(Design: Lily Yeh | Image Credit: Gpointstudio/ Getty Images)
Which type of PC is better for the office: the laptop or the desktop? Of course, it’s not that simple. Stats for laptops versus desktops in the workplace are hard to come by—most data gatherers lump them together and pit them against mobile devices like phones. Any debate is pretty much beside the point because the computer’s use dictates the need: Anyone who doesn’t move much and needs power in their computing likely would benefit from a desktop PC. The same level of computing ability in a desktop can also cost a lot less than a laptop.
In our annual desktop PC survey, we ask readers about the brands they use for work at the office and home. We ask office IT leaders which brands they prefer, and their answers typically cover the three most prominent vendors in the US business PC industry: Dell, HP, and Lenovo. But there's always the chance a surprise brand pops up. Read on to see this year's results.
Check out our Readers' Choice Awards for Desktops for this year’s recommended desktop PC brands for consumers.
The Top Desktop PC Brands for Work in 2025
The three major business PC manufacturers—Dell, HP, and Lenovo—all get the same overall satisfaction score. But Dell does stand out thanks to its score for likelihood to recommend, which is enough to push it ahead of the rest and earn it our Business Choice award.
(Note: Click the arrows in our interactive charts to view various elements of our survey results.)
Dell users tell us that their business desktops provide a “good” to “great” experience. One reader puts it succinctly: “These machines just work." That’s all anyone at the office could ask for, really.
"Dell is one of the most obvious leaders in this category, but there’s something to be said for topping the rankings," says PCMag lead analyst Matthew Buzzi. "Achieving ubiquity is one challenge. Dell indeed casts a very wide net in terms of desktop types, but maintaining quality and user satisfaction while pushing such high unit volume is another. These results show a close-run race, but Dell’s fleets catering to business desktop users and IT managers are clearly doing their job."
Meanwhile, Lenovo comes in a close second overall, with the best scores for cost and setup; it also ties with Dell for tech support. As for reliability, Dell, HP, and Lenovo are in a three-way tie. While HP comes up short in many categories, it ties Lenovo for the top spot for ease of use.
The Top Desktop PC Brands for Home Offices in 2025
Working from home full-time may be slowing going away for all but the luckiest employees. Still, plenty of people do at least some work at home. Our survey shows that one brand dominates work-from-home use: Apple. The company’s overall satisfaction and recommendation numbers aren’t much higher than the rest, though its reliability and tech support scores are next-level. Meanwhile, Apple ranks below the competition for cost and ease of use. Both those categories belong to HP.
“I am not an Apple fanboy but would NEVER use Windows unless an app forced me to do so," one survey respondent who works exclusively from home tells PCMag. "MacOS by far is easier for average use and works well with their ecosystem”—meaning the iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch. Another reader echoes that sentiment: "I love the seamless integration with my iPhone and Apple Watch.”
"Apple's biggest strength in desktops is that the company targets specific categories of user needs, from amateur or prosumer content creators using a Mac mini, on up to professionals who need a workstation like the Mac Studio," PCMag lead analyst Brian Westover says. "But no matter which system you need, you'll be able to buy it knowing that the same level of out-of-the-box capability and reliability is there. And for someone working from home, or without the benefit of an IT department on-site, that's an enormous benefit for getting your work done without much hassle."
However, not everyone can or wants to go the Apple route. That’s why we’ve got another Business Choice award, for the top Windows-based work-from-home desktop brand. The big winner is Lenovo. It ties with HP and Dell for overall satisfaction in this arena, but Lenovo’s recommendation score puts it over the top.
It’s worth mentioning that another desktop PC option scores higher in overall satisfaction than even Apple in this chart: namely, the do-it-yourself desktop. For those with the wherewithal to build a system for working from home, the satisfaction, cost, and reliability scores indicate very happy users. "I would recommend to all with the technical skills to build their own," says one respondent who works from home multiple days a week. "In nearly five years of daily use [I've had] zero hardware failures."
The Top IT-Managed Desktop PC Brands for 2025
For the second year in a row, Lenovo takes the Business Choice award as selected by IT managers. Lenovo’s scores are well ahead of top competitors Dell and HP in many key categories, including perhaps the most important one to an IT department: PC management and administration satisfaction.
"For the last 17 years, Lenovo makes up 98% of the machines I order," one IT manager tells us. "Very happy with them. Currently running 200-plus.” Less effusive managers call Lenovo desktops “very reliable” and “easy to set up.”
Lenovo’s overall satisfaction within IT departments is down, however, by a few tenths of a point from last year. Meanwhile, Dell has the best ratings for tech support and repairs. HP’s only top score is for ease of use.
To see which desktop PC currently leads in our lab testing, read The Best Desktop Computers for Business in 2025 and The Best Desktop Workstations for 2025.
The PCMag Business Choice survey for Desktop PCs was in the field from Jan. 8, 2025 to April 7, 2025. For more information on how we conduct surveys, read the survey methodology.