Review: A list of Top 15 home PCs

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By PCWorld staff writer

(IDG) -- We gathered all-new contenders for December's rankings and we've revised the way we test and rate systems.

All the PCs in this Top 15 run Windows XP, and we expect home vendors to phase out PCs with older versions of Windows in coming months.

We've also adjusted the mix of PCs, creating a near-even split of seven power systems and eight value machines. Our Best Buy value PC from last month, the NuTrend Athlon Mega 3, retains the top spot.

But a late shakeup just before we went to press realigned our power chart. The Dell Dimension 8200 received a best buy in December, but Dell told us it will no longer sell the 2-GHz Pentium 4 model we tested because the company couldn't get parts for it.

As a result, the power best-buy honor goes to ABS' new, lightning-fast Performance 1. Also debuting are Sony's stylish VAIO PCV-RX580 on the power side and HP's feature-rich Pavilion 7965, a value unit. Another newcomer, Gateway's shoebox-size 300X, missed the chart because of ho-hum performance. Compaq's Presario 5000Z drops out because Compaq is revising its entire Presario line.

We're now speed-testing systems on our new benchmark, PC WorldBench 4, and we've updated our subjective testing criteria for items like monitor and speaker quality. For monitors, we use a subset of our current Top 10 monitors tests, plus a high-action scene from the movie "Gladiator."

Finally, we've revamped our video game testing, replacing the frames-per-second scores with our testers' assessments of image quality and the smoothness of game-play.

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Top 15 home PCs

• ABS Performance 1: This system is a speed demon and a gamer's delight. Our test system's 19-inch Hitachi CM715 monitor produced dull, unconvincing color. Still, the ABS Performance XP System is a powerhouse that should please gamers and digital media fans.

• Falcon Northwest Mach V: This system is fast and fun. Power users who know what they're doing -- and have the money to do it -- will want to hang on to that 1.5-GHz Athlon processor, choose another monitor and let the games begin.

• Polywell Poly K7-1400DDR: This speedy system has the power and gear for both office work and home entertainment, but you'll definitely want to select a better monitor.

• Sony VAIO PCV-RX580: The VAIO PCV-RX580 is a beautiful system designed with media mavens in mind, but they will likely crave a more robust monitor and sound system.

• Alienware Area-51: The Area-51 that Alienware configured for us is an attractive system with the chops for limitless gaming fun. Paired with a better monitor, it would make an excellent entertainment center as well.

• Gateway 700C: If you have big plans for your next PC, from supporting a small business to indulging your artistic impulses, the 700C would make a good choice.

• HP Pavilion 7905: The Pavilion 7905's design is usable and attractive, and the wireless peripherals are convenient, but the system's performance disappoints.

• NuTrend Athlon Mega 3: While a bargain system at heart, this Athlon Mega 3 adds luxury where it counts. It's a well-rounded system for families and home-office workers, but not for gamers.

• Dell Dimension 4300: While not a powerhouse or a high-end multimedia center, the Dimension 4300 remains a reasonably priced all-around family system.

• HP Pavilion 7965: The Pavilion 7965 is a good-looking system with plenty of hardware for storing and manipulating digital media, but you'll need a better monitor and speakers to enjoy it.

• Polywell Poly 1000 DU: The Poly 1000 DU wrings respectable performance out of its budget processor, but for about the same price, you can have more power.

• Dell Dimension 2100: No performance or multimedia machine, the Dimension 2100 is a low-cost system that would serve well as a second PC or a basic workstation for word processing, e-mail and casual Web browsing.

• Gateway 500X: With its sharp text and audio extras, this 500X would serve students who enjoy music but don't demand top speed.

• Falcon Northwest Talon 3.1: Equipped with a nice monitor, the Talon 3.1 is a blazingly fast system for gamers on a budget.

• Systemax Venture M U17: This Venture M U17 is a solid, beginner-oriented PC for basic computing. With its TV tuner, bundled games, and DVD player, it can also double as a makeshift entertainment center for a small apartment.