Who says desktop computers are passé? For less than the price of a comparable laptop, cheap desktop computers can compete on every level except size. Plus, let's face it. Who's going to steal your desktop on the subway? In fact, media mavens, Vista-dodgers and devout gamers will be pleased with our fab finds. Here are our favorite cheap desktops that do the job well for a great price.

Please note: Average prices based on AOL Shopping availability at press time.

*Some prices may be higher than than those in the article.

Cheap Deal #1
Acer Aspire Desktop Computer – M1201-ED5000A
Average Price: $407.74

Acer has quickly moved from no-name brand, to a line of respected cheap desktops that perform under multimedia demands. The Aspire M1201 series does just that, perform. Offering a 2.6 GHz AMD Athlon X2 Dual-Core processor, 2 GB of memory, a hefty 320 GB hard drive and integrated ATI Radeon graphics, these cheap desktops can handle just about any DVD, MP3 or online gaming you throw at it. For the price, this cheap desktop is a steal.

Cheap Deal #2
Lenovo ThinkCentre Desktop Computer – M55
Average Price: $462.53

For a decently priced desktop that gets the job done, the Lenovo ThinkCentre M55 series is a trustworthy workhorse. These cheap desktop computers offer a modest 80 GB hard drive, 1 GB worth of memory, a 1.86 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a DVD-ROM drive and Intel graphics media accelerator. The best part about these cheap desktops is that they still run on Windows XP Pro. If you're trying to avoid Vista, this Lenovo is the one.

Cheap Deal #3
HP Pavilion Slimline Desktop Computer – s3620f
Average Price: $586.66

For a smaller CPU only option, this cheap desktop from HP packs a punch. HP has bundled a 2.5 GHz Intel Premium Dual-Core processor, 4 GB of memory, a huge 500 GB Serial ATA hard drive and an NVIDIA GeForce 7100 graphics card with TurboCache into their slimline design. These cheap desktops allow you to multi task no problem, and then hit World of Warcraft with ease.

Cheap Deal #4
Apple iMac 1.83GHz Core Duo Desktop Computer
Average Price: $659.99

The iMac 17" Core Duo desktop was one of the first Macs to hit the shelves below a grand, and it's a great computer to boot. The 17" monitor, 160 GB hard drive, installed 1GB memory, onboard webcam and 1.83 GHz Intel Core Duo processor makes these cheap desktops quite a bargain. Especially if you're looking to migrate from PC to Mac, these cheap desktop computers are a great entry point.

Cheap Deal #5
Alienware Area-51 Gaming Desktop Computer
Average Price: $764.00

Hardcore gamers know the performance excellence at ridiculously high prices Alienware puts out. The Area-51 desktop, however, has come down in price drastically since launch a couple years back. This cheap desktop computer is still competitive, showcasing an Intel Core 2 processor, dual NVIDIA and ATI graphics and up to 8GB of 800 MHz DDR2 memory. There are premier versions of this cheap desktop that offer a slightly larger hard drive or variance on the graphics card. Plus, the cool looking alien face housing lets your enemies know you mean video game business.