HP Pavilion Slimline s7600e

HP's new Slimline Pavilion s7600e strikes a near-perfect balance of size, features, value, and support. Apple's Mac Mini might be more attractive, but there's almost nothing it can do that this small-form-factor Windows PC can't do better, and for less. If you're looking for a general-purpose desktop or a small, affordable PC to send media files to your TV, this should be your pick.

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 Alienware Area-51 5500 (Core 2 Duo)

We raved about Alienware's new case when we first saw it earlier this year, and we still like it here on the Area-51 5500, even if its innovative lighting system is only half-baked. What we like even more is the power this gaming PC serves up for the price.

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 Systemax Venture VX2

It doesn't look like your typical gaming box, but fortunately the Systemax Venture VX2 also carries a price that's atypical of a gaming PC. It's one of the better-outfitted $2,000 PCs we've come across. Gamers and anyone running high-end graphics apps should take notice of this unassuming desktop.

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 Acer Aspire L310

The Aspire L310 works as a trim, affordable computer that will also serve light home-theater-PC duties. It doesn't offer as much room for improvement as its competition, but as long as you don't have plans for upgrading or running Windows Vista full bore, this system will serve you well.

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 Alienware Area-51 7500 (Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6700)

We'd like this latest quad core-equipped Area-51 7500 if it were about $1,000 cheaper. It's as fast as it should be, but other vendors have similarly configured PCs that can do just as much for significantly less. Alienware's trademark care in assembly is evident, but that's not enough to justify the cost.

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 Acer Aspire L310-ED630M - Core 2 Duo E6300 1.86 GHz

The Aspire L310 works as a trim, affordable computer that will also serve light home-theater-PC duties. It doesn't offer as much room for improvement as its competition, but as long as you don't have plans for upgrading or running Windows Vista full bore, this system will serve you well.

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 ZT Group Reliant VPX6001

The ZT Group Reliant VPX6001 is a fairly priced, Core 2 Duo-based business PC that includes a bevy of bundled software that will help keep it and your company's network running smoothly.

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 HP Pavilion Media Center TV m7690n - Core 2 Duo E6400 2.13 GHz

We'd rather see an HD-DVD drive in a living room-style case, but if HP had to build it into a standard desktop, at least the Pavilion m7690n Media Center TV PC is powerful, and it's also affordable. It will play both high-def movies and 3D games, and it's also ready for Windows Vista, for less than $2,000. No other PC we know of can make that claim. If you're in the market for such a system, this is a steal.

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 eMachines T5048

Though it's a capable PC, particularly for the price, the budget eMachines T5048 starts to lose its appeal when you look at desktops that cost just $100 or so more. It's is a good pick if you need to keep to a strict budget, but otherwise we recommend spending a little more.

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 HP Pavilion m7690n Media Center TV PC

We'd rather see an HD-DVD drive in a living room-style case, but if HP had to build it into a standard desktop, at least the Pavilion m7690n Media Center TV PC is powerful, and it's also affordable. It will play both high-def movies and 3D games, and it's also ready for Windows Vista, for less than $2,000. No other PC we know of can make that claim. If you're in the market for such a system, this is a steal.

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 eMachines T5212

eMachines T5212 is not our runaway budget winner, but it makes a strong attempt. It has better support features than its main competition and a less gaudy design. Its performance, however, is held back by specs that are either too slow, too old, or too small.

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 Norton PartitionMagic 8

If you need to partition your live hard drive, Norton PartitionMagic 8 is still the application to beat.

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 TechTool Protogo - complete package

Even Macs need a little TLC now and then, and TechTool's reputation combined with mobile convenience makes this a great utility to have on hand.

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 Adobe Photoshop CS3 Extended

Adobe Photoshop, the professional's choice for image editing, branches out to appeal to select vertical markets.

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