The 10 best PCs of 2016: which computer should you buy?

Introduction

Update: Looking for a competent mini PC fully equipped with Windows 10 Home for around $200 (£137, AU$274)? The Voyo V3 might be exactly what you're seeking.

Although it's not nearly the behemoth it once was, the desktop PC still has its place in an ever-expanding landscape of devices. Unlike laptops, tablets or even smartphones, they aren't limited by portability and battery life requirements. Whether you want to expand on storage, memory, graphics or sheer processing power, a desktop PC gives you the most flexibility to upgrade on hardware.

It's also a surprisingly diverse category. These machines come in all shapes and sizes and can be used in many different ways. The beautiful, compact simplicity of the all-in-one computer is undeniably attractive. Components, such as the speakers and display are built directly into a single unit, with few cables left trailing around your desk. Therefore, it's the perfect for those of us who like to keep our workspaces neat and tidy.

Small form-factor PCs and inexpensive micro media machines are a popular choice as well. There are small desktop PCs that are intended to be used in the living room, designed to look attractive and provide a quick way to access all sorts of digital media. You can hook one up to a surround sound system and your main TV to enjoy Netflix or your own DRM-free media files with software such as Plex.

And, of course, the traditional desktop tower keeps trucking on. Whether you leave it on your desk or underneath it, this hulking form factor gives you the freedom to choose whatever components and specification your budget allows for, from an inexpensive family computer that can be used for word processing, spreadsheets and other office tasks, to a powerful video editing workstation complete with a top-end processor and graphics card.

Prices vary depending on the configuration, from less than £200 (around $303 or AUS$432) for an entry-level family desktop computer, to four figures for a desktop with a powerful video card suitable for demanding gaming.

And, with the exception of our Apple examples that naturally ship with OS X 10.11 El Capitan and the Chromebase which beautifully packages Chrome OS, you can expect any of the PCs on this list to come with Windows 10 as standard. Here we've listed 10 of the best, ordered by price and spec starting first with only the most expensive and powerful machines money can buy.

1. Apple iMac with 5K Retina display

A stylish all-in-one with a stunning screen

Bright IPS screen

Few wires or cables

Tough to upgrade

As we already mentioned, the unique selling point of all-in-ones is their simplicity, and that's partly what makes the iMac so appealing. A built-in screen and speakers, 802.11ac wireless networking and a wireless keyboard and mouse means you only need a power cable to get up and running.

There's quite a range of iMacs, starting at £899 (around $1,365 or AUS$1,943) for an entry-level 21.9-inch model with a dual-core processor that's okay for basic tasks, up to 27-inch iMacs with quad-core processors, and even a 5K display.

Even on the low-end model, the IPS display is bright and vivid, with a clever design where the edges of the aluminium chassis are thinner than many standalone monitors. And as standard, the iMac runs OS X, although it's very easy to install Windows alongside if you want to continue using your existing Windows software.

2. Apple iMac with 4K Retina display (21.5-inch, Late 2015)

CPU: Intel Quad-Core i5 (Turbo Boost up to 3.6GHz) | Graphics: Intel Iris Pro Graphics 6200 |RAM: 8GB 1867MHz LPDDR3 | Storage: 1TB Serial ATA Drive @ 5400RPM |Communication: Wireless: 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0 | Dimensions (W x D x H): 45cm x 52.8cm x 17.5cm

Display

Accessories

SSD not standard

Pricey

Featuring a vibrant Retina 4K display that's packed with color, Apple's new 21.5-inch iMac is a small bundle of aluminum joy. Its display's massive, 4,096 x 2,304 pixel-resolution is great for surfing the web in comfort with multiple windows side-by-side in El Capitan's Split View, image and video editing, watching 4K video content and just about everything else.

As expected from an Apple computer, it's a typically well-built machine that, in true iMac tradition, barely takes up more space on your desk than a large laptop. Apple is bundling the 4K iMac with a superb set of accessories, including the latest versions of its Magic Mouse 2, Magic Trackpad 2 and its all-new Magic Keyboard.

