After 6 hours of research and analysis among 7 reliable models, we concluded that at present the most relevant solution is the Dell XPS (8930) .
Dell XPS 8930
This desktop PC includes all of the best in this price
range. This allows it to offer great versatility that will delight office
automation enthusiasts as well as gamers or graphic designers.
The XPS 8930 embeds very good components which allow it
a high computing power and interesting graphics performance. This makes it
suitable for many tasks such as office automation, of course, but also games in
Full HD or even graphic editing. The layout of its case also facilitates its
update if it reaches its limits, which is beneficial in the long term. The only
negative point that we note is its amount of RAM, limited to 8 GB.
Acer Aspire TC-886 I8056
Much like its mid-range counterpart, this is a good
all-rounder. Its power is necessarily more limited but it remains open to
gaming and even to the light edition.
The Acer Aspire TC-886 I8056 has an interesting
configuration for its price range. Indeed, it is equipped with an efficient
processor and an entry-level graphics card which allows it a good base power,
in particular for its price. It can therefore obviously tackle office
automation, gaming (even if the latest AAAs will make it sweat) and light
graphics work. Its interior layout also allows it to be updated quite easily.
It therefore constitutes a good basis for long-term use.
Apple iMac 27
Designed for productivity, this computer has long been the
top-of-the-range stationary model. The latest version is no exception to the
rule with its latest generation components.
The iMac 2020 is the most successful all-in-one computer
on the market. Thanks to its latest generation high-end components, it reveals
its full potential, in particular for graphic editing tasks thanks to its
professional card. All of this is highlighted by the excellent 27 ”Retina
screen, recognized for its quality and factory calibration. It has few flaws,
other than its complicated upgrading and versatility limited by its
professional orientation. The more affordable 21.5 ”version is also a very good
solution.
Alienware Aurora R11
If you want maximum power for your games, look no further.
This computer is the best for gaming. Its very high graphics power prepares it
for many years.
The Aurora R11 (or its AMD version ) is the best fixed
gaming PC on the market. It develops a very high power which makes it
proficient in all your tasks, to such an extent that it will be difficult to
catch it. However, his role as PC Gamer places him behind the iMac in this
selection. The latter is, in fact, much more competent when tackling heavy
editing.
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How did we make our choice?
Finding a pre-built desktop computer can quickly become
overwhelming. In fact, in a beautiful case may hide unattractive components
that make the purchase of certain models much less relevant. The main
difficulty is therefore to find a good compromise between your needs and your
desires in order to have the best possible computer.
Here are the criteria on which we based ourselves to
facilitate our choice:
Components: the importance of each component will be
influenced by your intended use. Thus, the processor ensures the management of
the tasks, the graphics card , the different screen renderings, and the RAM
memory, the management of the programs launched in parallel. For standard use,
it is recommended to bet on a mid-range processor which offers interesting
versatility. The graphics card really only matters for gaming or photo / video
editing (which uses it in combination with the processor).
Storage : it affects the amount of data you can store in
your machine. The ideal is to bet on a hybrid solution: an SSD drive dedicated
to the operating system and an HDD for pure storage. This makes it possible to
take advantage of the high reactivity of the SSD (8x faster than the HDD) while
taking advantage of the attractive cost per GB of the HDD.
Connection: it determines which peripherals you can
connect and how many. It is important to make sure that you have the correct
ports for the accessories you want to plug in. The endowment of the desktops is
generally quite complete and you should not have any problems at this level.
Up-to-date possibilities : with the acceleration of
technological change, it is increasingly difficult to keep a computer up to
date. The advantage of a fixed PC therefore comes from its possibilities of
evolution. Thus, a change of processor or the addition of a RAM module can give
your aging machine a big boost. In this sense, it is therefore necessary to
ensure easy access to the components and the space available in the case.
After going through many tests carried out on the
Internet, analyzing the technical sheet of each product, consulting the
opinions of French and English speaking users while ensuring the legitimacy of
these comments, we were able to determine which are the 4 best desktops. from
the moment.
