Desktop PCs Reliability

To find out which tech brands are the UK’s favourites, every year we ask almost 10,000 Which? members to tell us about the technology products they own – from how happy they are to recommend a brand, to how reliable the products are once they’re home.

Read our expert Which? reviews of the best desktop PCs. 

Best desktop PCs for reliability

We asked over 4,500 desktop PC owners about their computer, including which brand they bought and any problems they had experienced. We found that 19% of people had experienced problems with their desktop PC; with common issues covering everything from a hard disc failure to a frozen screen. A new PC is a substantial investment and our survey will help you choose a brand that you can rely on.

In our survey we cover all the major brands, such as Compaq, HP and Dell, as well as Apple, asking thousands of Which? members if their machine has needed to be repaired and why.

Which? members can log in to see the full results. Or you can try Which? today for just £1. 

 

Desktop PC reliability
BrandScore
AppleSubscriber only content
CompaqSubscriber only content
DellSubscriber only content
HPSubscriber only content
MeshSubscriber only content
NovatechSubscriber only content
Packard BellSubscriber only content
AcerSubscriber only content
MedionSubscriber only content
Overall reliabilitySubscriber only content

Common desktop PC problems

From our survey of 4,500 desktop PC owners, 19% told us their PC had required repair. They also told us what the problem was. The most common issue was a hard disc failing. Hard discs do have a certain lifetime and this problem will be directly related to the quality of the hard drive fitted by the manufacturer.

  • Hard disc failed (21%) - this can be due to age, but also overheating or a loose circuit board
  • Screen started freezing (7%) - low or faulty RAM (memory) is often the cause
  • Spontaneously rebooting or turning off (4%) - this can be cause by a faulty fan and the PC overheating

Desktop PC reviews

Our reliability surveys help Which? to uncover common PC problems that can affect owners over time. Combined with our extensive lab tests, this means we can recommend the best PC for you to buy. 

We put all-in-one-PCs through 250 individual tests, including screen and sound quality, how quickly it can perform simple tasks such as web browsing and transferring files and how well the memory holds up when performing demanding tasks.

Which? is independent - we work for you, the consumer, so you can be sure that our product recommendations are influenced only by our test results. We don't take advertising and we buy all the products that we test, so our advice helps you to make the right choice and avoid costly mistakes.

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