AIOs have their pros and cons. On the plus side are economy of space, fewer cables, transportability, and an often stylish element to the design. On the minus side is less power, upgradability, and repairability than a traditional gaming PC at the same price point. If you’re looking for an option with better specs, check out our page on the best gaming PCs.
Also: The best holiday tech gifts for everyone on your nice list An AIO is likely to fit the bill for many remote workers who require a space-efficient computer with a decent-sized screen and no longer need to transport a laptop between office and home.
Here’s a selection of the best AIO computers in various categories, covering different price points, use cases, and operating systems.  

Apple’s M1-based 24-inch iMac, released in May 2021, is the company’s first AIO to run on Apple Silicon. It’s also the only current iMac, Apple having discontinued its Intel-based iMac Pro in March 2021 and the 27-inch iMac in March 2022. Built around a 24-inch 4.5K Retina display, the current iMac is impressively slim thanks to the highly integrated design of the M1 SoC (system-on-chip), with the screen panel measuring just 11.5mm thick. The entry-level configuration comes in four colors (blue, green, pink and silver), while the more expensive models (with an 8-core GPU) add yellow, orange and purple to the palette. Read the review: Apple iMac 24-inch (M1, 2021) review There are three off-the-page configurations, starting at $1,299 for a model with an 8-core CPU and 7-core GPU, 16GB of RAM, 256GB of storage, two Thunderbolt 3/USB 4 ports and a Magic Keyboard. Stepping up to $1,499 buys you an 8-core GPU, two more on-board (USB-C) ports and a Gigabit Ethernet port built into the power supply, plus Touch ID on the Magic Keyboard. The $1,699 model has 512GB of storage. A fully maxed-out configuration (16GB RAM, 2TB storage, Magic Mouse+Magic Trackpad, Magic Keyboard with Touch ID and numeric keypad) costs $2,658. The striking design of the 24-inch M1 iMac makes it suitable for both homes and offices, and the performance and power efficiency of the M1 SoC is impressive. However, it carries a premium price tag, and you’ll need to ensure that the specification you order will cover the system’s expected lifetime, because user upgrades are not an option. See also

Acer Aspire C27 All-in-One DesktopHuawei MateStation XApple iMac 27-inch (Intel, 2020) - refurbished

AIO computers can be pricey, but that’s not the case with HP’s All-in-One 22, which starts at $549.99 with an AMD Athlon 3150U processor, rising to $579.99 when equipped with a 12th-generation Intel Core i3-1215U. The Athlon model is unusual in sporting a DVD-writer, which is a rare sight on any computer these days; this legacy component is not available on the Core i3 version. For a budget computer, the All-in-One 22 looks pretty smart, with its 21.5-inch FHD IPS screen sitting above a speaker grille and resting on a stand fashioned from tubular metal. The webcam (HD only) pops up from the top of the screen when in use – a neat privacy measure. You can’t expect stellar performance from a computer based on the Athlon 3150U or Core i3-1215U, even with the maximum 16GB of RAM on board. But if you temper your use case expectations, the HP All-in-One 22 is an excellent budget choice. See also

HP Pavilion 24 All-in-One Dell Inspiron 27 7000/7700 Lenovo IdeaCentre AIO 3/3i

Launched back in October 2018, Microsoft’s Surface Studio 2 was well received, but is now distinctly long in the tooth, at least in terms of specification – it’s based on 7th-generation (14nm) Intel Core processors, five behind the current 12th-generation (10nm) chips. However, the Surface Studio’s innovative creator-focused ‘drawing board’ design is holding up well (and clearly influenced the recent Surface Laptop Studio). Graphics are handled by a discrete Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 with 6GB of dedicated video memory (with 16GB RAM configurations), or an 8GB GeForce GTX 1070 (with 32GB RAM configurations). Again, these GPUs are several generations behind current models. With the computer components built into the base and the display able to move between conventional and drawing-board modes thanks to its ‘zero-gravity’ hinge, the Surface Studio 2 is a striking bit of kit. The 28-inch 4K+ multi-touch display supports the sRGB and DCI-P3 color spaces, and is compatible with Microsoft’s Surface Pen and Surface Dial accessories.
At the back of the base there are four USB-A ports and one USB-C port, a Gigabit Ethernet (RJ-45) port, a 3.5mm headphone jack and an SD card reader. The USB ports are all 5Gbps (USB 3.2 Gen 1x1) connections. Wireless connectivity is behind the times, too – no Bluetooth 5.x or Wi-Fi 6 here. Read the review: Microsoft Surface Studio 2 Also: Everything Microsoft announced at the October Surface event Clearly, the Surface Studio 2 was due an update, and this has now arrived in the shape of the Surface Studio 2+. The new model retains the same design, but now runs on an 11th-generation Core i7-1137H processor for “up to 50 percent faster CPU performance” with a 6GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Laptop GPU for “double the graphics performance,” according to Microsoft. There’s 32GB of RAM and 1TB of SSD storage, a trio of USB-C/Thunderbolt 4 ports, along with two USB-A ports and RJ-45 Ethernet, plus improvements to the wireless and audio subsystems. ZDNET will be reviewing the Surface Studio 2+, which carries a hefty $4,499.99 price tag, at the earliest opportunity. See also

