For power and future-proofing, a desktop PC is the best choice
The conventional desktop PC may not be sexy, but if you’ve got serious work to do – or serious games to play – it’s your best choice. With a desktop PC, you can take your pick of the most powerful processors and top-of-the-line graphics cards that simply won’t fit inside a laptop or an all-in-one design.
Desktop PCs are far more upgradable too: you can generally fit extra RAM, expand your storage, or add features like a Wi-Fi card – and if you don’t have a dedicated graphics card, you can add one at a later date with no fuss. You certainly can’t say that about a laptop.
Last, but not least, desktop PCs are great value. You can pay only for the components and capabilities you need, and with more than a dozen system-builders competing for your custom, prices are squeezed to the bone. Convinced? Of course you are. So read on for our guide to choosing the best desktop PC, plus our rundown of six systems that are, in our view, the very best on the market.
How to buy the best PC for you
Since desktop PCs are modular systems, you’re not limited to a small number of prebuilt designs. In many cases, if you find a PC that you like the look of, you can ask the supplier to fit more RAM, a bigger SSD, a better graphics card or what have you. First, though, you need to know what you’re looking for.
Which CPU?
When it comes to selecting a CPU, the choice is normally between one of AMD’s Ryzen processors and Intel’s Core i5 and i7 models. To be honest, any of these chips will be powerful enough to let you browse the web and dash off the odd document.
If you have greater ambitions – perhaps you want to make music, or edit your own photos – there are two things to look at. The clock speed of a processor in megahertz (MHz) gives a direct indication of how quickly it runs. Modern processors have a base speed and a “Turbo” speed that they ramp up to when there’s a lot of work to do. The higher the number, the faster the CPU can get things done.
Then there’s the question of cores. Most modern CPUs have at least four cores, which is plenty for everyday Windows applications – but others might have eight or more. Having more cores means the chip can do more things at the same time, so multitasking will be smoother. Additionally, some jobs, such as video editing, can be broken up into multiple threads that can be processed simultaneously; for these specific tasks, having more cores can speed up performance significantly.
Aside from different numbers of cores, some CPUs have technology that lets each core handle two threads at once. This isn’t as effective as having more physical cores, but it can give a boost for little extra cost.
How much RAM?
If you’re just running Windows 10 and a typical set of Office applications, you don’t need any more than 4GB. However, if you like to keep lots of tabs open in Chrome, edit large photos or work with huge databases, that may not suffice: the PC might need to fall back on the hard disk for temporary storage, and that will slow everything down.
To ensure this doesn’t happen, 8GB of RAM is a good working minimum, with some premium systems coming with 16GB. Don’t worry too much about that though: most desktop PCs come with two spare memory slots, so you can add more RAM later if need be.
What about storage?
There are two basic types of storage: solid-state drives (SSDs) and traditional mechanical hard disks. SSDs are much faster, and allow Windows to run far more smoothly than an old-school hard disk. The very fastest SSDs slot directly into an M.2 connector on the motherboard, but even a regular SATA SSD will make your system feel a lot more responsive than a mechanical drive.
The catch is that SSDs are very expensive compared to mechanical drives – which is why today’s desktop systems typically feature a medium-sized SSD for you to install Windows and your applications on, partnered with a larger mechanical drive for your personal data files. We recommend you look for an SSD of at least 240GB, partnered with a data drive of 1TB or more – although the beauty of a desktop system is that you can normally install an additional drive later on if you need more storage.
Do I need a graphics card?
If you don’t want to play games, you might not need a graphics card: Intel and some AMD processors feature integrated GPUs, which are perfectly fine for desktop computing, even if you’re using multiple huge 4K monitors.
If you do want to play games, though – or if your chosen CPU lacks integrated graphics, like most of the Ryzen range – then you’ll need a graphics card. This is an area where you can spend a lot: Nvidia’s most powerful consumer-grade card, the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti, can cost £1,100 or more. This is your best hope of getting a solid 60fps at 4K resolution with the best settings.
