For the ultimate in computing power—more RAM, more storage, more ports, and the very best graphics—no device tops a desktop PC. Which means if you're doing serious computing at the office, you're probably doing it on a big tower or an all-in-one desktop system.
Last year, we looked mainly at the systems used in offices. But many of us may never go back to the cubicle farm, so for 2021, we're looking at how desktop PCs rate for at-home and in-office setups. Some of the top-rated desktop brands are in line with what we see in our Readers' Choice results, but there's one Windows-based PC maker ready to shake things up.
Business Choice Desktop PCs for 2021
In the past few years, the Business Choice desktop PC winners have tended to be Apple and Dell. This year, AppleApple is back in the mix and crushes the competition in most of our ratings.
The bigger surprise is the loss for Dell. Last year, when we focused on desktop brands that people were using at work, Dell ruled with an adequate overall satisfaction score of 8.0 out of 10. But for 2021, Dell's score for work-only PCs drops to 7.8—enough to put it behind the other perennial top performers, Lenovo (at 8.3) and HP (7.9).
When you look at the total scores for PCs used in home offices and at the office, Lenovo's overall satisfaction score shoots up to an excellent 8.6. That puts it ahead of not only Dell (8.3) but also Acer (8.5), and makes LenovoLenovo the clear winner among Windows PCs.
Overall, though, Apple takes the prize. No one beats Cupertino for ease of use, setup, reliability, tech support, repairs, and just getting work done. That's despite the high price of Apple systems. Apple's 7.8 for cost and value is the only category score that's below every other desktop maker.
Lenovo's scores come very close to Apple on a couple of metrics, like setup (9.0 to Apple's 9.1) and work-related tasks (8.9 to Apple's 9.1). But as a maker of mainly Windows-based machines, it competes more directly with Acer, Dell, and HP—all brands Lenovo tends to trounce.
The exceptions: Dell has a higher tech support score (7.9 to Lenovo's 7.7) and ties on repairs (8.0). Acer ties Lenovo at 8.5 for the likelihood to recommend; and Acer managed a higher Net Promoter Score, which is another method of seeing how people feel about a brand.
Let's also note that we asked people if they use a self-built PC for work, and many do—only Dell and HP had more users than PC builders. But we'd expect that from PCMag's audience. And self-built PCs, even for work, tend to outscore even Apple in every area except tech support and setup. They score particularly well when it comes to work-related tasks and reliability, each getting a 9.4. We can't give an award to a brand in that regard, but we can definitely back the recommendation that you'll get more job satisfaction with a PC you created.
For more, read The Best Business Desktops for 2021.
Full Results
The PCMag Business Choice survey for Desktop PCs was in the field from April 12, 2021, to May 3, 2021. For more information on how our surveys are conducted, read the survey methodology.
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