In the world of pre-built productivity desktop PCs, the Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA19 is at the forefront of consumer value. Created for the living room., the home office, and everyday busy live, this midrange machine tries to get the job done by pairing decent components with a solid design at a low price.
Several different configurations of the Acer Aspire TC exist, and the variety of components mean it’s worth paying attention to the hardware. Most of these rigs in this are ideal for basic uses, others are more powerful and can be used for demanding tasks, while others can run the latest games.
Last year, we reviewed the Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA92, and it has remained a favorite in our best home computer round-up, as one of the truly affordable, everyday options. In the Aspire TC-1660-UA19, Acer maintains the same specs as the previous model, only that it comes with Windows 11 Home pre-installed.
That’s to say, both models pack the same design and features, which is not a bad thing, as the new operating system doesn’t attract a price hike. Both machines feature a 10th Gen Intel i5-10400 (6-core processor), 12GB RAM and 512GB SSD storage.
Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA92 Specs
- Desktop Class: Personal, Business
- Processor: Intel Core i5-10400
- RAM: 12 GB
- Storage: 512GB SSD
- Graphics: Intel UHD Graphics 630
- Operating System: Windows 11 Home
- Dimensions: 13.78 x 6.42 x 13.39 inches
Design and Features
For a simple, home-office desktop, the Acer Aspire has a sleek style. It’s just step away from being completely plain, and we think the angular front panel design and plastic front will make it blend well into any home office setup. While some may favor the ribbed front design on the HP Envy Desktop, but both are among the nicer budget desktops.
On matters size, the Aspire TC-1660-UA19 is fairly compact. In fact, there’s no reason for budget desktops to be especially big, bearing in mind they are filled with basic components and are not meant for extensive upgrades. As such, the Acer Aspire measures just 13.4 by 6.4 by 13.8 (HWD), taking up very little desktop surface and able to fit in a small compartment in a desk.
Compared, the HP Envy is similarly sized at 13.3 by 6.1 by 11.9 inches, while the Lenovo IdeaCentre 510A is slightly trimmer at 14.4 by 5.7 by 11.2 inches.
Connectivity is quite solid, including a DVD-RW drive on the front panel alongside one USB-C port, a USB 3.2 port and headphone and mic jacks. The rear holds two more USB 3.2 ports, four USB 2.0 ports, two HDMI connections, a VGA port, and a Gigabit Ethernet jack. Wireless connectivity comes via dual-band Wi-Fi 6 and Bluetooth 5.2.
Also bundled into the package are a basic wired keyboard and mouse, which are nothing to write home about but get the job done.
Acer Aspire performance
- 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10400 6-Core Processor (Up to 4.3GHz)
- 12GB 2666MHz DDR4 Memory | 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD | 8X DVD-Writer Double-Layer Drive (DVD-RW)
- Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 AX201 802.11ax Dual-Band 2.4GHz and 5GHz featuring 2x2 MU-MIMO...
Under the hood, our review unit packs 10th Generation Intel Core i5-10400 6-Core Processor (4.3GHz), 12GB of memory, 512GB SSD storage. When stacked against its direct competitors, the Aspire has a leg up here with its 6-core processor, but part of the reason we like this system so much is that it’s including superior core components without much of a price increase.
The 10th Gen Core i5 CPU’s proficiency on multi-threaded tasks is impressive, and performs marginally better than previous-gen chips, and it gets higher clock speeds. This means you’re getting the Aspire at a lower price than most of its competitors, but with good aptitude at all-around productivity and multitasking in most home office tasks that you’ll need to complete.
While the newer processor and decent amount of RAM make for a capable desktop PC, as expected, its gaming chops are still very limited. You aren’t going to play modern games at high frames rates on the Intel UHD Graphics 630, maybe a few browser games and you’re done.
Should you need a desktop for around this price for work and some bit of gaming, the HP Pavilion Gaming Desktop is worth a long look, with its AMD Ryzen 5 processor and a dedicated Nvidia GeForce GTX 1650 graphics card. Still, the Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA92 remains a capable desktop for office-centric tasks such as word processing, spreadsheet work, web browsing and home entertainment.
Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA19 Review: Verdict
The Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA19 is a great budget desktop, offering superior components and performance, offered a very reasonable price. Well, it doesn’t have any standout features, but it crucially avoids any obvious errors.
While shopping at this price tier, you don’t look out for fancy extra features, and so we give the Aspire TC-1660-UA19 top marks for doing the essentials better than the rest at a good price, making it our new Editors’ Choice among budget desktops.
The Review
Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA19
The Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA19 is a fantastic and affordable option for everyday computing and mainstream workloads, with solid components and a compact, smart design.
Recommended Configuration
Acer Aspire TC-1660-UA19 Desktop | 10th Gen Intel Core i5-10400 6-Core Processor | 12GB 2666MHz DDR4 | 512GB NVMe M.2 SSD | 8X DVD | Intel Wireless Wi-Fi 6 | Bluetooth 5.2 | Windows 11 Home
$569.00 in stock
5 used from $240.04
PROS
- Great value
- Best current performance for the category
- Slick design with a small footprint
CONS
- Somewhat cramped interior
Review Breakdown
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EDITORS RATING
Last update on 2024-10-30 at 11:58 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
