Armed with all of the knowledge and decision points, you're almost ready to shop. The final consideration is how well a desktop PC performs. We review dozens of PCs every year, evaluating their features and testing their performance against peers in their respective categories. That way, you'll know which are best suited for gaming, which is our favorite general-purpose all-in-one, and which is the best if all you need is a small, powerful system you can get up and running quickly.

Still can't find anything that looks right for you? Check out the full feed of all of our latest desktop reviews, as well as our narrower-focused guides to our favorite all-in-one PCs, business desktops, and gaming desktops.

Since you won’t be lugging a desktop around nearly as much as you would a laptop, it’s less important to handle the chassis and test-drive its build quality in the store before you bring it home. Still, if the desktop comes with peripherals included, it can be helpful to type a few lines and move the mouse around in the store. Setting eyes on an all-in-one desktop is more crucial than with a typical tower desktop or mini PC. The screen is an integral part of what you are buying, and eyes-on time matters, especially if you’re not well-versed, say, in the differences between a 24-inch and 27-inch panel or a 1080p screen versus a 4K one. 

If you limit yourself only to the selection at your local electronics outlet, though, you’ll miss out on many excellent desktops. Some configurations can be exclusive to a single reseller, such as Best Buy, Costco, or Walmart. Other merchants, such as Micro Center, frequently have in-store-only deals that aren't available anywhere online.

This is where return policies come in handy. If you find the best desktop for you online but can't test drive it locally, a seller with a liberal return policy is your best friend. Just make sure you've got adequate time to return it if it doesn't work out.

Many people considering desktops in the $200-to-$500 range should also consider a refurbished machine. In certain circumstances, they can be excellent values. 

Large corporations lease fleets of desktops for a few years at a time, after which third parties refurbish them and resell them on eBay and through retailers such as Best Buy, Newegg, and TigerDirect. To find these systems, search or filter the product category pages for "off-lease" or refurbished systems. 

Refurbished PCs are often affordable, and you can usually find desktop towers, making them easy to upgrade or service if a component fails. They do come with drawbacks. Their components are usually several years behind the cutting edge, they may be in imperfect cosmetic condition (some refurbishers grade condition on an A-B-C scale), and different refurbishers can have varying levels of attention to detail.

Still, refurbs can be a good option if you're looking for a budget-friendly desktop. Just be sure to buy from a seller with a reasonable return policy in case you get a dud.