If you don't mind its massive, distinct case, the Asus Essentio CG5275-AR003 offers a compelling set of features and enough room inside to satisfy upgraders. Hard-core media hounds can spend less on a competing HP system, but few systems challenge Asus in single application and multitasking performance, making it an easy recommendation.

The HP Pavilion p6320y earns its place with respectable multithreading performance that takes advantage of its powerful quad-core processor. Although it falls slightly behind the competition in single-core performance, it's still quick enough to earn our recommendation for the average light-duty user.

Asus has made a game attempt to crack the American retail desktop market over the last year or so, but the low-cost Essentio CM5571-BR003 can't overcome tough competition in the $500 to $600 price range. Gateway offers a better midtower for just $40 more, so for all but the most price-conscious shoppers, we can't recommend this desktop.

We recommend this Dell only to those who need its particular combination of good-enough performance and wireless networking. If you value faster performance, or you're willing to get your hands dirty with upgrades, you can find more computer for your money elsewhere.

The HP Pavilion p6310y is a midtower desktop computer with average performance coupled with a disappointing set of features. Sure, it can handle low-demand processing, but we recommend the Gateway DX4831-01e over it. The Gateway is a faster computer with more versatile connections that costs $50 less.

Gateway's SX2840-01 remains the budget PC to beat. Its combination of small size, fast performance, and living room competence makes it one of the most flexible desktops on the market. That it has room to upgrade makes the deal that much sweeter. We recommend this desktop to anyone looking for a powerful, versatile low-cost computer.

The lower-cost Mac Mini offers respectable budget performance and Apple's usual compelling design, but a puny hard drive and a lack of HDMI hurt this system's value and overall potential. It's actually more versatile next to its budget-priced Windows competition than the higher-end Mac Mini, but this entry-level Mac is still best left to Apple loyalists.

The retail version of Dell's Studio XPS 8000 desktop might lack some of the charm of its direct-from-Dell counterpart, but its strong price-performance offering makes it easy to overlook the minor cosmetic deficiencies. That and its admirable power consumption make this system an impressive all-purpose midrange desktop.

With a small screen for its price, we can't justify the TouchSmart 300 as a home entertainment all-in-one PC. It's also slower than more affordable midtowers, so you can spend less for more productivity. This leaves HP's touch-based software as the TouchSmart 300's primary selling point. We'd recommend this PC in the kitchen, but it's less appealing elsewhere.

HP's Pavilion Elite E9220y strikes out because of slow performance and underwhelming features for its price. We can't recommend this desktop to anyone.