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For that kind of price, I'd start thinking Falcon Northwest.

If you need raw performance and OSX, turn a Falcon Northwest DRX into a hackintosh.

Max specs:
dual GeForce 680M 4GB
core i7 3940XM (quad-core 3.00Ghz)
32GB ram
dual 512GB SSDs

Most devs concerned about performance use ASUS.
Rich ones use Falcon Northwest.

Just try to find a Macbook Pro with 32GB ram.

All Macs are overpriced by about 30% based on their hardware specifications. That's why I've never owned one and AAPL is printing money.

ASUS and Dell shouldn't be classed together. I have a 4 year old ASUS laptop (the big brown kind, not an eee) that's still running fine. It came with a 1GB graphics card, DVD burner, and (somewhat) decent CPU for its day. I can't say the same for my Dell or HP. They both died prematurely and had anemic graphics cards. Both had motherboard failures. ASUS is known for one of the lowest failure rates in the industry.

For quality and performance in a laptop, I'd rather have a Falcon Northwest DRX, but I'm accustomed to having two kidneys. Those can run $5000+, especially if you go SLI.

Desktops on the other hand, I self-build. None of them offer as much upgradability as a DIY box.

My desktop ran around $2500, but has the following:

3 screens - 2x22" 1x24" all 1920x1080 resolution
GeForce GTX 590 3GB - quad SLI capable
2.5TB storage (1x1.5TB / 1x1TB)
DVD burner
16GB ram
2.8Ghz 6-core Phenom x6 (waiting on the 8170...)
1250w 80+gold power supply to allow for quad SLI

Nothing I've tried slows it down.

That's anemic. My two-year old ASUS laptop cost $1300 new and came with that exact spec on the HDD. I would expect a pair of 256GB SSDs for $2800 and two battery bays (hot swappable, so you don't have to plug in to keep going). Real gamers at this price point buy falcon northwest. For $3356, you can get two GPUs in a DRX laptop.

For that price, buy Falcon Northwest . At least you get non-outsourced support and can spend the $700 saved on something you really need if you use Apple, like Photoshop. If you want to go all-out and get SLI video and their top-end system... it's possible, but it'll suck batteries like Nosferatu.

#1 I was responding to the point about "Mac users care more about what's under the hood". It's essentially false, and if you took a subset of windows or linux users, you'd probably find the opposite.

#2, Apple is currently selling a LOT of hardware in their line that is at least a generation behind, not to mention their video cards. The fact is I want a mid-range desktop, there is no Apple mid-range desktop. Period. A non-apple mid-range desktop will out-perform a lower-end Mac Pro for less money. It's that easy. Go to http://www.falcon-nw.com/ pick the Talon at $1500 or so base price, is a better option for gaming than a base $2400 Mac Pro.

#3 For $220 I could put together a faster system with PC hardware. Also, what happens when the display goes out when it's out of warranty? Oh crap, there goes the computer. Many of us want a separate computer from the monitor, as one usually outlasts the other for most people.

#4 Why double the effort of a multi-million dollar development process that has already been made? I really hope you aren't running a software company, and if so, tell me which one so I can avoid it.

#5 I specifically said a mid to high-range desktop. Can you name a desktop Mac sans-monitor that will outrun a Core i5 or i7 with a 5870 or 5970 GPU in gaming for less money? Oh yeah, and can you upgrade that video card in your iMac now that it's again, a generation behind, like almost all the hardware in the currently selling Mac lineup.

It's worth mentioning that I actually like OSX a lot, have a lot of friends running Macbooks and will probably be getting one. Unfortunately they have nothing that compares to my desktop.

Oh yeah, I have a 42" display for my desktop there isn't a similar option in an iMac. One down side to your iMac, is you can't get the same display in a second screen, as they don't sell a 27" LED backlit cinema display to match, for those that do want two monitors.

Besides, if you're looking for a truly high-end computer and you're not looking to build it yourself (or you're looking for a notebook), Falcon Northwest is one of the best there is, and they've been in the business since 1992. Of course, they're custom-built high-end PC's; They'll cost a pretty penny, and there's no assembly line, so they'll take a week or so to arrive, depending on your order.

Worthless Slashvertisement. The article talks about a Dell XPS, an Alienware and some off brand. Doesn't even mention Falcon NW of Voodoo PC.

Not really, Falcon Northwest's are superior.

http://www.falcon-nw.com/
Fragbook DR
2 HDs. RAID.

Couldn't agree more. Tried browsing Falcon Northwest's site http://www.falcon-nw.com/ yesterday and found it to be utterly painful. Very pretty, but a usability nightmare.

