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9 Key Things to Know Before You Buy a New Computer

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9 Key Things to Know Before You Buy a New Computer

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Best Desktop PC: From all-in-ones to gaming PCs from Apple, Dell, Corsair, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Zotac, we test and rate the best desktop PCs out there.
After an off the shelf all-in-one or desktop PC? Then look no further, we've tested all the big name desktop PCs we could find to over a definitive list of the best currently available.
But before you dive in, be warned, we're in the midst of testing the first batch of new desktop PCs to arrive this year, so our buying advice may change in the near future.

If you can't wait, our current recommended best overall desktop PC is the 21.5-inch 4K iMac, which offers the finest all-round performance and design. If you're after something a little cheaper the HP Pavilion Wave is the best-value desktop PC to arrive last year.

1. Apple iMac (21.5-inch 4K)

The best all-in-one desktop PC you can buy right now

Stunning screen

Powerful processor

Near-silent running

Good graphics performance

Excellent peripherals

The 21.5-inch iMac is the best small all-in-one you can buy. Its price is high, but more than any other Mac product, Apple has been able to easily justify the lofty cost.

Performance from the quad-core processor is exceptional, while the AMD graphics can power 3D applications and games at Medium settings with relative ease. The whole thing whispers along, as well, with its cooling fans barely audible no matter what you're doing. This is a near-silent powerhouse.

The screen, meanwhile, is excellent, covering 100% of the sRGB colour gamut and 98.6% of the DCI-P3 gamut used some video production settings.

We don't really like the 1TB Fusion Drive and would strongly recommend paying a bit extra for a nice, fast SSD. You can upgrade to a 256GB SSD for £90, something we reckon is worth paying.
Read our full Apple iMac (21.5-inch 4K) review
2. HP Pavilion Wave

A swish-looking and powerful budget desktop PC

Stylish design

Powerful integrated audio

Decent processor and SSD performance

Few PC manufacturers design desktops to look different, which is why it's so refreshing to see the HP Pavilion Wave. With its spherical body and B&O branding on the front, it looks a little like a high-end wireless speaker. Actually, it is.

A single driver at the top fires upwards into a parabolic reflector that shoots audio out at 360 degrees. The result is powerful audio with very little need to plug in external speakers.

There's always a danger of form overtaking function, but that's not the case here. A low-power quad-core Core i5 processor is only a little slower than a full-fat desktop version. With a fast 128GB SSD and 1TB hard disk, there's a great combination of performance and disk space. And the PC remains quiet in use.

If you want a stylish PC that you connect your own peripherals and display to, there's very little choice; it's lucky, then, that the Pavilion Wave is so good.

A better spec in a bigger case would cost a lot less, and the bundled mouse is very basic, but this is still a great machine.
Read our full HP Pavilion Wave review
3. MSI Trident X

A powerful and compact desktop gaming PC

Stunning, compact design

Fast Turing GPU

Small, good-looking enclosure

32GB of RAM

Expensive

Underwhelming motherboard

No easy upgrade paths

The MSI Trident X is one of the most powerful compact gaming PCs we've seen. With Intel 9th Gen processors and Nvidia's new RTX 2080 GPU (with 8GB of GDDR6 memory) and 32GB of RAM sitting at the heart of the Trident X, it's perhaps not surprising to learn that the MSI delivers staggeringly good performance in games and applications.

Everything's packed so tightly inside, so that the Trident X won't take up a ton of space on or under your desk. The flipside to that super-tight design is that there's not a great deal of room for any upgrades here.

Then again, the MSI Trident X isn't the kind of gaming PC you buy with the intent of heavily modifying, so that's perhaps just as well.

It's also pretty expensive, which is one of the other reasons why we felt that we couldn't award this a full 10/10 score. Otherwise, the MSI Trident X is one of best compact gaming PCs out there, if not the best, and as and when ray-tracing and DLSS updates arrive, it stands to get even better.
Read our full MSI Trident X review

4. Corsair One Elite

Another compact gaming desktop PC that's ready to go out of the box

Stunning, compact design

Upgraded application performance

Fast in games

Whisper-quiet in all scenarios

Difficult to access and upgrade

More expensive than conventional computers

If you're a gamer looking for a small form factor tower PC that doesn't scrimp on specs, then the Corsair One Elite is a great option.

It uses the same case as last year's Corsair One, but features upgraded specs. Highlights include a a 3.7GHz Intel Core i7-8700K processor, upgraded Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti GPU and super fast 32GB of 2666Hz DDR4 RAM. The combo is a potent mix and mean the tiny, lounge friendly PC will play pretty much any game you throw at it.

