By David Gabel, Senior Editor, Reviews James Alan Miller, Assistant Technical Editor James E. Powell, Northwest Bureau Editor

It all comes down to choice. And you have lots of it if you're in the market for a PC right now-especially if you're looking for a top-flight machine with power and speed to spare.

But lots of options also make for lots of potential confusion. So let's simplify things. If you're in search of top-of-the-line, you can currently get speeds of either 166MHz or 200MHz. For the processor to drive that speed, you can get a Pentium, a Pentium Pro or a 6x86 Intel alternative. Which will best serve your need?

To help you answer that question, we've gathered some representatives of the current state of the art in processor technology, embedded in fully loaded systems. We start with two Pentium Pro machines, both from Dell Computer Corp. One is aimed at the power small-business or home user, the other at corporate folks; both run Windows NT at 200MHz. Next up, there's the Cyrix PC, the first system from the chip manufacturer itself. Cyrix's system runs with its own 133MHz 6x86 processor, which Cyrix touts as being as fast on applications as a 166MHz Pentium. Finally, check out the two 166MHz-class machines-a Pentium and a Cyrix-from MicroExpress. Both are on the cutting edge of Pentium capability.

What do these systems give you? Blazing speed. And it doesn't have to come at a blazing price. For instance, the Pentium 166 and Cyrix P166+ systems from MicroExpress both made their way onto our Recommended List at under $2,000, but their performance compares favorably with that of 166MHz Pentium systems that sell for more than double the price. Call them budget lightning.

The Pentium Pros, while a bit pricey at more than $3,500 and $4,500, respectively, cost a lot less than the new glitzy, multimedia-laden notebook computers, some of which have price tags topping $6,000. If you need 200MHz speed for high-intensity graphics or other super-number-cruncher tasks, you may have just found the solution to your problem.

Read about these offerings, consider the specs, take a look at our comparative performance charts. One of these machines will certainly satisfy that hunger for power you've been experiencing lately.

Dell's new OptiPlex GXPro system is so slick that if you're lucky enough to get your hands on one, you'd better hold on tight because you're going to have a lot of envious co-workers. From the case right down to the motherboard, Dell combines innovation and the latest standards. The result-a computer that puts mind-boggling power on your desk today, yet also has the growth potential to meet tomorrow's demands.

At the heart of the OptiPlex GXPro is Intel's newest processor, the top-of-the-line 200MHz Pentium Pro. And if you think you'll have to pony up some out-of-this-world bucks to get on the launching pad with this system, think again. Our review unit had 256KB of internal secondary cache to complement its 200MHz CPU, and it came with Windows NT 3.51 already installed-all for a very competitive $4,676.

The sleek curves and rounded edges of the system's case give the GXPro a modern, high-tech look. But the design isn't just about good looks; it provides easy access to the power and reset buttons as well as the GXPro's internal components. You don't even need a screwdriver to get inside; just push the button latches on either side of the case and pull off the cover. Dell also provides a stand for the GXPro, so you can place it on a desktop or set up the system as a floor-standing mini-tower.

The compact motherboard, which incorporates daughter cards, and the unique chassis allow Dell to squeeze a lot into a tight space. The motherboard is mounted at the rear of the case, with the power supply directly above the DIMM (dual in-line memory module) slots (that's right-DIMM, not SIMM). When you first peek inside, the placement of the power supply may seem disheartening if you're thinking about upgrading memory. The power supply, however, is cleverly attached to the chassis with a hinge; pull a release, and it tilts out of the way, giving you easy access to otherwise obstructed components.

Dell sent a test system to WINDOWS Magazine that was configured with 32MB of ECC EDO DIMM memory, the latest rage in RAM. (If you have the applications that demand it and the money to do it, you can expand the GXPro's memory to a whopping 512MB.) DIMM memory uses a 64-bit data path rather than the 32-bit path used by a SIMM. ECC (error checking and correcting) means the memory corrects single-bit errors and logs double-bit errors. The GXPro's chipset is thoroughly modern, too; it's Intel's latest PCI chipset, the 440FX PCIset. The system also features a 2GB Seagate IDE hard disk and an NEC quad-speed CD-ROM drive. A 4X CD-ROM drive in a system with this kind of processing power seems incongruous, though.

The CPU sits under a large heat sink, and a fan bolted to the back of the case provides additional cooling. The GXPro is dual-processor-capable; to add a second Pentium Pro processor, you remove a card that simulates the presence, if not the function, of another Pentium Pro, and insert a daughter card that holds the second processor. The whole upgrade process is as easy to complete as it sounds.

