If you’re shopping for a new desktop computer for your home office, all the different options out there can be confusing. But don’t worry, in this article, I’ll walk you through all the different options out there.
Table of Contents
In order to try and keep this list as easy to read as possible, I’ve broken it down into 3 categories: Best Desktops For Home Office, Best All In One Desktops For Home Office, and Best iMacs For Home Office.
“Best Desktops For Home Office” is where you’ll find some of the best traditional desktop computers for your home office, these are the ones that will sit under your desk and connect to an external screen.
“Best All In One Desktops For Home Office” is where you’ll find some of the best all in one computers for your home office. These are the ones where the computer is built inside the screen.
“Best iMacs For Home Office” is where you’ll find the best iMacs for your home office. If you want an Apple desktop computer, this is the section for you.
But, before we get into looking at any computers, let’s take a look at what you should consider when choosing a new desktop computer for your home office.
How To Choose A Good Desktop Computer
When choosing a new desktop for your home office, the main aspects you’ll want to keep in mind are, CPU, RAM, Storage, and Price.
Some of the more high-end computers on this list will also have a dedicated GPU (Graphics Processing Unit). A GPU is what takes care of anything related to graphics like connecting to screens, editing and viewing photos and videos, and much more.
If you do things on your computer like high-resolution video editing or 3D rendering, you’ll want to make sure you get one with a dedicated GPU, but if all your planning to do on your computer is normal day to day office tasks, you can just ignore the GPU.
CPU – The CPU or “processor” is the chip found in all computers that does all the work. you’ll want to make sure you get a computer with a CPU that’s fast enough, or your computer will be very slow and frustrating to use.
RAM – The RAM is where your computer will store everything that is currently open. Things like browser tabs and other apps will all take up RAM while they’re open. Needless to say, the more RAM your computer has, the more things you can have open at the same time.
For normal usage, 8GB will be a decent amount of RAM. But if like me you keep a lot of stuff open on your computer at once, you will definitely want to get one with 12GB – 16GB or maybe even 32GB.
Storage – Storage is where all your files and apps will be stored. Thanks to cloud storage services like Google Drive being so popular these days, having lots of storage is not quite as important as it once was, but it’s still good to have a decent amount of space on your computer.
If you want to store all of your files on your computer, you will want to get one with 500GB, 1TB (1000GB), or perhaps even 4TB (4000GB). But if you’re happy to store most of your files on the cloud, or an external hard drive, you’ll be fine with a computer with storage as small as 256GB.
Price – Buying a new computer can get quite expensive, so it’s important to keep the price in mind. If you want to try and keep the cost as low as possible, I’d recommend taking a look at the Acer Aspire at the top of my list. It has enough power to breeze through normal office tasks while still being priced very reasonably.
Best Desktop For Home Office
Image | Name | CPU (Processor) | RAM | Storage | Buy On Amazon |
Best Desktops For Home Office | |||||
 | Acer Aspire TC-895 Best Desktop Computer On A Budget | 10th Gen Intel Core | 8 GB or 12 GB | 512 GB | |
 | Lenovo Think Station P330 Tiny Best Compact Desktop Computer | 8th Gen Intel Core i7-8700T | 16 GB, 32 GB, or 64 GB | 512 GB, 1TB, or 2 TB | |
 | Dell XPS 8940 | 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10700 | 32 GB | 512 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD | |
 | Omen by HP Obelisk | 9th Gen Intel Core i9-9900K | 32 GB | 1 TB | |
Best All In One Desktops For Home Office | |||||
 | HP 24 Pavilion All-in-One PC | 10th Gen Intel Core i7-10700T | 16 GB | 512 GB SSD + 1 TB HDD | |
 | HP Envy 32 All-in-One | 9th Gen Intel Core i7-9700 | 16 GB or 32 GB | 1 TB | |
Best iMacs For Home Office | |||||
 | Apple iMac (21.5-inch) | 8th Gen Intel Core i5 | 8 GB | 256 GB | |
 | Apple iMac Pro | Intel Xeon X5560 | 64 GB | 1 TB |
Best Desktops For Home Office
In this section, we’re going to take a look at some of the best traditional desktops for your home office.
Unlike an all in one computer where the screen and computer are both built in together, a traditional desktop is just a box that will sit either on or under your desk and then connect to a separate screen.
