WHAT'S HOT: Micron's Millennia Max XP2 systems use Athlon processors, while the Millennia Max XS models come with Intel CPUs. Our review Millennia Max XS came with a 2-GHz Pentium 4 processor and 256MB of PC800 RDRAM. Running Windows XP Professional, our test system earned a creditable score of 106 on our PC WorldBench 4 tests, about average for systems with the same processor and OS.

The XS looks good as well, shipping with a 19-inch Micron 910EX monitor that uses a Trinitron tube; it displayed radiant colors on our test images and sharp, clearly legible 12-point Arial text that began to blur slightly only at the maximum resolution of 1600 by 1200. The front panel of the monitor sports an autocenter button that quickly recenters and resizes the screen image after a change of resolution. The GeForce2 MX 400 graphics board contains an S-Video output port for sending the PC signal to an appropriately equipped TV or VCR.

The relatively speedy 16X/10X/40X CD-RW drive is a nice addition for making data backups and archives or for burning audio CDs. Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition forms the software bundle.

Extensive documentation comes with the system, including a foldout setup guide, a getting started guide with helpful illustrations, and a thick system manual for the Millennia Max series that offers a thorough upgrading section.

Built with a newly designed midsize tower, the XS offers two USB ports at the front of the case to complement the two at the rear, allowing you to easily connect digital cameras or other USB peripherals without having to reach around the back of the system.

WHAT'S NOT: The new tower design has a few flaws. The legs at the base of the tower are a bit too close together, making the system a little unstable--a medium push on the side of the tower can send it toppling. Also, as with previous models the flip-out front cover that keeps the CD-RW drive hidden blocks the eject button not only for that drive but also for the floppy drive, making disk removal difficult. To avoid that problem you might move the floppy drive up to a different 3.5-inch externally accessible drive bay, if you're handy with PCs.

WHAT ELSE: Opening the system requires loosening a thumbscrew and pressing two tabs. The flexible plastic side panel pops off easily but takes some pressure to click back into place. The XS offers a large amount of expandability, in the form of four available drive bays (three of them externally accessible) and three open PCI slots. You can add expansion cards and drives to the system without tools, although the panel that holds the PCI cards in place is a little difficult to reposition. A crossbar over the slots braces the AGP and PCI expansion cards; you must remove it when installing larger PCI cards or a new graphics card.

Our reviewers liked the Microsoft Internet Keyboard, which allows for smooth and quiet typing and provides ten shortcut keys for a variety of Internet options. Both a V.90 modem and a network interface card came installed in our test system, making it connectable via dial-up, broadband modem, or office network.

UPSHOT: A powerful machine with an excellent monitor, the Millennia Max XS ships with some worthy extras that help it overcome its minor design flaws.

SUMMARY

MicronPC Millennia Max XS PC WorldBench 4 score of 106, 2-GHz Pentium 4 CPU, 256MB of RDRAM, 256KB L2 cache, Windows XP Professional, 40GB hard drive, 16X/10X/40X CD-RW drive, Micron GeForce2 MX 400 graphics card with 64MB of SDRAM, 19-inch MicronPC 910EX monitor, integrated Creative Labs sound, Altec Lansing AVS300 speakers, V.90 modem, network adapter, midsize tower case; Microsoft Office XP Small Business Edition. One-year parts and labor warranty; free unlimited 24-hour tech support. $1845 800/642-7667 www.micronpc.com