HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF 2019, Core i5-9500, 16GB, 256GB SSD + 1TB HDD, Black

The HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF is a cheap, compact office PC that handles everyday work fine but falls flat for gaming or heavy tasks. Its best score is 58.1 for compact use, and the port selection is a standout. At around $350 USD, it's a decent buy for basic productivity, just don't expect any upgrade path.

The i5-9500 is a six-core chip from 2019, and it's fine for office work. It sits in the 22nd percentile for CPUs in our database, which sounds rough, but for Word, Chrome with a dozen tabs, and video calls, you won't feel much pain. The 16GB of RAM is middle of the pack, and the integrated UHD 630 graphics are exactly what you'd expect from a business box. The 256GB NVMe drive keeps boot times snappy, and the 1TB HDD gives you room for files. Just don't ask it to render video or run modern games. The 180W power supply tells you everything about the upgrade path: there isn't one.

Stacked against the competition, the ProDesk 600 G5 is a value play, not a performance play. The Apple Mac mini M4 will absolutely embarrass it in every benchmark, but it costs way more. The Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 5 is a similar business box with a newer CPU and a smaller footprint, though you'll pay extra for it. The Minisforum DeskMini UM880 Plus and GMKtec Nucbox K8 Plus are tiny AMD-powered machines that crush this HP in graphics and CPU performance for not much more money. If you need a cheap, reliable office PC and don't care about gaming, the HP holds its own. If you want any kind of performance headroom, look at the mini PCs.

At around $350 USD refurbished, this is a reasonable deal for a basic office PC. The Canadian pricing is all over the place though. You'll see it listed anywhere from CAD 399 to CAD 510 depending on the vendor. Best Buy has the lower end of that range, so if you're north of the border, that's where I'd look first. You're getting a lot of ports and a legit Windows 11 Pro license for the money. Just remember you're buying a machine that's already several years old, and the 90-day warranty is shorter than I'd like.

The HP ProDesk 600 G5 SFF is a refurbished office workhorse that knows exactly what it is. You get a 9th gen Core i5-9500, 16GB of DDR4, a 256GB NVMe SSD, and a 1TB spinning drive for bulk storage. It's compact, quiet enough for a desk, and comes with Windows 11 Pro already loaded. No surprises here, just a sensible little tower for getting work done.

Our database puts this thing at 56.3 out of 100 overall. It's strongest as a compact business machine, scoring 58.1 there. Gaming? Forget it. 10.2 out of 100. This is not a machine for fun, it's a machine for spreadsheets, email, and maybe some light photo editing if you're patient.

Skip this if you need any kind of graphics performance, whether that's gaming, video editing, or even heavy photo work. The integrated GPU is a weak spot, and the 180W PSU means you can't fix that with a graphics card. Also skip it if you want a machine that will still feel quick in three or four years. The CPU is already near the bottom of our database, and it's not getting any younger.

Buy this if you need a no-nonsense office computer for under $400 and you don't plan to upgrade it. It's perfect for a reception desk, a home office, or a kid's homework station. The port selection is genuinely great for a machine this size, and Windows 11 Pro is a nice bonus. Just go in with your eyes open: this is a 2019-era CPU with integrated graphics, and it will feel old in a few years.