Media Center PCs - CNET reviews

Editors' Top Desktops
updated April 14, 2006

A good number of new PCs come with the Media Center version of Windows XP on them, but these systems are specifically intended for home theater use, usually housed in slick rack-style cases with TV tuner cards and advanced A/V options. -- Dan Ackerman, Senior associate editor

Media Center PCs

Desktops	Editors' rating	Price	Summary
WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410 Released: 01/12/2005	8.2 Excellent	Email me when product is available	A home-theater PC and 30-inch LCD for less than two grand? The living room-friendly WinBook PowerSpec 410 is one sweet deal. Specs: Intel Pentium 4 530 (3 GHz) , 3 GHz, 512 MB DDR SDRAM , 160 GB Standard , ATI Radeon X300 SE , Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 , Media center

Creature Scylla S301 Released: 07/06/2005	7.5 Very good	Email me when product is available	More than just a powerful media center PC, the Creature Scylla S301 pulls double duty as a multimedia server and a 3D gaming rig. Specs: AMD (24. GHz) , 24. GHz, 1 GB DDR SDRAM , 80 GB Standard , Microsoft Windows XP Professional

NiveusMedia Media Center Denali Edition - Pentium D 820 2.8 GHz Released: 07/12/2005	7.3 Very good	Email me when product is available	The Denali is for a select audience that's willing to pay a premium for design and DVR muscle and also willing to sacrifice some performance. Specs: Intel Pentium D 820 (2.8 GHz) , 2.8 GHz, 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM , 250 GB Standard , NVIDIA GeForce 6600 GT , Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 , Media center

Sony VAIO VA TV-PC VA11G - P4 640 3.2 GHz - 20" TFT Released: 10/18/2005	7.0 Very good	Email me when product is available	Sony's all-in-one VAIO VA11G features a fantastic wide-screen display and surprisingly rich audio output, but we dislike elements of its design. Specs: Intel Pentium 4 640 (3.2 GHz) , 3.2 GHz, 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM , 160 GB Standard , ATI Radeon X700 , Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 , Media center

Polywell MiniBox2 939NP Released: 10/15/2005	6.5 Good	Email me when product is available	The Polywell MiniBox2 939NP Media Center PC earns points for its dual-core processor and capacious storage, but home-theater enthusiasts will require more A/V input and output choices. Specs: AMD Athlon 64 , 512 MB DDR SDRAM , 300 GB Standard

HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n - Pentium D 920 2.8 GHz Released: 01/06/2006	6.5 Good	Email me when product is available	One of the first HP Viiv PCs, the fixed-configuration Pavilion Media Center TV m7360n impresses with ample memory and a roomy hard drive, but it offers only a single TV tuner and limited expansion options. Specs: Intel Pentium D 920 (2.8 GHz) , 2.8 GHz, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM , 300 GB Standard , NVIDIA GeForce 6200SE TurboCache supporting 256MB , EPA Energy Star , Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005 , Media center

Biohazard Media Center Xpress Released: 02/01/2006	6.2 Good	Email me when product is available	The Biohazard Media Center Xpress will look smashing in your home entertainment center, but we expected a better mix of components for the price. Specs: AMD Athlon 64 3000+ , 1 GB DDR SDRAM , NVidia GeForce 6150 , Microsoft Windows XP Media Center Edition 2005