Digital Trends may earn a commission when you buy through links on our site. Why trust us?

The Dell XPS, our pick for the best desktop, is on sale today

By Michael Bizzaco Updated August 22, 2024

Dell XPS Desktop 8960 with the side panel removed. — Jacob Roach / Digital Trends / Digital Trends

We here at Digital Trends take our computers very seriously. So when we say something like “a highly flexible desktop that can accommodate almost any budget and purpose,” you can bet we’re talking about one of the best desktop computers we’ve ever used. The model we’re alluding to is the Dell XPS Desktop 8960, which just so happens to be our favorite desktop PC for 2024! It’s also on sale through the manufacturer for $1,200.

Why you should buy the Dell XPS Desktop

Whether you’re looking for a reliable at-home setup for drafting a novel, editing photos, browsing the web, or engaging in some demanding MMORPG gameplay, the XPS Desktop has got you covered. Do keep in mind that the version we highlighted in our best-of roundup (Intel Core i7-13700K, NVIDIA RTX 4080, 32GB of RAM, 1TB of storage) is not the same configuration that you’ll get as part of this particular Dell deal. The deal version includes an Intel Core i7-14700, the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4060, 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.

When the XPS Desktop is operating on all thrusters, you’re going to want make sure the tower stays nice and cool. Fortunately, Dell was way ahead of us on that note, as the XPS Desktop chassis was tailor-made to encourage air flow and quieter-running components. There’s also no shortage of inputs and outputs on this machine, including popular connections like USB-C, USB-A, Gigabit Ethernet, an SD card slot, and a six-connector stack of assignable audio ports.

If you decide that you’d like to upgrade your system at some point, the XPS Desktop even includes extra slots for PCIe, DIMM, SSD, and HDD additions. It’s hard to say how long this Dell markdown is going to stick around for, so now is always the best time to save!

Own the Dell XPS Desktop for $1,200, and be sure to have a look at some of other great desktop computer deals we found this week! We also have a big list of laptop deals for you to look through if you’re in need of something portable. And if you’d rather combine laptop and tablet tech, we also have a solid list of 2-in-1 deals to peruse!

Topics

Michael Bizzaco

Michael Bizzaco has been writing about and working with consumer tech for well over a decade, writing about everything from…

Computing

Best Acer laptop deals: From Chromebooks to gaming laptops

Acer Nitro V

Acer is one of the oldest and best laptop brands on the market, and if you're looking to snag yourself a new laptop that isn't one of the big names like Dell, Apple, or Asus, then Acer is a really excellent alternative. It has a range of laptops, from gaming laptops to more budget-oriented laptops that are great for work and school, although there are some cheap gaming laptops in there as well. As such, we've gone out and collected some of our favorite Acer laptop deals for you below, so you don't have to go out looking.

That said, if you can't find what you're looking for, we also have some great roundups of laptop deals, Chromebook deals, 2-in-1 laptop deals, and gaming laptop deals
Aspire 1 -- $200, was $300

Computing

Best RAM deals: Discounted 16GB and 32GB from Corsair, Crucial

RAM inside the Starforge Navigator.

While a lot of people who are building a PC don't necessarily focus that much on RAM, it's possibly one of the most important bits of a PC that can help decrease hangups or issues with having too many tabs and apps open. In fact, RAM is important for performance, and if you're planning to build or own a mid-range PC or better, then having a good set of RAM is important. To that end, it's worth checking out our guides on how to choose the best RAM for your PC and how much RAM you need for a laptop, gaming PC, or tablet before making any purchase, just so you're getting the exact thing you need.

To that end, we've collected some of our favorite RAM deals below, both for DDR4 and DDR5, so you can pick the RAM that best fits your needs. If this is part of a gaming rig upgrade, check out other gaming PC deals, such as SSD deals and GPU deals.
Crucial Pro RAM 32GB DDR4 (2x16GB) -- $51, was $95

Computing

Best Dell laptop deals: Cheap laptops starting at $500

The Dell XPS 13 9315 on a table against a window.

If you're thinking of picking up a new laptop, then you may want to consider Dell, which is one of the best laptop brands on the market and has a very wide selection of laptops you can pick up. In fact, Dell owns the Alienware brand and, therefore, offers some of the best gaming laptops, although if you want something a bit more budget-friendly, it offers a lot of great budget laptops, too. Of course, you can also go something that's more middle-of-the-road, especially with some of Dell's laptops that often show up on our list of best laptops.
Of course, having so many options can be a bit overwhelming for somebody who isn't familiar with Dell or the laptop market, which is why we scoured the Dell website and other retailers for our favorite picks and listed them below. This list has a lot of crossover with the best Dell XPS deals, student laptop deals and gaming laptop deals, so make sure to check out some of those other great laptop deals as well.

Dell Inspiron 15 -- $450, was $550