Stealth in a low-key move has unveiled a new flagship for its compact PCs that fills a performance gap. The LPC-650 is only slightly larger than a desktop DVD drive but fits in high-end notebook parts, including as much as a 2.6GHz Core 2 Duo, 4GB of memory and a 500GB hard drive. Stealth pictures the new entry as a home theater PC and gives it both an HDMI port for HD, two analog video outs for regular sets, and built-in Wi-Fi with an external antenna for better reception.

In stock form, the headless PC costs $1,595 for a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo, 1GB of memory, a DVD combo drive and an 80GB hard disk. Stealth opts not to preinstall an operating system for those who prefer Linux or alternatives but can preload Windows XP, Vista or Server 2008; home theaters and other custom installs can get mounting kits. Orders are already underway.