Lenovo IdeaCentre Yoga A940Apple 27-inch iMac (2020)

Creators and power users often need the largest screen possible, and that’s what HP has delivered in the shape of the Envy 34 All-in-One, which was announced in September 2021. The display is a 34-inch IPS panel with 5K (WUHD) resolution, 500 nits brightness, an anti-reflection coating, a low blue light mode and a claimed screen-to-body ratio of 98.6%. It supports 98% of the DCI-P3 color gamut and is color calibrated out of the box. The screen is height- and tilt-adjustable, but there’s no swivel support. Nice touches include the detachable magnetic 16MP webcam that can be placed anywhere on the top, bottom or sides of the display and Qi wireless charging built into the stand base. Even more welcome is access to the RAM and SSD slots via a panel at the rear – an unusual feature on an AIO. There’s also a good array of connections, including two 40Gbps Thunderbolt 4/USB 4 ports. Read the review:HP Envy 34 All-in-One Desktop review Envy 34 All-in One configurations start at $1,999 with a Core i5-11400 CPU, 4GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 GPU, 16GB of DDR4-2666 RAM and a 512GB PICe NVMe TLC SSD. A fully maxed-out model with a Core i9-11900, 8GB Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080, 128GB of RAM, 2TB of primary storage and 2TB of secondary storage will cost you $4,988.99. (These prices are $150 off at the time of writing.) See also

HP Envy 32 All-in-One

Most Chrome OS devices are laptops or 2-in-1s, but HP offers an intriguing alternative in the Chromebase All-in-One 22, whose standout feature is a 21.5-inch touch screen that can pivot from standard landscape mode into upright portrait orientation. This AIO has a distinctive design, with the screen attached to a cone-shaped fabric-clad base that houses a pair of 5W B&O-tuned speakers and a collection of ports at the back – a pair each of USB-A (10Gbps) and USB-C (5Gbps), plus a 3.5mm combo audio in/out jack. The power button is also here, and there’s a volume rocker on the right side. Another neat design feature is the two-stage privacy cover for the 5MP webcam: half-way closed turns off the video, fully closed turns off the mic as well. Also: On the go and at home, HP branches out in Chrome OS line expansion The 21.5-inch IPS touch screen is limited to FHD (1920 x 1080) resolution and 250 nits of brightness, and supports only 72% of the NTSC color gamut. It supports 20 degrees of tilt, plus the aforementioned pivot function, but there’s no height adjustment. The entry-level Chromebase All-in-One 22 configuration is based on an Intel Pentium Gold 6405U CPU with integrated UHD Graphics, 8GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. This has an RRP of $629.99, discounted to $499.99 at the time of writing. A maxed-out configuration with a Core i3-10110U CPU, 16GB of RAM and a 256GB SSD comes in at $839.99 (currently discounted to $709.99). See also

Acer Chromebase 24

MSI’s Modern AM24P 11M may not be particularly elegant, but it has a number of features that make it attractive to business users, either in the office or working from home. The 23.8-inch IPS screen is adjustable for both height (0-130mm) and tilt (-4°~20°), and can also be mounted on a VESA arm in order to maximize desk space. The screen also benefits from eye-care technology designed to minimize flicker, blue light, and glare, although the 92.6ppi FHD resolution could be higher.
Elsewhere, there are HDMI in and out ports, the former turning the screen on automatically when an external device is connected. Another unusual feature for an AIO is support for storage expansion via a removable 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or SSD. The drive bay is on the right side, just above a small joystick that controls the OSD menu. Also notable is the 1080p webcam, which is an external USB-connected unit that perches on top of the screen, rather than being integrated into the bezel. The entry-level price looks tempting at $549.99, but that’s for a distinctly low-end configuration based on a Pentium Gold 7505 processor with 4GB of RAM and 128GB of SSD storage. You’ll need to pay significantly more for a model that can tackle a decent range of business workloads. See also

Dell OptiPlex 5490 All-in-OneDell OptiPlex 7070 Ultra

Best computerBest Windows laptopBest gaming PCBest laptopThe best desktops for graphic design

Between all these resources, you should have no problem finding the best PC for you. For your convenience, we’ve put the top option from our best computer guide below.