Webmasters who insist on using Flash as the main interface should be kicked in the nuts.

but that's a matter of case design, if the case design can eliminate the heat from the heatsink effectively I would imagine both systems would run at the same temperature

I still don't understand the big need for the QuadFX platform when a dual-Opteron motherboard can be bought in the standard ATX form factor for less than $300 and Opteron 2000 series CPUs can be bought for as little as $208 a piece.

> No other PC box can dual boot two OS's practically out of the box. With all due respect, no PC box can boot ANY stable OS out of the box. PC manufacturers ONLY boot Windows, and poorly at that. Their job should be easier only having to write drivers and put the boxes together.

Let's see... With bootcamp, you update your firmware, you resize your Mac partition, you copy various files from your original windows xp (sorry, can't use your 'rescue disk').

Hm, now with say a Dell, insert Mandriva install DVD (As a example), tell the partioner to take some availible space away from NTFS, automate the rest of the partioning proccess, let Mandriva install. Which will also handle the bootloader etc. automatically (or you can optionally choose manual if you want).

Uh. I don't see how Macintels dual boot practically out of the box more than 'normal' x86 systems.

> Once consumers realize that Apple hardware can run Windows with more stability from well-written drivers, they will realize the value of owning a Mac.

Too bad there are a few drivers still lacking for windows on Macintels. So, in actual fact, there is unsupported hardware under windows. I don't see why people would buy a system they know isn't going to be supported fully.

> The day OS X ships alongside a Windows OS will be sooner rather than later. It's a calculated move on Apple's part to ship OS X Leopard 10.5 around the same timeframe as Vista/Longhorn. It's a sure bet that Leopard systems will run Windows out of the box whether through boot camp or virtualization.

Blah, it's going to be even more expensive then. I'll just get a Falcon Northwest system. They're more likely going to be cheaper (for the hardware you get), more powerful and better looking (custom case jobs -- yay).

> Lets face it, the only reason consumers are buying PC boxes is to run Windows.

I thought it was because they wanted a PC. Many people don't know they're using Windows.

> PC manufacturers didn't have to worry about Apple hardware before, but now that they boot Windows alongside OS X they're gonna start sweating.

Why in the world would anyone want to buy a Mac to run *only* Windows when there is much cheaper and better windows hardware out there?

> Microsoft is more than willing to take money from switchers, but don't realize that the end user will end up hating Windows since it's so much easier to compare the two OS's.

It doesn't matter if you hate windows, you still rely on it, that is the industry.

> Oh I look forward to the next 18 months.

You really think there is going to be a revolution?

I will keep my performance laptops business with Falcon Northwest. http://www.falcon-nw.com/flash/

Falcon Northwest's (more) portable Fragbox. Yeah, it's a custom rig, but you get what you pay for. Good luck upgrading it though.

The FragBox is a much better looking similar idea... IMO.

And, Falcon NW is a great company. They - unlike other computer manufactures - don't install all the extra shit, and their prices aren't horrible.

Yes, having an illuminated skull (with what, a brick in it?) is really sophisticated, it virtually screams style.

Although apparently you can turn off the lights: The blue lights are there because they look cool, and will impress your friends. And there is a switch on the back of FragBox 2's so you can turn them off.

I still wouldn't want to pay $2,100 for their default config, but the world is full of people with weird priorities and too much money.

For the lazy:
http://www.falcon-nw.com/fragbox.asp

This really looks like a nice box

This won't be showing up anytime soon in the "thin and light" laptop category, but I could easily imagine Falcon Northwest or Alienware doing this in one of their heavyweight "desktop replacement" models. They don't tend to emphasize battery life anyway...

And Windows runs like crap on anything lower than a P3-1 GHz (you should see it on my P2-333, in fact, I'm writing this on it). Seriously, KDE runs like crap on slow hardware. So why do people keep using this argument? And when comparing prices, why not compare Mac prices with high-end, well designed PCs, like http://www.alienware.com/ or http://www.falcon-nw.com/? Last time I did it, I found the prices to roughly the same.

Falcon Northwest make some very pretty PC systems that far outmatch anything Alienware puts out. Granted you have to pay for it, but you get a custom paint job that's unmatched.

Voodoo PC is also a manufacturer that puts an Apple-sized amount of detail into their systems. While they may be expensive, I would like to point out that they are priced very competitively with the G5.

As for me, I built my own system and made it pretty (without obnoxious windows and lights).

well http://falcon-nw.com/ are the guys who originally did the gaming pc.
I have done the tour when I lived there in Ashland and worked at project-a and those guys do make them right..

Now, granted, this is a box that was meant to be more portable than powerful, with limited upgradability, but I sent it back. Since then, I've purchased parts for a fairly decent Athlon 64 system which should wipe the floor with the Fragbox for a few hundred more. It's one of those "If you want it right, build it yourself" things.

