The latest desktop deals from HP, Dell, Acer, and more – Ars Technica

For those who value performance, a large display, and upgrade flexibility, a desktop continues to offer the best value. Not only can you add a graphics card to these larger computer rigs, but you can easily upgrade later to newer, more powerful components as your needs change. Combine a powerful desktop with a beautiful display, and you have a larger digital canvas to work, play, or entertain than a laptop can afford.

More serious gamers should check out the OMEN by HP desktop, which is discounted by $670, while casual home users can choose a non-graphics model for less graphics-intensive productivity tasks. Both the Acer Aspire and Dell Inspiron desktop are great options and come at cheaper prices since they lack the GPU. Avid gamers and workstation users who demand the performance of the latest silicon should check out the Alienware Aurora R15 Gaming Desktop, reduced by $630. Available now for $3,600, this desktop packs a 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processor alongside Nvidia’s RTX 3090 graphics.

The best desktop deals

• Acer Aspire TC-1760 for $550 (was $620) at Amazon: Not the most powerful desktop on our list, Acer’s Aspire desktop still features Intel’s 12th Gen Core i5 processor and is a great option for college students and general home PC use. Discrete graphics are particularly lacking since this model is based on Intel’s UHD Graphics 730. The desktop also packs 12GB of DDR4 memory and a 512GB solid state drive. Surprisingly, a DVD burner is also included in this model.
• HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop for $1,000 (was $1,315) at Amazon: Built for work and play, this affordable gaming desktop is configured with AMD’s Ryzen 7 5700G processor and Nvidia’s GeForce RTX 2060 Super graphics. Serious gamers will likely turn down the older GPU, but at nearly 25 percent off, this is a great desktop for casual gamers and content creators. It features 16GB of RAM, 1TB of solid-state storage, and plenty of front-panel ports for connecting your gear.
• HP Envy Desktop for $1,230 (was $1,700) at Amazon: If you’ve got a bit more cash, we’d recommend HP’s Envy Desktop over the Pavilion model on our list. For $230 more than the Pavilion, you get a much slimmer chassis design, more powerful silicon with Intel’s 12th Gen Core i9 processor and Nvidia’s RTX 3070 graphics, and similar memory and storage configurations. Inside, there’s room for expansion and upgrades, and the tool-less one-touch latch to open the side panel gives you access to the interior of this desktop.
• Dell Inspiron 3910 Desktop for $723 (was $750) at Amazon: With a 10% discount, you get the 12th generation Intel Core i5 processor, along with the integrated Intel UHD Graphics 730, 256 GB of memory and 16 GB of DDR4 memory on this Inspiron desktop configuration. Discreet graphics are notably absent, similar to the Acer model on our list, making this compact tower more suited to productivity than creative workflows.
• Dell XPS 8950 Desktop for $1,682 (was $2,349) at Amazon: This isn’t the cheapest price for the XPS 8950 in recent days, but it’s still 28 percent off retail. With a 12th Gen Intel Core i7 processor and Nvidia RTX 3060 Ti graphics, you still get plenty of power for creative work and play, assuming you don’t need a more powerful GPU for AAA titles. With accessible front ports and a matching tower, you can later upgrade to a more powerful GPU as your needs change.
• OMEN by HP 45L Gaming Desktop for $1,630 (was $2,300) at HP: HP’s OMEN gaming desktop is now discounted by $670 on the manufacturer’s website. This desktop is equipped with an AMD Ryzen 7 5800X processor, discrete Nvidia RTX 3070 graphics card, 16 GB HyperX DDR4 memory and a 512 GB WD Black PCIe NVMe M.2 solid state drive and a 1 TB 7200 rpm -Hard disk equipped.
• Alienware Aurora R15 Gaming Desktop for $3,600 (was $4,230) at Dell: Dell’s latest gaming desktop might be the most expensive option on our list, but it’s also the most powerful. This gaming powerhouse is equipped with Intel’s 13th generation 24-core Core i9-13900F processor and Nvidia’s powerful GeForce RTX 4090 GPU. Other features include 32GB of DDR5 4800MHz memory along with a 1TB NVM.e M.2 solid state drive. Less expensive configurations are also available, with prices starting at $1,400.

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Offer image of Sharon Harding