The Hunt For A New Desktop

The Search
Since I'm suddenly in the market for a new desktop, I've begun my search for a pre-built machine worthy of my needs. I wanted something stylish, yet something powerful with room for expansion. This immediately brought to mind two high-end PC manufacturers, Alienware (owned by Dell) and Voodoo PC (now owned by HP). Also, Dell's XPS line somehow came into the picture when I stumbled upon one model.

Alienware Aurora: Perfected By Aliens
At first I was looking at the Alienware Aurora series of desktops, featuring a sci-fi case that looks like something that came out of a Star Trek movie. It's got a lot of space for expansion, and great power to boot. The problem though is that the case looks a bit large, though without seeing it in person or at least sitting next to something else for size comparison I can't totally judge on this. What I can judge on is that the case doesn't really appeal to me. The front-side USB ports are angled, but I wish they had them higher up (personal preference here).

One thing that is a definite plus is that I can customize it with a variety of options, something that the Voodoo Firebird lacks severely. Price-wise, with the options that I want it'll come out to about $1300. Not bad at all. But because the case itself doesn't appeal to me all too much, I began to look at another Dell machine...

The XPS 430: Alien Technology In A Sexy Piano-Black Case
The one definite plus this unit has over my other choices is it's price/performance. At the base price of $750, it comes with slightly above average hardware. However, to get it to match the other two systems would require me plopping in a $200 graphics card and additional memory bringing the final total to about $1000.

On the outside, it's got a beautiful piano-black case that is appealing, yet it's size has me concerned just like the Alienware rig. I believe the local Best Buy shop has these in stock so I can get a good look at it in person before ordering. On the inside though it has less powerful gear than the Alienware and Firebird. One definite plus is that the components inside can be swapped out with ease, just like the Alienware rig.

Firebird 802: Voodoo Magic
Despite having a lack of expandability, the pure awesomeness of how the Firebird looks has captivated me. It does have quite a bit of power under the hood, coming in with a quad-core Intel and above-average graphics cards. It's case is definitely smaller than the Alienware Aurora, which is a plus in my work environment. Even better, it's water-cooled making it more silent.

It's got a quad-core Intel processor rocking at 2.6 GHz, twin NVidia 9800S graphics cards, 4 GB memory standard, and twin 250GB hard-drives. The processor and graphics cards are water-cooled. Even better, it provides power while promoting energy efficiency by only requiring a 350W power supply. The catch here is that the graphics cards are actually meant for laptops. And the hard-drives? Those be 2.5-inch drives also meant for laptops, spinning at 5400 RPM. None-the-less, performance reviews for the system still gave it high marks.

A major problem on if I choose the Firebird is that after looking around a bit, it seems as if the 803 version vanished from the face of the earth. It used to be listed on HP's website, and from the Voodoo community website it appears that they've sold out of that version, leaving the slightly less powerful, though still well built, 802 version. The 802 version actually had a pretty massive price-drop, from $1800 down to $1300 in a matter of just 2 months since it's release early this year. HP is rumored to be doing one of two things with the Firebird line: deplete the inventory to make room for an updated version or... just shooting down the bird altogether.

The Final Verdict
Actually, I don't have a final FINAL verdict just yet on what I'm going to do. I do like the Firebird option the most, but with it's uncertain future and lack of expandability it leaves me wondering on if I should plop down the $1300 for it. I'll have to decide quickly, because as I write this Amazon only has 1 left in stock.

One thing to note though on the Firebird line is a rumor on how well the 803 version sold. It did sell-out according to the admin people on the Voodoo community website. They claim that they made more of the 802 line thinking that would sell more, but Moore's law occurred and the reverse happened. So this leaves me with the sensation that the Firebird is escaping death and more are on the way. Time will tell, and I'm reluctantly telling myself to wait to see what happens for another month or two before choosing.

The XPS 430 is still on my list, holding firmly to the #2 spot. It's stylish, it's got good power, and I do have a powerful graphics card on hand from my previous system to bring it up to speed as well as extra memory modules for it. Plus, it doesn't look like this line is doomed any time soon. So it'll be my backup plan if HP/Voodoo don't produce another Firebird 803 in the near future.

Finally I have to place the Alienware at a distant #3 for the time being. Actually, it's off the short-list. If the case was different, then I'd go for it but it just doesn't appeal to me much.