GAMING PCs
Alienware Area 51 ALX
Performance first. You can get an Area 51 ALX in any one of a number of powerful configurations, but I'll outline a typical one here. My dream system is built around an Intel Pentium 4 840 Extreme Edition CPU, which is a dual-core processor on a single chip. Performance is enhanced ever further with Intel's Hyper-Threading technology, which supports up to four threads simultaneously. That super-fast CPU is accompanied by up to 2GB of high-speed DDR2 memory and up to 1TB of hard disk space. (That's right a terabyte of storage.) Graphics performance is similarly state-of-the-art, thanks to the NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra 512MB graphics card. You'll also get two DVD/CD drives standard, along with a 550-watt power supply. All this power is accomplished in relative quiet, the result of Alienware's silent liquid cooling technology. Excess heat is absorbed by the internal coolant, which is moved through the chassis via two pumps and cooled by a high-performance heat exchanger. In addition, a proprietary power control board constantly monitors the unit's internal temperature and dynamically reports system temperatures and operational status. If temperatures heat up to uncomfortable levels, an alarm sounds and the system will automatically shut down. The result of all this power is a PC that can play virtually any PC game ever made, at blazing-fast speeds. No graphics freezes, no game play slowdowns, no choppy control. This PC can handle everything you throw at it including other high-demand tasks, such as video editing. As to the cool factor, this is another area where Alienware shines. The Alienware case looks… well, a little alien-like. The stylish cabinet combines subtle contours with dramatic highlights for a look that is totally unique in today's PC market. The look is enhanced by the glowing blue light from the water cooling tubes, which show through each system intake. You can order the cooling system in three different colors (Astral Blue, Terra Green, or Fusion Red), to go along with the "Space Black" or "Saucer Silver" cabinet. (Know, however, that all that alien styling results in case that's slightly larger than a normal PC; it might not fit in some tight spaces.) However you configure it, this is a true state-of-the-art PC, for game use or otherwise. It's also just a tad more expensive than your typical PC; it costs a little more to get such a forward-thinking piece of equipment.
Falcon Northwest Mach VLike Alienware, Falcon Northwest is a popular high-end computer manufacturer, especially among gamers. The Mach V is Falcon's top-of-the-line model, running an AMD Athlon64 FX-55 64-bit processor. You also get 2GB memory, two NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra 512MB graphics cards, and up to 1.6TB of storage across four hard disk drives. What makes Falcon's PC especially cool is that you can order a custom paint job or opt for laser cutting and lighting for the case. The Mach V is a truly custom PC and Falcon is highly regarded in terms of the documentation and support they provide.
Velocity Micro Raptor 64 Dual XVelocity Micro is another high-end niche PC manufacturer, and the Raptor 64 Dual X is their state-of-the-art gaming machine. It's powered by an AMD Athlon64 FX-55 processor, up to 2GB of memory, up to 1.2TB of storage across three hard drives, and two NVIDIA GeForce 6800 Ultra 256MB graphics cards. Pricing is a little more affordable than with Alienware or Falcon Northwest, but still not cheap.
Shuttle Gaming XPCSome gamers prefer a small form factor PC, which is portable enough to take to LAN and gaming parties. Shuttle is the premiere manufacturer of these smaller PCs, and their Gaming XPC offers big-box performance in a relatively small package. The top-of-the-line P9500g Gaming XPC runs a 3.4GHz Pentium 4 550 processor with 1GB memory and a 200GB hard drive; the graphics card is an NVIDIA GeForce 6800 GT 256MB. You can customize the system with more memory and storage space, and it's still an affordable and portable alternative to the big boys.
Voodoo Envy u:703Here's another alternative for gaming on the go a laptop PC souped up for high-performance gaming. Voodoo's Envy u:703 is a lot more powerful than the typical business laptop, and also runs a lot hotter (and eats through batteries like their potato chips). It features a huge 17'' 1900 x 1200 display, 3.6GHz Intel Pentium 4 560 processor, up to 2GB of memory, and up to 200GB of hard disk storage all in a hefty 13-pound package. Still, it's smaller and lighter than lugging around a desktop model, and it performs just about as well.
|
EAN: 2147483647
Pages: 126