Test Subjects

The companies that rose to the occasion to showcase their systems were Alienware, Falcon Northwest, and Planet Computers.

Alienware is a company out of Miami, Florida. They were established in 1996 and have grown to be a recognizable name within the industry.

Established in 1992 and located in Medford, Oregon, Falcon Northwest is one of, if not the oldest, "gaming" system builder. Falcon prides themselves on custom systems and customer service. "If you do not see it on the website ask us. What we have on the website is by no means gospel for what we can deliver." That's what one salesperson stated to me on an anonymous telephone call.

Rounding out this review was Planet Computers of Poway, California (near San Diego). Planet opened its doors in 1998 as a business systems solution provider. In 2003, they changed their focus to gaming and high-performance systems, though they still supply systems to the corporate world.

Okay, without further ado, let's bring out the contestants: the Alienware Aurora 7500, the Falcon Northwest Mach V, and Planet Computer's XLI-SLI Gaming system.