Desktop Computer Review

Introduction to Desktop Computers

For web surfing, email and office productivity, experts say that most people just don't like to spend more than $1,000 to get an excellent desktop computer (see our report on budget desktops). However, if you are a gamer, video editor or Photoshop enthusiast, or if you want to watch and record TV on your computer, consider the desktop systems included in this report.

We found the best reviews of high-end multimedia and gaming computers at HardwareLogic.com. This enthusiast website's reports are balanced, comparative and even amusing. One shortcoming is that HardwareLogic.com doesn't cover that many desktop systems. While CNet.com can't approach HardwareLogic.com's depth, it does offer the largest number of desktop computer reviews and excels at staying current. CNet covers the latest releases from mainstream manufacturers such as Dell, Apple and Gateway. It also dedicates significant coverage to other computer brands such as CyberPower, Falcon Northwest and Polywell.

Computer magazines like PC World, PC Magazine, Computer Shopper and Maximum PC have good reviews that are supported by testing. They lack the depth and balance of the enthusiast websites, but the opinions are backed by test results, which helps ensure objectivity. Consumer Reports has some good general information, but the desktop computer ratings are not supported with much information, and the coverage is often out of date.

In the past year, Microsoft has introduced Windows Vista, and Intel has debuted three generations of quad-core processors. While computer manufacturers have kept their offerings up-to-date by continually offering new configurations, often they do so without changing model names. That means older reviews often have reduced relevance, and given the increased demands Microsoft Vista places on hardware, these reviews have almost no relevance for computers tested with the Windows XP operating system.

One complication in buying a high-end desktop computer system is that most vendors -- particularly online sellers -- offer a multitude of options, and any changes from the system as reviewed can help or hurt performance. Because of that, experts say that you should begin the decision making process by choosing a brand rather than a specific desktop model. Product reliability surveys conducted by several publications and websites can really be useful in that process, as they give a good indication of owner happiness by brand. However, smaller, less-known makers get less feedback or are sometimes missed altogether.

Among those doing reliability surveys, Consumer Reports' effort is highly regarded and helpful, but PC Magazine's annual survey is even more valuable because it covers more aspects of the computer ownership experience. Others that conduct surveys include British consumer magazine Which? and Macworld. ResellerRatings.com is good source for learning about customer satisfaction with the direct sales process, as well as initial product satisfaction.

Sony fares well in surveys, and Apple is the best in some surveys, but not very reliable according to others. Sony primarily specializes in multimedia and designer computers, but we haven't found many reviews of Sony's latest desktops. Most of Dell's scores are in the middle of the pack, but both Dell and Sony draw considerable ire from customers for inadequate tech support. Apple is criticized by reviewers for only providing 90 days of free tech support with all desktops and laptops. HP and Gateway generally have the lowest satisfaction scores in support and reliability surveys. Gateway has the lowest rating among major brands at ResellerRatings.com. Boutique manufacturers like CyberPower rate higher than all major brands at ResellerRatings.com, and CyberPower's computers consistently receive favorable reviews. However, expensive Puget Custom Computers gets even higher ratings and scores especially well in recent reviews.

To squeak maximum performance out of a PC, many gamers prefer computers that use a technique known as overclocking, forcing components such as the microprocessor or memory to run faster than their vendor-rated speed. But overclocking carries some risks even for experienced computer builders, as exemplified in reviews of the Vigor Gaming Force Recon QXN (starting at *est. $2,450).

At Maximum PC, reviewer David Murphy says that the QXN desktop they tested frequently failed to boot, and when it did, it performed "worse than any other quad-core rig we've tested." He blames overclocking. Others were also unimpressed with the machine. [H]Consumer (Consumer.hardocp.com) reports, "The QXN generated a very disappointing WorldBench score of 126, which is far lower than the scores earned by other similarly configured machines." They also add that it is overpriced.