HARDWARE

POWER

winner Dell Dimension XPS P200s

Dell has gained a loyal mail-order following by "custom building" just the PC you want: dial the 800 number, list off the parts and wait about a week. Dell's sleek power system blends top-quality components and good service at the company's basement prices. The standard issue P200, at $2,599, includes a 200-MHz Pentium processor, 32 MB of ram and a roomy hard drive (2.1 GB). Its multimedia package boasts a fast graphics card, a CD-ROM drive, a subwoofer and a bright, Trinitron 15-in. monitor. When you're not playing games, you can take advantage of the bundled business software. (800-348-6155)

the buzz TRACEY CAPEN, PC World: "The Dell Dimension XPS systems are fast and a good value. They're nicely constructed and easy to service. The interior design is set up so it's easy to reach and replace components. It's an overall well-rounded package."

runners-up

Micron Millenia Plus P200 Like Dell, Micron lets you select each component that goes into your computer. The $3,099 base price includes a 200-MHz Pentium chip, CD-ROM drive, sound card and three-year warranty. (800-438-3343)

Gateway G6-200 FPC For a $3,000 system with a 17-in. monitor and the fastest processor you can buy, look to mail-order house Gateway. You'll also get a 12X CD-ROM drive and 33.6-kbps modem. (800-846-2000)

SMALL OFFICE

winner HP Vectra 500 Series

Good PC service and reliability are doubly important when you're working out of a small office or at home and your tech support staff is your brother-in-law. Hewlett-Packard's Vectra is a super machine, but it's the service that really makes the difference: you get a three-year warranty and software that enables technicians to dial in to your PC over a modem line to diagnose and fix problems. An optional networking kit lets you link PCs to share files or a printer. Configurations cost up to $3,264 for a 200-MHz Pentium system. (800-322-4772)

the buzz WENDY TAYLOR, PC Computing: "HP's Vectra is a solid machine with some of the best networking smarts available in a PC today. Plug it in, follow the instructions, and you've got your own small-office or home-office network--and you don't need a nerd to run it for you."

runners-up

NEC Ready Office NEC sells solutions, and this $3,000 small-business package doesn't disappoint. The uninterruptible power supply, Pentium processor and Iomega removable storage give the extras you need for an office machine. (800-632-4636)

AST Advantage! 9310 This economical $2,199 home-office system gives you all the basics--a Pentium-166 processor, 2.5-GB hard drive, a personal scanner and a 33.6-kbps fax/voice modem--plus useful extras like business and productivity software. (800-876-4278)

FAMILY

winner Toshiba Infinia Home PC