MaximumPC 2007 09

SEPTEMBER 2007 MAXIMUMPC 25

ou always hear, “It’s what’s inside that counts,”

but does anyone really believe that? We’ve never

bought into that load of nonsense, you shouldn’t

either. Components matter most, but you’re not

going to put top-of-the-line parts in a bargain-bin mid-

tower. Are you?

Every September, when we set out to build the year’s

Dream Machine, we have one simple goal in mind: Create

the very best machine money can buy—inside and out.

We build the fastest, most powerful, most authoritative

rig in the world. Demolishing performance records set by

lesser machines is just a happy side effect.

Sometimes, we cheat. We get prerelease hardware

that’s unavailable to common folk. In the past, we’ve test-

ed dozens of CPUs, looking for the perfect overclocking

candidate. This year, we didn’t have any crutches—no

prerelease hardware or fancy-pants paint jobs. This year,

we relied on good ol’ American muscle.

While past Dream Machines have been hand-built

Formula One cars with custom hardware exclusive to the

magazine, DM ’07 is a supercharged stock car. It’s equipped

with factory parts anyone can buy, but, as always, our

Dream Machine is overclocked and ready to burn!

BY THE MAXIMUM PC STAFF