This $4,599 desktop (as configured) returns to the computing concert with a hex-core processor in tow. Origin has juiced up Intel's Core i7 3930K from its stock-clock speed of 3.2 GHz to a whopping 4.9 GHz. Time to send in the water-cooler -- Origin's own "Frostbyte 360" cooling system, featuring a triple-bay radiator and three 120- millimeter fans -- lest one's desktop burst into flames.

The impressive overclock joins 16 gigabytes of memory and four solid-state drives configured in two separate 240-gigabyte RAID 0 arrays (one boots straight to the system's 64-bit installation of Windows 7 Home Premium). No fewer than three video cards grace the clean insides of the Genesis 's custom BitFenix Shinobi XL chassis -- eating up the entirety of the Intel DX79SI motherboard's available PCI Express slots. While it's surprising that Origin didn't opt to water-cool its video cards as well, the move would have likely added additional cost on top of the Genesis 's price.

The system price may seem steep, but it's actually right in line with its class, especially when you compare the Genesis's 's performance in WorldBench 7 against its peers. The desktop's score of 196 doesn't lead the category -- full-tower desktops like (205) and Primordial Computers' Medusa (207) are technically faster. They're also a lot pricier: For just under a five percent drop in performance, Origin's Genesis arrives anywhere from $1,896 to $3,368 cheaper than the competition.

And this desktop keeps up on its gaming, too: Its 154.8 frames per second on a Dirt 3 benchmark (2560 by 1600 resolution, high quality) is just a hair under the Medusa's 156 frames per second. On Crysis 3 (same resolution, ultra quality), the Genesis outperforms both the and the Super Stock.