Our editors evaluated 7 Desktop options against the criteria readers actually weigh up: price, real-world performance, build quality, warranty, and UK availability. Picks lean toward what we'd recommend to a friend buying today, not specs-on-paper winners.
Hands-on contextEditor notes from individual reviews, not press releases.
Live UK pricingRefreshed from Amazon UK twice daily.
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Finding the best desktops under £300 in 2026 is genuinely possible, but it takes a bit of know-how. The market is flooded with refurbished commercial machines, budget new builds, and the occasional oddity that really shouldn't be on sale at all. We've pulled together seven options across a range of prices and specs to help you figure out what's actually worth your money. Whether you need a basic home PC, a capable work machine, or even something for light gaming, there's something here. But some of these picks come with real caveats, and we won't pretend otherwise.
Product
Best For
Key Spec
Price
Rating
Window 11 Pro Optiplex Core i5 Series Desktop Small Form Desktop Tower PC (Intel Quad Core I5 4570, 8 Gb Ram, 120 SSD), (Renewed)
Best Overall Value
i5-4570, 8GB RAM, 120GB SSD
£92.49
Dell FAST OptiPlex i7-6700 SFF Desktop Computer PC - Intel Core i7 6th Gen (4-cores up to 4.00GHz), 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD Storage, HDMI 300Mbps USB WiFi Windows 11 Pro OS (Renewed)
Best Build Quality
i7-6700, 32GB RAM, 1TB SSD
£264.00
OptiPlex 7020 SFF Desktop PC Computer i7 4770 16GB RAM 512GB SSD Windows 11 Pro 300Mbps WIFI (Renewed)
Best Under £100
i7-4770, 16GB RAM, 512GB SSD
£147.00
Dell FAST Optiplex 7020/9020 SFF Desktop Computer PC - Intel Core i7 4th Gen (4 cores Upto 3.90GHz), 16GB RAM, 500GB SSD Storage, 300Mbps USB WiFi, W11 Pro + 23" Monitor (Renewed)
Here's the thing: when you're hunting for the best desktops under £300, you don't always need to spend anywhere near the limit. This refurbished OptiPlex with an Intel Core i5-4570 lands at a price that makes it almost unreasonably good value. Yes, the i5-4570 is a 4th-generation chip from around 2013. But it's a proper quad-core processor with a 3.2GHz base clock, and it handles web browsing, email, spreadsheets, video calls, and light photo editing without breaking a sweat.
The 8GB of RAM is the sweet spot for everyday Windows 11 use. You'll notice multitasking is fine, browser tabs don't cause slowdowns, and the system generally feels responsive. The 120GB SSD is the one genuine compromise here. It's tight. Windows 11 Pro takes up a chunk of that, and you'll want to be disciplined about what you install locally. An external hard drive or USB storage is a sensible addition if you have files to store.
What makes this stand out in the best desktops under £300 category is the inclusion of Windows 11 Pro. That's not a given at this price. Pro gives you BitLocker encryption, Remote Desktop, and better business features if you need them. The small form factor chassis is compact enough to sit behind a monitor or on a shelf without dominating your desk.
Owner feedback is broadly positive. Most buyers report the machine arriving in good condition, booting quickly, and performing well for basic tasks. A few mention the SSD size as a limitation, which is fair. But for the price, this is genuinely hard to fault as a starter or secondary PC.
This is the machine that makes you do a double-take. 32GB of RAM and a 1TB SSD in a refurbished desktop for under £300? That spec sheet looks like a mistake, but it's real. The Dell OptiPlex range was built for commercial environments, which means the chassis quality, thermal management, and component reliability are all a step above what you'd get from a cheap consumer desktop.
The i7-6700 is a 6th-generation Intel chip, which is meaningfully newer than the 4th-gen processors found in several other machines on this list. It boosts up to 4.0GHz and handles demanding productivity tasks, video conferencing, light video editing, and serious multitasking without complaint. The 32GB RAM means you can have dozens of browser tabs open, run virtual machines, or work with large spreadsheets without any slowdown.
The 1TB SSD is a proper quality-of-life upgrade over the smaller drives in cheaper options. You're not going to run out of space doing normal things. Windows 11 Pro is pre-installed, and the USB WiFi adapter means you're not tied to an ethernet cable, though a wired connection will always be faster and more stable for heavy use.
