Best All-In-One PCs

A Selection of All-In-One Computers for Various Uses and Budgets

While there are larger Apple iMac systems available, many people are looking for good value and performance in their all-in-one systems. The 20-inch offers an excellent compromise between cost (roughly $1200) and performance. It is one of the few systems that has decided to move away from the older DDR2 memory standard and use the faster DDR3. This comes with a fairly high end mobile dual-core processor providing it with some very strong computing performance. The design remains the same but that is a good thing with its sleek case and peripherals. The biggest complaints with the iMac are the smaller laptop sized keyboard that lacks numerical keypad and the lack of a memory card reader.

If you are looking to get a full features all-in-one desktop system but not spend too much, then Lenovo's IdeaCentre A600 provides a very good value. With prices around $750, it is much lower than Apple's iMac and roughly $100 less than Dell's XPS One 20. Performance does lag a bit because of a lower end Pentium Dual-Core laptop processor but it does use DDR3 memory unlike most companies. The 21.5 inch display is quite large and very bright. Just be warned that the stand limits positioning of the screen. The DVD drive is also in a somewhat odd location that may confuse some users. Still, it is hard to match the features for the price and for only a little more than a nettop based all-in-one.

One of the best ways to use an all-in-one desktop system is to have it also double as an entertainment center for a small office or bedroom. With its 24-inch display and myriad of high definition video support, the Sony VAIO VGC-LV250 offers an excellent media center system in a relatively compact package. In addition to the built-in HDTV tuner and Blu-ray drive, it also features an HDMI video input to use with an HD cable or satellite Tuner. Performance is also great thanks to the use of an Intel Core 2 Duo E7400 desktop processor and NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT dedicated graphics processor. The only real issues with the system are the speakers that are somewhat underpowered and the relatively high $1700 price tag.

While there are larger touchscreen systems from HP, the Dell Studio One 19 offers a very capable multi-touch display that is more responsive. It also has the advantage of a lower overall price and more available features than HP can offer in its 22-inch series Touchsmart. Prices start around $850 for the touchscreen and a price of around $1000 for a well equipped model including a quad core processor and 640GB hard drive. The system also uses wireless keyboard and mouse to keep the cable clutter to a minimum. It is available with multiple color accects but the fabric used for this can be difficult to clean. Definitely a system to look at if you want to get a touchscreen and don't mind a slightly smaller screen size.

If you want a lower cost all-in-one system that also uses less power, then the MSI Wind Top AE1900 might be the answer for you. With just a $550 to $600 price tag, it is extremely affordable. The downside is that it uses the Intel Atom mobile processor typically found in netbooks. Thankfully MSI wind decided to avoid the Windows XP licensing hardware restriction by using Vista. This does have the disadvantage of slightly lower performance from Vista's requirements, but the added memory and hard drive space give it more potential than other nettops. The system also features a 18.5-inch touchscreen with good software interface. It isn't multi-touch but is a nice addition.