HP Vectra VL800MT

WHAT'S HOT: This Vectra is the first 1.7-GHz Pentium 4 system we've seen, and the fastest P4 system to vie for the Top 100. It's a barnburner, too: Its PC WorldBench 2000 score of 209 puts it 4 points above the average for 1.5-GHz P4 systems running Windows 2000 (but still 15 points below the average for similarly configured 1.33-GHz Athlon systems). Colors on the 19-inch HP P920 monitor looked vibrant, while text was sharp and legible, blurring only slightly when we pushed it to the maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200.

The bundled HP Toptools and E-DiagTools management software allows remote troubleshooting, diagnosis, and security monitoring. The excellent documentation includes a thick, system-specific user's manual, a detailed troubleshooting guide, and a handy setup guide.

WHAT'S NOT: Its whopping price of $3999 makes the Vectra VL800MT a difficult purchase to justify. And if you want a CD-RW drive and speakers, you'll have to pay even more.

WHAT ELSE: The side panel of this midsize tower pops off easily and snaps back in place just as smoothly. Inside, four open PCI slots and three open bays (two providing external access) are available for tool-less upgrades. The system includes a Logitech optical mouse and a sturdy HP keyboard that permits smooth typing and features 13 multimedia and Web hot-keys; you also get headphone and microphone ports. (The headphones are included.)

BEST USE: If you need an extremely costly PC for a tax write-off, this HP is for you. But you can get better performance elsewhere for less.

SUMMARY

HP Vectra VL800MT PC WorldBench 2000 score of 209, Pentium 4-1700 CPU, 256MB of RDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows 2000, 40GB hard drive, 12X DVD-ROM drive, HP GeForce2 GTS graphics card with 32MB of SGRAM, 19-inch HP P920 monitor, integrated sound, network adapter, midsize tower case. Three-year parts and labor warranty; 24-hour toll-call tech support. $3999 800/752-0900 www.hp.com/desktops