Polywell Poly 916NF4-SLI
Photograph: Marc SimonFew would call a $3999 computer a budget system, but if you're looking for a machine with a dual-core CPU and two SLI graphics cards--and a lot more--the Poly 916NF4-SLI comes close.
Off the shelf, the 3.2-GHz Intel Pentium Extreme Edition 840 CPU, the two EVGA E-GeForce 7800 GTX graphics cards, and the Asus P5ND2-SLI Deluxe motherboard would cost you nearly $3000. Throw in 1GB of dual-channel DDR2-533 RAM, three hard drives (including two 10,000-rpm 74GB Western Digital Raptors), a 16X rewritable DVD drive, a 32X CD-RW drive, and a wireless keyboard, and this Poly is one high-priced, loaded system that gives you decent bang for your buck.
The machine's WorldBench 5 score of 98 beat that of every other Pentium Extreme Edition 840 system we've tested, though it still lagged behind all of the AMD-based units in this roundup. The Poly's dual SLI graphics cards helped it reach respectable graphics scores, but it really shone on the high-resolution portion of the advanced graphics test.
The system is reasonably expandable, with three open externally accessible drive bays, one open internal bay, and a single PCI Express x1 slot. However, the Poly required more effort than the others to work inside the case: We had to unscrew a metal strip to gain easy access to the cramped interior.
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