Shop for desktops

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: This off-the-shelf version of the Dell Studio Desktop reminds us of a classic Dell computer. This system is faster and better equipped than its competition, and at a better price. You can certainly get away with a cheaper everyday PC, but this one is a bargain among lower midrange desktops. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200 (2.33 GHz), 2.33 GHz, 6 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 3450, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 3 reviews

The Bottom Line: You 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. Read review

Specs: Intel, 6 GB, GB, ATI Radeon HD 4850, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Edition SP1, 64-Bit

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Gateway DX4720-03 performs admirably and actually holds its own against triple-core computers thanks to its impressive list of features. It also has plenty of room for internal expansion, so we recommend this budget system if you need the speed but don't crave a ton of CPU power. Read review

Specs: Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (2.5 GHz), 2.5 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 640 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 7100, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.7 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 6 reviews

The Bottom Line: Like other Windows-based all-in-ones, Averatec's All-in-One can't compete with the iMac for sheer power. The Averatec's larger screen and few features it has that Apple doesn't might be enough to sell you, but the iMac remains the all-in-one to beat. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo E4600 (2.4 GHz), 2.4 GHz, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 8400M, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.5 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 37 reviews

The Bottom Line: A 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. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.8 GHz), 2.8 GHz, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 2600PRO, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Silver, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

The Bottom Line: The HP Pavilion a6620f makes a decent case for its budget price. We like the design and the built-in digital-audio ports, and if you're on an unbreakable budget, the a6620f will get you through a variety of processes, but we recommend saving up for a system that will give you a more powerful set of components for a negligible price difference. Read review

Specs: Intel Pentium Dual Core E5200 (2.5 GHz), 2.5 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, Intel GMA 3100, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 4 reviews

The Bottom Line: Dell's Inspiron 518 is the latest in a long line of utilitarian, midrange Windows PCs. We wish Dell offered a bit more flexibility with its configuration, as well as a 64-bit Windows option, but for a straightforward PC, this is one of the more powerful systems for the dollar. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4 GHz), 2.4 GHz, 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 3450, Vista Home Premium, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.3 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: No other all-in-one PC can offer touch-based input or an LCD screen as large as that of the HP TouchSmart IQ816. It's hard to deny that those features make this a compelling desktop for families with a place to put it. Weak performance hinders its suitability for work, and it's not the best digital entertainment center, but we recommend this system to anyone looking to get in early on the touch-computing experiment. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo T8100 (2.1 GHz), 2.1 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 750 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GS, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Silver, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.9 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.5 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: With lots of useful features (some cleverly hidden), Gateway's FX6800-01e stands out from the boring mainstream pack. It also uses Intel's new CPU and motherboard combination to provide speed and upgradeability. You can find faster PCs for a similar price, but few with this much promise. Read review

Specs: Intel Core i7 920 (2.6 GHz), 2.6 GHz, 3 GB DDR3 SDRAM, 750 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1 64 Bit

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.3 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 5.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: Velocity Micro's Edge Z55 provides a powerful example of the leap ahead in performance afforded by Intel's new Core i7 CPUs. Velocity Micro's own overclocking efforts don't hurt either. Any PC gamer would love to make this upper midrange desktop their own. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.0 stars Good

  Overall score: 6.9 (3.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 1.0 stars out of 1 review

The Bottom Line: The (PRODUCT) RED version of Dell's XPS One 24 is the most fully featured of Dell's all-in-ones and would serve as a fine PC to anyone in search of a Windows-based all-in-one for basic digital entertainment and productivity tasks. A few more innovations or forward-thinking options would earn a warmer recommendation. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q8200, 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, GB, Microsoft Windows Vista Ultimate Service Pack 1

• CNET Editor rating:
  Not yet rated
• Average user rating: 0 stars No reviews, write one!

Specs: AMD Athlon X2 4450e+ Dual Core (2.3 GHz), 2.3 GHz, 3 GB, Microsoft Windows Vista, Windows Vista Home Premium

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 2 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Asus Essentio is perhaps the best conceived of the recent round of living-room-friendly slim tower desktops. It's just powerful enough, and it comes with the right mix of features to allow it to do what living room PCs do best, without overreaching. Read review

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.5 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.0 stars out of 25 reviews

The Bottom Line: Dell's new XPS 420 offers almost all of the latest in PC-based digital-video capability, as well as a few unique features you won't find elsewhere. The default configuration fares poorly against the other new PCs, but if you're willing to spend money on upgrades, you can turn this system into a powerful digital-media nerve center. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.4 GHz), 2.4 GHz, 2 GB DDR II SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, 256MB nVidia GeForce 8600 GTS, Vista Home Premium, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.8 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 6 reviews

The Bottom Line: Dell may not have the most bang for the buck in its new, trim Inspiron 531S, but it offers more options than the competition in this new, small-scale Windows desktop. For systems in its slimmed down class, we recommend it. For budget PCs in general, you can find a better deal if you shop around. Read review

Specs: AMD Athlon 64 X2 Dual Core 4400+, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB, NVIDIA GeForce 6150, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Basic Service Pack 1

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.2 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 3.5 stars out of 10 reviews

The Bottom Line: HP's new-and-improved TouchSmart all-in-one PC refines the touch-based concept it introduced last year. Faster all-in-ones, and Apple's iPhone, make the TouchSmart seem a bit behind the times, but the convenient software and its kitchen-friendly design offer functionality that's unavailable elsewhere. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo T5850 (2.16 GHz), 2.16 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9300M GS, EPEAT Silver, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium 64-bit Edition, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  3.5 stars Very good

  Overall score: 7.0 (3.5 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.0 stars out of 9 reviews

The Bottom Line: The Acer Aspire X1200-U1520A is a speedy, compact, low-end desktop that's powerful enough to serve as a light-duty home theater PC. Expansion is limited by an especially cramped interior (even for a small PC), but the total package is worthwhile for PC shoppers on a budget. Read review

Specs: AMD Athlon X2 5000+ (2.6 GHz), 2.6 GHz, 4 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 320 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 8200, Microsoft Windows Vista, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.2 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 4.0 stars out of 9 reviews

The Bottom Line: Apple's smaller-scale iMac remains our favorite all-in-one. And while its looks, its ease of use, and its performance are all selling points, Windows PCs are starting to catch up (at least with the latter). A few components could also stand an update, but in general you'll find the 20-inch iMac a remarkable computer for its price. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Duo (2.4 GHz), 2.4 GHz, 1 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 250 GB Standard, ATI Radeon HD 2400XT, EPA Energy Star, EPEAT Silver, Apple MacOS X 10.5, Personal computer

• CNET Editor rating:
  4.0 stars Excellent

  Overall score: 8.7 (4.0 stars)
• Average user rating: 2.5 stars out of 22 reviews

The Bottom Line: With its second full-fledged gaming PC, Dell shows that it understands the mainstream gaming desktop as well as the high-end. The Dell XPS 630 delivers everything a gamer would want in a sub-$2,000 PC, from its components, to its case, to its powerful software. We've seen no better system in this newly competitive category. Read review

Specs: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 (2.6 GHz), 2.6 GHz, 2 GB DDR2 SDRAM, 500 GB Standard, NVIDIA GeForce 9800, Microsoft Windows Vista Home Premium Service Pack 1, Personal computer