Building the Ultimate Gaming System III

This time around, its time to look at the common gaming computers out there by the major manufacturers. Face it: Sometimes you can't build a computer, or you'd rather have the prestige of buying your own. After all, the ultimate plus is that if something happens, you have someone to yell at, and someone to give you free parts if something breaks.

I've decided to go through 6 of the most popular systems out there- the Dell, the Gateway, the Falcon Northwest, the Alienware, the Shuttle, and the VoodooPC. The rules are as follows:

- Must be considered a "Gaming PC" by the company
- Must be over $2500 and under $3500 (A reasonable price for a kickass PC)
- All parts must come from the manufacturer (Meaning Monitors, keyboards, speakers, etc)
- The monitors MUST be a 17" LCD. While this is not a proper gaming monitor in the least bit, it is the cheapest LCD- and desk space is important for some.

In that vein, you have to keep in mind that most of these parts are the same, while some companies (as you'll see), like to charge premiums for things other companies will give you for virtually free. Lets look.

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