These will be a good option if you already have a computer screen that you want to use, are looking for an affordable desktop that will still be fast enough to get work done on, or need some serious computing power.
The Good
- Cheapest On This List
- Enough Power To Handle Most Home Office Needs
- Latest Intel CPU
The Bad
- Not Heaps Of RAM
The Acer Aspire TC-895 is probably going to be the best option for a lot of people. With a nice low price, it’s definitely the best desktop computer for anyone on a budget.
But even if you’re willing to spend a bit more, you might still want to consider this one as it should be more than capable of most day to day home office tasks.
It comes in two different variations with different CPUs and different amounts of RAM:
Option 1 – The cheaper variation has a 10th Gen Intel Core i3 CPU, which is not the fastest but it should have no trouble with day to day tasks like web browsing, email, and Microsoft Office applications.
It also has 8GB of RAM which is again not huge, but it’s big enough for most people and you’ll still be able to have a good amount of browser tabs and other apps open at the same time.
Option 2 – The more expensive variation is the one I would recommend most people get, it has a 10th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU which will breeze through day to day office tasks. And 12 GB of RAM which is still not ginormous, but you’ll be able to have plenty of browser tabs and other apps open without running into any issues.
So if you really want to stick to a tight budget, option 1 won’t disappoint, but if you don’t mind spending an extra 100 dollars, I would recommend going with option 2.
Both variations have 512GB of storage which is not huge for a desktop computer, but unless you have heaps of large files, you’ll still have plenty of space to store all your files.
It comes with a free keyboard and mouse which aren’t the best keyboard and mouse in the world, but they’re perfectly functional if you don’t already have any.
Overall, it’s a nice, dependable desktop computer that won’t break the bank. And if you’re looking for a computer to do basic office tasks on, this is probably the one for you.
Want to Buy The Acer Aspire?
The Good
- Nice Small Form Factor
- Very Powerful
- Heaps Of RAM
- Graphics Card To Help With Things Like Video Editing
The Bad
- Nothing Really Bad To Report
The Lenovo ThinkStation P330 Tiny is one of the smallest desktop computers around, so it’s perfect if your home office is a bit on the small side.
But being so tiny doesn’t mean it’s not powerful, it will have no trouble handling pretty much any task you throw at it including editing 4k video.
It has an 8th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU which is extremely powerful. It will be lightning quick for any day to day office task like web browsing and email, but it will also have no trouble handling more demanding tasks.
It also gives you plenty of RAM, the cheapest variant has 16GB which is a very good amount of RAM for most people.
But you can also choose 32GB which gives you heaps of space and would allow you to have as many different apps and browser tabs open as you want. And if you really need an extreme amount of RAM, there is also a 64GB option.
It doesn’t lack storage space either, the cheapest option has 512GB of storage which is a good amount of space for most people. But is you have a lot of files, you can also choose 1TB (1000GB) of space, or even 2TB (2000GB).
It also has an NVIDIA Quadro P620 GPU which helps with anything related to graphics like serious photo editing, video editing, or connecting to multiple high-resolution screens.
So if you want extremely good performance in a tiny little package, The Lenovo ThinkStation P330 won’t disappoint.
Want to Buy The Lenovo ThinkStation?
The Good
- Latest Intel CPUs
- Super Fast Performance
- Plenty Of RAM
The Bad
- Quite A Bit Bigger
While the Dell XPS 8940 is nowhere near as small as the Lenovo ThinkStation, it’s certainly a very powerful computer and will handle any task you throw at it with ease.
It has a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU which is blazing fast and will have absolutely no trouble with anything you need to do.
It also has a nice big 32GB of RAM which is a huge amount of RAM. With this much RAM, you can have as many different browser tabs and other apps open as you want without running out of room.
The storage is a bit different from most of the other options on this list. It has a 256GB SSD (Solid State Drive) which isn’t very big, you’ll be able to store all your apps on there, but you probably won’t have space for all your files.
But fortunately, it also has a 4TB (4000GB) HDD (Hard Disk Drive) to store all your files on. You see, a Hard Disk Drive is an older, cheaper drive for storing files on. Years ago all computers used to use only Hard Disk Drives, but they all recently started using much faster, more expensive Solid State Drives.
But this computer combines the best of both worlds, the smaller SSD will store all your apps and some of the files you use most frequently to ensure you have a fast experience while using the computer.
