Media Center PCs are about as trendy as computer hardware gets right now, with a whole generation of media addicts hooking up their rigs to home entertainment systems. But there's nothing worse than a beige midtower case clashing with the living-room decor, so media PCs are slowly gravitating toward rack-style cases designed to fit in with modern components, such as digital cable boxes and A/V receivers.

HP's z555 Digital Entertainment Center and the WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410 both score high marks for their aesthetic qualities and media-friendly features. The z555 is a top-of-the-line system, complete with three TV tuner cards, including one high-definition card for capturing HDTV broadcasts.

In contrast, the otherwise excellent WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410 includes only a single TV tuner and a smaller hard drive. Media Center PCs aren't meant for gaming, but the z555's GeForce 6600 holds its own in games such as Half-Life 2, while the Radeon X300LS in the MCE 410 can handle only games from a generation or two ago. The other big difference between the two systems? Price. The $1,999 HP z555 Digital Entertainment Center doesn't include a monitor or speakers, while you could spend that much on the $999 WinBook PowerSpec MCE 410, plus its optional $999 30-inch LCD monitor.

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