A world first on the desktop, Phenom is good but a long way from outstanding.

This first of a new generation is only a little faster than the old, but its potential is clearly huge

Quad core at this price is fantastic, but it’s not as fast as it should be.

Another big name brand PC gets a cutting-edge, all-format, high-def optical drive capable of playing Blu-ray and HD DVD.

The m15x is another out-of-this-world laptop design from Alienware. Is it onto something, or just on another planet?

A versatile single-socket rack server with a wide range of processor choices, plus a good warranty for the price.

A versatile single-socket rack server with a wide range of processor choices, plus a good warranty for the price.

A bit large for our liking but the price makes it tempting.

Pocketable, but expensive and lacks high-speed internet access.

The latest iteration of the Pentium 4, code named Prescott, is an interesting development for a few reasons. First off, it represents Intel's entry to the world of 90nm (90 nanometre, or 0.09 micron) fabrication for processors. For the uninitiated, all this means is the size of individual components on the processor core have been shrunk to even smaller levels. It's a natural part of processor evolution to shrink the size of components, as it allows more transistors to be packed into a smaller space, reduces heat and resistance, and this all leads to faster CPUs.

A beautifully designed, powerful system that almost no-one will be able to justify buying. If your IT department can find the budget to put a new Mac Pro on your desktop, you're lucky indeed

Fantastically engineered, but a bit too bulky for comfort.

An easily managed appliance for small offices. Performance is modest, but it offers useful remote access features

Not very competitive on price, but there’s plenty of scope for performance

Packed with features and closer to Adobe Premiere Elements, CyberLink PowerDirector 8 is close, but still not close enough.

The pics are the best we've ever seen from a camera phone. Nokia's N82 springs to the top of our "phones that will replace your camera" list.

A monster PC thanks to some very high-end components. But it’s noisy and expensive.

The HP Pavilion s5180a punches above its weight and provides a welcoming entry point for a starter or low-end upgrade system.

What could have been the perfect RTS game is marred by poor performance.