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CNET Reviews - Top Rated Desktops

Rank Most Popular Titles
1 HP Blackbird 002
HP's Blackbird 002 earns the highest rating this editor has ever given a desktop PC. Its design rivals the Apple Mac Pro, it takes risks that benefit your upgrade path, it's fast, and it's competitively priced. If you can afford it, and you want a high-end gaming PC, buy this one. End of story.
2 Atlas Micro PS 5000
Awesome performance and features delivered at a rock-bottom price. Heartily recommended.
3 Falcon Northwest Mach V
Cheap, it is not. But the Falcon Northwest Mach V combines top-notch performance and first-rate components like no other.
4 Falcon Northwest Mach V (Intel Core i7-965 Extreme Edition)
Falcon Northwest's latest Mach V provides a model for the coming trends in high-end computing. From the latest Intel CPU, to solid-state storage, to copious amounts of memory, there's lot to admire about his PC. You will also have to pay for it, which unfortunately will thwart all but the most well-off gamers and enthusiasts.
5 Velocity Raptor Special Edition - P4 3.2 GHz - 21" CRT
The Raptor Extreme Edition provides a delicious computing experience, provided you can stomach the price tag.
6 Maingear Ephex (Intel Core i7 965)
Maingear'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.
7 Polywell Mini Qbox 845-3000
Have your space and features, too. The diminutive yet powerful Polywell Mini Qbox packs a punch without taking up much room.
8 Dell XPS 710 H2C Edition Desktop Computer (Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66GHz/160GB/2GB)
Thanks to its market muscle, Dell's XPS 710 H2C delivers state-of-the-art gaming power for significantly less than its boutique competition--and with (basically) identical performance. That fact and the near-silent operation granted by its brand-new cooling hardware make this desktop a CNET Editors' Choice winner.
9 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.
10 Velocity Micro Vision FX AVD
The Velocity Micro Vision FX AVD serves up the features and the performance needed for digital-video creation.
11 Velocity Micro Raptor DCX (ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT)
This high-end gaming PC doesn't quite cross into ludicrous territory, and by staying disciplined Velocity Micro has come up with one of the best deals we've seen. You still might wait for a clearer picture of the next-generation gaming scene, but based on what we know today, this PC is a winner.
12 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.
13 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.
14 Dell XPS 630 Desktop Computer (Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600, 500GB HDD, 2GB)
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.
15 Falcon Northwest Mach V (Athlon XP 2800+)
The Falcon Northwest Mach V is a flashy, eminently functional gaming box backed by superior support.
16 Maingear F131 SLI
Maingear's F131 SLI takes it to the high-end PC competition, earning itself an Editors' Choice in the process. Without having the full picture of DirectX 10 performance, you're potentially taking a risk buying a high-end gaming PC now. But if you need to make that purchase today, we recommend Maingear with enthusiasm.
17 Polywell Poly 900NF3-FX1
The Poly 900NF3-FX1 delivers stellar performance for today's 32-bit apps and is ready to crunch the 64-bit apps of tomorrow.
18 Maingear Ephex (Intel and ATI)
Maingear's Ephex combines aggressive overclocking and a refined sense of what gamers want in a high-end PC. Crysis remains a challenge for even a top-of-the-line PC like this one, but if you can get past that hitch (and the multi-thousand-dollar price tag), we'd recommend this system in a second.
19 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.
20 Overdrive PC Torque SLI (Athlon 64 FX-55)
It may cost a pretty penny, but anyone in search of unlimited graphics power will want to check out Overdrive PC's Torque SLI.
21 Overdrive PC Torque SLI
It's more expensive and less flashy than other systems, but you simply can't beat the Overdrive PC Torque SLI's gaming performance.
22 Gateway FX530XT - Core 2 Extreme QX6700 2.66 GHz - 24" TFT
It's rare that you see a performance-leading PC come in below $4,000, but Gateway's FX530XT has pulled it off. Complete with an Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700 quad-core CPU and a pair of ATI's highest-end 3D cards, this cutting-edge desktop won't make gamers and digital designers dig quite as deep to get their hands on it.
23 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.
24 Falcon Northwest Mach V (Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700)
Falcon Northwest continues its tradition of building the fastest gaming PCs around. This one comes with Intel's quad-core chip clocked higher than we've ever seen before, and its resulting game performance sets new records. You might want to bolster some of the features on this system, but if it's 3D power you're after, Falcon delivers the strongest system we've seen so far.
25 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.