 7 inches square. For most work-from-home tasks, web browsing, and video streaming, the latest 12th Generation Intel i5 processor, 8GB of RAM, and the 256GB hard drive should be enough for most users. Unlike most OptiPlex deals we see, this configuration includes a Wi-Fi card. You can save some extra cash by declining the keyboard or mouse options on the page.
Apple Mac Mini M2 Chip Desktop
Even though this is not a deal, at $599 the Mac m ini M2 base desktop offers a good balance between affordability and power compared to other desktops at its price-point. The new base M2 chip offers 8 CPU cores and 10 GPU cores with 8GB RAM and 256GB SSD storage. This is a great choice if you just need an everyday desktop to stream content, check emails, or browse the web. Please note, Mac mini desktops do not come with a keyboard or mouse. You will need to buy those separately.
Dell Inspiron 3910 Intel i5 1TB SSD 12GB RAM Desktop
This Inspiron 3910 series desktop features a 12th Generation Intel Core i5 processor and includes a 1TB SSD and 12GB of RAM, making it powerful enough to multitask programs and browser tabs with a little streaming on the side. This will make a great daily use configuration and won’t break the bank.
Lenovo IdeaCentre 5 Ryzen 7 16GB RAM Dual Drive Desktop
The price is right for this entry-level desktop. The IdeaCentre 5 has an AMD Ryzen 7 5700G processor, 16GB RAM, and a 256GB SSD, so while it may not blow you out of the water it will do a serviceable job on apps like Word and PowerPoint, sending and receiving emails, and browsing the Web.
Dell Inspiron 24 5415 Ryzen 5 Dual Storage 12GB RAM AIO Desktop
A sleek all-in-one desktop is a way to save desk space, and this 24-incher houses everything you need: a 6-core Ryzen 5 processor, a 256GB SSD, and 1TB HDD combo for quick booting and plentiful storage, plus 12GB of RAM. It also has a built-in pop-up camera for video chatting, built-in speakers, three USB ports, and Wi-Fi 6E capability. Keyboard and mouse not included.
Recommended by Our Editors
Gaming Desktop Deals
Alienware Aurora R14 Ryzen 7 RTX 3080
With an easily upgraded tower, fully customizable RGBs, and optimized airflow, Alienware desktops will take your gaming to the next level. This configuration comes with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor and an RTX 3080 graphics card, so you’ll be able to play high-fidelity titles in ultra settings, 4K resolution, with as many frames per seconds as you could want. Monitor allowing, of course.
Lenovo Legion Tower 5i Gen 6 Intel i5 RTX 3050
An 11th Generation Intel Core i5 processor, RTX 3050 graphics card, 16GB RAM, and dual storage in the form of a 512GB SSD and 1TB HDD make this configuration a formidable gaming desktop. Lenovo Vantage for Gaming enables you to personalize your gaming experience, whether that’s overclocking your CPU/GPU or adjusting your thermal settings so that your PC runs cool even when the action heats up on screen. Plus, get three months of Xbox Game Pass for free with your purchase.
HP Envy Intel i5 RTX 3050 256GB SSD 8GB RAM Desktop
This HP Envy has an Intel i5 processor, 256GB SSD, and 8GB of RAM. These specs are pretty baseline for gaming and the included RTX 3050 will manage most titles in 1080p. If you’re on a tighter budget, this PC will do the job, but you may want to consider upgrading your storage capacity sooner than later.
SkyTech Shadow 3.0 Ryzen 5 RTX 3060
Inside this PC is an AMD Ryzen 5 3600 6-core CPU, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD. SkyTech also provides an 80 Plus Gold Certified 600 Watt power supply with a heatsink and three RGB fans. All of this is encased in a SkyTech Shadow gaming case with tempered glass.
How much should I pay for a desktop computer?
Your money goes further with desktop PCs and their components versus laptops. You can find complete mini PCs for very light work or display-signage duty for less than $400, and perfectly serviceable small towers for $400 to $600. Gaming desktops with dedicated graphics cards start at around $500 to $600. 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 $400. The sky’s the limit once you get into high-end gaming PCs and business-workstation power desktops, but the prices above are the right range for most mainstream buyers.
Is it better to get an all-in-one computer or 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 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 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 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. For the last few years, the inflated cost of graphics cards made building your own PC a lot less attractive. That price pressure has relented in 2022, though.
How much does a good budget PC cost?
Expect to pay a solid $400 to $500 for a basic, competent small tower for day-in/day-out productivity and web work. You’ll find plenty of models below $400, especially in the mini PC class, but you should insist on at least 8GB of system memory for any Windows machine, and, for anything beyond very basic productivity work, a Core i3 or Ryzen 3 processor.
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