When buying a gaming PC, doing some research before investing is an essential part of the play, otherwise you might as well donate that money to charity. An all eye-candy PC can be a real icing on the cake if you have one hell of an interior (performance wise). Usually Gaming computers are equipped with more than enough ports including USB, FireWire, headphone and microphone ports on the front of the tower which makes it easy to plug in all your gaming peripherals. These are not your typical desktops though; gaming computers incorporate style and portability so that they look as good as they perform. Here we enlist the top 10 Gaming machines of 2010.

No 10. HP Pavilion Elite

Starting Price	$856
Motherboard	Intel X58
Processor	Intel Core i7-920 2.66GHz 1MB L2 Cache
Memory	8GB (4 x 2GB) 1066MHz DDR3
Video Card	NVIDIA GeForce GT 220 1GB
Audio	Integrated 7.1 channel

With gaming not exactly their thing of fun HP’s Pavilion Elite starts off the proceedings at number 10. The HP Pavilion Elite HPE-180t is their best gaming PC available. You have the option to customize it before you order. At this price, you can pretty much play all the games with some settings tuned down but this machine cannot be guaranteed to working with upcoming PC titles.

No 9. Dell XPS 730x

Starting Price	$1,200
Processor	Intel Core i7-920 2.66GHz 1MB L2 Cache
Memory	3GB (3 x 1GB) 1066MHz DDR3
Video Card	Dual NVIDIA GeForce 9800 GT 1GB SLI
Audio	Integrated 7.1 channel

No 8. Falcon Northwest Mach V

Starting Price	$6,044
Motherboard	Intel X58
Processor	Intel Core i7-960 3.20GHz
Memory	6GB (3 x 2GB) 1333MHz DDR3
Video Card	NVIDIA GeForce 250 512MB
Audio	Integrated 5.1 channel

One of Falcon Northwest’s leading gaming computers, the Mach V is a pretty typical gaming computer. It has plenty of power and everything you need to fully enjoy any game but it costs more than any other PC in the list. Boasting an Intel Core i7 960 CPU at 3.2GHz, liquid cooled with a 3 year warranty to its 500 GB Hard Drive, the only downside is its NVIDIA GeForce GT 250 video card with only 512 MB video ram. In a sense it costs too much for too less, but still it is one of the best, if you can afford it though.

No 7. CyberPower PC Mega Special 1

Starting Price	$1,375
Motherboard	Gigabyte GA-790XTA-UD4
Processor	AMD Phenom II X6
Memory	4GB and Dual-Channel 1600MHz DDR3
Video Card	1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5870
Audio	Internal High-Definition 7.1 Audio

With the Radeon 5870, it can handle almost any game that comes its way. While it may not have as much RAM as other gaming rigs, you can always upgrade when you feel like. It is equipped with an AMD processor and a liquid-cooling system to keep things cool during the most demanding times. Equipped with a Blu-Ray compatible optical drive, this PC also serves as a mini cinema if you have a nice 21 inch or more LCD. It is quite a package for those looking to upgrade in order to play the latest games.

No 6. Velocity Micro Raptor Z90

Starting Price	$2,999
Motherboard	MSI X58 Pro-E
Processor	Intel Core i7 3.20GHz
Memory	6GB (3 x 2GB) DDR3
Video Card	Radeon HD 4870 1GB
Audio	SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer

If you are looking for a computer that is light on the pocket but can do wonders, well sort of, than the Raptor Z90 is the PC you are looking for. Velocity micro spend hours in tweaking your PC so you get the best out of it, so with this machine you should be pretty sure that you got your every penny worth. Having Intel Core i7 920 CPU at 3.2GHz and operating with genuine Windows 7 Professional the only downside could be a 1GB Radeon HD 4870 GDDR5, which is adequate at best. Another plus point of this PC is the SoundBlaster X-Fi XtremeGamer. In the end, it is good choice for those who cannot afford the more expensive.

No 5. Alienware Aurora ALX

Starting Price	$2,399
Motherboard	Alienware Approved Intel X58 mATX Motherboard
Processor	Inte Core i7 920 2.66GHz (8MB Cache) Quad Core Processor
Memory	6GB DDR3 RAM
Video Card	Dual 1GB NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240 – SLI Enabled
Audio	Internal High-Definition 7.1 Audio

Making its way into our list is a PC from Alienware, known for making some breathtaking gaming rigs, both looks-wise and performance wise. The alien look of the tower might give you creeps but it simply is beautiful. With its Dual NVIDIA GeForce GTS 240 video cards boasting 1GB of video memory and Intel Core i7 920 CPU running at 2.66 GHz its results are satisfactory to all but the hardcore gamers.

No 4. iBUYPOWER Chimera 2

Starting Price	$1,089
Motherboard	ASUS P6T SE X58 Chipset
Processor	Intel Core i7 2.66GHz 8MB L3 Cache
Memory	6GB (3 x 2GB) 1333MHz DDR3
Video Card	ATI Radeon HD 5770 1GB SLI Crossfire
Audio	3D Premium Surround Sound Onboard

Coming in at number 4 is a PC however not as powerful as some others out there will still produce amazingly fast and high end gaming action and that too for a fraction of a price of what others cost. Eith a blazing fast Intel Core i7 processor and a high end Radeon, the only possible disadvantage could be the 700 watt power supply, which is only adequate. One of the things that make this computer worth the price is the tower that comes with it.

No 3. iBUYPOWER Paladin F875

Starting Price	$1,949
Motherboard	ASUS P6T SE – Intel X58 Chipset
Processor	Intel Core i7 960 3.20GHz/8MB L3 Cache
Memory	6 GB (2 GB X3) DDR3-1333
Video Card	ATI Radeon HD 5970 – 2GB DirectX 11 Support
Audio	3D Premium Surround Sounds Onboard

This PC has everything it takes to churn out maximum FPS for the most demanding video games in the market. Tests reveal some of the most extreme graphics and smooth action for any PC. Don’t fall for the price though, this really is one monster rig available for a low price. With its liquid-cooled Intel Core i7 960 Quad Core running at 3.2GHz and having a warranty of 3 years, it comes in at number 3.

No 2. Velocity Raptor Signature Edition

Starting Price	$3,349
Motherboard	EVGA X58 SLI Classified
Processor	Intel 3.33GHz Core i7-975 Extreme Edition@4.2GHz
Memory	6GB Kingston DDR3/1600
Video Card	Three EVGA GeForce GTX 285 in tri-SLI
Audio	On-Board 7.1 Channel

One of the fastest PC out there but with a pretty heavy price tag, the Velocity raptor comes in at number 2. Although certain features are disappointing, such as the loud cooling hardware, the pros outweig the cons. It boasts the Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 975 CPU, 3.33GHz, is liquid cool and with a warranty of three years. Its looks will certainly appeal to most people.

No 1. Alienware Area-51 ALX

Starting Price	$4,249
Motherboard	AlienwareTM Approved Intel X58 ATX Motherboard
Processor	Intel CoreTM i7 975 3.33GHz (8MB Cache) Extreme Edition Quad Core Processor
Memory	6GB and Triple-Channel 1600MHz DDR32
Video Card	Dual 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5870 – ATI CrossFireX & DirectX 11 Enabled
Audio	Internal High-Definition 7.1 Audio

My personal favorite, this monster of a PC is “the” machine to have and those who can’t afford it can lucid dream about it. With a Dual 1GB GDDR5 ATI Radeon HD 5870 video card and a 6GB triple-Channel 1600MHz DDR3 memory configuration, this is a force that really should be with you.