I've been reviewing PCs for years and I've come to really appreciate all-in-one computers because the best all-in-ones are compact, powerful enough for work and play yet cheap enough that you won't break the bank buying one.
I know because my team and I review hundreds of PCs every year, including the best all-in-one PCs from Apple, HP, Lenovo, MSI and more.
While most all-in-ones aren't speed demons, the latest 24-inch Apple iMac is something of an exception thanks to the powerful M4 chip inside. I recommend it as the best all-in-one for most folks because it's a great multi-purpose PC, powerful enough to play games well with a lovely screen that offers nice wide viewing angles, so it makes for a great family or living room PC.
While it's not the most expensive Apple PC the iMac is pricey, so if you just want a decent PC that doesn't cost an arm and a leg I recommend the MSI Modern AM271P because it's a great value.
If you can afford to splurge but don't like the iMac, I suggest the HP Envy 34 because it adds a touch of elegance to the all-in-one design, sporting luxuries like a gorgeous 34-inch display and a built-in wireless charger on the stand.
Want to learn more? Scroll down for more in-depth testing, reviews and recommendations on the best all-in-one for your needs!
The quick list
In a hurry? Here's a brief overview of the computers on this list, along with quick links that let you jump down the page directly to a review of whichever PC catches your eye.
Apple's 24-inch iMac is our top recommendation for a basic PC because the Apple M3 chip inside gives it plenty of power for work and play, while the 24-inch Retina display looks great in a family room or office. Plus, the webcam is great and the speakers sound good.
The MSI Modern AM271P is an awkwardly-named all-in-one aimed at the office that's affordable and easy to set up. The built-in speakers aren't great and the aging internals won't run games well, but this remains the best all-in-one for getting things done on a budget.
The HP OmniStudio X 32 is a nice upgrade over the MSI if you want a Windows 11 all-in-one PC that's very customizable and sports a beautiful 32" 4K display with plenty of ports. It can also function as a laptop dock when you need a bigger screen for your notebook.
The best all-in-one computers you can buy today
Why you can trust Tom's Guide Our writers and editors spend hours analyzing and reviewing products, services, and apps to help find what's best for you. Find out more about how we test, analyze, and rate.
The best overall
The colorful Apple iMac M4 looks an awful lot like its predecessors, but under the hood this all-in-one is powered by the all-new Apple M4 chip that helps propel it to our top spot on this list.
I really like the iMac because it combines good performance, a surprisingly good speaker setup and a lovely display with great viewing angles in one attractive package that's easy to fit into your desk.
The 24-inch 4.5K display is among the best you can get on an all-in-one, and its wide viewing angles make it surprisingly good for gathering friends or family around to watch YouTube videos or stream a TV show. Pair that with the six-speaker sound system, which supports Apple's Spatial Audio feature, and you get the best theater experience out of any PC on this list.
Pair that with the speed and power of the M4 chip, which is more than capable of handling basic work tasks, homework, basic video editing and light gaming, and you start to see why I love this machine as a general-purpose PC. Plus, the 12MP webcam is great for FaceTiming relatives or taking part in remote learning, and if you're using FaceTime you can use the new Desk View feature to transmit a live feed of whatever's in front of you on your desk in addition to your own video.
For more on why the Apple iMac M4 is a great all-in-one that's so easy to recommend to families, students and teachers, check out our review and testing results!
Read our full Apple iMac 24-inch review.
The best value
The MSI Modern AM271P 11M is an awkwardly-named all-in-one that's quite good if you need something relatively affordable that's capable of tackling the day-to-day tasks of handling business and getting things done.
That's because this PC packs a speedy 11th Gen Intel Core i7 laptop CPU into its display along with 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. The fact that it's powered by a top-of-the-line laptop CPU means this MSI can deliver a lot of speed and functionality even though the entire PC is housed inside the display itself. And with its built-in VESA mount, you can set it up on the included stand or mount it on a wall or monitor arm for more convenient workplace setups. Plus, you get a 1080p webcam, keyboard and mouse packed in with every unit -- though all three leave a little something to be desired, so you may want to replace them with your own favorites down the road.
Read our full MSI Modern AM271P 11M review.
