Desktops

Alienware Area-51 X58

The Alienware Area-51 X58 has a name and a look that implies it's out of this world, and we would have to agree. With Intel's latest high-end processor and a pair of dual-chip ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 cards inside this desktop is a gamer's paradise. While the price may seem steep, compared to similarly specced models it's a bargain

Editor's rating 8.3

HP TouchSmart IQ500

We didn't think the original TouchSmart IQ770 was that ugly, but compared to HP's brand-new IQ500 series it's a total dog. The IQ500 has a bigger screen -- 22 inches instead of 19 -- has a better spec, and sports the same touch-sensitive panel that intrigued us about the original

Editor's rating 7.5

Apple iMac (2008 Edition)

The iMac, Apple's iconic all-in-one desktop, is back. It's only been about half a year since the last upgrade, but we're pleased to see the inclusion of Intel's latest Core 2 Duo 'Penryn' CPU. It helps to make the insides of this attractive machine move much more quickly

Editor's rating 8.5

Asus A33

The Asus A33 fulfills all the Media Center PC requirements. It's designed for the living room, looks more like a DVD player than a computer and it's fairly quiet. It also comes with a 300W amplifier for extra flexibility, and its 4GB of memory will launch videos in a snap

Editor's rating 8.8

Dell XPS 420

You know what to expect when you buy an XPS: good looks, high performance, and a substantially lighter wallet. Dell's latest effort, the XPS 420, delivers all these things and should appeal to anyone with a desire to edit video and images, and play games

User rating 5.0

Editor's rating 8.8

Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)

The 24-inch iMac's striking design and impressive performance compare favourably to its smaller 20-inch sibling. In addition to a larger screen size, the 24-inch model offers higher-end configuration options and, of course, a higher price tag. Check out how the 2.8GHz processor performed

Editor's rating 8.0

Sony Vaio VGC-RM1N

The Sony Vaio VGC-RM1N, also known as the 'R Master', is definitely not for the cash-strapped -- it's a high-price, high-performance desktop that's designed to edit high-definition video. It boasts a quad-core Intel CPU, and unusually has not one but two chassis

Editor's rating 8.6

Sony Vaio VGX-XL302

Sony's VGX-XL302 is a beast of a Media Center PC -- in more ways than one. It features dual tuners, so you can record one channel while watching another, and a pair of 250GB hard drives, but it'll gouge a huge hole in your wallet

Editor's rating 8.0

HP TouchSmart IQ770

The TouchSmart IQ770's touchscreen is ideal for scribbling text notes for your family, and its upright, all-in-one design lets you position it in rooms where a desktop PC and monitor aren't appropriate. But is a kitchen Media Center PC a ridiculous concept?

User rating 9.0

Editor's rating 7.1

Dell XPS 710 H2C

Despite buying Alienware, Dell continues to produce outstanding gaming rigs, such as the brand-new XPS 710 HTC. This beast introduces two elements we've never seen on a Dell -- factory overclocking and a space-age water-cooling system

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 9.3

Hi-Grade Xtc2_02

The Xtc2_02 is designed to be the heart of your multimedia world, storing photos, music, recording television and playing hi-def Blu-ray movies on your big-screen television. It's large and slightly noisy, but it has plenty of hard drive space

Editor's rating 7.6

Alienware Area-51 7500

Alienware has left the rickety build quality of its garish cases behind and created a truly menacing PC with the Area-51 7500, a brutally quick gaming system with top-of-the-line components and performance to match. It's very loud, but if you're after off-the-shelf gaming power there's none better

Editor's rating 9.0

Shuttle XPC P2 3700G

If you thought Shuttle small-form-factor PCs were dainty, then think again. The XPC P2 3700G provides enough grunt to embarrass most desktops twice its size. If you've ever fancied a miniature PC with Alienware-type performance, you're looking in the right place

Editor's rating 9.0

Sony Vaio VGX-XL202

Sony's Vaio VGX-XL202 looks like it means serious business. Tech-heads should love the Intel E6400 Core 2 Duo processor and multimedia freaks will love the inclusion of a Freeview TV tuner card, but the flagship component in this PC is a Matshita BD-MLT UJ-215S Blu-ray disc drive, which allows you to play glorious hi-def Blu-ray movies

Editor's rating 8.8

Apple iMac Core 2 Duo (24-inch, 2.16GHz)

Apple's iMac Core 2 Duo features a dramatic 24-inch screen with improved brightness, updated GPUs and expanded online configuration options. As a digital entertainment device with computing capabilities, this reliable desktop is an attractive buy

User rating 10.0

Editor's rating 7.6

Packard Bell Smart TV S320

A hybrid of television and PC designed for those who want all the advantages of Windows Media Center or Intel Viiv without the hassle of having a separate PC and TV, the Smart TV 320 isn't the sexiest telly we've seen and has some annoying design flaws, but it performs well

Editor's rating 6.5

Apple Mac Pro

Apple's new Mac Pro (£1,699 for the base model) is a winner on multiple levels. From the outside, it looks great -- far more put together than any Windows-based box. Inside, it boasts powerful specs, including two dual-core Intel Xeon processors, for a total of four processing cores. And to top it off, it's a great value

User rating 10.0

Editor's rating 8.0

Sony Vaio VGC-RC204

The Sony Vaio VGC-RC204 is the first PC to come equipped with a Blu-ray disc drive. The long-awaited optical format allows dozens of gigabytes of data to be stored on a single disc. This makes the RC204 an attractive prospect for video editors or anyone who needs large backups, but sadly it won't play Blu-ray movies in full high definition

User rating 8.0

Editor's rating 8.7

Shuttle XPC P 2500G

The small, sleek but hugely powerful Shuttle XPC P 2500G is perfect if you want a gaming PC without the boy-racer frills. Gaming performance is impressive considering the single graphics card, not far behind the Mesh X-treme FX60 PC with its dual-graphics card -- if you want a tiny box with the latest components in, it's hard to beat

Editor's rating 8.7

Mesh X-treme FX60

The X-treme FX60 is Mesh's attempt to deliver the goods in both price and performance. It uses the fastest gaming CPU available and twin graphics cards, so we didn't expect it to be very cheap. As is often the case, however, Mesh has surprised us by selling the PC at a reasonable price point

Editor's rating 9.0