And the huge HDD will store all your other files. It will take a tiny unnoticeable amount of time longer to retrieve your files, but as all your apps are on the SSD, you’ll still get a nice fast experience.
So if you want a nice, extremely powerful desktop computer with heaps of storage space, this is probably the one for you.
Want to Buy The Dell XPS?
The Good
- Unbelievably Powerful
- Plenty Of RAM
- Full Size GPU Which Is Great For Things Like Video Editing Or 3D Rendering
The Bad
- Quite Expensive
The Omen Obelisk is an insanely powerful desktop that is more geared towards gamers.
But if you’re a video editor, gamer, or you just want the best possible performance from your home office computer, this could be the one for you.
It has a 9th Gen Intel Core i9 CPU which is incredibly powerful and could handle absolutely anything you need your computer to do.
It has 32GB of RAM which is heaps of RAM and will allow you to have as much as you want all open at once.
For storage, it has 1TB (1000GB) of storage space which is plenty of space to store all your files. And unlike the Dell XPS, this is all SSD storage so you will be able to access your files as fast as possible.
It also has an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2080 GPU which is great for processing anything related to graphics like high-resolution video and image editing, creating 3D renders, connecting to multiple high-resolution screens, gaming, and more.
Adding to the gamer vibe, it also has a seethrough glass wall allowing you to see all the internals.
So, it’s probably not for most people, but if you don’t mind spending a bit more for extreme performance, it could be the one for you.
Want to Buy The Omen by HP Obelisk?
Best All In One Desktops For Home Office
In this section, we’re going to take a look at some of the best all in one desktops for your home office.
Unlike traditional desktops, all in ones have the screen, computer, webcam, microphone, and speakers all built into one device. Hence the name “all in one”.
These can be a great option if you want to save space, or you just like the idea of only needing to buy one device to put on your desk.
The Good
- Nice Full HD Touchscreen
- Super Fast Performance
- Plenty Of Storage
The Bad
- Nothing Much To Report
The HP 24 Pavilion All-In-One is an awesome all in one computer. It’s perfect for anyone looking for a powerful all-in-one desktop to get work done on.
It has a 10th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU which is incredibly fast and will have no trouble handling any task you throw at it.
It has 16GB of RAM which is plenty of RAM and gives you enough room to have heaps of different browser tabs and apps all open at once without running out of space.
The storage is a bit like the storage in the Dell XPS, you get a super-fast 512GB SSD for storing apps and some files. And a 1TB (1000GB) HDD for storing the rest of your files. But unlike the Dell XPS, the SSD is 512GB instead of 256GB so you will probably be able to store all your files on the SSD.
The 23.8-inch touchscreen screen is a really nice size, especially if you want to be able to do a bit of multitasking. It also has a decent sounding speaker built into the front so there’s no need to buy external speakers. And a pop-up webcam which is convenient for video calls.
It also comes with a pretty good wireless keyboard and mouse which is quite nice and means there is no other tech you will need to buy. But keep in mind that as they’re wireless, you’ll want to make sure you have four triple-a batteries at hand as they don’t come in the box.
So if you’re looking for an awesome all in one pc that won’t slow down no matter what you throw at it, this is probably the one for you.
Want to Buy The HP 24 Pavilion All-in-One PC?
The Good
- Extremely Good Speakers
- Stunning 4K Screen
- Incredible Performance
- Powerful GPU To Help With Anything Related To Graphics
The Bad
- Very Expensive
The HP Envy 32 is certainly a more expensive all in one. But if you don’t mind spending a bit more, for a premium experience, this is the one for you.
The built in screen is a huge 31.5 inches which is absolutely ginormous. And it has a 4k resolution so everything on it will look extremely detailed.
Directly below the huge 4k screen, is an incredible sounding built in speaker that sounds much better than the average external speaker.
And it’s stand doubles as a wireless charger, so if your phone supports wireless charging (most modern phones do), you’ll be able to charge it just by sitting it on the stand of your computer!
It has a 9th Gen Intel Core i7 CPU which is incredibly powerful and will be able to handle absolutely any task you throw at it.