For anyone looking at the best desktops under £300 for serious work use, this is the one to beat. The build quality of the OptiPlex platform is genuinely excellent, and the specs here are hard to match at this price point. The main caveat is that the 6th-gen i7, while capable, is still an older chip, and you won't be doing any GPU-intensive work without adding a graphics card.
The OptiPlex 7020 sits in an interesting spot. It's priced well below the mid-point of our best desktops under £300 roundup, yet it packs 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. That's a genuinely useful amount of storage, and 16GB RAM means this machine handles multitasking properly rather than just about managing it.
The processor is an Intel Core i7-4770, which is a 4th-generation chip. It's older than the i7-6700 in the Dell FAST model above, and you'll notice the difference in more demanding tasks. But for the vast majority of everyday use, web browsing, office applications, video calls, and media playback, it's more than adequate. The 7020 chassis is a proper commercial Dell unit, so build quality is solid.
Windows 11 Pro is included, which is good to see. The 300Mbps USB WiFi adapter handles wireless connectivity, though as with the other OptiPlex units, a wired connection is preferable if your setup allows it. The small form factor means it's easy to position on or under a desk.
Where this sits in the best desktops under £300 conversation is as a sensible middle ground. You get more storage than the cheapest option, more RAM than you'd expect, and a machine that will genuinely last several more years of everyday use. It's not the most exciting pick, but it's a reliable one.
Pros
16GB RAM handles multitasking well
512GB SSD is a comfortable amount of storage
Good price-to-spec ratio
Solid Dell commercial build quality
Windows 11 Pro pre-installed
Cons
i7-4770 is older than alternatives at similar prices
If you're setting up a PC from scratch and don't have a monitor, this bundle makes a lot of sense. You get a capable refurbished OptiPlex desktop plus a 23-inch monitor for £200, which is genuinely competitive when you price up the components separately. For beginners especially, the appeal of a complete setup that just works is real.
The specs are solid for the price. A 4th-gen Intel Core i7, 16GB RAM, and a 500GB SSD cover the basics well. You'll handle everyday computing tasks without frustration. The 23-inch monitor is a decent size for home use, though the listing doesn't specify the panel type or resolution, so manage expectations accordingly. It's unlikely to be an IPS display with great colour accuracy, but for general use it'll be fine.
Windows 11 Pro is included, so you're not stuck with an unsupported OS or a Home licence. The USB WiFi adapter handles wireless connectivity. As a complete beginner setup in the best desktops under £300 space, this is one of the most practical options available. You plug it in, turn it on, and you're ready to go.
The main consideration is that you're paying a premium for the monitor bundle. If you already have a screen, the Dell FAST i7-6700 above gives you better specs for a similar or lower price. But for a first-time buyer or someone replacing an entire setup, this bundle is genuinely convenient.
The Veno Scorp bundle with a 21.5-inch monitor looks attractive on paper. A 1TB NVMe SSD is genuinely fast storage, and 16GB RAM is plenty for everyday use. The bundled monitor adds convenience for buyers who need a complete setup. So far, so good.
But here's where we need to be honest. The processor is an Intel Core i5-2400. That's a 2nd-generation Sandy Bridge chip from around 2011. It's not just old, it's very old. For basic tasks like browsing and word processing it'll manage, but you'll feel the age of this chip compared to the 4th and 6th-gen options elsewhere in this roundup. Anything more demanding will expose its limitations quickly.
The NVMe SSD does help mask some of that CPU slowness in day-to-day use. Boot times are fast, and applications open quickly. But the processor is the bottleneck, and no amount of fast storage changes that. At £249, you're paying a fair amount for the monitor bundle, but the underlying PC hardware is weaker than cheaper options in this best desktops under £300 comparison.
If you genuinely need a monitor included and the Dell bundle above is out of stock or over budget, this is a reasonable fallback. Otherwise, the money is better spent elsewhere in this list.
