You know that feeling when your desk is just a nightmare of tangled cables and dust bunnies? Most of us have been there. It starts with a monitor, then a tower, then the power bricks, and suddenly you have no room for a coffee cup. This is exactly why short all in one computers—those compact, integrated machines where the guts live behind the screen—are having a massive moment right now. Honestly, for the longest time, these things were kinda terrible. They were underpowered, impossible to fix, and looked like chunky plastic relics from a dentist’s office. But things changed.
The shift happened when mobile chips got scary fast. We aren't just talking about laptops anymore. Brands like Apple, HP, and ASUS realized they could shove high-end silicon into a tiny footprint without the thing melting into a puddle of solder.
The Reality of the Short All In One Design
Size matters, but not the way you think. When we talk about a short all in one, we’re usually looking at machines with a screen size between 21 and 24 inches. Anything bigger, like those massive 32-inch ultrawide monsters, starts to defeat the purpose of "saving space." You want something that fits under a kitchen cabinet or on a dorm desk that’s already cramped with textbooks.
Modern engineering is wild. Take the 24-inch iMac with the M3 chip. It is 11.5 millimeters thin. That is thinner than some tablets from five years ago. Because the processor is so efficient, it doesn't need a massive copper heat sink or a fan that sounds like a jet engine taking off. It just sits there. Quiet. Simple.
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But there is a trade-off.
You’ve gotta be real with yourself about what you lose. In a standard tower, you can swap the GPU or add a bigger hard drive. In a short all in one, you are basically buying a "forever" configuration. Most of these units have the RAM and storage soldered directly to the motherboard. If you buy 8GB of RAM today and realize you need 16GB next year, you’re usually out of luck. You’d have to buy a whole new computer. That is the "hidden tax" of the compact lifestyle.
Performance vs. Portability
People often ask if these small machines can actually do "real work." The answer is a loud yes, but with a few asterisks. If you are a professional video editor working on 8K features, a short all in one will struggle. The thermal constraints are just too tight. Heat is the enemy of speed. When a chip gets too hot in a tiny casing, the system slows itself down—a process called thermal throttling—to prevent permanent damage.
However, for 90% of people? It’s overkill.
Microsoft’s Surface Studio line (though often larger) proved that touch integration and a small base could change how artists work. In the smaller 24-inch segment, HP’s Pavilion All-in-One series has become a staple for home offices. They use "T-series" Intel processors, which are designed to draw less power. They don't benchmark as high as the "K-series" chips found in gaming rigs, but they handle 50 Chrome tabs and a Zoom call without breaking a sweat.
- Processor: Look for at least a 6-core chip.
- Ports: This is where most brands cheap out. Make sure it has at least one Thunderbolt 4 port.
- Webcam: Since you can't easily clip a new one on without ruining the "clean look," ensure the built-in one is at least 1080p.
Why the 24-inch Form Factor is the Sweet Spot
There is a psychological element to desk setups. A 27-inch monitor can feel like it's looming over you. It dominates the room. A short all in one in the 22 to 24-inch range feels like a tool, not a piece of furniture. It’s light enough to move from the home office to the dining table if you need a change of scenery.
Lenovo’s IdeaCentre AIO 3 is a great example of this. It has this weird, offset stand that looks like a piece of modern art, and it weighs less than 15 pounds. You can literally carry your entire workstation in one hand. Try doing that with a Dell Precision tower.
The Repairability Crisis
We have to talk about the elephant in the room: e-waste.
The tech industry loves making things "un-repairable." Because a short all in one is essentially a sealed glass sandwich, getting inside it usually requires a heat gun and a lot of prayer. If the backlight on the screen fails, the entire computer is basically a brick. Organizations like iFixit have been screaming about this for years. They give most all-in-ones a low repairability score because the components are glued, not screwed.
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If you’re worried about longevity, look for business-grade models like the Dell OptiPlex Micro All-in-One. These are built differently. They actually mount a tiny "micro" PC onto the back of a specialized monitor. It looks like an all-in-one, but you can pop the PC out and upgrade it later. It’s the best of both worlds. It’s the smart play for anyone who doesn't want to throw away a perfectly good screen in three years just because the CPU is outdated.
Gaming on a Small Integrated PC
Don't expect to play Cyberpunk 2077 at Max settings. It won't happen.
Most short all in one PCs rely on integrated graphics—Intel Iris Xe or AMD Radeon graphics built into the main chip. These are fine for Minecraft, Roblox, or League of Legends. They are not fine for high-end AAA gaming.
However, cloud gaming has changed the math. If you have a solid internet connection, you can run Xbox Game Pass or NVIDIA GeForce NOW on a budget all-in-one and get 60 frames per second on almost any game. The computer isn't doing the heavy lifting; a server in a warehouse somewhere else is. This makes the hardware specs of your local machine much less relevant than they were five years ago.
Hidden Costs of the "Clean" Setup
You buy the computer. It looks beautiful in the marketing photos. Then you get it home and realize you still need:
- An external hard drive (because the internal 256GB SSD is already full).
- A USB hub (because the manufacturer only gave you two ports).
- A better keyboard (because the one in the box is like typing on a wet sponge).
Suddenly, your "clean" desk is covered in dongles. When shopping, count your peripherals. If you have a printer, a mouse, a keyboard, and a webcam, you need at least four ports. Many short all in one models are moving toward a "USB-C only" world. If your gear is old, buy a dock immediately.
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What to Check Before Buying
Don't just look at the price tag. A $400 all-in-one is almost always a trap. It will have a "Pentium" or "Celeron" processor that will feel sluggish within six months.
Budget for at least $700. This gets you into the "Ryzen 5" or "Core i5" territory, which is the baseline for a smooth experience. Also, check the screen brightness. Many cheap models max out at 250 nits. If your desk is near a window, you won't be able to see a thing during the day. You want 350 nits or higher.
And please, check the stand. Some short all in one stands are fixed. You can’t tilt them. You can’t change the height. If the screen is too low, you’ll be hunched over like a gargoyle, and your neck will hate you. Look for "height-adjustable" in the spec sheet. It's worth the extra fifty bucks.
Actionable Steps for Choosing Your Machine
Start by measuring your actual desk depth. A short all in one saves width, but some have "kickstand" styles that actually take up more depth than a traditional monitor.
Next, audit your software. If you are using specialized Windows-only tax software or CAD programs, don't get seduced by the pretty colors of an iMac. Stick to an HP or Dell. If you just want to browse, edit photos, and sync with your iPhone, the Mac is the undisputed king of this category.
Finally, think about the "Screen-to-Body" ratio. Thick black borders (bezels) around the screen make a 21-inch monitor feel tiny. Models with "edge-to-edge" displays feel significantly larger even if the physical footprint is the same. It makes a huge difference in how much you can actually get done without squinting.
Stop overthinking the "tower vs. all-in-one" debate. If you aren't a hardcore gamer or a pro video editor, the tower is just a box of air taking up space. Get the short all in one, clear your desk, and actually enjoy your workspace again. Just make sure you get 16GB of RAM from the start—you can't change it later, and you'll definitely need it by 2027.