The IdeaCentre sports an Intel Core i7-2600 () processor, clocked at 3.4GHz. A total of 8GB of DDR3 RAM backs up the CPU's speed, so you aren't likely to be hampered when running programs and games. Overall, the IdeaCentre B520 scored a 156 on our Worldbench 6 Test Suite--a record for the .

The Lenovo IdeaCentre just trumps the , which scored 135 back in April. The big difference between the two systems is in the processor--the HP TouchSmart was equipped with an Intel Core i7-870.

But let's get to the important stuff: How well can this machine run games? The IdeaCentre is armed with the Nvidia GeForce GT 555M graphics card. A nice perk of this card is its two HDMI ports--one for input and one for output. Our review unit sustained an admirable 48.2 frames per second while running Unreal Tournament 3 at 1920-by-1080-pixel resolution on the highest settings. It struggled a little on Far Cry 2, a modern game that's a bit more demanding, where it averaged 23.4 fps on the same resolution and graphical settings. Also, as cool as a touchscreen is, it never came in handy in my gaming tests. Stick to the included wireless keyboard and mouse--unless you are playing one of the bundled games built around the touchscreen, such as Angry Birds.

The Lenovo IdeaCentre B520 works as a home media center as well. It offers 2TB of storage, giving you plenty of room for movies and photos, as well as leaving a fair amount of space for your favorite games and programs. It includes a Blu-ray/DVD combination drive and can run at a maximum resolution of 1920 by 1080 pixels. If you are feeling particularly chatty, a built-in camera and microphone are included.

Aesthetically, the Lenovo IdeaCentre B520 is a sleek-looking machine; however, it lacks any sort of swivel or level adjusting. This can make getting a good glare-free position a bit of a pain. Though the screen is wide, the entire system manages to stay slim enough to stick in a tight area, and it doesn't take up too much desk space.