With giant TVs, triple-folding phones, slim laptops, and robots galore hogging up all the attention, it’s easy to overlook the bazaar of desktop-PC gear that flies under the radar at CES. But as PCMag reports, fresh and flashy desktops, graphics cards, processors, and other PC components had a banner year at 2026’s show.
Below, you’ll find a modern mini PC design that draws inspiration from the 1980s, some clever all-in-one PCs, a wildly powerful new version of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090, and more to sate your appetite for new bits for your battlestation. These are the best desktops and PC components that PCMag editors found at CES 2026.
Best Productivity Desktop
HP EliteBoard G1a
One of the more surprising desktop designs of the past several years is actually a way-back throwback, reviving a PC form factor we haven’t seen much of in decades: the keyboard computer. HP’s EliteBoard G1a utilizes mini PC hardware and build techniques to revive the keyboard PC, incorporating an entire desktop into a thin, portable keyboard, akin to a super-slim Commodore 64 or VIC-20. The keyboard comes in either hardwired or battery-powered varieties, and beneath the keys are AMD’s Ryzen AI 300-series processors, up to 64GB of memory, and as much as 2TB of storage. An effective and comfortable keyboard in its own right, the EliteBoard’s approach to work desktops could start a trend, depending on how it performs. (See our hands on with the HP EliteBoard G1a.) —Joe Osborne
Best AIO Desktop
Lenovo Yoga AIO i Aura Edition
Lenovo’s Yoga AIO i Aura Edition is the company’s newest high-end all-in-one PC, designed for professional and home creatives. It stands out for its Intel “Panther Lake” CPU, as well as its shiny, premium LED-lit transparent bar that serves as the front stand. This AIO features a 31.5-inch 4K (2160p) OLED display with a 165Hz refresh rate, which is a sweet mix for virtually any type of user. Lenovo tops it off with a high-end Intel Core Ultra X7 processor, 32GB of memory, and up to 2TB of storage. The flashy light bar can display flashing or glowing lights that sync up with what’s shown on the screen (for added immersion with your movies or games), or it can serve as a notification system that you cannot miss. You’ll be hard-pressed to find a more premium AIO this year. (See our hands on with the Lenovo Yoga AIO i.) —Joe Osborne
Best Gaming Desktop
Asus ROG G1000
This is no gaming system for the faint of heart. It’s a massive tower with plenty of RGB flair. The Asus ROG G1000’s marquee feature, though, goes way beyond mere RGB: the ROG AniMe Holo technology behind its side and front glass panels is a desktop-tower first. AniMe Holo consists of fast-spinning LED light bars mounted to the inside of each glass panel; as they rotate, they issue a hologram-in-motion effect under the glass. You can program these fashionable features to display anything you wish, whether that’s still images or moving content such as videos or GIFs. It’s a cool effect, and it stands apart in a world of generic RGB-laden gear. The rig’s three-zone cooling system, with a massive 420mm CPU-cooler radiator, is also a standout. We can’t wait to see what this power tower can do in a full review, and watch it dance. (See our hands on with the Asus ROG G1000.) —Joe Osborne
Best Business Desktop
Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition
This desktop, tailor-made for specific types of productivity work, is the cleverest business PC we saw showcased at CES 2026. Lenovo’s ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition makes a major impact with its display: a 27.6-inch screen with a unique 16:18 aspect ratio. This near-square panel is particularly effective for working with giant spreadsheets or vertically oriented content, such as coding environments and reviewing documents side by side. The resolution is a super-sharp 2,560 by 2,880 pixels, and the screen has a helpful Share Zone feature. With it, you can divide the panel, separating what you see between the AIO’s own system and a connected laptop. For being a rare square while thinking of just about everything, this ThinkCentre earned this spot. (See our hands on with the Lenovo ThinkCentre X AIO Aura Edition.) —Joe Osborne
Best Graphics Card
MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z
Designed to push overclocked graphics workloads at up to 1,000 watts, the MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G Lightning Z is one of the most overpowered graphics cards we’ve ever seen. In addition to robust power hardware (a 40-phase power delivery system!), this card also features a separately mounted liquid cooling system with a 360mm radiator and a heavy copper water block that gives it exceptional thermal management, especially compared with the air cooler Nvidia uses on its RTX 5090 Founders Edition. The actual card comes with a riser cable for vertical mounting and has a large 8-inch screen that covers the front of the card for displaying PC vital stats or custom animations. While this card will be pure gluttony for most gamers, it’s poised to be one of the best options for overclockers looking to push an RTX 5090 as far as it can go. Just know that you’ll need two Nvidia 16-pin power connectors, and at least a 1600W power supply. Not to mention: a pile of greenbacks. (It’s a limited edition of 1,300 pieces.) —Michael Justin Allen Sexton
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