The fact of the matter is this gaming system posts some excellent performance results, in a quiet setup, in a case that will get you some attention from your friends and strangers alike. It easily handled any game we threw at it with all the eye candy cranked up (ARMA 2 being the exception, although it's not surprising given the lack of optimization at this point). While there were a few issues with the build, notably the overspray on the paint job and the lackluster choice of power supply, they are certainly not deal-breakers by any means. The remainder of the system was top-notch, and the attention to detail was impressive.

The only thing that really concerned me was what all this potentially cost to consumers. When I inquired about the cost of the system, I was pleasantly surprised to find a $2,449 USD price tag; honestly, I was expecting higher. To compare the Paladin XLC V2's value, I visited Dell's website and specified an Alienware system for the exact same price to the dollar. The result was the Alienware system provided less capable graphics cards, a sub-par liquid cooling system, a regular optical drive instead of Blu-Ray, no SSD drive, and far less overall value for the same price tag. While you may be paying for the Alienware name, the bottom line is with the iBUYPOWER Paladin XLC V2, you sure get your money's worth in core components instead. And as any gamer will attest, having the name is nice, but what's under the hood is what counts.

The performance provided in this system offers surprisingly good value for your hard-earned dollar, particularly for gamers who may not know how to build a liquid-cooled, hardcore gaming rig. It appears that iBUYPOWER has managed to offer a customized build at a reasonable price, something of a rarity from what we've traditionally seen.

The iBUYPOWER Paladin XLC V2 gets our recommendation.

Our thanks go to iBUYPOWER for providing the Paladin XLC V2 for this review.