The Bottom Line
Jun 18 2011 - The Origin Genesis is a fully customizable gaming desktop computer with a starting price of just over $1,300. While the base configuration is underwhelming, a tricked out Origin Genesis can perform incredibly well in even the most intensive games. However, as you can imagine, the price with all of the upgrades can reach thousands of dollars. But you can still configure the Origin Genesis desktop to be a gaming powerhouse for around $1,800. It's nice to have a large amount of options available, and those looking for the ultimate PC can even choose a custom paint job.
Pros
- Fully Customizable
- Custom Paint and Lighting Options
- Variety of Component Options Available from Midrange to High End
- Built and Supported in the USA
Cons
- Quite a Few Upgrades are Recommended
- Expensive With Upgrades
Description
- Intel Core i5-2300 2.8GHz
- 4GB Kingston HyperX DDR3 1600MHz Dual Channel Memory
- Intel DP67BG Motherboard
- ATI Radeon HD 5670 1GB GDDR5 Video Card
- 500 Watt Power Supply
- 320GB SATA-II 7200RPM Hard Drive
- 24x CD/DVD Burner
- Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium 64-Bit
Review - Origin Genesis Customizable Gaming Desktop PC
Origin is a company specializing in the sale of fully customizable gaming computers. There are a variety of starting points for gamers seeking the ultimate flexibility with Intel P67, X58, and AMD Phenom II-based systems available. In today's article, the Origin Genesis desktop is reviewed for performance and overall value.
The base Origin Genesis desktop starts at $1,325 putting it halfway between budget-friendly and midrange. For this price, the system is equipped with a modest Intel Core i5-2300 CPU. If you're looking to overclock, you'll definitely want to consider upgrading the processor to an Intel Core i5-2500K or Core i7-2600K, as well as choosing a motherboard that is better capable of handling an overclocked chip. What's nice about choosing an Origin PC is the ability to customize each feature. There are options for those on a strict budget, but there are also high performance upgrades, as well, for the hard-core gaming enthusiast.
If you're the latter, you'll definitely want to consider quite a few performance upgrades, including swapping out the base Intel DP67BG motherboard for one of the ASUS options available. However, be aware that upgrading the system comes at a price. Decked out with the unlocked Core i7-2600K Sandy Bridge chip, an ASUS P8P67 Deluxe motherboard, and a midrange video card makes the price jump quickly to around $1,800.
Speaking of the video card, the base configuration features a 1GB ATI Radeon HD 5670 graphics card. In my opinion, if you're spending at least $1,400, you'll definitely want to consider a better card to enhance performance in game, as well as make the system more future proof. A few options include the NVIDIA GeForce GTX 550 Ti, which is an additional $61, or an AMD Radeon HD 6870 for $159 more. Now if money is no option, there are incredible performance upgrades available including triple 3GB GTX 580 cards, but other components will need to be upgraded as well to support such a configuration.
Another component worth upgrading is the base 500 watt power supply. This is a must if you're selecting higher performance parts over the base configuration, such as a more powerful video card. You'll definitely need to have additional watts available to provide enough juice to the components.
Modifying the Genesis' configuration to include at least 8GB of memory is also definitely recommended. Storage is fully customizable, too, so if you want RAID functionality, it's available with the click of a mouse.
Overall, the Origin Genesis desktop PC is best for those looking to pick out each and every feature for a highly personalized system. You can choose custom paint colors, designer lighting effects, and even a full tower chassis if you desire. Of course wanting premium features comes at a price, and the base configuration of the Origin Genesis is underwhelming. However, when tricked out to the nines the Genesis morphs into an incredible gaming PC that is built and supported in the USA.