Best Performance Desktop PCs

Performance oriented desktops have come down dramatically in price over the past couple of years. What once used to cost well over a thousand dollars can be had for right around or below $1000. In fact, Gateway's FX6850-51u can regularly be found for under its $1000 suggested price. The system offers solid performance thanks to the Core i7-2600 quad core processor with 8GB of DDR3 memory. This isn't going to be gaming system by any means though as the GeForce GT440 is an older and relatively modest graphics card. 1TB hard drive is also of the green variety that limits performance but it is easy to add two other drives via the front panel SATA drive bays. This is best suited for those that want fast general performance.

While Dell's XPS 9100 may be priced higher, the XPS 8300 with the Intel 2nd generation Core processors often outpace it. Priced just over $1000, the Core i7-2600 with 8GB of DDR3 memory provides some very fast performance. Storage features are also nice with 1TB of hard drive space and a Blu-ray compatible drive. Those hoping to get a little gaming will be pleased with the Radeon HD 5670 graphics card although this probably is not the best choice for a high end gaming system as the power supply can't handle the top of the line graphics cards. Dell has finally decided to include wireless in their desktops which is also useful. Overall a solid all-around desktop for those looking to do just about anything.

One of the great new features of the Intel 2nd Generation Core i processors has been the QuickSync function that allows the integrated graphics to boost video transcoding speed. Until recently, you had to rely solely on the integrated graphics to utilize that feature. With the recent release of the Z68 chipset, it is now possible to use the Virtu software to have a dedicated graphics but still use QuickSync. Polywell is one of the few companies to release a new desktop that utilizes this chipset along with a fast Core i5-2500k processor and a solid state drive with hard drive combo for some excellent performance. The system offers a wide range of customizations to get it configured just right for those looking at a solid video editing platform.

Origin PC is a company that specializes in custom built PCs for gaming. The Genesis is their high performance desktop platform. The system is extremely customizable all the way down to custom paint jobs if you feel inclined to spend the very large price on it. This even includes selecting the chipset and processor combinations. This means that prices can vary widely but regardless of your choice, they are put together with great care and offer some superb levels of performance. Unfortunately, most users will want to upgrade from the base setups that use lower or older parts but then again you are buying a customized system to get exactly what you want out of your PC.

At $1600, some might find the value title for the iBUYPOWER Gamer Supreme 922SLCK to be a bit off but this system is going to provide some of the best overall framerates you can find. The basis of the system is an Intel Core i7-2600k quad core processor with 8GB of DDR3 memory and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 580 graphics card. This allows the system to play just about any of the latest games at very high resolutions with various filters enabled. There are undoubtedly other systems that are less expensive that can run today's games just fine at the 1920x1080 resolution typical of most 24-inch displays but this provides that edge for either multiple displays or larger 30-inch displays with smooth frame rates.