HP Pro Tower 290 G9 Jet Black 2026

This HP is a multitasking champ thanks to its 32GB of RAM, making it a great fit for heavy office workloads. The integrated graphics are a total non-starter for gaming, and the main SSD is a bit cramped. If you can find it priced closer to $540 than $880, it's a smart buy for a no-nonsense work PC.

The Core i3-13100 is a capable little chip for office duty. It won't set any records, landing in the 28th percentile for CPUs in our database, but it handles browser tabs, Office apps, and video calls without breaking a sweat. The real star here is the 32GB of RAM, which sits well above average and lets you run a frankly ridiculous number of things at once without slowdowns. The storage is a mixed bag. The 256GB boot SSD is snappy for Windows and key programs, but its capacity is on the smaller side, ranking in the 45th percentile. The secondary 500GB HDD is fine for file storage but feels slow and clunky compared to modern SSDs. The integrated graphics are the clear weak spot, falling into the bottom third of our rankings, so don't even think about anything more demanding than Solitaire.

Stacked against something like the Apple Mac mini M4, the HP feels like it's from a different era, and for creative work, the Mac runs circles around it. But the Mac can't touch this HP's RAM capacity at this price. A gaming-focused prebuilt like the iBUYPOWER Slate or MSI Aegis ZS will obliterate it in graphics performance but often skimps on RAM and comes with louder, flashier cases. The Dell Tower Plus is its most direct rival, offering a similar staid, business-first experience. The HP's main advantage is that 32GB of RAM, which is often an expensive upgrade on competing office towers, making it a standout for data-heavy multitaskers on a budget.

Pricing on this model is a rollercoaster, ranging from $540 to $880 across different vendors. At the lower end of that spread, you're getting a genuinely good deal for a 32GB RAM office PC with a modern processor. At nearly $900, it's a much tougher sell, as you start bumping into systems with dedicated graphics and faster CPUs. If you're hunting for one, your main job is to find a listing at the lower end of that price range to make the value equation work in your favor.

The HP ProDesk 290 G9 is a bit of a chameleon. The listing data is all over the place, mixing up specs for different configurations, but the unit we're looking at here packs a 13th Gen Intel Core i3-13100, a generous 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and a dual-drive setup with a 256GB NVMe SSD and a 500GB HDD. It's a no-frills workhorse built for spreadsheets, web apps, and getting through the workday without a fuss.

Let's be real, this isn't a machine for creative pros or anyone who wants to game after hours. The integrated Intel UHD Graphics 730 is purely for displaying your desktop and watching videos. But for a small business or a home office where reliability and a ton of RAM for multitasking matter more than raw speed, this HP makes a solid case for itself, especially if you can snag it at the right price.

If you have any plans to game, edit video, or do 3D modeling, look elsewhere. The integrated graphics are a dead end for those tasks, and the weak power supply makes upgrading a hassle. You'd be much better off with a tower that has a dedicated GPU from the start.

The HP ProDesk 290 G9 is for the office worker or small business owner who lives in browser tabs and spreadsheets and never wants to see a "low memory" warning again. It's a quiet, unassuming machine that nails the basics. Just don't ask it to do anything fun after 5 p.m.