Just make sure you upgrade the standard spinning hard drive to a 1TB Fusion Drive (or even better, the 256GB SSD) if you want to shell out a bit more cash to eliminate lengthy loading times.

3. Dell Inspiron 3000

A slim mini-tower which is a decent performer

Slim tower design

Core i5 is surprisingly powerful

No SSD option

Core i3 only dual-core

Dell's Inspiron desktop computers aren't quite as small as a PC like the Acer Revo One, but they still come in a mini-tower, and therefore won't take up too much space either on a desk or underneath it. With a black design and a silver trim, Dell has gone to some length to make this standard PC chassis look quite sleek and a bit more exciting than a mere black box.

As standard, it has a dual-core Intel Core i3 processor rather than a Celeron, and 8GB of memory - so it's a lot more powerful than the Revo One.

For an extra bit of cash, you can upgrade the processor to a quad-core Intel Core i5-4460 and the graphics card to a discrete Nvidia GeForce GT705, for a decent all-round performance boost. Dell also sells complete packages with a bundled 23-inch S2340L display.

4. Apple Mac mini

The cheapest way you can go Mac

The most affordable Mac

Internal power supply

Few expansion options

Upgrades get expensive

The Mac mini exhibits the luxury of an Apple desktop without the price tag to match. Starting at a mere $499 (£399, AU$779), the Mac mini is barebones yet affordable. Though it ships without the otherwise expected Magic Mouse and Keyboard peripherals, getting to choose your own accessories is liberating (plus you can buy used and save a trunkload of cash if you're so inclined).

And, while it hasn't been updated in quite some time on the hardware front, the Mac Mini's Haswell-based i5 processor still chugs along nicely. Plus, with Iris Graphics onboard, you'll get a bit more juice than expected. Combined with 500GB of storage space and 4GB of RAM, the Mac mini is arguably the best starting point for OS X newcomers even if a contemporary makeover is long past due.

With an aluminum shell and simplistic industrial design, the Mac mini represents Apple at its very core. Where it mainly lacks, however, is in performance. Luckily the option for a Fusion Drive, which marries the power of both HDD and SSD technology, somewhat makes up for this inadequacy. A configuration sporting 8GB of RAM is an option too, but if you don't want to shell out the extra cash, the base model will do just fine.

Read the full review: Apple Mac mini

5. Asus K31ADE

A compact desktop machine for everyday computing

See more Asus K31ADE deals

CPU boosts to 3.7GHz

Blu-ray drives available

No SSD option

Only 4GB of memory

Asus is a unique PC maker in that it offers a wide range of computers for a variety of different types of users. The K31 desktop towers in particular the company describes as "all you need for daily computing."

So, you shouldn't expect them to run Crysis with the Intel Core i3 processor paired with 4GB of RAM. However, you can get a Core i5 or Core i7 processor instead for an added cost. Other configurations include discrete graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD, along with USB-C for increased data transfer rates.

6. Acer Revo One RL85

A compact media PC with plenty of storage

Small, sleek, smart design

Plenty of storage

Fairly weedy performance

Lacks 802.11ac Wi-Fi

If you're looking to share your PC with an entire household rather than locking it behind a desk in your home office, Acer's Revo One accomplishes just that. Though it doesn't have the most powerful processor on the market, don't underestimate its versatility.

The Revo One packs in not only two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports, HDMI and DisplayPort, but it also comes with a 2TB hard drive in case you're worried about running out of space for your massive movie collection. Plus, thankfully, it has a built-in wireless card meaning there's no need to reconfigure your entire house's network wiring just to keep it underneath the TV.

