HP Blackbird 002

True frag artists know that gaming PCs are the boxes with the real processing power. But it's the rare rig that combines thrilling design, useful features, and full-throttle performance. The Blackbird 002 is such a system. This gaming god, the first offspring of HP's recent union with VoodooPC, proves that when gamers talk, some people are listening. Take a good look — it's time to stop consoling yourself.

Sexy Beast
Perched on its silver stand, with chiseled lines, sloping curves, and Art Deco accents, the Blackbird commands attention. LED highlights in the cast-aluminum case do nothing except encourage our raging gadget lust. Resistance is futile.

Absolute Power
Sing it with us: 3-GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processor. Not one but two ATI Radeon HD 2900 XT videocards, amped up with a gig of DDR4 memory and 320 unified stream processors, and linked via CrossFire. Overkill? Yep — just the way gamers like it.

Big Chill
The Blackbird's liquid cooling network is routed throughout the entire system, including both videocards, so you can max out the megahertz without fear of frying.

The Wrench Connection
Forward-thinking touches abound inside. A small foam compartment conceals an Allen wrench and fasteners for DIY types. And a rack-style hard drive bay eliminates the need for SATA data and power cables. Just slide your drive into the ready-made slot and it automatically connects with the motherboard.

New Jack City
We love features like dual gigabit Ethernet ports, a high-speed eSATA connector, and a slot-loading DVD burner. But a hidden media bay that pops up like a trapdoor to provide front-panel access to USB, FireWire, and audio ports and a media card reader? Blackbird, baby, we're swooning.

$5,450, hp.com

Photo: Tom Schierlitz