I think a Chromebox is the best desktop computer for almost everyone. They are simple, secure, and do everything that most people want a desktop PC to do at an excellent price — you can even go big on the specs and play your Steam games on a Chromebox. This ASUS Chromebox 4 is not one for playing your Steam games, but it would make a great general-purpose PC or the best streaming media box you could ever ask for. It's also on sale for Cyber Monday.
You can also find a Chromebox 4 with those monster specs if that's what you're looking for, but this one has modest guts — a Celeron CPU, 32GB of storage, and 4 GB of memory. The cool thing is that that's plenty for a Chrome OS device.
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A Chromebox for streaming? Why?
Imagine a device that can stream Netflix, HBO, Paramount, Hulu, Disney, Apple TV, Spotify, and everything else at 4K to any display, has a first-class desktop browser, is awesome for video calling, and can run about a million Android apps — including web browsers like Firefox. Now imagine it only costs $50-$100 more than other devices that can't do all of those things.
It's also still a desktop PC so kids can do their homework and you can work on whatever horrible work thing you have to do during the weekend. Storage isn't a problem because it has six USB ports so any hard drive can be attached. It also has Wi-Fi 6 and a Gigabit LAN port so you will be connected, and there is even an SD card slot if you need it. Use the VESA mount on the back of your TV or just set it on an entertainment stand, hook up an HDMI or DisplayPort cable, and a wireless keyboard like this all-in-one deal from Logitech (I use the hell out of these and have like 6 of them), and go.
I have too many streaming devices — Roku, Chromecast with Google TV, A Toshiba FireTV set, Nvidia Shield TV, PlayStation 5, and even an Apple TV 4K. None of them measure up to my Chromebox, which is why it's what I have attached to my favorite screen — the TV in the bedroom where I can kick back and consume.
Take a look at our guides to the best Cyber Monday phone deals and best Cyber Monday smartwatch deals so you're totally prepped when it's time to buy.
