PCR looks at the best systems to plonk under a desk…

PCR’s guide to desktops and all-in-ones

Despite increasing competition from tablets and notebooks, desktop PCs and All-in-One systems can still hold their own as powerhouse computers for the home and office. PCR looks at the best systems to plonk under a desk…

HP EliteOne 800 G1 All-in-One Touch PC

SRP: £1,076

Contact: HP

They say: The HP EliteOne 800 G1 AiO is HP’s most powerful, multimedia-rich all-in-one PC with features that support immersive audio and video, and flexible display options that bring work to life. Coupled with the ability to interface with multiple devices in the workplace and HP’s tight security protocols, this enterprise-class business PC will leave an impression in all working environments.

Specs: Windows 8 Pro 64, Intel Core i5-4570S quad-core processor, Intel HD Graphics 4600, 4GB of 1600MHz DDR3 SDRAM, 500GB 7200RPM SATA hard drive.

Zotac Zbox Nano ID65

RRP: £550

Distributor: Entatech

They say: The Zotac Zbox Nano ID65 is the perfect everyday work station or casual use nettop. Able to fit in the palm of your hand it will happily hide away on the back of any screen with the supplied VESA mount. The Nano ID65 delivers an unmatched combination of size and performance with an excellent selection of ports and connectivity.

Specs: Intel Core i7 processor, Intel HD Graphics 4000, VESA mount, HDMI output, USB 3.0 ports, Bluetooth, Infrared remote control.

Wibtek A23 L5 AIO Touch

RRP: £299 and under

Distributor: Ingram Micro

They say: The Wibtek A23 All-in-One Touch is an elegant and slim barebones system that allows users to build their desired compact PC in five minutes. Make the A23 fit your desires with a display that adjusts by up to 90 degrees and an integrated cable management port.

Specs: Mini ITX, 23-inch Full HD screen, LED backlit capacitive touchscreen, four-in-one card reader, two-megapixel webcam, two 3W speakers, 12.7mm DVD-RW support, 2.5 and 3.5-inch SATA HDD support.

Asus ET2321

RRP: £899

Distributor: VIP Computers

They say: Asus ET2321 series all-in-one PCs have all the performance and features you need in a modern PC. ET2321 models feature an ultra-slim backlit IPS display with 10-point touch, ideal for Windows 8.

Specs: Windows 8 64-bit, Intel Core i5-4200U, 6GB of DDR3 RAM, 1TB SATA HDD, 23-inch Full HD LED backlit display, 10-point multi-touch, six-in-one card reader, Wi-Fi, two-megapixel webcam, DVB-T tuner, three USB 3.0 ports, two USB 2.0 ports, one HDMI-In, one HDMI-Out.

Fujitsu Esprimo Q510 USFF Mini Desktop PC

RRP: £388

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P

They say: The extremely small and elegant Fujitsu Esprimo Q510 combines the performance of a fully equipped desktop PC, low energy consumption and low noise into a very small footprint with a volume of only 1.9 litres.

Specs: Intel H61 chipset, Intel Core i3 2.8GHz, Ultra Small form factor, 320GB HDD, one HDMI out, 4GBDDR3 RAM, Windows 8 64-bit, six USB 2.0 ports, Intel HD 2000 graphics card.

Lenovo ThinkCentre M93z All-In-One Desktop PC

RRP: £1093.97

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P

They say: The Lenovo ThinkCentre M93z All-in-One has been designed to combine user comfort with technological brilliance. The sleek design lets the M93z fit snugly into any working environment. The latest Intel Core processors, a hybrid HDD and USB 3.0 ports, excellent manageability features with Intel vPro and a host of green certifications make the M93z a true all-in-one.

Specs: 23-inch Full HD multi-touch display, Intel Core i5 2.9GHz quad-core processor, 4GB DDR3 RAM, 500GB hybrid HDD, 8GB flash memory, Windows 7 or Windows 8 64-bit, Intel HD Graphics 4600, two-megapixel webcam, Bluetooth 4.0.

Loop LP 2151 L5 AIO Touch

RRP: £289 and under

Distributor: Ingram Micro

They say: The Loop LP 2151 L5 All-in-One Touch computer is a barebones system perfect for those looking to build their own media PC – or even just a compact system. An integrated webcam can be used for video chatting, while a 21.5-inch Full HD touchscreen makes the 2151 perfect for fast and easy control of high definition content. Easily mount the 2151 on a wall using a VESA mount to create a cheap and easy media PC that can be used for movies and games.

Specs: Mini ITX, ABS rear cover, 1.3-megapixel webcam, SD/XD/MMC card reader, one 2.5-inch HDD slot, Intel thermal module, 21.5-inch LED Full HD touchscreen, two USB 2.0 ports, VESA mount.

Intel i3 3220 3.3GHz Foxconn ITX prebuilt system

SRP: £300

Distributor: Target Components

They say: This high-performance desktop PC is a perfect all-rounder although it will suit media streaming, with its 1TB storage and small form factor fitting discreetly into a host of environments – particularly where space is an issue. It features the Intel i3-3220 Ivy Bridge dual-core 3.3GHz processor, H61SP motherboard, 1TB storage, HD onboard graphics and 4GB RAM and industry-leading three-year warranty.

Specs: i3-3220 Ivy Bridge dual-core 3.3GHz processor, H61SP motherboard, 1TB hard drive, HD onboard graphics, 4GB RAM.

HP Slate All-in-One

SRP: £349

Contact: HP

They say: Touch, feel and hear on a HD all-in-one that amplifies your Android world – the HP Slate All-in-One is your trusty Android friend for work, play and more. The Slate’s two-point optical touch screen is built for easy navigation as well as two-fingered gestures like pinch, rotation and zoom. A Full HD 1920×1080 resolution screen gives razor-sharp detail while the In-Plane Switching panel broadens your wider view. Integrated DTS speakers help bring the full audio-entertainment experience into your home with a bang.

