A desktop computer is a personal computer that is designed to fit on top of a typical office or home desk. It is intended for regular use at a single location, as opposed to a mobile laptop or portable computer.

A desktop packs several units that are connected together during installation including processor, display monitor and input devices like keyboard and mouse. Now-a-days almost all desktop computers include a built-in modem, a CD-ROM drive and a multi-gigabyte storage drive. Desktop computers can be interconnected and can share resources such as printers by being connected to a local area network (LAN).

One advantage that Desktops have over laptops is that there spare parts and extensions are standardised.