Micro Express Micro Flex 1800B

WHAT'S HOT: Equipped with a 1.53-GHz Athlon XP 1800+ processor and 256MB of DDR SDRAM, the Micro Express MicroFlex 1800B we looked at earned an impressive score of 122 on our PC WorldBench 4 tests.

WHAT'S NOT: That high PC WorldBench score was earned with an overclocked processor. MicroFlex tweaked the CPU a bit to juice it up to 1.56 GHz (it's nominally a 1.53-GHz system); the company also boosted the memory frequency from 133 MHz to 136 MHz and the memory clock speed to "Turbo." Micro Express says it did not send PC World a specially tuned PC, and that customers would also receive overclocked machines. Further, Micro Express says it is confident of the reliability of this system. PC World does not usually test overclocked PCs and does not test for long-term reliability, so we cannot verify Micro Express's claims.

WHAT ELSE: The 17-inch Samsung SyncMaster 700NF that shipped with our MicroFlex holds the number four spot on our current Top 10 17-Inch CRT Monitors chart, thanks to its sharp text and beautiful color graphics.

Opening the gray-and-white MicroFlex midsize tower is a three-step process: Remove a single thumbscrew, pop off the top panel, and then pull off the side panel. That's more steps than many systems require, but the case is sturdy and the process is easy. You'll need tools to access the four open PCI slots and three open drive bays (one for a hard drive only), but the well-kept interior makes it easy to reach the slots and bays and insert new components.