Pros
1TB NVMe SSD is fast and spacious
16GB RAM handles multitasking
Monitor included in the bundle
Windows 11 included
Cons
i5-2400 is a very old processor
Weaker CPU than cheaper options in this roundup
Premium price for the bundle doesn't fully justify the specs
This is the only machine in our best desktops under £300 roundup with a dedicated graphics card. The GTX 750 4GB is a very old GPU, but it's still a dedicated card, which means it can handle games that integrated graphics simply can't. Older titles, indie games, and less demanding esports games will run on this. Don't expect to play modern AAA games at decent settings though. The GTX 750 is genuinely ancient by current standards, as TechPowerUp's GPU database confirms.
The ARGB gaming case looks the part, which will matter to some buyers. It's a proper tower rather than a small form factor unit, giving more room for airflow and potential future upgrades. The 22-inch monitor is bundled in, which is useful.
The storage situation is a problem though. A 120GB SSD as your primary drive is not enough in 2026. The 500GB HDD helps with bulk storage, but it's slow. You'll want to install Windows and your most-used applications on the SSD, and everything else on the HDD. It works, but it's not ideal. The i5 processor isn't specified by generation in the listing, which is a bit dodgy and worth querying before buying.
At £289, this is close to the top of the best desktops under £300 budget. For light gaming with a monitor included, it's the only real option here. But go in with realistic expectations about what the GTX 750 can actually do in 2026.
We'll be straight with you. The Lenovo Q190 is very difficult to recommend in 2026, and we've placed it last for good reason. The headline problem is the operating system. Windows 8.1 reached end of life in January 2023. Microsoft no longer provides security updates for it. Running an unsupported OS on a machine connected to the internet is a genuine security risk, not just a minor inconvenience.
Beyond the OS issue, the specs are weak even by budget standards. The Intel Celeron 1017U runs at 1.60GHz and is a dual-core chip with no hyperthreading. It's slow. 4GB of RAM is the bare minimum for Windows 10, let alone anything more demanding, and this machine doesn't even run Windows 10. The 500GB HDD is a spinning hard drive, which means slow boot times and sluggish application loading compared to any SSD-equipped machine.
The Q190 is a compact, quiet little machine, and it does have built-in WiFi, which is a plus. In a very specific scenario, such as a dedicated offline media player or a kiosk-style device that never touches the internet, it might have a use. But as a general-purpose desktop in the best desktops under £300 category? There are far better options at lower prices.
At this price, you're paying more than the top-ranked i5 OptiPlex for a machine that's objectively worse in almost every measurable way. That's a hard sell.
Pros
Compact and quiet form factor
Built-in WiFi (not a USB adapter)
500GB HDD gives reasonable storage capacity
Cons
Windows 8.1 is unsupported and a security risk
Celeron 1017U is very slow by modern standards
4GB RAM is insufficient for modern use
Spinning HDD means slow performance
Overpriced relative to better alternatives in this roundup
Buying Guide: What to Look For in the Best Desktops Under £300
Shopping for the best desktops under £300 means navigating a market dominated by refurbished commercial machines. That's not a bad thing. Commercial PCs like the Dell OptiPlex range were built to last, and a well-refurbished unit can offer genuinely excellent value. But there are a few things worth understanding before you buy.
Processor Generation Matters
The generation of the CPU matters more than the model number alone. An i7-4770 (4th gen) is actually slower in many tasks than a well-clocked i5 from a newer generation. In this roundup, the 6th-gen i7-6700 in the Dell FAST model is the newest chip available, and it shows in performance. As a rough guide, aim for 6th generation or newer if you can. 4th gen is acceptable for basic use. Anything older (like the 2nd-gen i5-2400 or the Celeron in the Lenovo) will feel slow in 2026.
RAM: 8GB Minimum, 16GB Preferred
8GB of RAM is the floor for comfortable Windows 11 use. You'll manage everyday tasks, but heavy multitasking will slow things down. 16GB is noticeably better and is what most of the machines in this roundup offer. 32GB, as found in the Dell FAST i7-6700, is overkill for basic use but future-proofs the machine nicely.
SSD vs HDD
An SSD makes a bigger difference to day-to-day feel than almost any other spec. A machine with a slower processor but an SSD will feel faster than a more powerful machine with a spinning hard drive. Avoid HDD-only machines if you can. 256GB is the practical minimum, 512GB is comfortable, and 1TB gives you room to breathe.
