Desktop Reviews

The HP Omni 200 5380qd lacks some of the flashier features of other all-in-one PCs, but it makes up the difference with surprisingly fast performance, making it easy to recommend to anyone in need of a reasonably priced home desktop.

Lenovo's 21.5-inch IdeaCentre B305 is a mainstream home entertainment all-in-one that can't quite overcome its small screen and underwhelming features. You might have interest in this system if you want a self-contained budget gaming PC, but it has little else to recommend it.

The workmanlike Toshiba DX735-3201 won't dazzle you with cutting edge aesthetics or innovative features, but its affordable, capable-enough configuration should have a certain appeal for general purpose users.

Apple's $1,199 iMac doesn't offer the same home entertainment features as Windows-based all-in-ones, but its speed, looks, and the future utility of its Thunderbolt port make it a strong choice for performance-sensitive professionals.

Velocity Micro's Vector Holiday Edition offers one of the best deals we've ever seen in a mainstream PC. For under $1,000, this system provides a Blu-ray drive, overachieving speed, and room to grow in an attractive, well-built package. We enthusiastically recommend this system to anyone looking for a fast, affordable computer.

We'd recommend the HP Pavilion Elite h8xt to anyone in the market for a well-rounded, higher-end desktop, and for headphone users especially; the included Beats Audio software will provide a marginal boost to audio output.

An off-kilter value equation makes it hard for us to recommend the otherwise serviceable HP TouchSmart 520xt.

Samsung has captured our attention, and our Editors' Choice Award, in its U.S. desktop debut, and we expect the Series 7 all-in-one PC will attract many mainstream customers with its appealing looks and accessible touch interface.

Lenovo's IdeaCentre B520 is an amazingly well-equipped all-in-one for its price. You'll come for the 3D feature, but you should stay for the sheer value.

The Acer Aspire X1920-UR20P is a poorly configured, overpriced budget desktop with little to recommend it. Look instead to Acer's Gateway subsidiary for better slim-tower options.

Most will find the Gateway DX4850-45 an awkward mix of performance and Blu-ray playback capability given its clunky chassis, but if you have room for a midtower PC for both productivity and disc-based HD entertainment, this system may have some appeal.

Apple's new $799 Mac Mini demands that you abandon disc-based media, and that you surround it with potentially expensive extra hardware to realize its full benefits. It makes most sense for committed Mac users, those who need it for a specific niche-case, or for those who value design over functionality for the dollar.

The Dell XPS 8300 will serve mainstream users as a higher-end do-it-all machine, but gamers and performance enthusiasts will be better off looking elsewhere.

Look no further than the Dell Inspiron 620 if you're interested in a mainstream PC with strong computing features housed in a case that dares to stand out in a sea of desktop conformity.

Gateway's by-the-numbers FX6840-15e shows how mainstream PC vendors can fall down compared with their smaller, hungrier competition. This isn't a bad computer, but you can find faster gaming PCs elsewhere for less.

Amid increasing competition from other mainstream PC vendors, the HP Pavilion Slimline S5-1060 offers a wisely chosen mix of speed and functionality that will appeal to college students and digital media enthusiasts.

You might reasonably ask whether a budget desktop makes sense anymore given the versatility of the iPad and other tablets, but if you find you do in fact need a low-cost computer, the HP Omni 120-1024 is a fine choice.

Lenovo's C315 all-in-one is not without its flaws, but if you can overlook its comparatively slow day-to-day performance you'll find this a solid budget-priced home entertainment PC. Don't use this system for a home office or general productivity-oriented tasks, but it would work well in a small room for movie watching and game playing.

You can find a faster all-in-one from Lenovo for just a few more dollars, but as a general-purpose system with a strong home entertainment bend, the Dell Inspiron One 2320 is hard to beat.

The handsome new Maingear Vybe Super Stock offers everything we like to see in a modern gaming PC, and we'd recommend it particularly to those looking for a well-rounded performance computer.

HP does shoppers a disservice with the inconsistent pricing between this otherwise decent retail-only desktop and the more affordable, identical model available via HP's Web site.

In a competitive vacuum we would find the HP Pavilion P7 1070T a fine mainstream desktop computer, but except for Photoshop CS5-users, you can get more PC for your money from other vendors.

HP's nontouch Omni 220-1080qd all-in-one boasts a strong, performance-oriented configuration that will satisfy anyone looking for a mainstream desktop.

After a 10-year absence from the consumer desktop market, Toshiba makes a confident return with the DX1210-ST4N22, which offers an appealing combination of price, performance, and functionality.

The Origin Genesis is the first system we've seen with Intel's new Sandy Bridge Core i7 2600K chip. Fast, and extremely overclockable, the new chip has provided Origin with a platform for a remarkably value-friendly gaming rig. Shop around for pricing as Sandy Bridge spreads among other vendors, but right now this is the $2,499 gaming PC to beat.