6/15/07 - Performance desktops have radically changed over the years. Previously they were fast general performance systems, but now they are flashy systems geared towards PC gamers. The costs are generally much higher than if the user were to build the system themselves. Still, there are people who don't care much about cost or would rather that someone else build the system. With this in mind, here is my selection for the best performance desktop PCs based upon my experience and research.
When price is no object, the clear winner in terms of performance desktops has to be the Voodoo Omen. Sure the performance of most of the top systems is very close to one another, but Voodoo offers more with its wide selection of custom paint jobs to give the system a truly unique look. The liquid cooling setup prevents it from becoming too noisy and offers a stylishly clean look at the inside of the case. An upgrade program is also offered to help those keep their system at the tops in terms of performance.
Alienware has been producing the Area-51 performance desktop for years updating it whenever new technology was released. The ALX version of the system is an upgrade to this venerable design to add additional performance and style to an already high end system. Liquid cooling, top of the line graphics and processors are all standard features. In addition, Alienware also offers an assortment of extras with the system including a personal ID for improved customer support.
The first impression most will have of the Polywell Poly i680 SLI is probably that it is a fairly plain and boring design. Getting past the initial appearance of the system, it really does have a lot of overall performance to provide. Polywell throws in some unique options for users as well that really can't be found on most systems. For example, 15,000rpm Serial Attached SCSI drives are offered for server levels of performance. It is this level of flexibility that will appeal to most people desiring a performance PC.
Dell's XPS 700 series of performance desktops always offered a high quality performance system that didn't break the bank. The new XPS 720 H2C pushes the limits of performance with updated hardware, but all of this comes at a significant increase in cost. With many of the components and performance levels similar to that of their Alienware Area-51 ALX, the 720 H2C drops down a few spots from my last list due to the increased cost.
The Ultimate X8 Stealth Extreme may not provide the same level of customization as some of the other offerings on this list, but it makes up for this with a much more affordable price. It still packs in performance features such as liquid cooling, factory overclocking and high end graphics. Of course, if you don't want to spend that much, they also offer Pro and Elite models that drop the features down and bring the price to much more affordable levels.
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