You'll find the GXPro's PCI and ISA slots largely on a riser card that plugs in perpendicular to the motherboard; the riser has three PCI slots and two shared PCI/ISA slots. There is plenty of room for upgrading, as only a single PCI slot is used by the 128-bit Imagine 128 Series II graphics card from Number Nine. The graphics card, with its 4MB of VRAM, helped the GXPro achieve a fantastic score of 23Mpixels per second on our Wintune video benchmark. The 17-inch Dell monitor was an able partner to the Imagine II card.

The GXPro has ample open expansion slots because the system's Ethernet network interface and its Sound Blaster FM-synthesis sound from Creative Labs are built into the motherboard. At the back of the GXPro's case, there's a 10BaseT jack for the network hookup, plus microphone, line-in and line-out jacks for the sound system. A pair of Altec Lansing's very good ACS31 speakers, complete with a subwoofer, round out the system's audio components.

The GXPro only has two free drive bays: an internal 3.5-inch drive bay and a 5.25-inch external bay. Drive-bay expansion is the only area where upgradability appears limited. There's still quite a bit of room inside the case, and we wouldn't be surprised if Dell figures out a way to use this space to accommodate more bays.

As for the other Wintune results, the GXPro notched excellent scores in every category except hard disk performance, where it earned an unimpressive uncached throughput of 1.93MB per second. Its CPU rating of 416MIPS, however, was every bit as outstanding as its video performance (23Mpixels per second). The unit also blazed through our Word and Excel application benchmarks, completing the Word macro in 6.67 seconds and the Excel in 5.33.

The OptiPlex GXPro is an ideal platform for 32-bit operating systems and applications. This machine has speed to burn and room to grow. It's an awesome combination.

One of the fastest systems to come down the pike, the Dell OptiPlex GXPro's top-flight components and ample room to grow make it hard to resist.

Dell's OptiPlex GXPro is aimed squarely at corporate users who demand ultra-high performance, but speed freaks at smaller or home offices shouldn't feel left out in the cold. The Dimension XPS Pro200n is Dell's Pentium Pro solution for SOHO users.

The Pro200n is somewhat more modestly equipped than its sibling, but at this level of computing, the word "modest" is definitely relative. The Pro200n is one of the fastest machines we've tested in our lab. It breezed through our Wintune CPU test with the same breathtaking speed as the OptiPlex GXPro, clocking 416MIPS. And using the same graphics card-Number Nine's 128-bit Imagine 128 Series II with 4MB of VRAM-this system also produced eye-opening video performance: 24Mpixels per second.

When it comes to disk storage, the Pro200n deviates a bit more from the OptiPlex GXPro. The Dimension system also uses a 2-gigabyte Seagate hard disk, but with a SCSI interface. This combo produced a disappointing 0.76MB per second on the Wintune test that measures uncached disk throughput. However, this low-level result didn't seem to have any bearing on the system's performance in our application tests; it stayed neck and neck with the OptiPlex GXPro by completing the Word macro in an average of 7.0 seconds and the Excel macro in 5.0 seconds. The low score on the raw hard-disk test was something of an anomaly; in fact, its cached disk speed-a score we don't normally report-was about 79MBps.

This system also has a new case design that differs from the OptiPlex's packaging. The mini-tower has a single thumbscrew that releases a removable panel. You loosen the thumbscrew and press two latches, and the panel comes off. On the preproduction unit we tested, the latches didn't give very easily, so getting inside was a little difficult.

When you remove the panel, you'll find plenty of interior room. The system has three externally accessible 3.5-inch drive bays and two internal-mount bays. There are also two front-panel-accessible 5.25-inch bays, one of which holds the NEC 8X

CD-ROM drive. We used the drive to install application software to test the system, and was impressed with the CD-ROM's speed. Dell said the shipping version of the Pro200n will have an equivalent CD-ROM drive, if not the NEC unit used in the evaluation system.

This machine also comes with a 17-inch monitor, made for Dell by Samsung. It produced images that were clear and sharp as a tack. The monitor's on-screen display controls were intuitive and easy to use.

Setup was a breeze. The computer had Windows NT 3.51 installed, so all we had to do was plug in the cables and power it up. Documentation, while not the final version, was adequate.

The Pro200n we tested did not include a sound card, speakers or a modem. Adding these options ups the price of the system by about $375.

