Desktops Buying Guide

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What you need to know, from the kind of user you are to current technologies:

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CHOOSE A CASE: SPACE OR STYLE

Like laptops, desktops now come in all shapes and sizes. Traditional towers are still popular because they offer the most room for expansion. But space-saving small form-factor PCs, once found only in corporate cubicles, are now available for home users, as are component-style cases that more seamlessly integrate media PCs into your living room.

Small form-factor | All-in-one | Living-room-friendly | Mid-sized tower | Full-sized tower

Small form-factor

Falcon Northwest Fragbox 2

Even the most powerful notebook can't push the same number of frames per second as a desktop, which is why small form-factor (SFF) PCs are popular with the LAN-party set. While not exactly portable, these compact models can be moved occasionally -- some CPUs even have handles on top. Internal expansion is still limited, but with Pentium 4 and Athlon 64 processors, full-size graphics cards for 3D gaming, and USB 2.0 and FireWire ports, you may never miss it.

All-in-one

Sony VAIO V520G

Popularised by the iMac, the all-in-one PC is a desktop with a built-in monitor. The desktop components (processor, memory, hard drive and such) may be in the base -- as in the iMac -- or hidden behind the flat-panel display. Like an SFF desktop, an all-in-one limits expansion, but many boast advanced features, such as DVD burners and TV tuners.

Living-room-friendly

Hush ATX Media PVR

With PCs assuming more and more home entertainment duties, it's fitting that a new A/V-rack-friendly case design should emerge along with the new functionality. You'll find various designs, many with front-panel LED displays that show CD track or DVD chapter numbers and volume level. Some can accommodate only half-height expansion cards, which means the lower end for graphics cards, but in general, you'll get plenty of external expansion, as well as a sleek, smart style.

Mid-sized tower

eMachines T5026

The box no longer has to be beige, but the basic tried-and-true design of the mid-sized tower case remains the same: several internal and external drive bays, PCI Express and normal PCI slots for expansion, and a long list of ports on the front and back for connecting peripherals such as digital cameras. The mid-sized tower case can still be found under many desks.

Full-sized tower

Holly Water-Cooled Athlon 64

If you're a serious speed junkie, this is your hotrod. The interior space allows for plenty of expansion room, with many internal and external bays for both optical drives and hard drives. It should also include an x16 PCI Express slot or two for high-end 3D gaming cards, as well as at least five PCI or x1 PCI Express slots.