Looking for a killer PC might be a challenge in today’s market, with the market wide open for high-performance computers that can handle the most intensive workloads. This is especially true with hybrid work becoming the new norm, and many professionals looking to pick out a speedy desktop PC either replacing – or in addition to – a notebook they may have once carried to and from the office.
But finding the fastest PC requires more than just checking out the CPU; you need to factor in a combination of the processor alongside the RAM (size and variety) as well as the GPU and a host of other facts. For example, 8GB may suit most day-to-day workers, but may not be enough for a creative professional who needs a vast amount of memory to run several high-intensive apps at once, alongside a sizeable hard drive to store all the assets.
Regardless of whether you’re looking for a gaming PC, or you’re an office worker looking to get the most power out of your desktop PC, we’ve got you covered. That said, there are other factors to consider too, beyond just processing power and speed, including price as well as the PC’s dimensions. In each case, we’re only looking at pre-built configurations you can purchase from major manufacturers as opposed to services that can assemble individual components for you in a finished product. We’re also discounting laptops, but we aren’t discounting workstations. For more advice, check out our guide on the best PCs – otherwise, read on to find out more about the fastest PCs of the year so far.
- Check out our list of the best computers
- These are the best all-in-ones on the market right now
- Have a look at some of the best business PCs
For unrivaled speeds, professionals should look no further than the Bizon ZX9000 workstation, a monstrous PC that offers enterprise-grade performance for a handful of use cases. These include AI, big data analytics, high-performance computing, business intelligence, and academic research.
Why is the Bizon ZX9000 the fastest? It includes the latest 128-core AMD EPYC 9754 Bergamo processor, which is by far the fastest CPU on the planet right now. This is partnered with up to 80GB of dedicated graphics in the form of two NVIDIA H100 GPUs and up to 256GB DDR4 RAM or 128GB DDR5 memory. This comes alongside the option to fit the Bizon ZX9000 with a 30.72TB PCI-E 4.0 NVMe SSD.
There’s a host of additional tweaks you can make to the Bizon ZX9000 to really push it to the limits, including packing it with the latest network adaptor, RAID controller, as well as a second SSD to reinforce the first. The most expensive configuration will set you back more than $150,000 – but there’s little beating it for sheer performance
There’s truly a fine line between the fastest gaming PCs, which is perfectly exemplified by neck-and-neck benchmarking between the MSI Infinite RS 13th and the Alienware Aurora R15, based on testing by our sister site Tom’s Hardware.
Both are fitted with the Intel i9-13900KF and similar GPUs – MSI RTX 4090 Surpim Liquid X and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 respectively. But the former just edges it, besting the latter in single-threaded and multi-threaded performance, according to Geekbench 5 testing. This comes alongside wins (or ties) when being put through the paces on a number of high-intensity titles including Borderlands 3, Far Cry 6, Grand Theft Auto V, and Shadow of the Tomb Raider.
Both systems are worth considering and, ultimately, other factors may come into play if you’re deciding to purchase one or the other. Price, for one, is key, while data writing speeds may also play a role; the MSI’s data transfer speeds are significantly slower than the Alienware, and both were beaten by the HP Omen 45L. You may want to look elsewhere for the best gaming PC, depending on your criteria, but there’s little doubt the MSI Infinite RS 13th is number one for speed.
Dell has a stellar reputation for building professional-grade machines, and its XPS line of notebooks and desktops has been close to unrivaled for many years. The engineering and precision that’s gone into building these devices through the years is something to be marveled at – and, while rivals have kept close tabs and many have surpassed Dell in the last few years – the XPS line of enterprise-grade devices is still nothing to be balked at.
Finding a high-performing desktop PC for under $1,000 is a challenge in regular circumstances, let alone finding an Intel i7-fitted Dell XPS. But the XPS 8950 desktop PC, fitted with a zippy Intel Core i7-12700 CPU, manages to come just under that valuation. The machine, which is also bolstered with an impressive 32GB DDR5 RAM alongside a 512GB SSD, supported with a 1TB HDD, is currently available for $999.97 via Amazon. It’s perfect for remote or hybrid workers looking for a new home PC, or for professionals hoping to get more bang for buck than a laptop might offer.
Fitted with Apple’s 24-core M2 Ultra CPU, the latest high-performance custom-built processor, is the Apple Mac Studio. It’s unbeatable for performance across Apple’s range of macOS devices, including iMac and MacBook Pro devices as well as Mac Studios powered by the M2 Max CPU.
Professional creatives, in particular, will be salivating at the prospect of the performance gains against Apple’s previous generation of processors. The M2 Ultra-fitted Mac Studio, which boasts up to 76GB GPU and up to 192GB unified memory, performs transcoding tasks, video exports, 3D rendering, or complex simulations several times faster than previous Apple chips, for example.
The Mac Studio is also paired with 64GB unified memory, configurable to up to 192GB, alongside a maximum 8TB SSD. With the M2 Ultra, the Mac Studio can support up to three 8K displays at 60Hz, and has a variety of ports including HDMI, USB-A and Thunderbolt 4, alongside an SDXC card slot. This comes alongside Bluetooth 5.3 and Wi-Fi 6E.11.
