• The list in brief
1. Best overall
2. Best alternative
3. Best AIO
4. Best mini PC
5. Best alternative mini PC
• How to choose
Ready-made budget desktop computers are the most straightforward option for picking up an affordable PC.
Whether you're setting up an office area for working at home, building a creative space, or needing something for the whole family to share, I've found the best picks to fit a tighter spending limit.
Depending on your existing knowledge, most of my options have the potential for manual upgrades if you eventually want to squeeze in some extra performance for light PC gaming.
Still, for essential use, these picks from big hitters like Dell, Lenovo, and Acer are all perfectly capable of running Windows and its most popular apps for day-to-day productivity and web browsing.
Any of the best external solid-state drives can also provide extra storage if the budget options are too much of a squeeze.
The quick list
If you're in a hurry to bag the best budget desktop PC, check out our quick list for straightforward shortcuts to the full explanations for why they made the cut.
Best overall
Acer's TC-1770 usually costs about $500 for a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13400 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD. Doubling memory and storage only adds $100, keeping the price well within the budget range for anyone who needs a PC that can easily handle productivity, homework, web browsing, and streaming.
Best alternative
Dell's Inspiron 3030 Small is a tad more expensive than our top Acer pick, but Dell's range of configurations might make it easier to get exactly what you want. With frequent discounts, you can often get a 14th Gen Core i5-14400 CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 512GB SSD for about $550.
Best all-in-one
The HP Envy Move is the ultimate family PC that's usually priced at about $650 to start. It has kickstand feet and a built-in handle for easy transportation, and the included keyboard even has a touchpad for wireless control. The 23.8-inch QHD touch display is joined by up to a Core i5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
Best mini PC
Geekom's Mini IT13 is a great way to land a Core i7 CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage for about $600. The metal chassis has a ton of ports, and its tiny size allows it to operate practically anywhere. You can even get inside for easy RAM and storage upgrades in the future.
Best alternative mini PC
Lenovo offers a bunch of configuration options for its IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8), and prices start at just $500 for a capable PC thanks to permanent discounts. It's a capable PC from a performance standpoint, it has lots of ports, and Lenovo even includes a little stand to prop it up vertically for extra space saving.
Our favorite budget PCs in 2024
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It's time to dive into why these affordable desktops made this list. We test Windows machines practically every day at Windows Central, so we know what a budget machine needs to meet the needs of its target audience.
Best overall budget PC
Acer is a brand synonymous with budget PCs, and it doesn't just make laptops. Its Aspire lineup of desktop PCs has been through many revisions over the years, with the TC-1770 featured here being one of the more recent models. I favorably reviewed the Aspire TC-895 in 2021, and I still use it connected to my living room TV today. For a PC that only costs about $500, that's not bad at all in terms of durability.
The TC-1770 has been redesigned since then, but it still comes with a generous selection of ports. The front of the PC even has an SD card reader alongside USB-C, USB-A, and 3.5mm jacks for microphone and headphones.
The model I recommend for most users costs about $500 and includes a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13400 processor (CPU), 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. This combination will easily handle productivity tasks like homework, email, streaming, and web browsing. It even has Wi-Fi 6E for fast and reliable wireless internet. If you do, however, need more storage and RAM, a 16GB/1TB model comes to about $600.
Acer throws in a mouse and keyboard with the package, but you might want to check out some of our favorite desktop PC accessories for some higher-quality peripherals. Unless you're really looking to save space or focus on gaming, the Acer Aspire TC-1770 should be a great budget PC for a lot of users.
Best alternative budget PC
If you don't mind spending a bit more compared to our top pick, Dell's Inspiron 3030 Small offers a wider range of configuration options in a slim case. The front of the PC includes an SD card reader, three USB-A, USB-C, and a 3.5mm audio jack, while the back adds four more USB-A, DisplayPort 1.4, RJ45 Ethernet, HDMI 1.4b, and 3.5mm audio. Despite the smaller size, you shouldn't be short of ports.
Dell offers 14th Gen Intel Core CPUs, starting with the Core i3-14100. With 8GB of RAM and a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, you're looking at about $550. However, Dell often discounts the Core i5-14400 model to the same price, allowing you to boost performance at no extra cost. It's also worth noting that Dell only charges $50 for the upgrade from Windows 11 Home to Windows 11 Pro when it's discounted.
You can jump to a Core i7-14700 CPU, though this does automatically configure 16GB of RAM. Dell also offers up to a 1TB SSD if you need more storage from the factory. Unless you're using the PC for truly light duties, I'd recommend sticking with the Core i5 chip over the Core i3 chip. For most people, the Core i7 chip will be overkill.
Best budget All-in-One
The HP Envy Move is our favorite AIO PC on the market today, all thanks to a capable mix of mobility, display, and performance. In our HP Envy Move review, Windows Central Editor Ben Wilson said, "I'd never have anticipated that a portable all-in-one PC designed for family use would be one of the most fascinating computers to land on my desk this year, but HP has thoroughly impressed me with the Envy Move."