If you’re willing to compromise, a better bet might be a GTX 1060, which can be had for around £225 and is powerful enough to play most games at Full HD resolution with high detail settings. If you go much lower than this, though, you might find the experience starts to suffer, and the card may struggle with the very latest generation of demanding games.
Only connect
While some upgrades can go inside the desktop case, USB is more important than ever, so check that your chosen system has plenty of ports. Ideally you want plenty of fast USB 3.1 or USB 3 ports at the rear, perhaps along with a few USB 2 ports for the keyboard and mouse. Additional connectors at the front of the case are helpful for plugging in USB flash drives or connecting a phone.
Finally, check the number and type of audio and video connectors. If you have plenty of both, that makes it easy to hook up multiple monitors, and even a multi-channel sound system.
The best desktop PCs you can buy in 2018
1. Mesh Ryzen Gaming PC – CS: The best value PC
- Price when reviewed: £600 inc VAT
The price is very reasonable, but Medion’s Erazer P4408 D is no budget PC: it’s a fully capable gaming system, with a full-spec Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card. To be fair, this is the slightly slower 3GB version of Nvidia’s GPU, not the full 6GB version, and the processor isn’t Intel’s fastest. Still, 8GB of DDR4 RAM keeps things ticking along, and our performance tests show that it will cope just fine with everyday use, with no particular weak points – not even when it comes to heavy multitasking.
One thing to note is that there’s no SSD – only a standard mechanical hard drive, which means this PC is slower to start up and launch programs than other systems. Still, there are two spare 3.5in bays inside, and an M.2 slot on the motherboard should you want to upgrade later on.
The rear I/O panel is also quite lightly equipped, with just four USB ports (two USB 2, two USB 3), plus the standard 3.5mm audio jacks and a Gigabit Ethernet port. Happily, there are two more USB 3 ports at the front, plus an SD card reader and a DVD writer.
It won’t set the world on fire, but the Erazer P4408 D does everything most people need, and even makes a good fist of modern 3D games – which for the price makes it a very persuasive deal.
Key specs – Processor: 3.4GHz AMD Ryzen 5 2600; Maximum turbo speed: 3.9GHz; Cores/threads: 6/12; Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB; RAM: 8GB DDR4; Supplied storage: 120SSD, 1TB hard disk; Data connectors (rear): 4 x USB 3, 2 x USB 3.1, Gigabit Ethernet, 3 x audio jack; Data connectors (front): 1 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, 2 x audio jack, SD card reader; Video ports: 1 x DisplayPort, 1 x DVI-D, 1 x HDMI; Dimensions (WDH): 223 x 474 x 500mm; Warranty: Lifetime labour, 2yr parts, 1yr collect and return
2. Palicomp i5 Cosmos: A multitalented all-rounder
- Price when reviewed: £1,100 inc VAT
It’s exceedingly rare to see a GTX 1070 inside a pre-built PC at this price, but the i5 Cosmos manages it. That means 4K-resolution gaming is on the cards for much less than you’d pay elsewhere – and this card is great for 1440p too.
Palicomp hasn’t neglected the rest of the internals either. The hexa-core Intel Core i5-8600K has been overclocked to 4.8GHz, granting high performance in both single-threaded and multithreaded tasks, and the main SSD is an NVMe model – so it’s much faster than any SATA-based drive. A massive 2TB hard disk is also thrown in, so there’s plenty of space for games and other large files.
On top of all this is a highly expandable, full-size ATX motherboard, a handsome Cooler Master case and a generous set of three front intake fans to help keep this overclocked system cool. All in all, it’s a fantastic system at a very reasonable price.
