The best all-in-one computers pack powerful components into a beautiful display, eliminating the need for a separate PC case. They’re a great option for anyone who wants the power and utility of a desktop PC, but without the tangle of cables.
All-in-one desktops are great whether you need a high-powered system for professional use or a basic desktop for your kids’ classes and homework—they take up less space than traditional towers and offer more screen real estate than even the largest laptops. These unique systems pack your components, ports, and monitors into a single unit, allowing you to easily place one on your desk, plug it in, and start working (or playing).
But you have to choose wisely: the disadvantage of the compact design of an all-in-one is usually the loss of freedom to open the case and start changing components.
To guide you in the right direction, we’ve tested many of the best all-in-one desktop computers (both Windows machines and Apple iMacs) to find the best one you can buy.
The best all-in-one computers you can buy today
The Apple iMac M3 looks a lot like its 2021 predecessor, but under the hood, this all-in-one is powered by the new Apple M3 chip that helps it achieve our top spot on this list.
That cutting-edge slice of Apple silicon gives the 24-inch iMac a much-needed shot in the arm, since the previous model was powered by the 2020 Apple M1 chip. That model is still fine for basic work, but the upgrade M3 gives the 2023 iMac more power and more features than before, including improved wireless connectivity, better image processing, and support for modern graphics technology like hardware-accelerated ray tracing.
Add in the iMac’s excellent speakers and beautiful 4.5K display, and you’ll begin to see why it’s so easy to recommend to families, students, and teachers.
Read our full Apple iMac 24-inch review.
The MSI Modern AM271P 11M is an all-in-one with a strange name that’s pretty good if you need something relatively affordable that’s capable of tackling the daily tasks of running business and getting things done.
That’s because this $1,200 PC packs a speedy 11th Gen Intel Core i7 laptop CPU in its display along with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The fact that it’s powered by a top-of-the-line laptop CPU means that this MSI can deliver plenty of speed and functionality even though the entire PC is housed within the screen. And with its built-in VESA mount, you can install it on the included stand or mount it on a wall or monitor arm for more convenient workplace setups. Additionally, it includes a 1080p webcam, keyboard, and mouse with each unit, although all three leave something to be desired, so you may want to replace them with your favorites in the future.
Read our full MSI Modern AM271P 11M Review.
Microsoft Surface Studio 2 is the best there is for anyone into digital art, thanks to a gorgeous touchscreen that drops down for comfortable touch and pen use. The better-than-4K display looks incredible, the touchscreen supports both the Surface Pen and Surface Dial, and the design is top-notch. The design alone would make it the best touchscreen all-in-one for drawing, but the addition of the best-in-class pen holder takes it to another level.
The updated Surface Studio 2 gets more powerful processing and graphics hardware, switches to solid-state drives for storage, and gets an even better version of the PixelSense display that offers improved brightness and contrast. It’s one of the best all-in-one computers we’ve seen and our top pick for artists and media creators.
Read our full Microsoft Surface Studio 2 review.
Our new favorite office desktop does a cool trick of disappearing, with an original design that hides a powerful mini PC inside a specially designed monitor stand that turns it into a low-profile all-in-one PC. Packing plenty of capacity into its small size and offering a modular solution for offices that want to upgrade frequently, the Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra is a great take on the workplace mini PC.
The mini PC itself is so thin that it could be mistaken for a laptop battery or desktop dock, but inside it features an Intel Core processor, up to 64GB of RAM, and up to 1TB of storage. It has plenty of ports and performance that clearly place it among the best productivity-focused PCs you can buy, in any form factor.
Read our full Dell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra Review.
Editor’s note: Apple has confirmed that it is Discontinuing the Apple iMac Proand will no longer sell the system once current stock runs out.
When it comes to all-in-one computers, there is none more powerful than this one. The Apple iMac Pro takes back the Pro title with far more processing and graphics power than any consumer will need, making it the perfect addition to the professional video studio, audio engineering booth, or architect’s office.
Equipped with a 10-core Intel Xeon processor, workstation-grade graphics, and a mind-blowing 128GB of RAM, this machine is pure power. Despite its age, this is still probably the best all-in-one computer for anyone who wants to maintain the sleek iMac design but needs a lot of power in a workstation.
Read our Apple iMac Pro full review.
How to choose the best all-in-one computer for you
When purchasing a new desktop computer, such as one of the best all-in-one computers listed above, it is helpful to have a clear idea of what the intended uses are for the new system. If you’re looking for a basic machine for browsing the web, there are plenty of affordable systems to fit your needs, but more demanding uses like editing photos and videos or even creating new artistic content will require a more powerful system.
For most users, we recommend looking for something with a Core i5 processor or higher, with at least 8GB of memory, but more demanding users will want to opt for something more powerful, such as an Intel Core i7, and more RAM will mean more speed. , smoother operations. You may also want a discrete graphics card if you want to do any kind of gaming or multimedia work.
Storage is also an important consideration. While many of the systems on our list offer 1TB or more of storage, we consider the best option to be a dual-drive system that offers a larger hard drive for file storage and a faster SSD for storing the operating system. and the programs.
Touch capability is common on many all-in-one computers, but not on Apple’s iMac. If you want touch or stylus support, you’ll definitely want to get a Windows machine.
And don’t forget the screen. Larger screens are great, but you may get better results if you focus on resolution, as 4K displays are becoming more common and some high-end all-in-ones offer even higher resolution options.
All-in-one computers range from affordable to premium prices. Inexpensive systems can be found for under $1000, but they will generally be limited to Full HD resolution displays and low-power Celeron and Pentium processors. The best all-in-one desktops can cost $2,000 or more and feature 4K displays, the latest Intel Core i7 processors, and discrete graphics cards from Nvidia and AMD.
Since these units are always plugged in, you may also want to invest in a good surge protector to ensure your all-in-one stays in good shape.
How we test all-in-one PCs
Every all-in-one device we review goes through a variety of benchmark tests in our lab, as well as long hours of real-world use. As with our laptop reviewsWe use a colorimeter to measure the brightness, color accuracy, and color gamut of each all-in-one device’s display.
For performance, we use the Geekbench 4 test to measure the overall processing capabilities of a system. We also ran a custom spreadsheet test to see how long it takes a PC to match thousands of names to addresses. To evaluate the hard drive speed of each system, we measured how long it takes to copy 4.97 files.
If an all-in-one has discrete graphics, we run it through many of the same benchmarks we use for gaming PCs. This includes 3DMark Fire Strike, as well as the built-in benchmarking tools for games like Rise of the Tomb Raider, Hitman, and Grand Theft Auto V. If an all-in-one is built that supports VR, we will also run the SteamVR performance test.
Most importantly, we spend a lot of time simply using each all-in-one desktop computer for daily activities. We watch movies, work, play games, and blast music from speakers, all to get a better idea of which ones are worth your money.
