Building the Ultimate Gaming System III

Dell XPS Gen4
www.dell.com
Dell's official foray into the Gaming scene hit its fourth generation, and sure as hell was a very good update. The system obviously took some pointers from Alienware, with its colored LED front and its sleek redesigned front. While it isn?t the best thing aesthetically, it sure looks good compared to any Dell or Gateway offering of the same caliber. I've always liked Dell computers when it comes to your typical user, and this is no doubt- this is your true Just-For-Your-Little-Brother-Machine(TM).

Dell's offering into the gaming scene, again, isn?t a bad choice. If you don't have a damned clue when it comes to parts but you want a supercharged gaming PC, this is your best choice. Then again, if you are a mega gamer and know a little bit about machines, this may not be for you, as the choices are limited.



Gateway 9310
www.gateway.com
While this doesn't necessarily fall under the "Gaming PC" category, it has a surprisingly decent array of parts for its 9310 models. Of course, remembering that this is their top-of-the-line model, this isn?t too hard to believe.

As for the PC itself, I wouldn?t get this as a gaming PC, though it is good for gaming. The problem is that Gateway has recently taken the General Computer User(TM) route instead of the Ultimate Hardcore User(TM) route, so the system probably won't handle the normal wear and tear of a typical gamer. However, if you want to stick something in your "Office", this might be a nice cross between gaming and work (Think of it- spreadsheet on one side of the screen, Counter-Strike on the other...).

I also think that the General Computer User(TM) and the Ultimate Hardcore User(TM) are stored in Fort Knox, or somewhere where Gateway, Dell, and all the computer companies can see them, but not us. I suppose the General Computer User(TM) is either a spiky haired teenager who loves AIM, or an old Grandmother-type woman who gets scared of the modem noise.



Falcon Northwest Talon
www.falcon-nw.com
Falcon Northwest is like the secret of hardcore gamers. The company knows gamers- they know exactly what they want, exactly what works, and unfortunately, exactly how much they are willing to pay for it. Lets face it: Falcon Northwest computers are EXPENSIVE. Be prepared to sell your house, car, and body to even TOUCH one of these babys. However, recently, Falcon Northwest realized that not everyone has expendable fortunes, and released the Talon- the affordable version of the other Falcon-NW computers.

As for the Talon, I'm not sure how much I like this computer. I'm never really sure what to say when they put it as the "Budget PC" of the line- does that mean that the PC is crap? Does it mean they skimp? Who really knows. Of course, compared to its $5000+ brother the Mach V, anything's budget. Overall, I'm not sure if I like this or not, so I'd recommend looking up more about this PC. Its already got me scared- not even DDR-2, the base processor being a Sempron (Upgradeable to the Athlon64 like in my demo build), so...
Who knows. I wouldn?t recommend it.

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