MaximumPC 2008 09

We navigate the choppy waters of hardware politics to build

an uber-rig that makes no compromises BY THE MAXIMUM PC STAFF

A Dream Machine graced the inaugural issue of Maximum PC back in 1998, and the tradition of

building an annual no-holds-barred PC beast has continued unabated since then. True to form,

this year’s rig is the most audacious, most powerful dream rig to date. Equipped with no fewer

than eight processing cores, four graphics cores, and fi ve hard drives, DM2008 is probably also

our most controversial build. But as Lando said, it’s not our fault.

In the old days, we would just pick the very best hardware available. But those were

simpler times, when parts vendors all got along and their sole mission was to provide you

with badass gear. Sadly, the stakes are so high today that politics has an undue influence on

hardware configurations.

The most obvious evidence of this is the ongoing war between Intel and Nvidia. Both com-

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean Maximum PC’s 10th anniver-

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

Interested? Read on to fi nd out what’s

inside the world’s best PC.

http://www.maximumpc.com | SEP 08 | MAXIMUMPC | 25

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

simpler times, when parts vendors all got along and their sole mission was to provide you

with badass gear. Sadly, the stakes are so high today that politics has an undue influence on

The most obvious evidence of this is the ongoing war between Intel and Nvidia. Both com-

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

simpler times, when parts vendors all got along and their sole mission was to provide you

with badass gear. Sadly, the stakes are so high today that politics has an undue influence on

The most obvious evidence of this is the ongoing war between Intel and Nvidia. Both com-

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

The most obvious evidence of this is the ongoing war between Intel and Nvidia. Both com-

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

The most obvious evidence of this is the ongoing war between Intel and Nvidia. Both com-

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

The most obvious evidence of this is the ongoing war between Intel and Nvidia. Both com-

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

Interested? Read on to fi nd out what’s

panies try to downplay the tension, but this war

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

Interested? Read on to fi nd out what’s

inside the

of words, drivers, and marketing puts hardware

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

Interested? Read on to fi nd out what’s

inside the world’s best PC.

enthusiasts in a pickle. We originally had our sights

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

Interested? Read on to fi nd out what’s

world’s bestworld’s bestworld’s best PC. PC.

set on Nvidia’s hot new GPU for this year’s Dream

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

That doesn’t mean

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

Interested? Read on to fi nd out what’s

Machine and even prepared ourselves with an

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

Maximum PC

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

haven’t even heard of them.

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

Maximum PC

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

intriguing, as our graphics cards are so new that you

“SLI-ready” motherboard. But the two GeForce GTX

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

despite its Nvidia nForce chips.

Maximum PC’s 10th anniver-

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

better. Even more powerful. And, well, even more

280 cards wouldn’t pair up in SLI on our Intel board,

Maximum PC’s 10th anniver-

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

nological land mines has made this machine even

Maximum PC’s 10th anniver-

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-

’s 10th anniver-

sary Dream Machine is compromised. Far from it.

If anything, sidestepping the political and tech-