Best PC computer deals: Top picks from desktops to all-in-ones

Whether you’re looking for a productivity desktop, a gaming PC powerhouse, or a stylish all-in-one Windows machine, we’ve got you covered. The team at PCWorld sort through all of the daily computer sales and put together a curated list of the best deals available. But not all deals are really deals, so we only choose those offered by reputable companies and that include great hardware to ensure you get the best value for your money.

We’ve also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you’re considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily.

Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it’s possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article’s next update.

Best desktop computer deals

Currently, we’re seeing some great deals on gaming computers from the likes of HP, Skytech, and Alienware.

Alienware Aurora R14, Ryzen 7/RTX 3080/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,499.99 (39% off on Dell)HP Victus 15L, Ryzen 7/RX 6600 XT/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/1TB HDD, $999.99 (26% off on HP)Omen 25L, Ryzen 5/RTX 3050/8GB RAM/256GB SSD, $829.99 (38% off on HP)Acer Nitro 50, Core i5/RTX 3050/16GB RAM/512GB SSD, $789.99 (34% off on Newegg)Skytech Chronos, Core i7/RTX 4070 Ti/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,799.99 (21% off on Newegg)Skytech Shadow, Ryzen 5/RTX 3060/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $899.99 (28% off on Newegg)Lenovo Legion 5, Ryzen 5/RX 6500XT/8GB RAM/512GB SSD, $639.99 (35% off on BestBuy)MSI Aegis ZS, Ryzen 9/RX 6700XT/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,399.99 (26% off on BestBuy)Skytech Shiva, Ryzen 5/RTX 3080/16GB RAM/1TB SSD, $1,699.99 (29% off on Amazon)iBuyPower Slake Hako, Core i5/RTX 3050/16GB RAM/500GB SSD, $899.99 (22% off on Adorama)

For a solid budget-friendly gaming PC, you should consider the Acer Nitro 50 for $410 off on Newegg. It comes with a Core i5 CPU, 16GB of RAM, and an RTX 3050—that’s enough to let you play most modern games (without ray-tracing) at decent fps. Or if you’re looking to get your hands on one of the latest and greatest GPUs, you can check out the Skytech Chronos for $500 off on Newegg. It sports the brand new, hard-to-find RTX 4070 Ti—check out our review of the RTX 4070 Ti GPU for more info.

Best all-in-one computer deals

All-in-one desktop computers combine a PC’s hardware with a modern display to make a desktop computer that has both form and function. Since everything is built together, you can save precious desktop space with an all-in-one. They make capable work computers and they can also be excellent home computers with the wide range of features appealing to the whole family. Currently, we are seeing great deals on HP and Dell all-in-ones as well as an allusive deal on an Apple iMac.

Inspiron 24 AiO, Ryzen 7/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/24-inch 1080p touch display, $799.99 (22% off on Dell)Inspiron 27 AiO, Core i5/Intel Iris Xe Graphics/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/27-inch 1080p touch display, $899.99 (14% off on Dell)HP AiO 24, Ryzen 5/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/1TB HDD/24-inch 1080p display, $729.99 (23% off on HP)HP Envy AiO 34, Core i5/GTX 1650/16GB RAM/512GB SSD/34-inch 5K display, $1,479.99 (35% off on HP)Apple 27″ iMac, Core i5/Radeon Pro 5300/8GB RAM/512GB SSD/27-inch 5K display, $1,499.99 (25% off on BestBuy)

Dell is running deals on their Inspiron range of all-in-ones and you can take your pick from the 24-inch version for $230 off or the 27-inch model for $150 off on the Dell website. The Inspiron 24 AiO comes with a slightly newer and higher performing Ryzen 7 CPU, but for only a hundred dollars more you get more screen real-estate and a better integrated GPU with the Inspiron 27 AiO—it’s a close call but we’d opt for the Inspiron 27 AiO if we had to choose. Alternatively, if you’re an Apple fan, BestBuy is offering a deal on the latest model Apple iMac model for $500 off, which is a rare find indeed.

FAQ
1.
What are good websites to find computer deals?

