Top 15 Desktop PCs

Surprisingly, the fastest system in the Top 15 this month placed not on the power list, but on the value side. The new $999 Micro Express MicroFlex 24A sped through our tests with a stellar PC WorldBench 4 score of 131 to secure its third-place ranking. The next-fastest systems--the new Micro Express MicroFlex 27A and the two-month-old Polywell Poly 875VF-2800--earned PC WorldBench 4 scores of 130, but these power machines cost significantly more. Emachines' new bargain-priced T2200 SE sailed through our gaming tests, which helped it barely edge out the MicroFlex 24A for second place on the value list. And with great-sounding Altec Lansing 220W speakers and a 15-inch LCD screen, the FreewayTech Innovation A4800M bounds into sixth place.

Both the MicroFlex 27A and the Polywell Poly 880NF2-2700, premiering on the power side in second and fifth place, respectively, come loaded with AMD's quick 2.17-GHz Athlon XP 2700+ processor, which helped them achieve high PC WorldBench 4 scores. We were surprised to see the 27A lag slightly behind its 24A value cousin, but that result was probably due to the 27A's running Windows XP Professional, which tends to earn lower scores on our benchmark tests than XP Home. (Micro Express assures us that neither of its PCs submitted this month was overclocked.) Finally, the roomy yet bulky 19-inch LCD makes the 27A a fine deal.

Polywell's 880NF2-2700 hit high frame rates in our gaming tests, earning one of the best overall gaming scores we saw this month. To cut down on the number of cords that would otherwise snake around your desk, this PC includes a wireless keyboard and mouse. Dolby Digital 5.1 speakers usually appeal to music listeners, but this system's set produced some hissing during our trials. One oddity: Our review unit's frontside bus was overclocked to a speed of 169 MHz, instead of being set at the usual 166 MHz. Polywell representatives state that the company ships the system to customers this way and offers a full warranty on this configuration.

We also tested FreewayTech's Predator ZB800 and the Sys Technology Performance 3066, but they missed the Top 15 chart.