Origin Genesis

Performance ; Build quality ; SSD RAID 0 array

No USB 3.0 at the front

Origin's Genesis Z68 is fast, expandable and, best of all, very well put together. It showcases some of the neatest cable management we've seen in a PC submitted to our Test Centre and it really highlights how much effort Origin puts in to its products...

Category-leading general performance

Elaborate liquid-cooling limits internal access

Origin’s Genesis is back, armed with an impressive 5GHz overclock on its Intel Sandy Bridge CPU. It powers its way to the top of our charts, delivering the fastest results we’ve ever seen, at a price that’s actually a bit lower than its predecessor.

Record-breaking performance, gorgeous chassis

Steep price tag

If you're just hoping to impress your gaming buddies, look a bit lower down the performance PC totem pole. This Origin gaming PC is outfitted for people who want it all, and who will spare no expense to get the unmitigated power they need for work and...

Provides excellent gaming, productivity performance. Good selection of ports, including USB 3.0 and phone charger. Includes hefty power supply, two SSDs for primary storage.

Not the fastest at all tests. Fans can be noisy during 3D gaming. Three video cards block expansion slots.

More desktop reviews:• Acer Aspire Z3 (AZ3-715-UR15)• Origin Neuron• Dell OptiPlex 7450 All-in-One• Microsoft Surface Studio• Corsair One Pro• more

Attractive chassis ; A plethora of available ports

Gets dirty very easily ; Packed to the gills, with little room to maneuver

If you're looking for power and performance, it probably won't surprise you to know that you'll find it in Origin's latest monster desktop.

Stellar price-to-performance ratio

Lacks a Blu-ray player

Origin has updated the Genesis Midtower desktop for 2011 with Intel's Sandy Bridge CPUs. While far less imposing than its larger sibling, this machine represents one of the best price-to-performance ratios on our charts, with few sacrifices.

Insane benchmark scores. Six-core/12-stream overclocked processor. Beautiful design. Good build quality. Accessible drive bays. Plethora of ports, including USB 3.0, eSATA, FireWire.

Insanely expensive. Huge. Loud fans when set to full speed. Only one-year warranty on parts. DIY upgrades are problematic. C: drive is a little small.

More desktop reviews: • Acer Aspire Z3 (AZ3-715-UR15)• Origin Neuron• Dell OptiPlex 7450 All-in-One• Microsoft Surface Studio• Corsair One Pro• more

Performance ; Build quality ; SSD RAID 0 array

No USB 3.0 at the front

Category-leading general performance

Elaborate liquid-cooling limits internal access