Choosing the best tower desktop for your needs requires a little bit of consideration. For one, desktop computers can vary widely when it comes to the hardware they house. Still, whether you’re gaming or just getting on the internet, you should be able to find a tower desktop for your favorite activities at a price within your budget. This SkyTech Shadow 3.0 Tower Desktop offers everything buyers need for even some of the most intensive computing tasks.
The best tower desktops for your needs will depend on what you plan to do on the computer. If you only need to access the internet and streaming services, you can probably get away with the most affordable desktops. For those who want to perform demanding tasks such as gaming, video editing or sound design, the hardware inside will be more important. Gaming towers usually offer higher-quality processors, storage units and graphics cards, and the ability to upgrade them as needed.
The nature of technology in the modern world makes computer hardware outdated quickly. This requires computers to include space for added RAM or graphics units on their motherboard or enough space to remove and replace hardware when the time comes easily. If you want to keep up with games and new software, choose a tower desktop that can be easily upgraded every few years.
While they’re less imperative for a computer’s performance, many choose to buy a desktop tower with front-facing ports for added convenience. You’ll find many towers with one or more USB-A ports on the front, along with some that include headphone jacks, SD card readers, USB-C ports and more.
A computer’s processor, dubbed its Central Processing Unit, does most of the heavy work in performing PC tasks. Choosing a desktop with a high-quality six-core processor can ensure top-notch performance, whether gaming, editing or just surfing the internet. AMD’s Ryzen processor and Intel’s i7 processor are the most common high-performing six-core processors. They’re worth looking for, though they’ll also make any tower desktop more expensive.
Many planning to use their desktop computers for gaming or video editing also prefer to look for a high-quality graphics card, or graphics processing unit. Nvidia is the most common graphics card brand you’ll find today, though AMD also makes powerful graphics cards. If you don’t need a high-performance graphics card in your computer, you can also find some computers with graphics chips or GPUs from other brands that are more affordable.
When buying a tower desktop, other vital hardware includes random access memory and storage, in addition to other hardware and accessories. Gaming computers should offer at least 16 gigabytes of RAM. If you perform a significant amount of video, photo or audio editing, you should prioritize systems with higher volumes of storage overall.
It also may be worth shopping for aesthetic hardware, such as light-emitting diode hardware with a full red-green-blue color spectrum — often found on cooling fans. Many users with a clear tower case enjoy the colorful, interactive lighting displays offered by LED RGB lighting. You can also find many computer bundles with other hardware, including a mouse, keyboard, monitor and other accessories.
You can find cheap tower desktops for as low as $125, though most with decent hardware start around $500. For gaming computers and other powerful desktop towers, expect to spend from $700-$1,500, with some models costing even more.
A. Although you can find space-saving gaming laptops, tower desktops are still well-used. Tower desktops offer increased space for performance hardware and cooling, often letting them house higher-powered rigs. Still, you can find a range of powerful PC hardware in both laptops and tower computers.
A. Not necessarily. Tower desktops have the potential to be powerful, but they still vary from model to model. For any game or software, you’ll want to cross-check the minimum required specs with your computer setup to ensure it runs properly.
SkyTech Shadow 3.0 Tower Desktop Gaming Computer PC
What you need to know: For newer buyers, this is a great starting point with plenty of storage and high-performance hardware at a fair price.
What you’ll love: It includes a high-speed AMD Ryzen 5 6-Core processor, 1 terabyte of storage and an Nvidia RTX 2060 graphics card for gaming on high settings. Buyers can choose among six hardware configurations.
What you should consider: It’s worth upgrading the RAM on this computer.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
SkyTech Archangel Tower Desktop Gaming Computer
What you need to know: It offers a very affordable starting price with the ability to upgrade later, making it a great choice for those just starting out in PC gaming.
What you’ll love: This tower comes with an Nvidia GTX 1660 and an AMD Ryzen 5 6-Core processor. Its LED RGB fans are designed to offer optimal cooling. In addition, purchase comes with a free gaming keyboard and a mouse.
What you should consider: This computer isn’t as powerful as some pricier models, and it doesn’t include front-facing USB ports.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
CyberpowerPC Gamer Xtreme VR Tower Desktop Gaming PC
What you need to know: Another affordable take on the gaming desktop, this PC includes a chipset and graphics card that can handle most performance-intensive games.
What you’ll love: Featuring an Nvidia GTX 1660 and an upgradeable 8GB of RAM, it offers a good place to start for upgrading hardware down the line. It also comes with a gaming mouse and keyboard, as well as a one-year warranty on parts and labor.
What you should consider: This tower’s Intel Core i5 processor isn’t as powerful as those with i7 processors or those of a similar tier from other brands.
Where to buy: Sold by Amazon
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Peter McGuthrie writes for BestReviews. BestReviews has helped millions of consumers simplify their purchasing decisions, saving them time and money.
