Introduction

When one ponders entering the wonderful world of PC gaming, he has a choice to make. Depending on the amount of currency he is willing and able to spend, he must decide the manner in which he will obtain the tools of the trade, namely a high-performance rig.

On the one side, there are proprietary prebuilts, with generic components and constricted upgrade paths dedicated to maximizing profits and shafting the consumer. You are not allowed to choose certain pieces of the PC puzzle, let alone become privy to exactly what they have chosen for you. More often than not, you are forced to purchase upgrades through the same company from whence your computer came, lest you void the warranty. Yes, some manufacturers have taken great strides toward pleasing the hardcore gamer with more cash than he has time, but there is plenty of room to improve.

On the other side, there is Joe Schmoe Enthusiast; with a feather in his cap and Google on his side, he knows exactly what he wants, where he can get it, and how to put it all together. Considering the system requirements of the latest entertainment titles, Joe inquires his tech-savvy friends as to which widget and what who-sit he’ll need to get into the game. After spending several late nights reading build-it-yourself guides and enthusiast forums, he’s a walking tech-cyclopedia. Online stores with low overhead costs offer rock-bottom prices and ship parts straight from a warehouse and Joe E. is off and gaming within a week of placing his order.

Of course, there are those who not only don't have the time or the interest to partake in such an endeavor, but they do not want to be constrained in their component choice and upgrade options. It is to those individuals that custom system builders like ABS cater to. Their custom prebuilts combine some of the best of both worlds: You get the customer service, build quality, and convenience of a prebuilt with the name brand parts and customizability that come with building your own.

The Ultimate X Striker Extreme is the top of the line gaming machine from ABS. Based on the ASUS Striker Extreme motherboard, it features dual-GeForce 8800 graphics cards and a quad-core Core 2 Extreme CPU. You’re certain to “say bye-bye to lag,” but will this rig leave it so far in the dust that you forget what it looks like? Don’t touch that dial!