If you are a gamer at heart and looking for a computer
for gaming, we invite you to visit our dedicated article . If, on the contrary,
you are looking for a simple solution for little office automation, you can
turn to mini-PCs , which are more affordable. The all-in-one computers are
meanwhile the preferred solution if you need more space.
PS: The purchase of a UPS can be interesting to give you
time to save your files in the event of a power failure. To find out more, do
not hesitate to consult our dedicated comparison .
Dell XPS 8930
This desktop PC includes all of the best in this price
range. This allows it to offer great versatility that will delight office
automation enthusiasts as well as gamers or graphic designers.
The XPS 8930 has very good components that make it
suitable for many tasks such as office automation, of course, but also games or
even graphics editing. The layout of its case also facilitates its update if it
reaches its limits, which is economical in the long term.
To manage all your tasks, it is equipped with an Intel
Core i7-9700 coupled with 8 GB of RAM (2666 MHz). This duo offers it a very
good computing power both for office automation and for more substantial tasks.
We still advise you to add an 8 GB RAM bar for more peace of mind.
The graphics part is entrusted to a GTX 1660 Ti (6 GB of
video memory). This card allows great performance for Full HD gaming or even
photo / video editing.
On the storage side, you are entitled to a 512 GB NVMe
SSD for the operating system and a 1 TB HDD (7200 RPM) for pure storage or for
your heavier programs. This combination is, in our eyes, the most interesting
solution because it offers a compromise between capacity and liveliness.
Rarely, a CD / DVD reader-writer is also present.
As on any fixed computer, the connection is fairly well
supplied with 6 USB 3.1 (Gen 1), 1 USB 3.1 (Gen 2), 2 USB-C 3.1, 2 USB 2.0, 1
DisplayPort, 1 HDMI, 1 Gigabit Ethernet port ( do not hesitate to take a good
Ethernet cable ), an SD slot and the usual duo jack. Wireless is provided by a
Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 4.1 card.
The update of the whole is quite easy thanks to the
specific arrangement of the case. Thus, the dismantling of the panels is done
without screws and the part dedicated to the power supply is mounted on hinges
so that you have easy access to the heart of your machine. As a result, it is
extremely easy to change either component.
Note however that the space remains quite limited, which
reduces the choice of graphics card, for example.
Acer Aspire TC-886 I8056
Much like its mid-range counterpart, this is a good
all-rounder. Its power is necessarily more limited but it remains open to
gaming and even to the light edition.
The Acer Aspire TC-886 I8056 has an interesting
configuration for its price range. Its interior layout also allows it to be
updated quite easily. It therefore constitutes a good basis for long-term use.
Its configuration consists of previous generation
mid-range parts with: an Intel Core i5-9400F, 8 GB of RAM (2666 MHz) and a GTX
1650.
This combination does not prevent it from shining in the
majority of uses even if graphic designers will not find their account there
because of the overall power a little too limited. Gamers, for their part, will
be able to enjoy the game in 1080p even if some concessions will have to be
made on the more greedy titles.
The storage is entrusted to a single HDD of 1 TB (7200
RPM). Although this part in itself is interesting, we recommend that you add an
SSD in addition to enjoy better fluidity when using the system.
The connection, on the other hand, is fairly standard
with 4 USB 2.0, 2 USB 3.1 (gen 1), 1 USB 3.2 (gen 2), 1 USB-C, 1 HDMI, 1 VGA, 1
Gigabit Ethernet and 1 slot SD. Internet access is via Wi-Fi 5.
The fairly simple setup of this computer can easily be
improved. To do this, use a screwdriver to dismantle the various elements.
However, the whole remains accessible even to the less used among us and the
access to the components is very simple.
Note, however, that the space dedicated to the graphics
card is quite limited and does not promote airflow, which is not ideal for
models more sensitive to heat.
In the end, no matter what configuration you choose, the
TC-886 is a very good base for small budgets. Its new version, the TC-895,
should soon be available in various versions embedding 10th generation Intel
processors.
