STACK #247 May 2025

TECH FEATURE

Whether it's a tower or an all-in-one unit, a dedicated desktop PC will typically give you more power for less outlay than a laptop. Before you shop, it's important to understand the different types and specification jargon. Let’s break it all down. Words James O’Connor WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN BUYING A DESKTOP PC

What's the difference between an all-in-one desktop PC and a tower PC? An all-in-one is exactly what it sounds like – a single unit that contains all the internal components within the same chassis as the screen, generally with a mouse and keyboard included. An all-in-one is ready to go right out of the box. These PCs are all about convenience. There are fewer cables, no need to purchase a separate monitor, and they are more portable than a tower.

Which specs and features should I pay attention to? CPU The Central Processing Unit (CPU) is the brain of a PC. Figuring out all the stats around it can be intimidating, but as a general rule it's worth looking at the number of cores. Four to six will give you good performance for most use cases; if the number is eight or higher, you're looking at a more advanced CPU. The higher the number, the more future-proof your system will be. SSD Most PCs now contain a Solid State Drive (SSD), which is much faster than a hard drive, but also more expensive. Check the size, especially if the PC will be used for gaming – file sizes on games have crossed the 100GB mark. But if you have fast internet at home, needing to delete and re-download large files is not necessarily a huge hassle.

A PC tower, on the other hand, is a vertical, tower-like case that holds all the PC parts and connects to an external monitor via a HDMI cable. The biggest advantage of a tower PC is that it's upgradeable. Perhaps in a few years time you'll want to upgrade the graphics card: if there's room in your case, you can

switch your card out. It's easier to update storage, too, and individual parts can be removed for later use. As a general rule, a tower is a safer bet should you want to future-proof your PC. But an all-in-one is, again, more convenient and can be a good choice if you're using your PC primarily for work or play in a home office.

46 MAY 2025

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