Your company might not be as big as General Motors, but with the Dimension XPS Pro200n, Dell proves that being SOHO doesn't have to mean ho-hum when it comes to computing

--Info File--
Dell OptiPlex GXPro
Price: $4,676
Pros: Upgradability; overall performance
Cons: CD-ROM drive; hard disk performance
Dell Computer Corp.
800-289-3355, 512-338-4400
WinMag Box Score: 4.5

Dell Dimension
XPS Pro200n
Price: $3,629
Pros: Performance; monitor; graphics system
Cons: Case design
Dell Computer Corp.
800-289-3355, 512-338-4400
WinMag Box Score: 4.5

Micro Express is on the fast track of high-performance computing. In fact, it's on two tracks, offering a Pentium-class desktop system built around Cyrix's 6x86-P166+ CPU and an identically configured machine that uses Intel's 166MHz Pentium processor. The Pentium system is the MicroFLEX-PCI/166 and the Cyrix PC, which actually runs at 133MHz, is the MicroFLEX-686/P166+. Both deliver excellent, high-end performance, and both are very good values with price tags under $2,000.

The configuration that the two systems share includes 16MB of EDO RAM (expandable to 128MB), 512KB cache (pipeline burst in the case of the MicroFLEX-PCI/166), a 1.2-gigabyte Quantum Fireball hard disk and a Sony 4X CD-ROM drive. Micro Express uses the PCI Phoenix PnP Flash BIOS for Plug-and-Play compatibility and selectable shadowing of system and video BIOS.

The systems' similarities don't stop there. The two mini-towers have three PCI slots each. One of the PCI slots is filled by an STB PowerGraph Pro 64 video card with 2MB of EDO DRAM. The systems also have four ISA slots and one shared ISA/PCI slot, which was used by the 16-bit Sound Blaster-compatible ESS audio card. Of the three full-height external bays, one is occupied by the CD-ROM drive; the floppy disk drive sits in one of two external, half-height bays. Despite the three available external bays, the 200-watt power supply has only one extra plug, and there's only a single cable connector for an additional peripheral. It's a little difficult to remove the top of the case, and harder to replace it, but inside, everything is well constructed, easy to get at and kept cool by the whisper-quiet fans.

Both systems also came equipped with the same monitor, a 15-inch GVC model with a 0.28-millimeter dot pitch and acceptable image quality. Similarly, the stereo speakers that are included with both systems provide basic functionality that should suffice for most applications.

The Intel-based MicroFLEX-PCI/166 performed very well on the WINDOWS Magazine Wintune tests. Its CPU rating of 303MIPS, uncached disk throughput rate of 3.47MB per second and video score of 18.67Mpixels per second leave little question that this is a high-performance system.

That impression carried through to our application simulation benchmarks, too. The MicroFLEX-PCI/166 finished our Word macro in 12.33 seconds and completed the Excel macro in 11.67 seconds. These fine application test scores are due, in part, to the MicroFLEX-PCI/166's excellent video and disk subsystems, and the 512KB pipline burst secondary cache.

With the MicroFLEX-686/P166+, you can save a little money and still get excellent performance. With its Cyrix CPU, this system was roughly 10 percent slower than its Intel-equipped sibling. The system's Wintune tests yielded a CPU score of 259MIPS, an uncached disk speed of 3.33MBps and an impressive video rating of 17.67Mpixels per second. The CPU rating for this Cyrix-based system was nearly 15 percent lower than the Pentium model, but on our application tests, the Cyrix system matched or exceeded the results achieved by the Pentium model. The MicroFLEX-686/P166+ completed the Word and Excel macros in 11.67 and 10.67 seconds, respectively, nosing out its counterpart by up to one full second.

Compatibility doesn't appear to be an issue with the Cyrix-based system either. We tested it with several expansion cards, including a PCI AdvanSys SCSI controller and a PCI Linksys Ethernet card, and dozens of 16- and 32-bit programs, without encountering any compatibility problems.

The two systems also share a few deficiencies: Neither comes with a modem or any software other than Windows 95. There's no office suite here. Adding a good 28.8Kbps modem will nudge the price of each system over the $2,000 mark. The GVC monitor and the sound system are not up to par with some of the other components. The Chicony keyboard is a standard 101-key model, without Windows 95-specific keys. The documentation is also weak, with far too few illustrations.

Without bundled software, these systems are likely to appeal to upgraders who are satisfied with their current suite of business applications.

Micro Express backs these systems' impressive price and performance with a two-year parts and labor warranty, and a 30-day money-back guarantee. Micro Express earns a double thumbs-up for these near-twin systems.

--Info File--
Micro Express MicroFLEX-686/P166+
Price: $1,899
Pros: Performance; price;construction
Cons: Documentation; lacks modem
Micro Express
800-989-9900, 714-852-1400
WinMag Box Score: 4.5

--Info File--
Micro Express MicroFLEX-PCI/166
Price: $1,949
Pros: Performance; price;construction
Cons: Documentation; lacks modem
Micro Express
800-989-9900, 714-852-1400
WinMag Box Score: 4.5