The best upgrade pick
The HP OmniStudio X is a good Windows 11 all-in-one PC that costs a bit more than the MSI but offers more and better features.
And while the 32-inch 4K screen is not quite as high-res as the iMac M4's 4.5K display, the HP's screen is bigger and can double as an external display for your laptop or other device. So if you work on the road and wouldn't mind a bigger screen to use when at home, this is a great all-in-one.
You have a surprising amount of leeway to customize it when you order, as well, which is something of a rarity when it comes to buying all-in-one PCs. You can also outfit it with a discrete Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 GPU if you like, which expands the range of games you can play on this slick all-in-one.
But it's really built for productivity mavens, and you can tell when you check out the slew of easily-accessible ports on the OmniStudio X. Not only do you get plenty of USB-A and USB-C ports, you also get HDMI out and HDMI in (so you can use the OmniStudio as a display for another device) as well as an RJ-45 Ethernet jack.
And while the built-in 12MP webcam doesn't deliver great image quality and the "Desk View" feature (which lets you show what's on your desk while you're on a video call) is kind of a hassle to use, those are small complaints on what's otherwise a great Windows 11 all-in-one.
You even get a mouse and keyboard packed in, and while they're not high-quality they are nice to have if you don't have some already or your favorite mouse and keyboard break.
Read our full HP OmniStudio X 32 review.
How to choose
How to choose the best all-in-one computer for you
Even the best all-in-one computers generally don't deliver a ton of power, so if you need a PC for serious photo/video editing, coding or playing games you should probably look elsewhere (like our regularly-updated list of the best gaming PCs).
But if you need an all-in-one for general computing, you have a lot of great choices. The number one thing to decide when shopping for the best all-in-one computer for your needs is what operating system do you want: macOS or Windows?
While there are a few all-in-one Chrome PCs, the vast majority run on either Apple or Microsoft's operating system. And while Windows AIO PCs like the OmniStudio X 32 support a wide variety of software and are compatible with any game you care to run, those strengths of Windows 11 matter less when it comes to all-in-ones because these PCs generally don't have the power or cooling to run the most demanding apps and games anyhow.
So if you prefer macOS, you should definitely feel good about choosing an all-in-one like the 24-inch iMac. Macs are just as capable as Windows PCs these days, and the webcams built into Apple's PCs are excellent. Plus, the modern iMacs can also run apps from Apple's App Store and support modern features like iPhone Mirroring, so you can easily access iOS apps or even your phone's home screen right on your desktop PC.
CPU performance of the best all-in-one PCs compared
Here is a quick look at our testing data for the PCs on this list. The tables below shows scores for benchmark tests we run using Geekbench 6 (which measures CPU performance) as well as our own custom tests for measuring file copy speed and video editing speed.
These comparisons give you a general sense of how these machines stack up performance-wise, so you can make sure to avoid buying a machine that's mismatched to your needs.
| Header Cell - Column 0 | Geekbench 6 (multi-core) | 25 GB File Copy (MBps) | Handbrake (Min:Seconds) |
|---|---|---|---|
Apple iMac M4 | 14,724 | N/A | 5:03 |
MSI Modern AM271P 11M | 5,232 | 420.8 | 13:10 |
HP Envy 34 | 7,935 | 1,579.5 | 8:23 |
How we test the best all-in-one PCs
How we test to find the best all-in-one PCs
Every all-in-one we review goes through a variety of benchmark tests in our lab as well as long hours of real-world use. As with our laptop reviews, we use a colorimeter to measure the brightness, color accuracy and color gamut of each all-in-one's display.
For performance, we use the Geekbench 6 CPU benchmarking test to measure a system's overall processing abilities. We also run a custom spreadsheet test to see how long a PC takes to match thousands of names to addresses. To evaluate each system's hard drive speed, we measure how long it takes to copy a sizable workload.
Most importantly, we spend a ton of time simply using each all-in-one desktop for everyday activities. We watch movies, do work, play games, and blast music on the speakers, all to get a better sense of which ones are worth your money.
For more information, check out our how we test page for Tom's Guide.
Alex Wawro is a lifelong journalist who's spent over a decade covering tech, games and entertainment. He oversees the computing department at Tom's Guide, which includes helping manage all-in-one PC coverage and reviewing many himself every year.
