Sony VAIO VGX-XL301

Almost any modern CPU from AMD or Intel will ensure a responsive media centre, so although the Intel Core 2 Duo E6300 powering the XL301 is near the bottom of Intel's range, we had no problems during our testing. Performance is helped by 2GB of 667MHz RAM, and the motherboard has a pair of DIMM sockets free should you decide to upgrade. Our application benchmarks returned an overall score of 1.04, which is plenty for even an ambitious home media hub.

The race for the A-List spot for media-centre PCs is incredibly close this month. The Asus Asteio now comes with Windows Vista and, in spite of having just 1GB of RAM, remains a similarly capable performer. It's also more compatible with older TV sets courtesy of a DVI-I connector that can be converted to D-SUB and scart (non-RGB) via an adapter. Plus, it's £95 cheaper than the XL301. That, and the more sensible tuner arrangement, gives the Asus the A-List edge.

Since this review was published, we've also been informed by a reader that faulty units have to be sent to France for repair. See Comments, below.

Author: Dave Stevenson