Digital Trends

HP Blackbird 002

December 4th, 2007 | by Josh Norem

Conclusion

When Alienware bought Dell we weren’t sure what would happen. As it turns out, nothing really changed for Alienware, and Dell released the XPS 710, which is a decent machine but nothing too ground-breaking. With the Blackbird, we now know that HP is taking a “no holds barred” approach to PC design, and is clearly letting the Voodoo team do whatever they want, and that’s fantastic.

Over the years we’ve reviewed numerous high-end PCs from every boutique maker on the planet, and the Blackbird one of the first to make us actually excited. It’s literally like nothing we’ve ever seen before. The chassis is of course amazing, but we also love how Voodoo uses off-the-shelf parts (except for the water cooler, of course) as it makes upgrades easier than when dealing with proprietary parts.

All in all, despite a few quirks, the Blackbird is the real deal. It’s a PC that is not only stunningly powerful but also incredibly easy to fiddle with and tweak. It’s a shame it’s so expensive, however, as few people have the means to experience such an incredible machine. But we’re not surprised at its sky-high price tag. If we had the means, we’d take a Blackbird over any other pre-built PC available without a second thought.

Pros:

• Incredible design inside and out
• Blistering performance
• Cool and quiet

Cons:

• Price tag matches performance
• Out-of-the-box issues