Dominate The Dorm With the Best Desktop PC Deals From Dell, HP, Lenovo, and More
Back-to-school deals on laptops get a lot of coverage, and for good reason, but traditional desktops are also on sale at the end of the summer for some pretty surprising discounts. Desktop towers typically deliver more cost-effective power-to-price ratios, with easier expandability to boot. They're great for students in the sciences who need more juice to help with big projects, and versatile enough to meet the needs of just about anybody.
I'm constantly comparing prices across major retailers to find the best offers on desktops, and will add new ones regularly.
HP OmniDesk Tower PC Deal
The traditional desktop tower may seem like a dying breed, but we're quite fond of HP's OmniDesk, which combines modern components with a charming retro woodgrain front panel to create a PC that fits in all kinds of situations. This is a capable all-rounder of a machine with enough CPU power to handle epic research sessions and 1TB of storage space for that one paper that just won't end. We had a preview of these models at CES, where we appreciated the subtle yet extensive front panel port placement, the small footprint, and the wide array of configurations, with plenty of space and easy access for upgrades. Snagging a 25% discount makes it even more appealing.
Acer Aspire Desktop PC Deal
For another budget desktop option, we're fond of Acer's Aspire line, which doesn't push the envelope in terms of power but instead carefully selects good-performing components that work well together for stable, reliable everyday performance. We have a full review of this model, albeit with a slightly different component loadout, and gave it an Editors' Choice award for its thoughtful design, including a front-facing USB-C port and card reader, Wi-Fi 6E connectivity, and dual HDMI outputs for multi-monitor setups. It's a great value at retail, so saving $50 makes it even more appealing.
Asus ROG G700 Desktop PC Deal
Buying a gaming desktop for a student might seem like a strange idea, but hear us out: the boosted CPU power and better RAM loadout make them great for multitasking and heavy data lifting, and a dedicated GPU can also be used for helpful on-device AI tools. Best Buy has a nice price cut on a solid midrange model from Asus, featuring a Blackwell-series RTX 5060 graphics card, which we gave an "Excellent" rating to in our review . A full terabyte PCIe Gen 4.0 SSD storage is plenty of room for schoolwork and a Steam library, and the case is spacious and attractive, with dual glass panels and effective cooling.
Geekom A6 Mini PC Deal
If space is at a premium in the dorm, a mini desktop might be the optimal solution. These potent PCs are smaller than your average textbook but pack plenty of juice, and we gave the Geekom A6 an Editors' Choice award as the best budget option in the space. A $100 back-to-school discount at Amazon makes it even more appealing. In our full review , we said that this Windows machine performed well in our benchmarking tests, grinding through everyday productivity work with ease, and its wide port selection made it easy to hook up external drives and other peripherals.
GMKTec M6 Ultra Mini Desktop Deal
For a mini PC that pushes the performance envelope and can even pull double duty as a gaming machine, the GMKTec M6 Ultra is a steal at this price. With a surprisingly potent Ryzen 7640Hs processor with integrated Radeon graphics, it runs at 4.3 GHz and, coupled with a generous 32GB of system memory, handles video encoding and other high-octane tasks with ease. It's got enough juice to run triple 4K displays through USB-C, HDMI 2.0, and DisplayPort, and the rest of the port selection is solid. Throw in Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2 connectivity, and you've got a pocket-sized PC that's perfect for just about anybody.
Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo 50q Desktop Deal
For another tiny form factor machine that's got what it takes to keep an academic career afloat, Amazon has a tempting discount on the Lenovo ThinkCentre Neo 50q. We have a comprehensive review of this model (albeit one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon processor), where we were impressed by its security-focused loadout, quiet operation, and impressive power efficiency. Port selection is also robust for such a small package, with the ability to support two displays thanks to paired HDMI 2.1 and DisplayPort 1.4 outputs, along with a whopping eight USB ports for all your peripherals and external drives. This loadout ships with Windows 11 Pro installed as well.
Dell 24 All-In-One Desktop Deal
All-in-one desktops are another popular choice for student life, because they're a lot easier to set up and more convenient to move around with all the components inside the monitor housing. For a top value, we recommend Dell's 24-inch AIO. Although there is a newer one on the market, this discount on last year's model is quite steep, and the loadout is more than enough for most schoolwork, with a reliable Intel Core 3 processor running the show. The large FHD screen is great for watching Netflix in the dorm, too. We have a full review of this desktop, and high points included the sharp and colorful webcam, tons of ports, and great connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E support.
HP OmniStudio All-In-One Desktop Deal
For a more budget all-in-one option, the HP OmniStudio is an effective choice, packing a decent set of components for just $600. While it doesn't have the horsepower for ultra-intensive computing, the Ryzen 3 3000 is a more than sufficient low-cost choice for basic tasks, like writing papers, surfing the Web and videoconferencing, and integrated graphics perform well. The IPS display is reasonably bright and crisp, and also features lots of cool features for working with multiple displays, letting you shift, snap, and launch windows with a single click. Port selection is solid, but note that it does ship with a wired keyboard and mouse.
Dell Slim Desktop Deal
Dell also makes more traditional towers, and this mini desktop is priced to move with solid components and lots of versatility. Intel's Core i5-14500 processor is a prime choice for everyday education work, with great cooling and reliable performance across productivity and entertainment apps. Coupled with 16GB of RAM, it's solid for multitasking as well, and a full 1TB SSD is plenty of room for all their files. Customization and repair are a breeze with tool-less entry and a removable side panel. Ports and connectivity are solid, with support for up to four FHD monitors and eight total USB ports, with four on the front of the tower. It ships with a wired keyboard and mouse as well.
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