Choosing the right desktop PC for your office is not as simple as it used to be. That’s because the desktop is no longer the dull gray looking box that was available earlier. Today, desktops are available in multiple form factors, with each meant for different requirements. So, besides the configuration and specs, which are equally important, you need to also look into their size. Let’s understand how to choose the right desktop PC for your office.

Form Factor

Desktop PCs come in several form factors. These include the regular tower models, small form factor, Mini, and All-in-One desktops. The regular towers need no explanation. They’re the standard desktop PCs that we’ve been seeing for years. They’re highly upgradable because there’s plenty of room to add new components. You could for instance, go for a tower-based desktop workstation class machine, which will enable you to add more RAM, hard drives, or other cards like graphic cards etc as per your needs. So as the software you use on it gets upgraded to new versions, you can keep upgrading its RAM and storage space to match the new requirements.

Small form factor or SFF PCs can be great for offices where space is at a premium. Expansion capabilities are of course limited due to their smaller size.

Next comes, Mini PCs. These are even smaller than SFF PCs, and can even fit behind your monitor such that they’re not visible. They can be a great option for outdoor LED monitor-based advertising or in office where aesthetics and clutter-free looks matter. Simply place a stylish monitor with the mini-PC attached behind it and you’re ready to go.

Lastly are the All-in-One PCs, which as the name suggest are complete desktops fitted inside the monitor frame. We’ve covered it in numerous articles in this section so feel free to browse through those articles, as there are ample numbers of things to know about them.

Configuration Matters

The specs are important when choosing a desktop PC, because they determine what sort of work you’ll be able to do on your desktop PC. Before determining the specs, evaluate your needs and list out what all you broadly are going to do with the PC. What type of work will you primarily use it for? Only after that you should get into choosing the specific configuration. Here are some considerations.

Processors

CPU is the brain of your system. If we look at Intel’s line-up of CPUs, then the Core series of processors should be considered for the office desktop. The Core i3 would be for basic productivity work, Core i5 for mid-level productivity, and Core i7 for higher level productivity. Here, CPU generation also matters. A 7^th gen Core i5 would not be as good as a 10 Gen one. In fact, it may even be worse than a 10^th Gen Core i3. So, choose the latest gen if you want to increase the lifespan of your desktop. For example, the HP Elite Desk 800 PC has Intel 11th Gen Processor, with choices up to Core i9 to meet various needs.

Memory &Storage

Memory and storage play a significant role in an office desktop. Here, 8 GB should be minimum RAM to consider and 1 TB minimum storage. Nowadays, you can even go for 2 TB HDD, as its price has come down. You should also prefer to choose an SSD over HDD for primary storage, as it gives much better performance.

HP’s desktop PC – HP 260 Desktop Minifor instance, has up to 2 TB HDD &512 GBNVMe SSD with Intel 10th Gen Processor and high-speed memory. 

Operating System

The main interaction between the user and the system happens through the operating system. There are different types of operating system in different desktops. In fact, Windows isn’t the only option in desktops. You can also choose Linux based on needs. Windows 10 is of course the most popular for office desktops as it gives you plenty of applications to choose from for office productivity. All HP range of desktops supports windows 10 professional on top of it, certain desktop models are certified for ubuntu linux as well

Ports & Connectivity

These days connectivity is one of the major issues faced by offices for collaboration. Choose a desktop PC that has plenty of connectivity options to help you work effortlessly. Not only number, but types of ports are also important in a desktop. In USB alone for instance, the latest is USB Type-C port, which carries both data and power on a single cable. Number of ports also matters so that you can connect multiple types of USB devices like printer, flash drive, phone, etc. The HP 280 Micro Tower for instance, has 8 USB Default (6 USB ports in front),and 2 More USB ports in the rear.

Tool-Free and Noiseless Design

Some other aspects to consider are tool-free design and noiseless operation. Please check how easy is it to open the machine for upgrades and servicing. Some PC vendors make it very easy for the IT support staff to open the machines. In fact, they don’t need any tools to open the machine, which reduces maintenance overheads.

Similarly, some machines have extremely good thermals due to which they don’t require heavy fans inside for ventilation. The Z workstations from HP for instance, can keep running 24×7 without making any noise.

These are a few aspects to consider while choosing a desktop.

Check out <https://store.hp.com/in-en/default/hp-business-offers> for more details.