Monday, February 01, 2021
Not everyone has the time, budget, or know-how to build their PC; thankfully, some of the best budget PCs already come assembled. Acer's Aspire TC-895 is our top pick thanks to a modern processor (CPU), plenty of RAM and storage, and an included keyboard and mouse. If you're on a tight budget, it's a great device to get you going on Windows 10, and it will have enough power to tackle daily productivity tasks. However, there are more best budget PCs that we've included here if the Acer option isn't quite what you're looking for.
Best Overall: Acer Aspire TC-895
Acer's Aspire TC-885 was our top pick of all best budget PCs for a long time, but it's been usurped by the updated TC-895. This pre-built has been updated with 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10100 and Core i5-10400 CPU options, as well as up to 12GB of DDR4-2666MHz RAM and a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe solid-state drive (SSD) for speedy read and write speeds. There's no dedicated GPU for gaming or an otherwise heavy workload; the addition usually pushes the price of a PC well above $500.
An optical drive is still built into the front of the tower, and it still has plenty of ports. The front has USB-A, USB-C, an SD card reader, and dual 3.5mm audio jacks, while the back has audio, HDMI, and more USB-A. Also upgraded is the wireless adapter, now able to support Wi-Fi 6 for faster and more reliable wireless internet. Included are a keyboard and mouse, meaning you only have to add one of our picks for best computer monitors to get going.
If you'd like to make the jump up to a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU for better processing power and slightly more RAM at 12GB, the cost moves up to just $545. If you have a bit more budget, it might be worth opting for the more powerful PC.
Pros:
- 10th Gen Intel Core CPUs
- Plenty of ports
- 512GB M.2 NVMe SSD
- Wi-Fi 6
- Keyboard and mouse included
Cons:
- No dedicated GPU
Best Overall
Acer Aspire TC-895
Great all-around PC for most people
If you're looking for a great home PC with respectable hardware and modern features, the updated Acer TC-895 will do the trick.
Runner-up: Lenovo ThinkCentre M720q Tiny
If you don't have a lot of space on or near your desk, Lenovo's ThinkCentre M720q Tiny will no doubt be an attractive option. It's not much larger than an old optical drive, yet it packs in some impressive features, including dual SODIMM RAM slots and space for a 2.5-inch storage drive and an M.2 PCIe solid-state drive (SSD), all of which can be upgraded after purchase.
Ports include five USB-A 3.1, DisplayPort, HDMI, and RJ45 Ethernet, with the option to add more at checkout. Add up to a 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900T CPU, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB M.2 PCIe SSD, though keep in mind prices rise accordingly. Baseline models start with an Intel Core i5 T-series CPU that's great for productivity work.
Prices fluctuate quite a bit for this PC, and if you're shopping at Lenovo, you might not find a price below $500 at the moment. However, frequent coupons and rebates often have it below the budget line. Refurbished models are also available from Newegg at a bargain price.
Pros:
- Compact chassis
- Upgradeable RAM and SSD
- Keyboard and mouse included
- Plenty of configuration options
- Generous port selection
Cons:
- Higher-end models quickly pass the budget mark
Runner-Up
Lenovo ThinkCentre M720q Tiny
Compact PC with plenty of features
Starting at a low price, you can configure a model with some impressive hardware if you have a bit of wiggle in your budget.
Best Value: Dell Inspiron 3880
Dell's refreshed Inspiron 3880 is available at an attractive starting price, and you can scale things up as the budget allows. The baseline model includes a 10th Gen Intel Core i3-10100 CPU, 4GB of DDR4 RAM, and a 1TB SATA HDD at 7,200 RPM. An even better deal is a model with 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10400 CPU, 12GB of RAM, and 1TB SATA HDD for about $490, though that price isn't standard.
No matter the hardware you choose, each tower comes with plenty of ports — including six USB-A, HDMI, Ethernet, VGA, 3.5mm, and an SD card reader — as well as an optical drive for CDs and DVDs. A keyboard and mouse are included in the price.
Pros:
- 10th Gen Intel CPU options
- Large storage options
- Decent port selection
- Includes keyboard and mouse
Cons:
- No dedicated GPU
- Slow storage
- No Wi-Fi 6
Best Value
Dell Inspiron 3880
A budget PC for general productivity
Starting at a great price, you can add and tweak hardware as your needs and budget allows.
Bottom line
Sticking to a tight budget and finding a pre-built desktop PC that's right for you can be challenging. The pros and cons of pre-built PCs might sway you one way or the other; however, the Acer TC-895 checks the most boxes for most people, making it our top pick out of all best budget PCs.
It has a quad-core 10th Gen Intel Core i3 or i5 CPU, up to 12GB of DDR4-2666MHz RAM, and a 512GB M.2 PCIe NVMe SSD, which is a considerable amount of hardware for the price you'll pay. It doesn't include a dedicated GPU for gaming — you're better off checking out one of our picks for best gaming desktop PC in that case — but it has the performance to handle daily productivity work.
The addition of a DVD-RW optical drive on the front and plenty of ports on the front and back only sweeten the deal, and you can even upgrade internal hardware after purchase to keep the PC relevant long into the future.
Credits — The team that worked on this guide
Cale Hunt is a staff writer at Windows Central. He focuses mainly on PC, laptop, accessory coverage, and the emerging world of VR. He is an avid PC gamer and multi-platform user and spends most of his time either tinkering with or writing about tech.
Rich Edmonds is a staff reviewer at Windows Central, which means he tests out more software and hardware than he cares to remember. Joining Mobile Nations in 2010, you can usually find him inside a PC case tinkering around when not at a screen fighting with Grammarly to use British words. Hit him up on Twitter: @RichEdmonds.
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