Operating System
Make sure the machine comes with a supported version of Windows. Windows 11 is ideal. Windows 10 is still supported until October 2025. Windows 8.1 is not supported and should be avoided entirely for any internet-connected use.
Monitor Included or Not?
Most machines in this roundup are tower-only. If you don't have a monitor, factor that cost into your budget. A decent 1080p monitor adds £80 to £150 to your total spend. The Dell bundle and Veno Scorp bundle both include monitors, which can make them better value overall depending on your situation.
Refurbished Grades and Warranties
Look for sellers offering at least a 90-day warranty, and ideally 12 months. Check the refurbishment grade. "Grade A" should mean minimal cosmetic wear. Read recent buyer reviews carefully, as quality can vary between batches.
How We Tested
We assessed each machine based on published specifications, verified Amazon listing details, and real owner feedback from UK buyers. Where specs were unclear or missing (such as the Veno Scorp Gaming PC's processor generation), we flagged this honestly. We cross-referenced processor and GPU performance data against established benchmarks and considered each machine's value relative to its price within the best desktops under £300 category. Our rankings prioritise real-world usability, not just headline specs.
Best Overall
Window 11 Pro Optiplex Core i5 Series Desktop (Renewed)
Unbeatable value at under £100. A capable quad-core i5, 8GB RAM, SSD, and Windows 11 Pro. The best desktops under £300 pick for most buyers who already have a monitor.
The best desktops under £300 in 2026 are overwhelmingly refurbished Dell OptiPlex machines, and that's not a bad thing at all. For most buyers, the Window 11 Pro Optiplex i5 (Renewed) at under £100 is the obvious starting point: it's fast enough for everyday use, comes with Windows 11 Pro, and leaves money in your pocket for a monitor or peripherals. If you want to spend closer to the £300 limit and get genuinely impressive specs, the Dell FAST OptiPlex i7-6700 with 32GB RAM and a 1TB SSD is the standout performer. The Lenovo Q190 should be avoided by almost everyone, and the Veno Scorp Gaming PC is worth considering only if light gaming with a bundled monitor is your specific priority. Whatever your needs, there's a solid option here well within the budget.
Frequently Asked Questions
Not modern AAA games at playable frame rates. All the machines here use integrated graphics suitable for web browsing and video watching, but not gaming. You could play older esports titles like Counter-Strike 2 on low settings, but don't expect smooth performance in Baldur's Gate 3 or modern releases. For gaming at this budget, you'd need to spend significantly more to include a dedicated graphics card.
8GB is functional but increasingly tight for heavy multitasking. Windows 11 and a web browser alone consume around 3GB, leaving only 5GB for your work applications. If you run multiple browser tabs simultaneously with office software, you'll notice slowdowns. 16GB would be ideal, but jump you'd exceed your £300 budget. Aim for at least 8GB; anything less is genuinely restrictive.
Refurbished business-grade machines from Dell or Lenovo are often more reliable than new budget consumer models because they're built to higher standards. However, they're pre-owned, so expect cosmetic wear. If the warranty term is at least 12 months and you're comfortable with used equipment, refurbished is genuinely good value. New equipment offers peace of mind and pristine condition, which matters if you plan to keep it visible on your desk.
Traditional towers and mini-towers typically allow RAM and storage upgrades, though you may need to open the chassis. Ultra-compact machines and mini-ITX builds offer minimal upgrade potential due to form factor constraints. Check your specific model before purchasing if future upgrades are important. Most budget PCs have soldered RAM or proprietary configurations that prevent expansion, so buy with your needs now, not hopes for later.
All machines under £300 in 2025 use DDR4 RAM. DDR5 is newer and theoretically faster, but it requires recent Intel 13th-gen processors and newer boards, which push the total system cost significantly higher than your budget. For office and productivity work, DDR4 is absolutely adequate and remains the sensible choice at this price tier. The real-world performance difference is negligible outside specialist workloads.
1Our top pickWindow 11 Pro Optiplex Core i5 Series Desktop Small Form Desktop Tower PC (Intel Quad Core I5 4570, 8 Gb Ram, 120 SSD), (Renewed)Scored 7.5/10Compare all →Buy on Amazon →