It comes in two different variations with different GPUs and different amounts of RAM, but they both have the same CPU:
Option 1 – The cheaper option has a nice large 16GB of RAM which is plenty of RAM and will allow you to have heaps of different apps and browser tabs all open at the same time. And an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1650 GPU which will allow it to effortlessly do graphically intensive tasks like editing 4k video.
Option 2 – The more expensive option is really only for those who want the absolute best performance. It has a huge 32GB of RAM which will allow you to have as many different apps and tabs open as you want. And an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 2060 GPU for even better graphics.
The powerful GPUs plus the 4k screen really makes this the perfect all in one pc for anyone who works with a lot of photos or videos.
It also comes with a decent wireless keyboard and mouse. They’re nothing super fancy, but they’re very decent and get the job done.
The popup webcam is handy for video calls, but don’t expect the video quality to be any better than any other built in webcam.
So overall, while this all in one is probably overkill for a lot of people. It’s certainly a very premium, powerful computer with a wonderful screen and if you’re looking for the ultimate all in one, this is the one for you.
Want to Buy The HP Envy 32 All-in-One?
Best iMacs For Home Office
In this section, we’re going to go over some of the best iMacs for your home office. iMacs are all in one desktops made by Apple.
So if you’d prefer to use an Apple computer rather than a Windows one, an iMac will be the way to go.
The Good
- Cheapest iMac Available
- 4k Screen
- Decent GPU To Help With Anything Graphical
The Bad
- Not A Lot Of RAM
The 21.5 inch iMac is the cheapest desktop computer Apple makes. It’s not the most powerful desktop around, or the cheapest desktop, but if you want an iMac and you’re on a budget, this is the one for you.
It has an 8th Gen Intel Core i5 CPU, which isn’t the most powerful, but it will still effortlessly breeze through any day to day office tasks like web browsing and email. And it can even tackle some slightly more intensive tasks if you need it to.
To help with anything that is more graphically intensive, it also has an AMD Radeon Pro 560X graphics GPU which will help the performance if you want to do some tasks like video editing.
The biggest downside of going with Apple’s cheapest iMac would have to be the RAM, it has 8GB of RAM which is a decent amount for normal usage but you might not be able to have everything you want all open at once.
The 21.5-inch screen is very nice and gives you a decent amount of screen space without taking up too much space on your desk. And the 4k resolution means everything will look extremely detailed.
So overall, it’s a pretty good computer and will probably be the best option for anyone who needs a desktop to do normal office tasks and prefers to use Mac OS over Windows. Or anyone who wants an iMac for the lowest price possible.
Want to Buy The Apple iMac?
The Good
- Extremely Powerful
- Super High Resolution 5k Screen
- Seriously Powerful GPU To Help With Graphical Tasks
- Heaps Of RAM
The Bad
- Incredibly Expensive
If you want to use an iMac, but need an extremely powerful computer, the iMac Pro is for you.
By no means is it cheap, but if your work requires some intensive tasks, it might just be worth it.
It is powered by an Intel Xeon CPU which is Intel’s range of seriously powerful CPUs. So it will be able to handle absolutely any highly demanding task you throw at it with ease.
In addition to the super-powerful CPU, it also has an incredibly powerful AMD Radeon Pro Vega 56 graphics GPU which means it can easily handle things like 4k video editing and 3D rendering without a problem.
As it is designed for pros, it also has 32GB of RAM which is a huge amount of RAM and will allow you to have as many different apps as you want all open simultaneously.
For storage, it has 1TB (1000GB) of space which is very big. But if you’re using this computer, you probably have a lot of really big files that you’re working with so there is a chance you’ll need an external storage device.
The screen is a huge 27 inches which gives you plenty of space to work with. And what’s even better about it is that it has a 5k resolution which means everything on the screen will look incredibly detailed.
So if you just need to do basic tasks like web browsing, email, and office apps, this powerful computer will be an extreme waste of money. But if your work involves some tasks that require an extreme amount of processing power, then the iMac Pro won’t let you down.
Want to Buy The Apple iMac Pro?
So there you have it, whether you want a traditional desktop, an all in one, or even an iMac, hopefully, you’re found the one for you.
Once you’ve chosen your new desktop, you might like to get yourself a fancy wireless keyboard and mouse to go with it. And, if you didn’t choose an all-in-one, you’ll definitely need a monitor.
If you want to find out how to create the best computer setup for your home office, click here to read my full guide on creating the best work from home computer setup.
