3 Best Top Desktop In Under Chiep Price

1 Dell Inspiron Desktop (3891)

Best Budget Tower for Most Buyers

Why We Picked It
Many economy models make do with Intel Pentium or Celeron or AMD Athlon processors that frankly don’t cut the mustard nowadays. Dell’s Inspiron Desktop 3891 is a happy exception, offering a perky Intel Core i3 CPU, Wi-Fi 6, and even a DVD burner in a Windows 11 PC priced under $400 as tested. Its mini-tower case has some (though not a ton of) room for expansion and, except for gaming—its integrated graphics simply aren’t up for it—the Dell can handle any mainstream task.

Who It’s For
It gives you just the basics, but there’s nothing wrong with that. Both families and small-office entrepreneurs will find the Inspiron 3891 a handy productivity and online communications station at a price low enough to buy a pair.

PROS
Bargain price
Perky Intel Core i3 CPU
Runs quietly
Built-in DVD burner and Wi-Fi 6
Includes 12-month McAfee subscription
CONS
Only one HDMI port
Integrated graphics limit gaming potential
Base model supports only one internal storage drive
Nonstandard power supply
SOLD BYLIST PRICE PRICE
Dell $599.99 $599.99

2 Apple Mac Mini M1 (2020)

Affordable Mac upgrade
If you’re looking for the most affordable Mac out there, the news is good nearly all around. Apple’s smallest desktop computer was among the first to get upgraded to the lightning-fast M1 processor, which runs rings around comparable Intel-powered Macs in terms of speed and performance. Unlike MacBook laptops, the Mini boasts legacy ports like USB-A and HDMI, too. The 256GB and 512GB models will run you $699 and $899, respectively, at the Apple Store, but the good news is that they’re now frequently on sale at other retailers for $50 to $100 less. More and more Mac apps are adding compatibility for the M1 platform, and Apple’s Rosetta 2 software runs most legacy apps in a fairly speedy compatibility mode, but if you still want native Intel support, a Core i5 version of the Mini remains in the line for $1,099. Need more power? Check out the Mac Studio. Read our hands-on experience with the 2020 M1 Mac lineup.

3 Corsair One i300

The best compact workstation for gaming and content creation
SPECIFICATIONS
CPU: up to 12th Gen Intel Core i9-12900KGraphics: up to Nvidia RTX 3080 TiRAM: up to 64GB DDR4 2666MHzStorage: 1 x M.2 SSD + 1 x 2.5″ HDD / SSD
TODAY’S BEST DEALS
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REASONS TO BUY
+Amazing performance
+Incredibly compact design
+Not too loud
REASONS TO AVOID
-Extremely expensive
-Difficult (though not impossible) to upgrade
A frankly inspired piece of computer hardware engineering, the Corsair One i300 is a marvelously compact workstation computer that leverages some smart internal design choices to offer top-tier performance with a footprint barely any larger than the Lenovo IdeaCentre Mini 5i seen higher up in this very list. It also runs quieter than many powerhouse PCs thanks to its single roof-mounted fan and perforated side panels.

The One i300 is likely to be a bit overkill for the average user, given its high-end internal components and steep entry price. Still, this is indisputably the most powerful compact form factor PC available right now, and Corsair offers a variety of models with both AMD and Intel processors. If you’re looking for a high-end PC for resource-intensive content creation tasks or 4K gaming (or both!), this is an excellent pick. The remarkably compact design does mean that cracking open the chassis to upgrade your components is a tricky – though not entirely impossible – proposition, but thankfully the hardware on offer here means the Corsair One i300 should serve you for years to come.

1 Dell Inspiron Desktop (3891)

2 Apple Mac Mini M1 (2020)

3 Corsair One i300

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