Falcon Northwest Talon

The Falcon Northwest Talon is a top-performing gaming desktop that experts say provides blistering performance without breaking the bank. It comes in a variety of configuration options that start around $1,270, but experts recommend upgrading to the Intel Core i7-875K processor if you plan on serious gaming. This ups the starting price to $1,500, and once you add a Nvidia GeForce GTX 480 graphics card, 8 GB of RAM and a 1 TB hard drive, you're looking at a total cost that's closer to $2,500. This is the configuration most reviewers test, and they say it performs on par with much pricier desktops.

Tests show that this upgraded configuration of the Falcon Northwest Talon is incredibly fast. The overclocked processor reaches speeds of 4 GHz, and the desktop posts faster times in some tests than PCs that cost twice as much. Even the most demanding games play smoothly and glitch-free, although you may want to think about upgrading even further to dual graphics cards if you want to play games like "Crysis" at the highest resolutions. Reviewers like the design, which is pretty understated for a gaming rig, although some would like to see front-accessible hard drive bays. If you don't need this level of performance, reviewers are also impressed with the CyberPower Gamer Dragon (Discontinued), which earns recommendations for entry-level gamers.

There are numerous configurations for the Falcon Northwest Talon, but most experts test a midlevel system with an Intel Core i7-875K processor. CNET, PCMag.com and ComputerShopper.com all report on this configuration. All three reviews are detailed and balanced, and the analysis culminates in a rating that makes it easy to see how the desktop stacks up against the competition.