Top 5 Mainstream Desktop PCs

Most people are looking for certain features when they want a mainstream system. In many cases it involves the graphics so that the system can be used for PC gaming. While mainstream systems tend to include dedicated graphics that can support 3D gaming, they lack the performance for high resolution or detail. The Gateway FX7020 is unique because it is the only one in this price range to offer a GeForce 8800 GTS graphics card for excellent gaming performance. It still packs in a quad core Phenom 9600 processor from AMD, 3GB of memory, 500GB hard drive and dual layer DVD burner. It even comes equipped with a HDTV compatible TV tuner for those looking to use it as a media center as well. A very well rounded machine.

Dell's XPS 420 supplies a high performance system for those not looking at top end performance of the XPS 720 or the low cost Inspiron models. It has solid performance thanks to the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 quad core processor and 3GB of DDR2 memory. The 500GB of hard drive space is slightly above average and the dual layer DVD burner is standard for most PCs. One of the really nice features is the inclusion of the Adobe Elements Suite that includes Photoshop and Premiere Elements. The big drawback is the cost. This is on the higher end of the price scale and upgraded options can quickly put it out of the price range for this category.

For those looking for a multimedia PC, but still want it to be primarily used as a personal computer, than the HP Pavilion Elite m9150f is probably the choice for you. It features the quad core Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 and 3GB of memory to let it handle just about anything including multiple video streams. The HDTV tuner allows it to record and watch digital or analog TV streams. It even comes equipped with an HD-DVD drive for playback of high definition video. It would have been nicer if it used Blu-ray, but some people have already invested in a format. One really nice feature though is the Wi-Fi networking built into the system that makes it easier to hook up to an existing wireless home network.

A good alternative to the HP Pavilion Elite in terms of a multimedia and general purpose system is the Gateway GM5664. The AMD Phenom 9600 quad core processor may fall behind the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 in many tests, but it is still a good processor. While the system may not have wireless networking built in, it does have a few advantages over the HP. First, it has more hard drive space thanks to the two 500GB drives providing a total of almost one terabyte of space. Second, it comes equipped with a combination Blu-ray/HD-DVD player that can handle either of the two formats meaning you aren't bound to one or the other. It does lack FireWire though which is pretty important for a multimedia system used with a digital camcorder.

If productivity is your goal with a mainstream desktop, then the Acer Aspire AM5620 is going to be your best option. The system goes one up on other systems by offering a full 4GB of DDR2 memory. This lets the system along with the Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor handle multithreaded and multitasked applications without any problems. It comes with a very large 750GB hard drive for storing data and applications. The ATI Radeon HD 2600 Pro graphics card allows for it to be used for casual 3D gaming but it isn't really up to par with other offerings from NVIDIA or even the new ATI cards. It also lacks much of a software package which can either be a plus or minus depending upon your needs.