Intel's Core i7-2600k processor, overclocked to 4.3GHz, sits alongside 8GB of RAM and Nvidia's latest and greatest dual-GPU GeForce GTX 590. A 128GB solid-state drive gets you up and running quickly, while the 2TB hard drive stores all of your stuff. All very impressive--but it's not the strongest loadout we've seen.

On our WorldBench 6 test suite, the Chimera XLC earned a score of 188. The ($6400), which packs twice as much RAM, a pair of 128GB SSDs in RAID 0 configuration, and a processor pushed to 5GHz, earned a 223--the highest score we've seen to date. Mere mortals can opt for the ($2500), which is also overclocked to 5GHz, and which earned a WorldBench 6 score of 204; it offers a pair of 64GB SSDs in RAID 0, but only 4GB of RAM.

Number crunching is great, but most prospective buyers don't looking at those flame decals and think "spreadsheets!" The Chimera's Nvidia GeForce GTX 590 is nothing to sneeze at, churning out 200 frames per second on our Unreal Tournament 3 benchmark (at 2560 by 1600 resolution and highest settings). The Origin Genesis beats it, just barely (managing 212 fps), but it's equipped with three Nvidia GeForce GTX 580s.

Ultimately, a number of machines on our Performance Desktop chart best the Chimera XLC, but there's plenty of potential lying dormant here. The V3 Convoy delivers more raw power for about $200 less, but if you aren't squeamish about (and potentially voiding your warranty), bumping the processor's measly overclock up a few notches would do a lot to close the gap. And such an expansive case, you'll have space for upgrades aplenty once this cutting-edge rig starts to show its age.