Is it a flux capacitor? A futuristic exercise bike? An electronic sculpture made from salvaged water treatment components? Nope, it's the DarwinMachine Hammerhead Computer ($2,950). Inside its insane case lies a powerful blend of components, including a 2.93 GHz Core i7 CPU, 4GB of RAM, a 40GB SSD, a 1TB hard drive, a second drive bay, an optical drive, an... [More]

Hardcore gamers, listen up: if your custom setup simply isn't cutting for you, perhaps it's time to invest in a Murderbox ($6,000 and up). No, it isn't a dangerous device meant to assail the local Best Buy employees until they hand over a new rig — instead, it's a sinister speed machine, custom-built to provide the ultimate in performance thanks... [More]

Think desktops are dead? Think again. The new Apple iMac with Thunderbolt ($1,200-$2,000) brings quad-core Sandy Bridge Core i5 and i7 processors to the lineup, along with Apple and Intel's crazy-fast Thunderbolt port — two of 'em on the 27-inch model — FaceTime HD video chat cameras, updated ATI graphics, available SSD boot drives, and your choice between a Magic... [More]

Need a new box to house your custom gaming rig? The Thermaltake Level 10 Super Gaming Modular Case ($280) should do nicely. Sporting a crazy design based on the work of BMW Group Designworks, the Level 10 sports four cooling fans, a hinged side panel for easy interior access, intelligent cable management, five hot-swappable hard drive bays, plenty of accessible... [More]

Been patiently waiting for a touchscreen computer that won't kill your arms? Say hello to the HP TouchSmart 610 ($900). Based around a 60-degree reclining, 23-inch, LED backlit, 1080p LCD display with advanced multitouch, the slim all-in-one 610 features a host of touch-optimized applications from Hulu, Netflix, Rhapsody and Twitter, as well as HP's exclusive RecipeBox and webcam applications, a... [More]

Think the iMac is thin? Then feast your eyes upon the Lenovo IdeaCentre A320 ($700). Measuring a scant 18.5mm deep at its thinnest point, the A320 packs a 21.5 inch widescreen display, a second-generation Core i5 processor, HDMI in- and outputs, up to 8GB of RAM and 750GB of internal storage, and improved integrated graphics.... [More]

We've long thought the Mac mini would make a great companion for an HDTV, but without the friendly connectivity options of its cousin the Apple TV, getting it hooked up was a bigger hassle than it was worth. Not so with the Apple Aluminum Mac Mini ($700). Completely redesigned, the new small fry is 7.7-inches square and just 1.4-inches tall,... [More]

With an angular, aggressive silver and black design, the Lenovo IdeaCentre B500 ($650 and up) has a love it or leave it design — but there's a lot to like underneath. Sporting an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, the B500 also packs discrete graphics, up to 8GB of RAM, 1TB of hard disk space, a 23-inch Full HD screen, integrated... [More]

While it's a little hard to tell from the front, the new Apple iMac ($1,200 - $2,000) has changed a lot from its predecessor. Available with either a 21.5- or 27-inch 16:9, glass-covered LED backlit display, a fully aluminum back panel, 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processors standard with quad-core 2.66GHz Core i5 or 2.8GHz Core i7 processors as options,... [More]

Intel's next-generation architecture comes to the Mac in the new Mac Pro ($2,500 and up). Featuring a single-die, 64-bit architecture, the Nehalem Xeons in the Mac Pro offer a performance boost of close to 2x the previous generation, and offer other speed advantages like integrated memory controllers, 1066MHz DDR3 RAM, and Turbo Boost, which automatically boosts the processor speed based... [More]

Great looks and true gaming prowess don't have to be mutually exclusive. The HP Firebird with Voodoo DNA ($1,800 and up) proves as much, with its sleek, elevated chassis and factory-sealed liquid cooling system. Other features include an Intel Core 2 Quad processor, dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800S small form factor graphics cards in an SLI setup, and hot-swappable 320 GB... [More]

Lenovo has put its laptops on the backburner for a bit to take on the iMac. The Lenovo IdeaCentre A600 ($1,000; April) is a super-slim all-in-one with a 21.5-inch, 16:9 frameless HD screen. Powered by Intel Core2 Duo processors, it offers up to 4GB of fast DDR3 memory, up to 1TB of hard drive space, an integrated speaker system with... [More]

Looking for great performance and case design from your next Windows machine? Check out the HP Blackbird 002 PC ($1,800 and up). With a stunning design that offers isolated thermal chambers, tool-free accessibility, and cable-free hard drive installation, these slick boxes are available with up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, an Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core 3.2GHz processor, liquid cooling... [More]

It's one thing to have a liquid-cooling heatsink, but it's quite another to have your entire computer submerged in coolant. The Reactor PC ($4,550 and up) offers first-of-its-kind submersion technology to allow for the most reliable, most efficient overclocking around. Features include 7.1 digital surround sound, Intel Core 2 Extreme quad-core processors running at up to 3.2 GHz, up to... [More]

You think your Mac Pro is hardcore? No. This is hardcore. The Antec Skeleton ($180) is a futuristic, open-air PC enclosure that keeps your components cool — in more ways than one. Made of 0.8mm cold rolled steel, the Skeleton has a front 92mm fan, a top three speed 250mm fan with multicolor LED customization, layered component trays, rackmount quality... [More]

It's about time Dell made something you won't be embarrassed to have sitting around. The Dell Studio Hybrid PC ($500 and up) is the company's smallest and greenest desktop, and can be personalized with six interchangeable color sleeves or one in bamboo. The Studio Hybrid is about 80% smaller and uses about 70% less power than a typical desktop. Powered... [More]

Finally, hardcore PC gaming in a box that doesn't look like a Chuck E. Cheese's attraction. The Voodoo Omen ($6,500-$20,000) is a serious gaming rig, with an Intel Core 2 Extreme Quad-Core processor, a quad radiator for maximum cooling, a 7-inch, front-mounted auxiliary LCD, up to 8GB of memory, an optional Blu-ray burner, support for both Nvidia SLI and ATI... [More]

Looking for a new high-end PC gaming rig? You could do a lot worse than the new Acer Predator ($TBA). Performance options include an overclockable Intel Core 2 Quad processor, up to 8GB of RAM, up to four 1TB SATA hard drives with RAID capability, Three Nvidia GeForce 9800GTX graphics cards, a Creative Sound Blaster X-Fi Platinum sound card, and... [More]

Combining the stunning looks of the company's high-end Bravia XBR LCD TVs with all the functionality of a PC, the new Sony Vaio VGC-LT29U PC/TV ($3300) is an all-in-one powerhouse. It boasts a 2.5GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and a built-in Blu-ray burner. On the TV side of things, it offers CableCard... [More]

Looking for a all-in-one that isn't a Mac? Set your holiday-season shopping sights on the Gateway One (starts at $1300). Inside its sleek silver and black enclosure lies an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, at least 2GB of memory, a large SATA drive, a slot-loading, DVD-burning optical drive, a 5-in-1 card reader, 802.11n Wi-Fi, USB, Firewire, and a terrific 19"... [More]