Today we’re taking a look at their entry-level model, dubbed the ‘Ion’, which attempts to offer as much horsepower as possible with a budget of under $2000. As configured on April 3, our system cost $1999 and includes the following components:

Case: Antec Nine Hundred

The Antec Nine Hundred is known amongst enthusiasts as being a fantastic case for overclocked systems. The large fan on the top, along with dual intakes on the front ensure that hot air is always being replaced. Antec is one of the most respected case manufacturers out there, so the case is sturdy, efficient, and not bad to look at either.

CPU: Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 @ 3.2GHz

Intel’s offerings have trounced AMD’s for some time now, especially in the enthusiast segment. Überclok offers several different Intel processors, including dual-core and quad-core offerings. We got our Q6600 system just as the newer 45nm, Penryn-based processors were making their way into Überclok’s inventory, so we weren’t able to get our hands on the new architecture just yet. That said, the performance difference between the two architectures isn’t drastic, especially when you consider the 800MHz overclock applied to the Q6600. Cooling the CPU is a Thermalright Ultra-90 heatsink with a 92mm fan.

GPU: BFG NVIDIA 8800 GT 512MB @ 650MHz

Überclok offers several video cards, including those based on the new NVIDIA 9x00 series, but the 8800 GT still seems to be at the sweet spot for bang for your buck. The GPU has a modest overclock to 650MHz, ensuring that a fast video card runs even faster.

RAM: 2 GB Corsair Dominator DDR2-800 @ 850MHz

Corsair is one of the most respected memory makers out there, and enthusiasts love their memory because of its overclocking potential. Überclok bumps the frequency and shaves a bit off of the timings to get the maximum performance out of Corsair’s sticks.

Motherboard: EVGA 680i SLI

The motherboard in our system uses NVIDIA’s 680i chipset, and offers SLI capabilities, should the customer so desire it. Überclok will likely shift to the newer 750i or 780i-based motherboards in the future, but for now the 680i series offers fantastic performance at a great price, which falls in line with Überclok’s strategy.

Optical drives: Lite-On 20x DVD-RW, Lite-On 16X DVD-ROM

Lite-On is a favorite amongst enthusiasts as their drives offer the capabilities and performance of premium brands like Plextor at a fraction of the cost. The inclusion of two optical drives ensures that work won’t interrupt play by forcing you to remove a game disc when it comes time to burn a DVD.

Power supply: Thermaltake ToughPower 650-watt PSU

The combination of modular cables and quiet operation make this power supply a winner. Only the cables that are needed are used, ensuring that great airflow is maintained, while the quiet fan guarantees that you won’t hear it over your games or movies.

Storage: 500GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.11 with 32MB cache

Our Ion uses a 7200 RPM drive courtesy of Seagate, and performance is stellar. The drive was partitioned right down the middle for us, with one 250GB partition for Vista, and another for XP. Überclok also offers several different storage options, including RAID 1, 5, and even 0 if you ask nicely enough. However, they’re the first to point out the negligible gaming performance gains and the increased risk of data loss that comes with RAID 0.

Operating systems: Windows XP Pro, Windows Vista Home Premium

Überclok offers several different operating system choices, and our system came with the two most popular. Keeping XP Professional around ensures any remaining compatibility issues with Vista can be resolved with a quick reboot. The majority of our evaluation was performed in Vista.

Misc: 9-in-1 media card reader/floppy drive, Logitech keyboard & mouse

Media readers are a great inclusion for consumers, and you never know when you might still need a floppy drive, however rare that occasion may be. The included Logitech keyboard and mouse combo are fine for general use, but any serious gamer will no doubt replace them.