I just built a system using some of the high end hardware on their System Configuration Page. The cost? Over $8700 using a 19" CRT instead of their ~$1500 21" LCD.

Of course, if I wanted to park something that costs as much as a compact car on my desk I'd let Billy Joel do it.

These guys liquid cool and overclock it before shipping. They also f##k with XP so it runs "optimized". Dont know if theyre reputable, but they do make trick gear. Their displays look nice.

falcon northwest

These guys make KILLER boxes and from what ive read are quite reputable. Nothing fancy though, just the best parts available.

also, Alienware. But if you want a really good rig, build it yourself and save a few bucks, plus youll actually know what goes on inside your box. Nothing is more lame than some rich dude that buys the best, but has no clue whats inside. These people are the ones with "two gigahurts hard disks, and five twelve mega processors." Great boxes, stupid people.

Who says you need to spend a few thousand dollars. $1000 will buy you a XP 2500+ system with 512 MB Ram and a midrange video card (Radeon 9600). If you don't like building systems yourself. Falcon Northwest will sell you one for $995 (although it has "only" an XP 2200+ processor). Such a systems should be able to run Doom 3 and Half-Life 2 at decent (though not spectacular) framerates, provided that both games actually get released.

I want a customized car to match my customized computer.

Well, at least we know where to get a customized computer case for a customized car... Check out the "gallery of Exotix examples".

Falcon Northwest has some awesome casemods that are much less expensive... :)

Hello,

It's important to keep in mind that just like automobile manufacturers, motherboard manufacturers make products targeted at different markets.

Just as automobile enthusiasts replace stock carburetors and transmissions with performance parts, overbore engines, modify ECUs and so forth, computer enthusiasts tweak their BIOSes, replace stock heatsinks with watercooling, use rounded cables, et cetera.

But for the overwhelming majority of automobile or computer users out there, they get by just fine on with their Fords or Chevys or Dells or Gateways. While Ferraris and Falcon Northwests are fast, how often is the average driver going to need to go 150MPH or get involved in a lanparty frag-fest? It's important to keep in perspective that the overwhelming majority of automobile and computer drivers perform routine tasks like driving back and forth from work, word processing, going down to the corner grocery, web surfing, and so forth. And for those types of activities, a Saturn or eMachine is going to do the job just as well as the most exotic car or PC you can imagine.

Having worked around average (read: non-computer industry) computer users long enough, I can tell you that they just don't care about what brand of CPU or type of memory their computer has, much less its CAS and RAS timings. They just want something that's inexpensive and reliable.

This is the market that Intel goes after for its motherboards. Not necessarily the end users themselves--I would imagine Intel's retail motherboard sales account for a small percentage of total motherboard sales compared to their OEM sales--but the companies who make those mass-market computers. And for those end users, that's fine. They'll probably never play a video game more challenging than Solitaire just like they'll never drive more than 120MPH. And they're more concerned about being able to get work done on their computer or getting to the dry cleaners on time to pick up the laundry then burning out a CPU or cracking an engine block.

Regards,

Aryeh Goretsky

I like what I see on the ABS pc website.

Any recommendations from /. on where to buy a nice new system with some lights and stuff will be appreciated. (My old system is a white box, and my workhorse laptop is black. I would like some colour this time around.)

I like what I see on the ABS pc website.

Any recommendations from /. on where to buy a nice new system with some lights and stuff will be appreciated. (My old system is a white box, and my workhorse laptop is black. I would like some colour this time around.)

I thought about that, and still may do so. I also might buy a Talon from Falcon Northwest.

But you know what, these days you can get a Dell with pretty good components, and it ends up being a lot cheaper. Plus, I'm not good at building stuff.

your point is taken though :-)

Alienware is nowhere near the quality of Falcon Northwest. These guys make the supreme gaming machines for less than most of the other gaming PC companies...

Id rather buy on Pricewatch or ebay, ubid or my favorite Computer Geeks

Ive see complete systems for 500 bux, or Imacs for 600. Add some ram and a new video card, very very useable. Hell, I bought some e-computers for some people for 400 bux with rebate, (no msn rebate, straight cash). Picked up a monitor for 99 bux at a local Computer Stop and they where set.

It helps to know what and where the deals are, Dell, Gateway, etc are NOT good deals. They are average deals. Side note, Want sticker shock? Check out PC's for hardcore gamers, AlienWare or Falcon NorthWest

To spec your system, try Falcon Northwest. Granted, they're primarily gaming-oriented, but they build the machine to your specifications. I don't know if they're willing/able to build a high-end business system (a'la RAID), but they're a resource.

Expect to pay a premium for the individual attention though. It's someone's time, not another unit off an assembly line.