HP Pavilion Elite h8xt

HP Pavilion Elite h8xt

We've already covered HP's updated Pavilion and Pavilion Slimline designs, but the new Pavilion Elite brings the most dramatic changes of all to HP's refreshed desktops. Adopting angular design accents and a striking red highlight LED on its front, the Pavilion Elite does a good job separating itself visually from its mainstream competition. Its configuration, represented by this $1,299 Pavilion Elite h8xt, is less interesting, but it's a fair deal for the asking price. For general PC shoppers searching for a strong all-around desktop, the Pavilion Elite h8xt is worth a look. HP's redesigned cases are mostly only minor shifts away from its previous look, but the new Pavilion Elite represents the biggest departure from its previous incarnation. The face of the new system is a more uniform glossy black plastic, which presents a cleaner look than the old design. More striking is thin red LED that illuminates a strip across the front of the case, not unlike "Battlestar Galactica"'s Cylons. We'll guess this isn't a coincidence. The red light signifies more than simple visual flair, in that it also seems to be a part of the Beats Audio branding scheme that HP is rolling out across its higher-end desktops and laptops, and even its new TouchPad tablets.