Key specs – Processor: 4.8GHz Intel Core i5-8600K; Maximum turbo speed: 4.8GHz; Cores/threads: 6/12; Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1070 8GB; RAM: 8GB DDR4; Supplied storage: 256GB SATA SSD, 2TB hard disk; Data connectors (rear): 4 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, Gigabit Ethernet, PS/2, 3 x audio jack; Data connectors (front): 2 x USB 3, 2 x audio jack; Video ports: 3 x DisplayPort, 1 x DVI-D, 1 x HDMI; Dimensions (WDH): 200 x 469 x 455mm; Warranty: 3yr RTB
3. Lenovo IdeaCentre 620S: The best compact desktop PC
- Price when reviewed: £780 inc VAT
The IdeaCentre 620S is a truly tiny thing, shorter and barely wider than a cereal box. Straight away, then, it’s a potential contender for a living room/home entertainment PC, but Lenovo has made sure it’s just as capable of being a proper desktop system as well.
Take the Intel Core i5 7400T processor: the ‘T’ indicates that it’s a more efficient but slower version of the regular i5-7400. Nevertheless, it’s still a quad-core chip, and with 8GB of RAM can easily handle everyday tasks. The IdeaCentre 620S also squeezes in a dedicated GPU, the 4GB GeForce GTX 1050 Ti, so it’s up for 1080p gaming too.
Even the basic 1TB hard disk is given a boost by Intel Optane Memory, a separate drive which accelerates write speeds up to SSD levels.
A common weakness of miniature PCs is a lack of connectivity, but the IdeaCentre 620S has no such problems, offering multiple USB ports and display outputs, plus an integrated SD card reader. It even has its own speakers, potentially saving even more desk space, though we’d recommend headphones or TV speakers for video and games.
Key specs – Processor: 2.4GHz Intel Core i5-7400T; Maximum turbo speed: 3GHz; Cores/threads: 4/4; Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 Ti 4GB; RAM: 8GB DDR4; Supplied storage: 1TB hard disk, 16GB Intel Optane Memory; Data connectors (rear): 4 x USB 3, Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x SD card; Data connectors (front): 1 x audio jack; Video ports: 2 x DisplayPort, 2 x HDMI; Dimensions (WDH): 102 x 212 x 224mm; Warranty: 1yr RTB
4. Scan 3XS Vengeance Aura SLI: Immense computing and visual power – if you can afford it
- Price when reviewed: £3,799 inc VAT
Scan’s 3XS Vengeance Aura SLI pulls out all the stops. It uses Intel’s octa-core, 9th-gen Core i9-9900K processor, which Scan has overclocked to run at 5GHz at all cores – normally, the CPU can only reach this speed on a single core at a time. This makes it one of the fastest PCs around for desktop jobs like video editing and multitasking. It’s supported by 16GB of DDR4, and storage includes a lightning-quick Samsung 970 Evo SSD and a 2TB hard disk.
In addition, Scan has fitted not one but two Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 graphics cards, enough for the very latest games to run at smooth framerates right up to 4K resolution. You’ll also be able to take advantage of cinema-style ray tracing effects and Nvidia’s innovating DLSS anti-aliasing, once games start implementing them.
It’s all packaged up in a stunning Corsair Crystal 570X case, with tinted glass panels and added RGB lighting, so you can customise the colouring yourself.
While this is a fantastic system in every area, it’s extremely expensive. But, if you’re looking for the very best in gaming power, desktop horsepower and sheer style, there’s very little to rival it.
Key specs – Processor: 5GHz Intel Core i9-9900K; Maximum turbo speed: 5GHz; Cores/threads: 8/16; Graphics: 2 x Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 8GB; RAM: 16GB DDR4; Supplied storage: 500GB M.2 SSD, 2TB hard disk; Data connectors (rear): 4 x USB 3.1, 2 x USB 2, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x optical S/PDIF, 5 x audio jack; Data connectors (front): 2 x USB 3, 2 x audio jack; Video ports: 3 x DisplayPort, 1x HDMI, 1x USB Type-C (VirtualLink VR headsets only); Dimensions (WDH): 234 x 480 x 512mm; Warranty: 3yr RTB, 1yr onsite
5. Palicomp AMD Gravity RYZ1: A stellar performer at a great price
- Price when reviewed: £799 inc VAT
Palicomp’s Gravity RYZ1 takes a powerful AMD Ryzen 5 1600 processor and overclocks it to 3.7GHz – so it’s a superfast system, and well equipped with a 240GB SSD and a 1TB hard disk. A 3GB Palit GeForce GTX 1060 graphics card ensures smooth gaming at Full HD resolutions too.