7. HP Pavilion Mini

The Windows-toting answer to a Mac Mini

CPU: 1.9GHz Intel Core i3-40255U | RAM: 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM | Storage: 1TB 5,400rpm HDD | Communication: 802.11n Wi-Fi, Gigabit Ethernet, Bluetooth 4.0 |Dimensions (W x D x H): 144mm x 144mm x 52mm

Nice design

Small footprint

Limited upgrades

Excess bloatware

If you'd rather prevent a computer from occupying your entire desk space, the Mac Mini is worth your consideration. However, if Apple's OS just doesn't do it for you, HP offers a stunning Windows alternative. The Pavilion Mini as it's called won't blow your mind in terms of specs, but it will get the job done if you're not planning on doing any intensive gaming or video editing.

Plus, it's still faster than a lot of mini computers on the market, and with plenty of storage space to boot. And, if you don't need a mouse and keyboard, most retailers are selling it for downwards of $300. Not a bad deal if you just need a compact computer to get you through the day to day.

Read the full review: HP Pavilion Mini

8. HP 260 G1

The tiny computer that can

CPU: Intel Celeron 2957U | RAM: 2GB to 16GB 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM | Storage: 32GB M.2 SSD | Communication: HP 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi | Dimensions (W x D x H): 17.5 x 17.7 x 3.4 cm

Two memory slots

DisplayPort and VGA

No Wi-Fi or Bluetooth

Storage capacity

The HP 260 G1 is a great all-rounder product which is perfect for light tasks either in an office environment or in the home. Because it is part of HP's business range, it comes with better-than-average support - that's next business day service for parts and labor as well as free 24/7 telephone support. We also appreciate the presence of DisplayPort and VGA which allows the box to cover a wider spectrum of displays, even if that requires adapters.

There's a lot to like about the HP 260 G1; true, it is not perfect and of course given the price, there have been concessions made. However, none of them are deal breakers and once prospective buyers understand that they are not buying a more expensive computer, but one that costs less than most smartphones, this little bundle of joy will make for a lot of happy owners.

Read the full review: HP 260 G1

9. Lenovo IdeaCentre Q190

A micro PC which you can mount on the back of your display

Versatile design

Enough memory

Sluggish CPU

Poor graphics

We're always referring to PCs that are "good enough" for general computing tasks, which means the most common uses for a modern computer that the average person needs. That means web browsing, email, social media including Facebook, watching YouTube, and editing documents for school or work.

None of those examples need large amounts of memory, storage, or a powerful graphics card, so if that's all you want a computer for, you don't need to spend too much money. In this case, Lenovo's IdeaCentre Q190 should be just fine.

As the least expensive computer in this list, the Q190 is a micro PC that comes with a stand for vertical mounting, or it can be attached to the back of a display.

Sure, its 1.6GHz dual-core Celeron 1017U processor really isn't capable of much more than the aforementioned general computing tasks, but if you're on a slim budget, it's enough to get by.

Besides, if you like this small form factor but still want something slightly more powerful, upgrades with faster Pentium and Core i3 processors are available.

10. LG Chromebase

An easy to use and excellent value all-in-one

Astonishing value

Simple to use

Annoying keyboard

Chrome OS is a decent alternative to Windows on laptops, but there's no reason why it can't be used in a desktop computer in the same way. LG has had that very idea when making the Chromebase, an all-in-one PC that runs Google's desktop OS.

Being an all-in-one, it carries the same benefits as Apple's far more expensive iMac - no need for cables everywhere, the speakers are built into the display, and it's all very straightforward. And actually, some of the hardware is really quite smart. You get an IPS screen, which looks really good.

Of course, Chrome OS has some downsides. You can't run Windows software, so that means no Microsoft Office, for example. That said, Google recently announced that its Play app store will be making its way to Chrome OS later this year, which could potentially breathe new life into the LG Chromebase's software catalog.

Chrome OS is intentionally designed to work with files stored in the cloud rather than locally, and has equivalents of Microsoft's software which run in a browser rather than from the computer. It takes some getting used to, but it does work, and works well.

Once again, for basic use, this type of setup will prove to work well, although it may take some time to get used to. All said, it's tough to beat a deal like this.

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