Reviewed on July 10, 2009Gateway's SX2800-01 offers a strong combination of performance and features all wrapped up in a design that fully embraces the merits of a slim tower PC. We recommend this system to anyone looking for a fast, affordable desktop for the home office, the living room, or anywhere in between.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Gateway Inc., Dell Inspiron, clock speed, HP Pavilion, Dell, 64-bit, HP, Intel, PC, video
Reviewed on January 27, 2009Maingear's Ephex is the fastest PC we've reviewed, and also the most expensive. You can find better service policies from other boutique PC vendors, but the Ephex's overall speed and build quality are enough for us to recommend it to those in the market for the best desktop they can find.TAGS:Maingear, Intel Core Microarchitecture, LightScribe, Blu-ray, 64-bit, Intel, PC, video card, games, hard drive
Reviewed on November 6, 2009With similar results as its ancestors, the Dell Inspiron 545s-1476N registers decent benchmarks and offers respectable upgradability, but we hesitate to recommend it over the older Gateway SX2800-01 that leaves Dell in the dust in regards to both performance and features.TAGS:HP Pavilion SlimLine, Dell Inspiron, Gateway Inc., graphics chip, Dell, Ethernet LAN, HP Pavilion, Ethernet, Intel, HP, PC
Reviewed on October 6, 2009The Gateway One ZX6810-01 makes a strong first impression for Windows 7-based all-in-ones PCs, with fast performance and an attractive case design. Its touch input and accompanying applications fall flat, but there's enough respectable computer here that it's worth a look. Our only suggestion is that you wait to inspect the rest of the new Windows 7 crowd once they are released.TAGS:Windows 7, Gateway Inc., Intel Core 2 Duo, Intel, Microsoft Windows, PC, Microsoft Corp.
Reviewed on May 1, 2008A slight bump to the specifications for the same price in addition to a much appreciated option to upgrade the graphics means the 24-inch iMac keeps the Editors' Choice it earned last year when the brushed-aluminum-and-glass design was first introduced.TAGS:Apple iMac, bus, Intel Core 2 Duo, Apple Computer, Adobe PhotoShop, Gateway Inc., 3D, CPU, Intel, PC
Reviewed on September 7, 2009Falcon Northwest's revamped, mainstream-oriented Talon gaming desktop puts its best redesigned foot forward with a new case and a strong, price-competitive configuration built around Intel's latest batch of Core i7 CPUs. Shop around, as many vendors will have adopted Intel's new chips, but for this build at this price, Falcon Northwest sets the example to beat.TAGS:Intel Core Microarchitecture, chassis, fan, Intel, hard drive, PC, motherboard
Reviewed on November 4, 2009AVADirect's tries to distill as much gaming power as possible into its Nano Cube, but the extra small case requires too many sacrifices next to even standard small form factor PCs. Gaming purists with a need for an extra tiny PC might appreciate the Nanon Cube, but even they should be wary of everything you need to give up for this tiny desktop.TAGS:Nvidia GeForce, Intel Core 2 Duo, networking, motherboard, games, hard drive, NVidia, video card, Intel, PC
Reviewed on June 30, 2009HP's Pavilion p6110y isn't necessarily an offensive system, and its case might even entice you to give it a second look. We just wish HP had taken a more substantive approach to help this desktop stand out. Its FireWire port might sway you, but otherwise you can find more interesting features from other PCs on the shelf.TAGS:HP Pavilion, HP Pavilion SlimLine, ASUS, FireWire, HP, retailer, Intel Pentium, Intel, Gateway Inc., HDMI, motherboard, PC
Reviewed on November 19, 2008You can find flashier PCs than Dell's $1,299 Studio XPS, but few have as much power where it counts. We don't recommend its small, pared-down case for upgraders, but this PC will satisfy anyone who needs a loaded, powerful PC for gaming and consumer-level digital media editing.TAGS:Dell Studio, Intel Core Microarchitecture, Gateway Inc., configuration, Dell, 64-bit, hard drive, Intel, PC
Reviewed on April 8, 2008Despite an underpowered CPU, the HP 2133 Mini-Note PC offers the best balance of small size, comfort, and functionality we've seen in a mininotebook, making it fast a favorite for on-the-go use.TAGS:Asus Eee PC, Netbook, keyboard, webcam, resolution, HP, ASUS, laptop computer, Intel, PC
Reviewed on June 26, 2007Dell's first desktops to carry the Inspiron name look good, inside and out. With a huge range of available components and two equally attractive cases, mainstream consumers ought to be able to find a config that meets their budget, tastes, and computing needs.TAGS:Dell Inspiron, optical drive, Dell, dual-core, chipset, Intel, AMD, PC
Reviewed on April 23, 2009The AVADirect shopping experience can be daunting, but for the tech-savvy buyer willing to navigate the many options available for this system, you'll find that AVADirect's Custom Gaming PC is competently built, with options for blazing fast overclocking, all at an attractive price.TAGS:Intel Core Microarchitecture, overclocking, Blu-ray, degree, motherboard, PC, Intel, games