All Desktops

The Bottom Line: The retail version of Dell's Studio XPS 8000 desktop might lack some of the charm of its direct-from-Dell counterpart, but its strong price-performance offering makes it easy to overlook the minor cosmetic deficiencies. That and its admirable power consumption make this system an impressive all-purpose midrange desktop.

Specs: Intel Core i7 I7-860 (2.8 GHz), 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: The HP Pavilion P6210y gets by as a decent performer in entry-level applications, but we're disappointed by its lack of features. It can definitely serve as a family PC, but the Gateway SX2800-01 is a faster computer with more flexibility in its connection offerings.

Specs: AMD Athlon II X4 620 (2.6 GHz), 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9100, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: With a small screen for its price, we can't justify the TouchSmart 300 as a home entertainment all-in-one PC. It's also slower than more affordable midtowers, so you can spend less for more productivity. This leaves HP's touch-based software as the TouchSmart 300's primary selling point. We'd recommend this PC in the kitchen, but it's less appealing elsewhere.

Specs: AMD Athlon II X2 235e (2.7 GHz), 4 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 3200, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium, 64bit, Media center

The Bottom Line: The Dell Inspiron 545s-3055NBK improves on previous models with more upgrade options and faster performance. Its modest components can easily handle the most common tasks, but shoppers looking for a home theater PC should consider the Gateway SX2800-01 or Dell's forthcoming Zino HD instead.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo E7500 (2.93 GHz), 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, Intel GMA 3100, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: HP's Pavilion Elite E9220y strikes out because of slow performance and underwhelming features for its price. We can't recommend this desktop to anyone.

Specs: AMD Phenom II X4 910 (2.6 GHz), 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4350, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: We're fond of the Gateway DX4300-11's clever design, but halfhearted performance scores mar its overall worth. The TV tuner and 1TB hard drive may tempt you to stick it in your living room as a media center PC, but your money is better spent on the Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004.

Specs: AMD Phenom II X4 805 (2.5 GHz), 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 3200, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Media center

The Bottom Line: Maingear's Shift is the boutique vendor's new flagship gaming PC. It brings almost everything we expect to find in such a system, from expert craftsmanship to fast overclocking to a case that makes a statement. We found a few minor sticking points, but, on the whole, this PC sits comfortably alongside the top tier of luxury gaming boxes, and we recommend it if you have the means.

Specs: Intel Core i7 960 (3.86 GHz), 6 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 1500 GB Standard, 2x ATI Radeon HD 5870

The Bottom Line: Massive case notwithstanding, the affordable Asus Essentio CG5270-BP004 delivers a competitive feature set with the horsepower to back it up. We recommend this system for light media editors and anyone who can make use of its straightforward performance and multipurpose features.

Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 (2.5 GHz), 8 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 1 TB Standard, Intel GMA X4500, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: The HP Pavilion P6230y yields decent scores, but we have a hard time recommending a system that comes at a higher cost and a slower performance rating over competing systems. This system has a few uncommon features for its price, but nothing that makes up for its overall poor bang-for-the-buck.

Specs: AMD Phenom II X4 810 (2.6 GHz), 8 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 4200, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

The Bottom Line: Gateway's affordable One ZX4800-02 all-in-one isn't the most feature-rich desktop at this price, but it's fast and capable enough that it will handle most basic consumer tasks with aplomb. Don't get too excited about its touch screen, but there's enough to like about this system that we can recommend it as an everyday PC.

Specs: Intel Pentium T4300 (2.1 GHz), 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, Intel GMA 4500MHD, Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer