Introduction

Building a high-end gaming PC is a lot like buying a Ferrari; it looks sharp and sounds amazing, but it’d be so much nicer if someone else’s money were financing the purchase. By nature, the very best components will always command a premium price because, let’s face it, everyone would love an affordable 3.2GHz Pentium 4 or Athlon 64 machine.

Nevertheless, several prominent manufacturers embrace the exclusive nature of high-end gaming PCs and subsist by wrapping the very best hardware up in a unique bundle. Over the past few months, we’ve evaluated a few of these sorts of machines; ABS’ small form-factor Bravado 2310, its older M1 gaming system, and PC Progress’ X Theory flagship machine, for example.

Clearly, the market is rife with eager manufacturers looking to sell you a pre-configured PC (complete with mark-up, of course). So why should you abandon your do-it-yourself roots in favor of a ready-made solution? Perhaps you don’t have the time to search for the best deals; perhaps the idea of ordering from eight different retailers doesn’t float your boat; perhaps you are a gamer first, hardware aficionado second. For a system to compel us, though, it needs to be distinctively unique. It needs to be an Enzo in a sea of Ford Escorts (maybe not that distinct, but you get the idea).

Thunderbox PC hasn’t received the media attention that other performance outlets have enjoyed, but its products offer comparable performance for comparable prices. Of course, comparable will only take a company so far. Thunderbox PC sets itself apart by understanding the importance of good relationships and customer service. Plus, unlike most other manufacturers, Thunderbox PC truly facilitates the custom PC experience, allowing its customers to add their own hardware and even recycle previously used components.

Neon lighting

Sweet looking case window

The Savage is Thunderbox’s most aggressive computer system, sparing no expense in the pursuit of performance. Standard configurations are offered for both AMD and Intel-based platforms, though every configurable part can be changed in some way or another.