It’s all fitted inside a huge Silent Game Max case, with solid metal panels and a hefty door at the front. There’s plenty of room inside for extra drives – and the motherboard has an open M.2 slot too – while internal meshing dampens the noise from the fans.
External connectivity is superb: you get two USB 3.1 Type A ports as well as the normal four USB 3, plus a Gigabit Ethernet port. A further two USB 3 ports and two USB 2 ports can be found, along with mic and headphone sockets, on the top of the case near the front, plus three DisplayPort outputs, HDMI and DVI-D on the graphics card. The only hitch is that internal connectivity is more limited, as the bulky graphics card covers up both the spare PCI-E slots.
If that’s not a problem for you then this is a powerful, well-built and well-balanced system: for under £800, it’s a great deal.
Key specs – Processor: 3.2GHz AMD Ryzen 5 1600; Maximum turbo speed: 3.7GHz; Cores/threads: 6/12; Graphics: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 3GB; RAM: 8GB DDR4; Supplied storage: 240GB SATA SSD, 1TB hard disk; Data connectors (rear): 2 x USB 3.1, 4 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, Gigabit Ethernet, PS/2, 3 x audio jack; Data connectors (front): 2 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, microSD, 2 x audio jack; Video ports: 3 x DisplayPort, DVI-D, HDMI; Dimensions (WDH): 230 x 468 x 475mm; Warranty: 3yr RTB
6. Chillblast Fusion Centauri Ryzen Threadripper Ultimate: An absolute beast of a PC
- Price when reviewed: £7,500 inc VAT
Chillblast’s Fusion Centauri Ryzen Threadripper Ultimate isn’t just a mouthful – it’s a monster. Not only does it come with 64GB of DDR4 RAM and a vast 11TB of storage, it packs in a superb custom watercooling loop, a 16-core Threadripper CPU and not one but two overclocked Asus GTX 1080 Ti cards. Suffice to say, it’s not aimed at frugal users.
As you’d expect, the Threadripper chip excelled in our heavily multithreaded video encoding task, while the two overclocked GPUs kept up a minimum of 45fps in our Deus Ex: Mankind Divided’s 4K benchmark – and zoomed past 70fps in our other 4K tests. Thanks to the custom watercooling loop, the system also managed to remain reasonably quiet and cool, with the GPU’s Delta T a positively chilly 22°C.
Inevitably, this sort of specification comes at a steep price – an eyebrow-raising £7,500, to be exact. If you want as much oomph as possible, however, there’s no question that this amazing PC delivers; whether you actually need this much power is another matter.
Key specs – Processor: 3.4GHz AMD Ryzen Threadripper 1950X; Maximum turbo speed: 4GHz; Cores/threads: 16/32; Graphics: 2 x Asus Strix GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB; RAM: 64GB DDR4 2666MHz; Supplied storage: 1TB SSD, 10TB hard drive; Data connectors (rear): 9 x USB 3.1, 1 x USB 3.1 Type-C, 1 x Gigabit Ethernet, 1 x optical S/PDIF, 5 x audio jack; Data connectors (front): 2 x USB 3, 2 x USB 2, 2 x audio jack; Video ports: 6 x DisplayPort, 2 x DVI, 6 x HDMI; Dimensions (WDH): 235 x 550 x 560mm; Warranty: 3yr RTB, 2yr parts
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