If that's not enough to entice you, it's VR-ready and, thanks to its custom cooling system, runs near silently.

The only downside is that its compact nature makes it close to impossible to upgrade. With pricing for the top specced model capping out at a mighty £2999 it's also a seriously expensive bit of kit.
Read our full Corsair One Elite review
5. Zotac MEK1

A cheaper gaming PC option if the MSI and Corsair are too heavy on your wallet

Small, sturdy design

Rapid gaming performance

Quiet operation

Reasonable price

Cons:

No real expansion potential

Middling Core i7 CPU

If the Corsair One Elite is a little expensive for your liking then the Zotac MEK1 is an excellent option. This mini-ITX rig is a little larger than many past Zotac mini-gaming PCs, but it's still more than small enough to neatly slot into most lounges.

It's specs are also not to be sniffed at. Within it's dinky frame you'll find a 3.6GHz Intel Core i7-7700 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 GPU and 16GB of 2400Hz DDR4 RAM. The CPU may not me the latest generation, but the specs are still more than powerful enough to play most triple-A games at 1440p.

The only downside is that, like the Corsair One, it's compact dimensions make it tricky to upgrade.
Read our full Zotac MEK1 review
6. Alienware Aurora

Dell's mid-range gaming PC is another great value for money choice

Review spec is decent value

Good-looking case

High-end graphics and processing performance

Generous warranty

Upgrades are very expensive

Case should be smaller

The Alienware Aurora is the company's mid-range gaming PC, but don't expect mid-range performance, as the PC comes high-end components.

Every time we update this round-up, Dell seems to change the specifications available. Right now, our choice for best-value is the second-tier model that comes in at £979. That comes with a quad-core Core i5-6400 processor and a GTX 1070. However, using Dell's online customisation options, we switched out the slow hard disk for a much faster, 256GB SSD and dropped the HDD to the secondary slot for an extra £140.

As a result, the spec listed above, is the best value. It's still a fast computer, too. The GeForce GTX 1070 graphics card is very fast and the word when it comes to 1440p gaming; it will even handle some titles in 4K.

If you fancy something faster, the £1499 model (at the time of writing) nets you a quad-core Core i7 6700, a GTX 1080 and a 512GB SSD.

With the model reviewed, the Aurora is a great value PC that's fast in games and on the desktop, and it looks great, too.
Read our full Dell Alienware Aurora review
7. Corsair One

An expensive, but powerful, gaming desktop PC

Luxury pricetag

No M.2 SSD option

Difficult to upgrade

Corsair has stormed into the lounge PC market with the Corsair One. It's rare for a first product in a new line to succeed as well as the Corsair One has, which is worth commending. It's an ultra-powerful, super-quiet lounge PC that's probably the classiest piece of PC design we've ever seen.

With a top-end Core i7 processor on-board along with Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics, this will handle the latest games at 'High' settings for years to come. It is expensive, but the design, build and technology that's gone into it just about justifies it.
Read our full Corsair One review
Those are our top picks of the best desktops. If you want to know more about what to look out for when buying a desktop pc then read on.
How we test desktop PCs
Every desktop we test is put through a series of synthetic benchmarks to gauge its CPU, graphics, SSD and overall performance. While testing we also measure for heat and noise. From there we check how it handles key tasks based on its target market. If it has a GPU tests include gaming, photo and video editing and 3D modelling. If it's an all-in-one we use a colorimeter to check its screen's performance.

After that we crack open the case and see how easy it is to upgrade. After all that we use it for at least a week as our main work PC before giving it a final score.
How much should I spend on a desktop PC?
If all you need a basic PC, £350 is enough to buy a Intel Core i3 PC with 4GB of RAM and a 500GB mechanical hard drive. This will be more than sufficient for basic office and web tasks, but don't expect to play games at high resolutions with loads of detail.
Related: The best CPUs for gaming, tested
You'll need to spend around £500 to £800 to get a more powerful desktop, with a Core i5 processor, 8GB or 16GB of RAM and an SSD - a faster type of drive that improves performance - plus traditional mechanical hard disk for storing your photos and videos. You can expect a GTX 1050 graphics card, which will be good enough to play most games, even at Full HD resolution gaming.

If you want a proper gaming PC, you need to spend £1000 upwards. This kind of money will get you a Core i7 processor, and an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 or GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card. These PCs will cope with all tasks, and will easily play games at 1440p resolution, with more expensive models even managing 4K resolutions - check online benchmarks to make sure your chosen model can handle the games you want.

For all desktop PCs, you can expect to pay an extra £100 plus for a Full HD monitor, and more for higher-resolution models.

