Divine white
PC ❘ £819 from HP www.snipca.com/49728
All-in-one PCs are typically more expensive than standard PCs with the same specifications. This is because they have bespoke cases, non-standard components and a built-in screen. That’s true of this 27in HP model, though its sleek, space-saving minimalist design might just be worth paying a bit extra for.
It’s built around the Intel Core i5-1335U processor, alongside 16GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD. In benchmark tests that measure how well it performs in Windows, it manages just 84 per cent of the speed of our current favourite desktop PC, the £400 Palicomp AMD Cobra (www.snipca. com/43515, reviewed in Issue 643 – see page 30). Given that a decent 27in monitor might cost you up to £200, there’s still quite a price gap for HP to justify.
Some of this can be accounted for by its attractive design. The screen, which has all the PC components it needs packed behind it, is just 32mm thick at its deepest central point. Even this minor bulge is concealed when seen from the side edges (7mm thick) and the bottom edge (24mm). The whole thing feels very solidly constructed, and the white plastic casing has a flecked finish that’s pleasing on the eye.
The base takes up a relatively small footprint but keeps everything stable. However, it doesn’t offer much adjustment – just the ability to tilt forwards and back through an angle of 25 degrees.
There are a generous range of ports, including a single USB-C, two USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports. The USB-C port doesn’t include video out, but an HDMI socket is present should you need to connect it to a second screen. All the ports are spread across the back, near the bottom edge - you can see some pictured below left . This is handy if you like your connections hidden away, but will be fiddly if you regularly swap connected devices. For networking there’s a Gigabit Ethernet port, or you can rely on the built-in Wi-Fi 6 or Bluetooth 5.3.
The supplied wireless keyboard and mouse match the white scheme of the main unit, and they connect via a single 2.4GHz dongle. This makes setup and connection simple and keeps your desk cabl
