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CNET Reviews - Top Rated Desktops

Rank Most Popular Titles
1 HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f
The HP Pavilion Slimline S3330f delivers a remarkable combination of features, value, and flexibility. It excels as both a traditional desktop, and a full-fledged living room PC, complete with a Blu-ray and HD DVD drive. Any nongamer in the market for a sub-$1,000 PC should put this system at the top of their list.
2 Apple Power Mac G5
Whether it's the world's fastest PC is up for debate, but the Power Mac G5 delivers top-notch performance for creative pros and power users.
3 Falcon Northwest Mach V (Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800)
This newest Falcon Northwest Mach V isn't shy about its price tag, but it also dominated our gaming tests thanks to two fast ATI 3D cards and an overall top-notch configuration. The current uncertainty regarding next-gen PC gaming is the only issue holding this system back.
4 Dell XPS 630
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.
5 HP Pavilion Slimline s3200t
The HP Pavilion Slimline s3200t offers perhaps the strongest bang for the buck we've ever seen thanks to its HD DVD/Blu-ray hybrid optical drive and its strong overall configuration. It outclasses every other HD-equipped system we've seen so far. If you're shopping for a living room PC and want complete HD format flexibility, this is the system we'd buy.
6 Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz)
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.
7 HP Pavilion Slimline s3020n
With new polish and a whole lot of bang for the buck, HP's new Pavilion Slimline s3020n leads the small PC field overall. The glossy black chassis, added expandability, and even a new keyboard make this system attractive both inside and out.
8 Velocity Raptor Signature Edition Gaming PC
We have one major issue with the Velocity Micro Raptor Signature Edition (the price), and two minor ones (it's loud, for one), but those aside, this is one of the most feature-complete high-end desktops we've reviewed. Its performance is media-creation- and game-minded, and anyone buying it for those or almost any other purposes won't be disappointed.
9 Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz)
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.
10 Velocity Micro Edge Z15
Velocity Micro's Edge Z15 represents one of the best deal's we've seen this year in midrange gaming PCs. It has all the power necessary to play current games (even Crysis) at smooth frame rates, and its clean, spacious interior gives you plenty of upgrade room. We recommend this system to any PC gamer looking for a sub-$2,000 desktop.
11 Sony Vaio JS190J (black)
By virtue of its price, its desktop processor, and its Blu-ray drive, the Sony Vaio JS190J makes a case for itself as the new king of the all-in-ones. Its screen might be a bit smaller than some, but no other all-in-one, including Apple's iMac, can do as much, as fast, for the same price.
12 Velocity ProMagix PCX
The high-end ProMagix PCX is overkill for most homes and offices, but graphic artists, video hobbyists, and gamers will like what they find under the hood.
13 Velocity Micro CineMagix Grand Theater
Velocity Micro's first full-fledged home theater PC pulls very few punches in providing a complete digital media experience. It's big, it lacks a built-in audio receiver, and it invites PC gaming into the living room, which has never been the best fit. It's also the victim of a few Vista-related growing pains. On balance, though, Velocity Micro has as complete a home theater PC as we've seen.
14 Apple iMac (20-inch, 2.4GHz, 1GB RAM)
With its super-elegant new design and a strong configuration, Apple's new iMac competes with the PC desktop market better than perhaps any previous Mac to date. Unless you're a gamer or an upgrade enthusiast, we can think of very few reasons not to make an iMac your next desktop.
15 Sony Vaio JS190J (silver)
By virtue of its price, its desktop processor, and its Blu-ray drive, the Sony Vaio JS190J makes a case for itself as the new king of the all-in-ones. Its screen might be a bit smaller than some, but no other all-in-one, including Apple's iMac, can do as much, as fast, for the same price.
16 Apple iMac (24-inch, 2.8GHz Extreme Edition)
With the same elegant design as its 20-inch, 2.4GHz sibling, the 24-inch, 2.8GHz iMac offers 30 percent more screen area and a modest performance boost. The iMac competes with the PC desktop market now better than perhaps any previous Mac to date, but the added cost of the larger, faster model might put off some buyers--especially if you are a gamer or an upgrade enthusiast.
17 Apple Mac Pro Dual-Core Xeon 5150 2.66 GHz
Apple's Mac Pro has design innovations that we hope will cross over to other systems. Its performance is as strong as you'd expect for a system in its class, and it's priced right, too. You might need more flexibility in your config options, especially for 3D design, but otherwise, the Mac Pro is as solid a professional-class PC as we've seen.
18 IBM NetVista X series
Beautifully designed on the outside but lacks oomph on the inside.
19 Dell Inspiron 531
The last of the major desktop vendors to update this year's desktops, Dell used that time to good advantage. On some tests, the Inspiron 531 is even faster than systems that cost $500 more. Keep your gaming and digital media ambitions modest, and this PC should deliver nearly everything you'd want in a mainstream system.
20 Velocity Micro ProMagix E2240
Velocity Micro's ProMagix E2240 is perhaps the fastest preconfigured gaming desktop you can find on store shelves. It might not offer all of the features you want in a PC to anchor your digital lifestyle, but that's not really its point. Instead, this system lives up to its admirable goal of providing solid 3D gaming performance, and also offering room to grow.
21 AVADirect Core 2 SLI DDR3 Gaming System
AVADirect has a very strong value proposition in its Core 2 SLI DDR3 Gaming System. Assuming you can navigate the daunting shopping Web site, we recommend this system to tech-savvy shoppers who know exactly the components they want.
22 Apple iMac G5 (2.1GHz, 20-inch)
The Apple iMac G5 gets trimmer and cheaper as it ups its performance and adds a handful of multimedia features, resulting in an all-around first-rate home PC.
23 Alienware Area-51 7500 (Intel Core 2 Extreme X6800)
It's not the fastest PC (it's second), nor is it the most competitively priced, but Alienware's Area-51 7500 does have the most innovative case. With a wholly customizable lighting scheme in its new chassis, Alienware makes case lights functional, a trick no one has really pulled off yet. That and its fast performance make it stand above other current high-end PCs.
24 Gateway FX7026
The Gateway FX7026 offers a quad-core processor at a modest price tag with specifications that any high-end gamer will be satisfied with. You might want to replace the peripherals and the video card down the road, but this system is an excellent option for a nonconfigurable, off the shelf desktop.
25 eMachines T3642
eMachines nailed the $300-$400 desktop with the T3642. It has a faster CPU, a larger hard drive, and is generally more capable than any other system in this price category. We would recommend it over anything else out there for the same price.