Specs: Nvidia Tegra quad-core T40S 1.66GHz CPU, 1920×1080 Full HD IPS display, 1GB SDRAM.

Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 72 3484LCG Tower Desktop PC

RRP: £379.99

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P

They say: The ThinkCentre Edge 72 is engineered for business professionals considering scaling up their IT assets. RapidBoot HDD Accelerator, a part of Lenovo Enhanced Experience 3 for Windows 7 starts your desktop in less time. Increase energy savings using Desktop Power Manager with Cisco EnergyWise Certification. Simplify desktop management with the latest Lenovo TVT.

Specs: Intel Pentium dual-core 3GHz processor, 4GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM, 500GB 7200RPM HDD, Super Multi-Burner DVD-RW, Windows 7 Pro or Windows 8 Pro 64-bit, Intel HD Graphics.

ASRock BMW-Designed M8 Mini-ITX Barebones

SRP: £500

Distributor: Target Components

They say: Just add your favourite CPU, graphics card and hard drive and a slim optical drive and you’ll have a gaming rig. It features an OLED all-in-one button and ASRock’s Home Cloud allows you access to the PC even when it has been turned off.

Specs: ASRock Z87 mini-ITX motherboard, Intel Haswell 1150 socket, OLED button, ASRock Home Cloud capability, two DDR3 RAM slots, four USB 3.0 ports, 7.1HD audio with Creative Sound Core3D.

AMD Trinity A4 5300 Dual Core mATX prebuilt system

SRP: £220

Distributor: Target Components

They say: Ideal for use in schools, at home or small business this is a great performer at a low cost. It features the bestselling AMD Trinity A4 5300 processor, 4GB of RAM, a 500GB HDD and the Biostar A55MD2 motherboard with HD onboard graphics and industry-leading three-year warranty. The discreet, yet stylish, case also features a host of connectivity options.

Specs: AMD Trinity A4 5300 processor, 4GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, Biostar A55MD2 motherboard, HD onboard graphics.

Dell OptiPlex 9020 SFF PC

RRP: £1,014

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P

They say: Take control with the powerful OptiPlex 9020 ­– Dell’s most manageable desktop featuring Intel vPro and Dell’s unique vPro extensions. Easily manage the entire desktop fleet and keep your business running smoothly with exceptional, integrated manageability features. Protect your data no matter where it resides – from desktop to mobile to the cloud – with comprehensive security and encryption solutions.

Specs: Intel Q87 Express chipset, Intel Core i7 4770 3.4GHz processor, 500GB HDD, Intel HD Graphics 4600, small form factor, Intel vPro, 8GB DDR3 RAM, DVD-RW, Windows 7 Pro.

Gigabyte GB-XM14 Brix Ultra Compact PC

RRP: £159.99

Distributor: VIP Computers

They say: The Brix from Gigabyte is an ultra compact and versatile DIY PC kit available with a broad choice of processors. The Brix redefines the desktop PC in terms of miniaturisation with a form factor that sits in the palm of your hand. Ideal for compact HTPC builds or as a standard desktop in the home or office, the Brix doesn’t hold back in connectivity or raw performance.

Specs: Intel Celeron 1037U 1.8GHz processor, Intel NM70 chipset, two SO-DIMM DDR3 RAM slots, Intel HD graphics, two USB ports, one HDMI output, one mSATA slot, one half-size mini-PCIe slot, includes VESA mounting bracket.

Acer Aspire XC SFF PC

RRP: £418

Distributor: Exertis Micro-P

They say: Easy to place, easy to set up; whether on a shelf, in a corner of your desk, or tucked underneath, this compact PC just fits. It’s perfect for storing media, as a machine in the kids’ room, or for students in cramped dorms. The compactly styled Aspire X Series is just one-third the size of a tower PC, yet it offers plenty of power and performance for your creativity and entertainment – and your media is shareable in AcerCloud.

Specs: Intel Pentium dual-core 3GHz processor, 4GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1TB 3Gb/s HDD, Intel H61 Express chipset, small form factor, one HDMI output, Windows 8 64-bit, eight USB 2.0 ports.

Intel i7 3770 3.4GHz quad-core mATX prebuilt system

SRP: £650

Distributor: Target Components

They say: A high performance business desktop PC, featuring the new Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7-3770 quad-core CPU (3.4GHz, 3.9GHz boost), 16GB of DDR3 memory, a 120GB Samsung 840 Series SATA3 SSD, and a 1TB SATA3 hard drive. The motherboard offers onboard USB 3.0, DVI, VGA and HDMI outputs, making it ideal for multi-monitor applications.

Specs: Ivy Bridge Intel Core i7-3770 3.4GHz quad-core CPU, 16GB of DDR3 memory, 120GB Samsung 840 Series SATA-3 SSD, 1TB SATA3 hard drive, USB 3.0, DVI, VGA and HDMI outputs.

HP Envy Recline 23 TouchSmart All-in-One PC

SRP: £979

Contact: HP

They say: Forever change the way you think about touch. Glide the unique adjustable all-in-one touchscreen comfortably close to your lap, or position it upright in order to get a full view of the wide display. The HP Envy Recline TouchSmart delivers an immersive touch experience in your most natural position.

Specs: Windows 8, 4th generation Intel Core i5-4570T processor, Nvidia GeForce GT 730A dedicated graphics with 1GB DDR3 dedicated memory, 8GB DDR3-1600 SDRAM memory.

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