As for ports, the case is well laid out. The front panel features a multi-format card reader, a USB port, an eSATA port, two USB 3.0 ports, and microphone and headphone jacks. On the rear you'll find an additional two more USB 3.0 ports, and six more USB ports. There's also an eSATA port, a power eSATA Port, an SPDIF out, individual PS/2 serial mouse and keyboard ports, an optical audio port, a Firewire port, gigabit Ethernet, and 7.1 surround sound. Each graphics card features two DVI ports and a mini-HDMI port, which makes for four DVI ports and two mini-HDMIs in total.

The latest Midtower variant of Origin's Genesis line is a bit of an odd duck. It's the priciest machine on our Mainstream charts by about $400. But that Core i5 Sandy Bridge processor lacks hyperthreading, which puts it at a disadvantage when compared to the Core i7-equipped behemoths that litter our . The excessive amount of RAM and the RAID 0 arrangement place it well ahead of Maingear's Vybe Super Stock where gaming results are concerned. But if you aren't wary of tinkering you could potentially take the $400 you saved, buy a second GTX 570, and leapfrog Origin's performance without much effort.

Such is generally the case with boutique PC vendors -- remember, you're paying for careful assembly, customer service, and potent overclocks, but there's generally always room to add your own finishing touches. Is it worth it? I think so. If you're looking for a simple, powerful desktop and have about $2300 to spend, this Origin Genesis could fit the bill. Not only does it deliver the goods, and runs circles around machines that are far pricier -- though that's likely to change as Sandy Bridge spreads. But right now, it sounds like a pretty good deal to me.