Desktop PCs vs All-In-One PCs - Which is better?

Whether you need a PC for gaming, working from home or just a PC for family use, there’s a huge range out there for you to choose from, but which is the best for your computing needs, a standard desktop PC or an all-in-one?

An all-in-one PC is a desktop PC without the need for a PC tower taking up your desk space as all of the components are built into the back of the monitor. All in one PCs are an excellent choice for those looking to combine all their computing needs into one machine.

All-in-one PCs come with many advantages, if you’re limited on space in your home, an all-in-one PC will help you save on space with their slim designs, and lack of desktop tower. As you only need to set up the one device, all-in-one PCs are much easier and faster to set up and start using, touchscreen models can also be found, giving you an even easier interface experience once your all-in-one PC is set up. Most of our all-in-one desktop PCs come with a keyboard and mouse so you've got everything you need to get going. All-in-one PCs are more portable, with just one slim monitor sized device, it’s much easier to take your whole PC set up on the go if you need to.

All-in-one PCs usually feature larger screens from 21.5” to 27” perfect for video editing or design, though if your creative work requires more intensive tasks and applications, a desktop PC may be more suitable for running these efficiently. All-in-one PCs make for the perfect space-saving business PC or family PC. With up to 16GB of RAM they can still comfortably handle demanding tasks, from documents to streaming movies and more. And with up to 1TB HDD as well, there’s plenty of space for everyone’s files.

Looking for an all-in-one PC for home? Browse the range here, or check out some of our top picks below!

Acer Aspire C22-820 All-In-One Desktop PC

The Acer Aspire C22-820 All-in-One is the perfect family PC. With super-thin bezels and a slim body, it’ll fit into any space. Plus the fast CPU and large HDD mean it can handle all the family’s needs.

• Intel Pentium Silver J5040 Processor
• 8GB RAM
• 21.5" Display Non-Touch Screen
• Intel UHD Graphics
• Wireless Keyboard & Mouse

Lenovo V50a-24IMB 256GB SSD 23.8" Touchscreen Display All-In-One PC

Superior style and amazing performance combined, the Lenovo V50a 24" all-in-one is sure to catch the eye—and give you more desk space. Available with a touchscreen option, this energy-efficient, durable all-in-one PC has enhanced security features too.

• Intel Core i5-10400T Hexa Core Processor
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB SSD
• 23.8" Display Touch Screen
• Intel UHD Graphics

Lenovo V530-24ICB 23.8" Touchscreen 500GB HDD All-In One PC

Robust, reliable, and secure, the V530 AIO walks the walk and talks the talk. With high-speed memory and storage, it’s designed with productivity and energy efficiency in mind.

• Intel Core i3-8100T Quad Core Processor
• 4GB RAM
• 500GB
• 23.8" Display Touch Screen
• Intel UHD Graphics

If you’re looking for a PC for gaming or work that requires a high performance PC, a desktop PC is the best choice. With a tower PC it’s much easier to customise and upgrade your components, such as switching to the latest graphics card or installing additional storage or RAM. Desktop PCs also come with better components to start with, all-in-one PCs are designed to be slim, not leaving much room for the best, or most powerful components such as high performance graphics processing units from NVIDIA or AMD that will help you get the best possible experience for gaming. In addition to this, it’s more difficult to upgrade any parts of an all-in-one desktop.

Although you have to purchase a monitor to complete your PC setup if you go for a desktop PC, you have much more choice available to find the best monitor for your needs. Choose from monitors with fast refresh rates and response times for gaming and monitors with stunning high resolution displays for creating and designing. If your monitor is separate from your PC, it’s also possible to replace your monitor whenever you need to, without needing to replace your entire all-in-one PC.

Shop the range of Desktop PCs here, or take a look at a few of our bestsellers!

Lenovo V530-15ICR - 11BH003AUK Business Desktop PC

Powerful and secure, the Lenovo V530 Tower is designed to keep users productive for the long term, this desktop workhouse is easy to manage and energy efficient.

• Intel core i3-8100 4 Core Processor
• 8GB DDR4-2666Mhz RAM
• 256GB SSD 2.5" SATA 6Gb/s Opal
• Windows 10 Pro
• Wired USB Keyboard & Mouse

HP OMEN 25L GT12-0184na Ryzen 7 3700X Processor GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Graphics Desktop PC

Gaming just evolved, with the OMEN 25L Desktop PC, which is jaw dropping from the moment you take it out of the box. Without compromising on the powerful performance with sleek contemporary design enjoy high end gaming the way it's meant to be played. Plus, the OMEN Gaming Hub case makes it easier to make upgrades.

• AMD Ryzen 7 3700X Eight Core Processor
• HyperX XMP RGB 16GB DDR4 3200 RAM
• 256GB Western Digital Black SSD & 2TB HDD
• GeForce RTX 3060 Ti Graphics
• Wi-Fi 6

HP 290 G3 - 8VR57EA Microtower Business Desktop PC

The HP 290 MT provides a powerful PC with the features you rely on to accomplish your everyday tasks. The scalable and functional design of the HP 290 MT makes it easy to set up and use. Help optimize performance with a Intel Core i5 processor.

• Intel Core i5-9500 Six Core Processor
• 8GB DDR4-2666Mhz RAM
• 256GB PCIe NVMe SSD
• Intel UHD Graphics
• Wired USB Keyboard & Mouse

ASUS ROG Strix G15DK Ryzen 7 5800X Gaming PC

Give yourself a competitive edge in esports with the arena-ready ROG Strix GA15. Designed inside and out for superior gameplay with top notch cooling, this compact Windows 10 gaming desktop features a NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3070 graphics card and an AMD Ryzen 7-5800X CPU.

• AMD Ryzen 7 5800X Processor
• 8GB RAM
• 256GB SSD & 2TB HDD
• GeForce RTX 3070 Graphics
• Built in WiFi

We hope this helps you choose the right type of PC for your computing needs. If you're looking for a high performance gaming PC, you can also view our range of pre-built gaming PCs built by our expert Cube team here, configurable and built with the latest and greatest components - or configure your own dream PC today!