Based on AMD's 2.2GHz Athlon 64 3500+ processor, the eMachines T6524 Media Center PC delivers impressive application performance for this class of system. Although the 3500+ is 200MHz slower than the 3400+ chip found on last quarter's eMachines T6520, the 3500+ is based on a newer chipset that allowed the nearly identical T6524 to edge out the T6520 on CNET Labs' SysMark 2004 application benchmark. Compared with its Intel competition, the eMachines T6524 turned in a score similar to that of the HP z555, which uses a low-end Pentium 4 500-series chip, while trailing the Sony VAIO RB44G, with its midrange Pentium 4 600-series chip. Aiding both Intel-based systems was their use of dedicated graphics cards with 128MB of graphics memory. Like the T6520 that preceded it, the eMachines T6524 relies on integrated ATI Radeon Xpress 200 graphics that shares main system memory for graphics chores. You'll be able to play only older games on the T6524 at moderate resolutions. Fortunately, its unoccupied x16 PCI Express graphics slot can accommodate an upgrade to a discrete graphics card.