It's a sleek all-in-one with a 23.8-inch touch IPS display with 99% sRGB color and up to 361 nits brightness, as tested. The 2560x1440 (QHD) is plenty crisp at this size. Above the display is a 5MP webcam with IR for facial recognition through Windows Hello, and below are quality dual integrated speakers with 5W output each.
The PC's feet can swivel in and out, and there's a carrying handle on the back. With about four hours of battery life from the built-in battery, you can use the Envy Move practically anywhere.
HP has a bunch of configuration options available, but the most affordable usually starts at around $650. This gets you a 13th Gen Intel Core i3-1315U CPU, 8GB of RAM, and a 256GB SSD. For $90 more, you can move up to a Core i5-1335U CPU for extra performance, great if you often multitask or want to enjoy some lighter gaming on the integrated graphics. Considering this is the full package, monitor included, the price is very competitive compared to budget tower PCs.
Read our in-depth HP Envy Move review
Best budget mini PC
Geekom is making a name for itself in the world of quality mini PCs, and its IT13 model is an affordable way to get your hands on some impressive performance hardware. We've reviewed several Geekom mini PCs in the past, notably awarding the IT11 predecessor a Windows Central Recommended Award thanks to its excellent value, strong performance, and smart design.
For about $599, you get a 13th Gen Intel Core i7-13620H CPU, 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. This price also includes Windows 11 Pro. The PC provides plenty of storage space, lots of memory for multitasking, and a killer CPU that can handle even some light gaming thanks to its integrated graphics. You can inside the IT13 for DIY memory upgrades, and there are even extra M.2 and 2.5-inch SATA slots for storage.
The metal case has a generous selection of ports, including two USB-A 3.2 (Gen 2) and a 3.5mm audio jack on the front, with dual USB4, dual HDMI 2.0, 2.5GbE LAN, two more USB-A, and even an SD card reader on the back and sides. It can run up to four displays at once even without a dock.
Unless you have your sights set on a full tower PC or an AIO, Geekom's IT13 mini PC should be a great way for most people to get a lot of performance at a great price.
See our in-depth Geekom Mini IT11 review
Best alternative mini PC
Lenovo's IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8) is a sleek little mini PC with a steel frame and plastic top. Lenovo throws in a stand to prop the PC up vertically, further reducing the space it takes up on your desk. Ports are rather plentiful with Thunderbolt 4, USB-C 3.2 (Gen 2), four USB-A, HDMI 2.1, 2.5GbE LAN, DisplayPort 1.4b, and a 3.5mm audio jack, allowing you to achieve a multi-monitor setup without additional hubs or dongles.
The most affordable configuration is usually discounted to about $500; it has a 13th Gen Intel Core i5-13500H CPU, 8GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 512GB M.2 PCIe 4.0 NVMe SSD. As Editor Ben Wilson mentions in his IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8) review, "The power supply and air cooler are connected via small cables, but if you remove both, you can access the SODIMM memory modules and M.2 2280 solid-state drive hidden underneath."
Lenovo offers up to a Core i7-13700H CPU, but we recommend sticking with the Core i5 to reduce the chances of thermal throttling. It's still going to tackle productivity work and streaming with ease. If you're worried about memory, the jump to 16GB only adds about $30 to the cost from the factory.
Read our in-depth Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini (Gen 8) review
How to choose the best budget PC for you
A tight budget can make finding a desktop computer that isn't a potential dud particularly difficult, especially if you don't know where to look for the best options.
Pre-built desktop PCs generally contain standard parts, all of which appear in various computers we test individually. If you're confident in upgrading parts manually, most towers can have their components swapped out for more storage, memory, and more. The only downside to the top picks is the lack of a monitor, something the HP Envy Move all-in-one PC solves by keeping everything built into its screen.
Acer's Aspire TC-1770 won't blow you away with its build quality, but it's perfectly capable of handling home and office work as long as you aren't getting into any specialized areas. I've been using a predecessor for years to great effect, and it's yet to let me down despite the budget pricing.
If you're interested in maximizing performance, something like Geekom's Mini IT13 offers some impressive hardware for the asking price. It's a truly compact PC with a ton of ports, and it's easy to recommend to anyone who isn't looking for a full-size tower.
What about budget gaming PCs?
The best pre-built desktop gaming PCs don't come cheap, at least not the ones we're comfortable recommending. You can easily spend more than $1,000 even on an entry-level gaming PC, which is a lot more than most people want to drop.
If you're interested in gaming on the cheap, we recommend a great gaming handheld. While handhelds are not PCs in the traditional sense, they do have all the right components and can even run Windows 11.
The ASUS ROG Ally we reviewed is our current favorite handheld thanks to its strong gaming performance, killer display, and Windows 11 OS, and it starts at about $500. The ROG Ally X successor is also on the way with some notable improvements, though it costs more.
