HP Pavilion s7600e
Compact media system can record TV, but lacks expansion options.The HP s7600e is a cute little thing: At just 4.4 inches wide by 10.1 inches high, this small Media Center PC is a perfect fit for tight spaces. It can sit comfortably on a desk, on a shelf, or even behind a monitor.
The $950 (as of November 5, 2006) s7600e may be diminutive, but that didn't stop it from delivering solid performance. With a 2-GHz AMD Athlon 64 X2 3800+ processor and 1GB of memory, the system achieved a WorldBench 5 score of 96, above average among the cheap systems we tested.
On the other hand, the s7600e's small size does impose limits on internal expandability. The machine comes with only one PCI slot and no vacant drive bays. Since it lacks a PCI Express slot for adding a dedicated graphics card, you won't be able to graduate from the system's integrated nVidia GeForce 6150 LE graphics.
To come in at under $1000, our configuration of the s7600e came with a 15-inch HP vs15 LCD monitor. In our tests, this small monitor (which runs at a maximum resolution of only 1024 by 768, as opposed to the 1280 by 1024 resolution of a typical 17-inch LCD) produced reasonable color and sharp text.
The s7600y is a very space-efficient system. But its lack of internal expansion potential means that the system won't be able to grow with you.