There are a ton of sites that sell computers, and scouring through all of them would take you a lot of time—that’s why we do it for you here and highlight the best deals we find. However, to save you some time and frustration, you need to be smart about where you look at any given time of the year.

If you’re looking for a new computer during the holidays or around popular sale periods such as Black Friday or back-to-school, then you are likely to find great deals directly through first party vendor websites. These include the retail storefronts of popular computer manufacturers such as HP, Dell, and Lenovo.

However, if you are looking in between sales periods, it’s generally a good idea to search through large third-party retailers such as Amazon, Adorama, Walmart, BestBuy, and Newegg. Oftentimes these websites will offer limited Deals of the Day type sales in hopes of getting rid of excess stock. On the upside, you can score still-decent PCs at a steep discount.

2.
When are the best times to find computer deals?

Generally speaking, the best deals are offered during the big sales events each year. These include Prime day, Black Friday, Cyber Monday, and the back-to-school period, among others. You will typically see the lowest prices of the year for computers during these events.

That being said, there are opportunities to find one-off sales on computers throughout the year from both first- and third-party vendors. These sales are much harder to predict and usually have a time limit, such as one day or one week. Realistically, the only way to find these sales is by checking vendor websites every day.

3.
What specs should I look for in a good gaming computer?

Since desktop computers don’t have the same restrictions on component size or portability as laptops, the price-to-component ratios are mercifully cheaper than they are in gaming notebooks. This means you can get more gaming bang for your buck in a desktop gaming PC.

When it comes to gaming, the two most important pieces of hardware you’ll want to focus on are the CPU and GPU. Think of the CPU as the heart of your computer, ultimately determining how your system will perform when running software. When looking at a computer’s CPU, you should pay attention to the processor core count which usually ranges from two to 16 cores. At a minimum, you will want four cores, but you might be able to get up to six or eight cores without stretching your budget too much. For high-end systems, you should be looking at between eight and 16 cores. Although even for high-level gaming, having more than eight cores won’t add much benefit.

A good GPU is essential for gaming and it is going to be the component you will want to splurge on the most. For budget gamers a card that offers affordability and ray tracing is the sweet spot. These include the Nvidia RTX 3060 or AMD RX 6600 or 6600 XT. If you want to game in 4K, it is probably best to go with Nvidia’s RTX 3080 or AMD’s RX 6800 XT.

Beyond the CPU and GPU, the other hardware components are less crucial. As for RAM, you should opt for a minimum of 8GB, but ideally 16GB is better—anything over 16GB is largely unnecessary for gaming purposes. RAM is also relatively inexpensive and easy to upgrade if you need more in the future.

For your hard drive, you will want to have at least one SSD, preferably an M.2 NVMe PCIe SSD if you can afford it. SSDs are faster than their spinning disc predecessors and will boot your games faster and provide improved load times. Storage size is more of a personal preference. You should consider the types of games you will want to play and how many you intend to download. If you plan to store a lot of games on your computer, then you will most likely want a 1TB or larger drive. Note that it’s not uncommon for modern games to have file sizes over 100GB.

4.
What makes a good home office computer?

A home office computer should fulfill all of the needs you have for your work. If you work with spreadsheets and multiple programs, you will want a good processor. If you are a content creator then you will need lots of RAM and a blazing fast hard drive.

You should also consider other points such as available space and portability. If you are limited on space, you might want to consider an all-in-one which combines the computer component and monitor into one compact unit. If you don’t want to be fixed to one location, then you might consider purchasing a laptop over a desktop. If so, check out our best laptop deals section.

5.
What are the benefits of buying a desktop computer over a laptop?

The main benefit is the cost-to-component ratio. Due to the nature of their use, laptops have design restrictions that desktops simply don’t have. This means you can generally find better hardware in a desktop for cheaper than you can in a laptop.

Desktops also have the unique advantage of being able to pack in better cooling systems. These dissipate more heat and allow your hardware to run more effectively. Also, desktops are easier to upgrade and expand if you choose to do so. 

For a more in-depth analysis you can read our 5 reasons to buy a desktop PC instead of a laptop.

Desktop PCs, Gaming PCs