Top 10 gaming PCs | T3 magazine online

Posted by T3 Online on Mon 26 Jan 2009

1. Commodore XX
£3,500 www.commodoregaming.com
PERFORMANCE Boasting masses of power from the quad-core Intel CoreT2 Extreme processor, this gaming machine runs like a dream with the 4GB of Corsair memory and stacks of storage. Plus, the Blu-ray writer is the cherry on the top.
LOVE The sheer, raw power and custom “C-Kin” cases
HATE It’s a noisy beast with a monumental price tag
MORE Pics | Review

2. Chilliblast Fusion Gemini
£1,764 www.chillblast.com
PERFORMANCE Featuring a gigantic fan on top and three manually adjusted ones on the front, the CPU is kept cool while you’re busy blowing away alien scum. Blue LEDs show house guests you’re serious about your virtual quests, too.
LOVE Great value. Easy overclocking. Blu-ray writer
HATE Noisy. Controversial looks
MORE Pics | Review

3. Alienware Area-51 X-58
£4,275 www.alienware.co.uk
PERFORMANCE Another gaming rig with a Blu-ray writer, the Area 51 looks like a creature from outer space. Inside, however, it’s sporting a mega-powerful ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 and Creative X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card.
LOVE Hugely powerful
HATE Low on bundled extras. Financially frightening
MORE Pics | Review

4. Alienware Area-51 M17
£3,082 www.alienware.co.uk
PERFORMANCE It’s one of the more powerful laptops on the market, and it better be, with that Alienware badge. The 17-inch screen should be ample size for lap-balanced action, and a HDMI output means hooking it up to your telly is easy as Super Mario Bros.
LOVE Killer mobile gaming performance. Great looks
HATE As above – pricey as hell
MORE Pics

5. Acer Aspire G7700 Predator
£2,600 www.acer.co.uk
PERFORMANCE A giant ginger atrocity, the Predator has a bizarre hinged frontpiece and retractable ‘claws’ that move when a CD is inserted. Dual SLI graphics cards and an over-clockable Intel Core 2 Extreme processor, it may look fancy, but is slightly disappointing in regards to power.
LOVE Blu-ray drive. Incredible hinged case for easy access
HATE Underpowered for the price
MORE Pics | Review

6. YoYoTech Fi7epower MLK1610
£3,995, www.yoyotech.co.uk
PERFORMANCE Few computers can make the claim of World’s Fastest but the Fi7epower has thanks to a mega Core i7 CPU on board and 9GB of RAM. Yes, it most certainly will ‘run Crysis’.
LOVE Top of line CPU
HATE Needs another GPU for proper Crossfire graphics
MORE Pics

7. Dell XPS 730x
$3,900, www.dell.com
PERFORMANCE Although Dell owns the Alienware brand, its own gaming efforts can’t be scorned. The sports car red 730x packs your choice of overclocked Intel Core i7, up to 6GB of RAM and customisation options to die for.
LOVE Customise to the max
HATE Wouldn’t you rather have an Alienware?
MORE Pics

8. Voodoo Envy
£$2,099, www.voodoopc.com
PERFORMANCE It takes a special laptop to call itself a games machine adn Envy oozes special from every port. Designed with minimalist beauty it still packs the power to win a deathmatch or five, even while you’re on the move.
LOVE Looks to covet
HATE Intel Graphics
MORE Pics

9. Gateway FX6800-01E
$3,000, www.gateway.com
PERFORMANCE You don’t have to pay through the teeth for a gaming PC. Gateway’s offering looks every bit the gamer’s choice and doesn’t cost as much as a small car.
LOVE Pwning without the poverty
HATE Bloatware
MORE Pics

10. Mesh Stealth QX9770
£1,500, www.meshcomputers.com
PERFORMANCE: ‘Stealth’ by name, ‘stealth’ by the fact it doesn’t look like the inside of a 90’s factory rave or sound like a jet engine. A triple array of graphics processors kick the gaming power – and the price – up to 11.
LOVE: Refined case design
HATE: Not as powerful as the specs suggest
MORE Pics