SOME OF YOU may consider ordering a pre-built system one step short of sin, but when GamePC offered to send over its GPG X2 workstation for review, I couldn't resist. It's been a while since I used a computer that I didn't build myself, but it's hard to turn down a dual Athlon MP 2100+ system decked out with a gig of RAM, IDE RAID, and a Quadro graphics card.

GamePC's pre-built systems bear little resemblance to pre-built systems from Dell. They look nothing like what you'll find on the shelves in your local electronics shop, and they're a far cry from whatever white-box special the neighborhood computer shop is hawking.

Make no mistake: the GPG X2 isn't for everyone. It's a high-powered workstation targeted at power users like aerospace engineers and game developers. What makes a GamePC pre-built system better than a Dell? How does this professional workstation stack up against a system built with the kind of parts you might have in your own system? Read on to find out.