Apple iMac 27
Designed for productivity, this computer has long been
the top-of-the-range stationary model. The latest version is no exception to
the rule with its latest generation components.
The iMac 2020 is the most successful all-in-one computer
on the market. Its high-end latest generation components allow it to reveal its
full potential. All of this is highlighted by the excellent 27 ”Retina screen,
recognized for its quality and factory calibration. The more affordable 21.5
”version is also a very good solution.
The heart of the machine consists of an Intel Core
i7-10700K, 8 GB of RAM (2666 MHz) in dual channel and a professional graphics
card, the Radeon Pro 5500 XT (8 GB of video memory).
This set is designed for productivity by focusing on
advanced performance in terms of computing power and graphics power dedicated
to image processing programs. This makes it quite versatile even if gaming is
to be avoided.
The most demanding can configure an iMac according to
their needs through the Apple site. In this case, you have the option of opting
for an i9-10900K coupled with a maximum of 128 GB of RAM (2666 MHz) and a
Radeon Pro 5700 XT (16 GB of video memory).
The storage is entrusted to a 512 GB SSD. It can be up
to a maximum of 8 TB. Be sure to choose a sufficient capacity because it cannot
be expanded later, unless you use an external hard drive .
As usual with the Apple brand, the connection is more
limited than what we find in the competition. Thus, we are entitled here to 2
USB-C Thunderbolt 3, 4 USB-A, a Gigabit Ethernet port (10 Gigabit Ethernet
optional) and an SD reader. Wireless connectivity is provided for Wi-Fi 6 and
Bluetooth 5.0.
When purchasing your iMac, we recommend that you think
carefully about your configuration. Indeed, the components are not easily
upgradeable and only the RAM in SO-DIMM format is easily accessible. The
processor can, in theory, be changed but this requires a complete dismantling
of the machine, which is clearly not within the reach of all.
In the end, if you're thinking about productivity, go
for the iMac. Otherwise, turn instead to our alternative dedicated to gaming.
Alienware Aurora R11
If you want maximum power for your games, look no
further. This computer is the best for gaming. Its very high graphics power
prepares it for many years.
The Aurora R11 (or its AMD version ) is the best fixed
gaming PC on the market. However, this specific role puts it behind the iMac in
this selection. The latter is, in fact, much more competent when tackling heavy
editing.
It is not, however, devoid of assets. Indeed, it is
equipped with an Intel Core i7-10700KF coupled to 16 GB of DDR4 (3200 MHz) in
dual channel and an RTX 2080 Super. All of this allows it to offer excellent
performance for all types of tasks and in particular for gaming. It will
therefore be very difficult to catch it.
The most demanding can customize its configuration by
having the possibility of equipping it with a Core i9-10900KF, a maximum of 64
GB of RAM and an RTX 2080 Ti SLI, to push the vice to the maximum.
The storage here is entrusted to a 1TB SSD but can be up
to 4TB by combining a 2TB SSD and a 2TB HDD.
The connection is supplied with 6 USB 3.2 gen 1
including one with PowerShare, 2 USB-C 3.2 gen 1 including one with PowerShare,
1 USB-C 3.2 gen 2, 1 duo jack, 1 RJ45 2.5 Gb and 6 USB 2.0. Wireless
connectivity is limited, originally to Wi-Fi 5 and Bluetooth 5.0, but you have
the option of opting for Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.1 for a minimal additional
cost.
The advantage of opting for this type of computer is
undoubtedly its scalability. Indeed, although the case is quite compact, you
have easy access to the various components which allows an update without fuss.
However, the motherboard only has two PCIe ports, and
larger graphics cards can block some slots. It will therefore be necessary to
turn to compact models.
Honorable mentions
Apple Mac Mini (€ 900.99 at publication): Recognized as
one of the best barebone computers , the Mac Mini is a good solution if you
have little space and your tasks are limited to office automation or
multimedia. The most affordable version has an Intel Core i3-8100b (versus a
Core i5-8500 ), 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. This allows it to be suitable for
the majority of uses. On the other hand, do not count the upgrade because its
format makes it impossible.
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