Dell shows off NV-powered uber-rig

ONE MIGHT HAVE thought that Dell would push its acquired brand, Alienware, as the go-to place for high-end gaming machines, but it seems that this is not so. The boys from Round Rock have just announced their new uber-gaming rig, the Dell XPS 720 H2C.

Priced at $6000 and upwards, it's not cheap, but it does have the hardware to match. The rig continues Dell's expansion into non-Intel motherboard chipsets by including a 680i board, and pairs this with a quad-core Intel QX6700 processor overclocked up to 3.46GHz, plus a pair of 8800 GTXs. There's a couple of gigs of Corsair Dominator RAM in there, ram-ped up to 1066MHz, as well as two 160GB WD Raptor drives. The price also includes a 24-inch display as well as Vista Home Premium. $6k and no Ultimate?

In a bid to make the system appeal to overclockers/modders, the rig includes a funky liquid cooling hybrid system that keeps the processor ticking along nicely. It's designed by Dell, Intel, CoolIT and car parts firm Delphi. There's also a lighting system which includes three independent zones each of which can be one of 16 colours. Swanky.

Whilst the system is expensive, it's arguably better value for money than many of the machines Alienware is pushing. What is going on here?

If you happen to have six Gs kicking around, you can pick up the system here. The rest of us will be pulling out the screwdriver again for a rather cheaper self-build... µ