Top 5 Affordable Desktop PCs for South African Homes and Students in 2025

Looking to buy a desktop PC in South Africa in 2025 without breaking the bank? Whether you're setting up a home office, preparing for a new academic year, or simply need a reliable desktop for everyday tasks, finding a balance between affordability and performance is key. At Buysave.co.za, we’ve handpicked the top 5 affordable desktop PCs perfectly suited for South African homes and students. These machines pack excellent technical specifications for their price, and offer the reliability, speed, and features you need for work, study, or entertainment and even some light gaming.

Here's our expert guide to the best Affordable desktop PCs in 2025:

1. Lenovo IdeaCentre A100 – 24-inch Full HD All-in-One

Intel N100 | 16GB RAM | 256GB SSD | Windows 11 Price: Affordable All-in-One Simplicity View Product

For families, students, or professionals looking for an all-in-one desktop setup, the Lenovo IdeaCentre A100 is a winner. This device combines a large 24-inch Full HD display with a powerful yet energy-efficient Intel N100 processor. The generous 16GB of RAM ensures smooth multitasking, and the 256GB SSD offers fast boot times and responsive performance.

Its space-saving design is perfect for compact desks or shared home study areas. Plus, with Windows 11 Home pre-installed, it's ready straight out of the box. At this price, it's one of the best-value all-in-one desktops in the country. It also has a stunning look and feel. No need to have to buy other accessories. Even includes a webcam with microphone built in.

Perfect for: Families, students, home offices, light content consumption.

2. Buysave Mini PC Builder – Intel Core i3 13th Gen

Intel i3-1315U | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Windows 11 Pro Price: Entry-Level Performance That Feels Premium View Product

The Buysave Mini PC Builder i3 is a compact powerhouse built in-house by the Buysave team to offer incredible value. Featuring a 13th Gen Intel Core i3 processor with 6 cores and 8 threads, this small desktop is more than capable of handling school work, Zoom calls, browsing, and productivity tasks with ease.

With 16GB RAM and a high-speed 512GB SSD, it offers lightning-fast performance in a compact and energy-efficient form. The best part? It fits almost anywhere and is VESA-mountable—ideal for students with limited space, or to keep home desks looking clean and not cluttered. Theses specs are one of the latest so you not getting left behind in the fast computer moving industry.

Perfect for: Students, bedrooms, home workers, anyone who needs speed in a small footprint.

3. Buysave Mini PC Builder – Intel Core i5 12th Gen

Intel i5-1235U | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | Windows 11 Pro Price: Affordable Power for Multitasking View Product

Need a bit more power for heavier workloads? The Buysave Mini PC Builder i5 is the perfect upgrade. Powered by a 12th Gen Intel Core i5 with 10 cores and 12 threads, this mini desktop is a multitasking machine. Whether you're editing work documents, running multiple browser tabs, attending virtual classes, or even dabbling in basic photo or video editing, this PC handles it all smoothly.

Its compact chassis makes it perfect for tight spaces, and it's designed for reliability and quiet operation. The 512GB SSD gives you ample room for projects and files, while Windows 11 provides a modern, clean interface with full software compatibility.

Perfect for: Busy students, remote workers, light creative users.

4. ASUS ROG Ally – Gaming Handheld That Doubles as a Desktop

AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme | 16GB RAM | 512GB SSD | 1080p Touchscreen | Windows 11 Price: Versatility Meets Performance View Product

While it's marketed as a handheld gaming device, the ASUS ROG Ally is a flexible computing solution for students and home users who want both play and productivity. When connected to an external monitor and keyboard, it functions just like a standard Windows desktop PC—thanks to its powerful AMD Ryzen Z1 Extreme processor, 16GB of RAM, and 512GB SSD. You can, with the help of a USB-C to HDMI cable or dock with HDMI out, connect it to a monitor or even TV for a more comfortable view.

Great for light gaming, media streaming, schoolwork, and multitasking, the ROG Ally is compact, portable, and powerful. It’s especially appealing to younger students or gamers looking for a hybrid solution. I use mine for work and play. It'ds lightning fast even though it has 16GB of LPDDR5 Ram. We can even upgrade it for you on the hard drive SSD side which a lot of other retailers cannot.

Perfect for: Students who game, users wanting portability, digital nomads.

5. ASRock DeskMini X300 – AMD Ryzen 5 Desktop Mini PC

AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT | 16GB RAM | 1TB SSD | Windows 11 Pro Price: Desktop-Class Power in a Mini PC Package View Product

Rounding out our list is the ASRock DeskMini X300, a compact desktop loaded with power. Even though this is number 5 on our list, it is one of our favourites as it's so small and packed with power.

Featuring the AMD Ryzen 5 5600GT processor and Radeon Vega graphics, it delivers exceptional performance for its price. The massive 1TB SSD gives you plenty of storage for documents, projects, and media, while the 16GB RAM supports seamless multitasking.

It’s small enough to hide behind a monitor yet powerful enough to tackle demanding software, making it a versatile choice for students, creatives, or home users who need serious speed on a budget. Even excellent as a business PC due to it's specifications and installed Windows 11 Pro.

Perfect for: Power users, content creators, students with demanding workloads.

Why Buy a mini pc?

At Buysave.co.za, we handpick every mini PC and desktop computer for quality, value, and performance. Our team builds and checks each system in-house, ensuring reliability from day one. All systems come with a warranty, and we offer friendly & Fast support (the larger retailers will keep you waiting I can guarantee) to help you find the best PC for your needs.

With fast delivery across South Africa and excellent after-sales service, we’re your trusted destination for affordable, powerful computing solutions.

Choosing the right desktop PC in 2025 doesn’t have to be difficult—or expensive. Whether you're a student, a working professional, or a household looking for a reliable computer, these five options from Buysave offer something for everyone. From compact mini PCs to sleek all-in-one systems, you’ll find a desktop that meets your performance needs and your budget.

Explore our full range today at www.buysave.co.za and get the performance you need at a price you’ll love.