The Best Rated Gaming Computers
A new breed of computer--the gaming computer--is emerging from the computing industry and will undoubtedly have a big influence on future industry advancement. These performance champions are generally nose-bleed expensive and sit on the edge of technology. However, this does not always translate into best value for the money. This article points out a few systems for gaming that will keep your expectations high, and in a few cases, won't necessarily break the bank.
Falcon Northwest Talon (Intel Core i7)
The Talon from Falcon Northwest looks relatively plain by Falcon Northwest standards, but the hardware configuration provides enough muscle to make this a good buy. It features a Core i7 870 processor that allows the Talon to keep up respectably with systems higher up in Falcon Northwest's gaming system lineup.
The specs:
MSI P55 motherboard
700 Watt power supply
Intel Core i7 870 2.66GHz CPU
4GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 video card
500GB 7200 RPM hard drive
Alienware Area-51
The Area-51 is a bargain-basement offering from a company that specializes in top-end gaming systems. However, for a gaming system that hovers around $2,000, the Area 51 is an excellent value.
The specs:
Intel X58 motherboard
1000 Watt power supply
Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz CPU
6GB 1067MHz DDR3 RAM
1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5870
640GB 7200 RPM hard drive
Falcon Northwest Mach V
An upgrade from the Talon, the Mach V performs admirably but costs significantly less when compared with high-end gaming systems. Of course, that price quickly escalates with enticing options like support for multiple video cards. However, the standard configuration for the Mach V is adequate enough for an excellent gaming experience.
The specs:
EVGA X58 SLI motherboard
700 Watt power supply
Intel Core i7 960 3.2GHz CPU (liquid cooled)
6GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 285 video card
500GB 7200 RPM hard drive
Alienware Aurora ALX
The Aurora ALX is the perfect blend of performance and bank account sensitivity. For cost-effective gaming systems that still perform at a high level, it's tough to beat this system.
The specs:
Intel X58 motherboard
875 Watt power supply
Intel Core i7 920 2.66GHz CPU
6GB 1333MHz DDR3 RAM
Dual 1GB Nvidia GTS 240 video cards in SLI mode
1.2TB in RAID 0 (two 640GB) 7,200 RPM hard drives
Maingear Ephex
Although this behemoth has a price tag that induces heart palpitations, you simply cannot ignore it if considering buying a gaming system. Much like the price tag, the hardware configuration for the Maingear Ephex will bring any gaming enthusiast to their knees. It features a quad-core Intel Core i7 965 running at 3.925 GHz and a host of other eye-popping features.
The specs:
Intel X58 motherboard
1,200 Watt power supply
Overclocked Intel Core i7 965 3.2 GHz CPU
12GB 1600MHz DDR3 RAM
Three 1GB Nvidia GeForce GTX 280 video cards
1 TB 7200 RPM hard drive
Tags: Intel Core, Falcon Northwest, power supply, Watt power, Watt power supply