HP Firebird with VoodooDNA 802 Desktop PC Review

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(More customer reviews)If your the kind of person who would prefer a hybrid Prius to a Corolla, then this machine may be for you.HP has basically crafted a "hybrid" PC that incorporates new liquid-colling technology and the energy-saving technology of a laptop with the power and versatility of a desktop.Many users will find the payback in electricity savings will makes the purchase price a lot more attractive (more on that later).

The Firebird is as close to "plug and play" as any Windows machine has ever been. It's very simple to set up set-up and is immediately compatible with the vast majority of devices out there. I purchased the 803, which is basically the 802 with a blue-ray burner.Here's what it took to set it up:

I plugged the HDMI output into a 42" LCD HDTV, connected the fiber optic audio cable to a surround receiver, plugged the power supply in, pulled the plastic film tabs out of the back of the keyboard and the mouse and connected it to the network. Then I booted it up and it was ready to go. The Bluetooth mouse and keyboard worked immediately. It took a couple of minutes to "set itself up" and after a few tweaks to the desktop it was ready to go.

In terms of performance, the machine more than adequately powers current games running at 1080 wide-screen mode and it does it efficiently. How efficient? Well the answer is: "Amazingly!"

Next, I plugged the computer into my Kill-a-Watt Meter ($25 from Amazon) and was amazed at how low the power consumption was. At idle the Firbird uses 67-72 watts. To test it at load, I loaded two instances of Stanford's "Folding at Home" (FaH) applications, both the CPU and GPU versions, and ran them simultaneously at "Average" process priority. At load the Firebird uses only 124-133 watts. The power drops by about 7-9 watts when the HDMI feed to the monitor goes into standby.I noted a similar draw rate when playing games.This amounts to about half the electricity cost of a typical desktop with similar performance benchmarks.

So, what's that amount to in electricity costs? Well, the average price of electricity in the US in November of 2008, according to the US Dept. of Energy was 11.5 cents per KW-Hr. If you're a hardcore geek like me, you leave your computer on all the time and it's probably doing something while it's sitting there.

At idle, the Firbird will cost the average consumer $70.33 in electricity over a year. If you run distributed apps, like I do, Firbird will raise your bill only by $130. A comparable desktop will consume more than twice that amount.

So, over two years, the Firbird can provide a payback of over $260 in energy costs. The liquid cooled system keeps the processors running at consistent temperatures and does it quietly.

The machine is also spouse-friendly. It is quiet and attractive enough to put in the living room right where everyone can see it and doesn't require all sorts of cables.The Firebird's internal LEDs can even be color-coordinated to match the decor.I can finally can sit in my lay-z-boy chair and check my e-mail and WoW auctions while the significant other knits or reads and doesn't mind. How much is that worth? Answer: Priceless.

Alas, the machine is not perfect. I'd sure like a front USB slot. It's hard to cram some of these new keychain card readers into the back of this computer when the outputs are all so close. The machine does have a front card reader slot, which is handy for reading cards from cameras and phones.

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Product Description:
Built for speed, stealth, and style, the aggressively styled HP's Firebird 802 desktop PC combines HP innovation with VoodooPC's award-winning expertise in PC design and architecture, resulting in a desktop that delivers the look, versatility and performance gamers and high-end PC enthusiasts crave--from massive computing power to quiet performance and power efficiency. A clean, striking aluminum enclosure delivers compelling visual presence, whil slot load drives and connector ports flush with the rear panel keep the exterior uncluttered.
The Firebird's distinctive aluminum foot echoes the unique construction of its predecessor--the HP Blackbird--including its trademark hover effect, allowing for optimized airflow. On top of all this, the recyclable all-aluminum chassis and 90-percent power supply highlight HP's and Voodoo's attention to the importance of energy efficiency and environmentally sensitive design solutions.
The Firebird's interior space is no less remarkable. It features patented, full system liquid-cooling to keep itself running cool in even the most heated head-to-head gaming scenarios. The external 350-watt power supply keeps a primary heat source outside the chassis. And the system's removable side panel, completely open BIOS, and interior and back panel LED lighting make it convenient for gamers to get inside the machine for performance tuning. Tool-free entry makes it upgrade-friendly.
Hardware features include a 2.66 GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Q9400 processor, 500 GB of hard drive space (from dual 250 GB hard drives), 4 GB of RAM, multi-format and dual-layer DVD