CyberPower Gamer Xtreme XT System

Section	Score	Comment
Website & Ordering	16/20	Tons of parts to choose from A wide variety of baseline configurations offer a starting point for nearly every buying situation Real-time pricing update Website is loud and cluttered Not all components contain additional information when clicking the accompanying question mark bubble
Bundle, Build Quality, & Wiring	18/20	Above average wiring job in a case that doesn't offer many wiring amenities Bundle includes a few nifty freebie items Blu-ray burner - yay! IDE burner - boo! Must we really install the videocard ourselves?
Performance	18/20	Intel's Core i7 platform lays the smackdown on anything currently available Tri-channel memory showed huge dividends in memory intensive applications HIS HD 4870 X2 videocard tore through our gaming benchmarks Easily overclockable A RAID 0 configuration and third-party soundcard would make this machine scream
Acoustics	9/10	System ran relatively quiet during testing
Upgradeability	10/10	Core i7 platform makes this setup as future-proof as it currently gets All hail the X58 chipset, which finally marries SLI and CrossFire capabilities to a single motherboard We'd be more concerned about the 650W power supply if it wasn't a Corsair unit
Warranty & Support	9/10	CyberPower offers a 3 year warranty on all systems (1 year parts) and free lifetime labor and 24/7 phone support Technical Support page lists various contact options Support forums a welcome addition to CyberPower's website
Price / Value	10/10	CyberPower's pricing is very comparable to what you'd pay by purchasing the same parts through Newegg

OUR RECOMMENDATION

For CyberPower, the third time is definitely the charm.  The Gamer Xtreme XT is the third CyberPower system we've reviewed, and the first to earn a 90 or better.  Previous systems the company have sent us have come with plenty of positive attributes, but various niggling flaws have always hurt the overall score.  That isn't the case today.

CyberPower provided a well built system with a clean wiring job and stellar performance to boot.  It didn't hurt that Intel's Core i7 platform provided the foundation for the Gamer Xtreme XT, but as we've seen in previous system reviews, flaws in the build process or goofy oversights in the BIOS can hamper a well spec'd out machine.  That hasn't been the case here, and CyberPower pummeled our benchmark suite while taking it easy on the wallet.  As configured, today's system runs about $1,675 shipped (after using coupon code INSTANT for 5% off), about the same as you'd pay at Newegg.  Ditch the Blu-ray burner and downgrade the videocard and you'll still have a capable machine at even more of a mainstream price.

We still would like to see some work done on CyberPower's website, which remains cluttered.  On the build side, it's high time CyberPower stops offering IDE optical drives, or at least more clearly label which drives sport what's rapidly becoming an antiquated interface.  And while we understand that today's videocards are becoming increasingly heavy, we don't feel the customer should be responsible for installing it.

CyberPower continues to impress us by offering off-the-shelf components without jacking up the price tag.  Like the other systems in CyberPower's lineup, the Gamer Xtreme XT represents a well built, high performing PC with enough options to accomodate just about any budget.  Combined with a new support forum and an improved ResellerRating, CyberPower has stepped up its game, and that could spell trouble for the competition.

Other Reviews of Note

It's always nice to have more than one opinion on a component before you spend your hard earned money. For one, we may see something others missed, or vice versa. As with all reviews published at HardwareLogic, we'll not only give you our recommendation, but also point out some reviews from other sites around the web.
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