Head to our entry on boutique PC builders below to find out where to buy a custom PC.

For an all-in-one, you're looking at a starting price of around £600 for a 24-inch model with a Full HD screen. Powered by efficient dual-core or quad-core Core i5 or Core i7 processors, these machines are suitable for light photo and video work.

If you want premium design, a larger screen and more resolution (up to 4K), expect to pay at least £1000, but up to £2000.

If you want to play games, look for 'discrete' or 'dedicated' graphics from AMD or Nvidia, and check out our benchmarking figures to see how well your favourite games will play.
Desktop PC vs All-in-One: Which should you buy?
Generally speaking, traditional desktop PCs are cheaper, more powerful, have room for upgrades and are a little more flexible, letting you connect to any monitor, for example. The downside is that they're often a little uglier and take up more room.

All-in-ones are neater, with everything contained inside a single box that also houses the monitor. Upgrading (aside from RAM, in some cases) is usually out of the question. You tend to pay more for an all-in-one and, as low-power components are used, performance is more in line with that of a laptop. However, all-in-one computers are neater than desktops.

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Best Desktop PC 2019: 7 all-in-one and desktop PCs for every budget

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Best Desktop PC: From all-in-ones to gaming PCs from Apple, Dell, Corsair, HP, Lenovo, MSI and Zotac, we test and rate the best desktop PCs out there. After an off the shelf all-in-one or desktop PC? Then look no further, we've tested all the big name desktop PCs we could find to over a definitive list of the best currently available.

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(Image credit: Apple / Future)

Welcome to our pick of the best laptops 2021 has to offer. On this page you'll find hand-picked laptops that have been rigorously tests by us.

We're constantly updating this guide, so you can be sure you're getting the most recent recommendations and most up-to-date buying advice possible. We've just updated this guide to include the brand-new Lenovo ThinkPad X1 Yoga Gen 6, which we think is the best 2-in-1 laptop we've ever used.

But if you're after the best laptop overall, then our pick remains MacBook Air (M1, 2020), as it's yet to be beaten when it comes to design, performance, value and battery life.

Meanwhile, the Acer Swift 3 is our choice for the best budget laptop you can buy right now, offering a perfect balance of affordability and performance. If that doesn't take your fancy then we have a rundown of the best cheap laptop deals to help you pick a device that won't hurt your wallet.

Not sure what to look for when buying the best laptop for your needs? Check out our guide on what you should look for when buying a new laptop at the end of this page for in-depth advice on buying a laptop.

How to pick the best laptop for you

So, what makes a laptop worth buying? First, it needs to offer excellent value for money. That means budget laptops below the $400/£400 price point need to still offer good performance and build quality.

Meanwhile, ultra-expensive devices need to justify their high price tags with best-in-class performance, premium build quality and lengthy battery lives.

If you want something to work on, a laptop with a modern processor, at least 8GB of RAM and a large screen (and comfortable keyboard) are worth considering.

For gaming, you'll want a gaming laptop with a dedicated graphics card and fast and responsive screen.

Check out our guide on what you should look for when buying a new laptop at the end of this page for more in-depth advice on buying a laptop.

Best laptops 2021

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The best laptop of 2021

Specifications

Reasons to buy

Reasons to avoid

The new Apple MacBook Air (M1, 2020) isn't just the best laptop Apple has ever made, it's the best laptop money can buy right now. This is the first time a MacBook has topped our list, but the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is worthy of this spot. Thanks to the revolutionary ARM-based Apple M1 chip that powers the new MacBook Air (Apple has ditched Intel for these new laptops), this is a stunning achievement: a thin and light laptop that offers great performance, even with 4K video editing, while also offering incredible battery life.

Easily managing over 11 hours on a single charge, this is a laptop you can easily carry around with you at work or school, and its price is incredibly competitive compared to Windows 10 rivals like the Dell XPS 15 (below). Running both new and old Mac apps, the new MacBook Air can now also run iOS apps for iPhone and iPads, giving it access to hundreds of brilliant mobile applications and games as well.

Even if you've only ever used Windows laptops before, the MacBook Air (M1, 2020) is well worth getting and making the jump to macOS. Yes, it really is that good. Make sure you check out all the best MacBook Air deals and sales available now before you buy.

Read the full review: MacBook Air (M1, 2020)

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Best laptop 2021: top picks for every user and every budget

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(Image credit: Apple / Future) Welcome to our pick of the best laptops 2021 has to offer. On this page you'll find hand-picked laptops that have been rigorously tests by us. We're constantly updating this guide, so you can be sure you're getting the most recent recommendations and most up-to-date buying advice possible.

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