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How we test all-in-one PCs

All in one PCs: How we test all-in-one PCs

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Which? tests almost 3,000 products every year, including more home technology products than anyone else. We look at new products as soon as they are announced, helping you to understand new technologies, and whether they are worth your money.

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We buy everything we lab-test
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What makes a Best Buy all-in-one PC?

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Video transcript

There are more and more all-in-one PC's out there these days. When browsing in a shop it is very difficult how well one is going to perform once you get it home. And that is were Which? comes in. on Which.co.uk, you will find reviews of all the latest All in one PCs We clearly list specifications and features alongside our easy to read star ratings that help you identify the best and worst performing models.

The best all-in-one PCs are awarded the coveted best buy award and unlike other reviewers we also give out don't buys to the models that you should avoid. We don't just perform benchmark tests that other reviewers do we also perform real life task that you'd perform home. We look at how long it takes to transfer data from the disc to your hard drive, we also look at re-purposing video to watch on an I-phone, kind of more testing tasks for the processor to do. We look at every element of an All in one PC, we look at how easy it is to use, how easy easy it is to set up.

We also look at the build quality, how solid and kind of durable it is. We also look at the performance, obviously a very important part. And we look at how we also look at the screen quality and the sound quality. We have member reviews for personal takes on each all-in-one PC. Each review is linked to a live pricing page helping you find the cheapest online retailer once you've made your decision.

Our product comparison tool makes it easy to directly compare all-in-one PCs and find the model with best features that suit your needs. So an all-in-one PC can make a nice, tidy alternative to your desktop computer. But when considering one, be sure that you check out the Which Review at which.co.uk.

Which? exists to give consumers impartial advice, which means that if a product isn't any good we'll say so, without fear of penalty. Which? works for you, providing trustworthy advice without a hidden agenda.

We examine everything that matters across all products, including performance, features and how well they work in real life – so you'll know exactly what to expect. Our unique, comparative lab tests mean you can trust our Best Buy and Don't Buy verdicts and choose with confidence.

Try Which? today for just £1 to find out which all-in-one PCs we rated as Best Buys.

All-in-one PC testing in brief

Which? tests around 20 all-in-one computers a year and we ensure that our guides only have the models that are currently available.

Which? conducts over 250 individual tests on each all-in-one PC we look at.

Our testing replicates real world use and enables Which? to offer the best advice about which all-in-one computer is right for you.

How we choose products for testing

Dedicated Business Researchers carefully select the products Which? tests, scouring the market for the latest releases and the most innovative products. Our Business Researchers aim to cover a very high percentage of the market in any one product area. And, while we do test some premium products, we avoid testing those products which you would need a second mortgage to afford. We take the following criteria into account when choosing all-in-one computers:

Popularity – we test all-in-one computers that are the biggest sellers
Brand reliability – we test more all-in-one computers from brands that are reliable and reputable
Innovation – we test new and innovative all-in-one computers
Cost – we typically test all-in-one computers that cost between £500 and £1,000

Ease of use

Our expert assessors test our products for their ease of use by running through everyday scenarios that replicate how you use your PC.

For all-in-one computers we check how straight forward they are to install and set up and how convenient it is to perform everyday operations such as inserting DVDs, adjusting the display and turning the computer on and off. We also check to see whether the supplied mouse and keyboard are accurate and responsive, as well as looking at the range and accessibility of connections, such as USB sockets.

Try Which? today for just £1 to find out which all-in-one PCs we rated as Best Buys.

Technical testing

Our products undergo an extensive range intensive objective laboratory testing to assess performance.

Our experts use specialist equipment to check screen quality

Our experts rate the screen quality, using both subjective assessments and technical tests to reward those that have crystal clear colours, deep blacks and sharp images while downgrading those that fail to meet the performance standards required.

Benchmark testing determines the basic performance of the computer and we compare the results against all the other all-in-one PCs we test. All our tests are comparative.

Application tests further assess the performance of the machines when carrying out real life tasks such as the speed of transferring files from a USB stick to the hard drive or the speed of burning data to a DVD.

The sound quality delivered from speakers and headphones is assessed both technically to ensure there are no omissions in the spectrum and subjectively for overall quality to ensure that only those with the highest quality sound get the highest rating.

Speaker performance is analysed using specialist equipment

We check gaming performance to see if the computer is capable of running the latest memory draining games and software.

Wireless connectivity is checked to ensure a wireless connection can be received and to make sure there are no performance problems when connecting to the internet.

We log all the features present, such as connectors, supplied software (both full programs and trial versions), accessories and performance specifications. We also note any significant omissions that may affect the versatility of the machine.

Energy use

We check all products for energy efficiency to make sure that they do not cost you, and the earth, once they are plugged in. For all-in-one computers, we check the energy use when the machine is switched on, but also when it's switched off as they can still draw power.

Try Which? today for just £1 to find out which all-in-one PCs we rated as Best Buys.

Ratings explained

All data sent back from our laboratories is carefully analysed by Which? staff so that the highs and lows of every product are revealed. If anything does not add up with a product then we will retest it. If there's a fault we'll purchase a new product to see whether its a one-off issue, or symptomatic of a larger problem.

The all-in-one PC score ignores price and is based on: