by John Morris
November 19th, 2008 @ 3:00 am

Now that Intel has officially released its Core i7 processor, fresh desktops are arriving daily. Dell has released four systems with Core i7 processors, including one mainstream Studio XPS desktop and three gaming rigs. Gateway also announced two FX-series gaming systems.

Notably absent is HP, which has yet to announce Core i7 updates to any of its desktops including the Pavilion Elite, HP Blackbird or Voodoo Omen. The new Core i7s are designed for performance desktops and Intel typically charges a premium for its latest and greatest, so it’s surprising to see a wide range of system prices out of the gate. The Dell Studio XPS desktop starts at $950 while Gateway’s entry-level gaming system starts at $1,250.

The base configuration of the Studio XPS includes the 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-920, 3GB of DDR3 memory, the ATI Radeon HD 3450 with 256MB, a 500GB hard drive and the 64-bit version of Windows Vista Home Premium SP1. During the holidays, Dell is running regular specials (details at www.dell.com/xpsevent) and the new Studio XPS is currently on the list. The press release states that for the next 48 hours Dell is offering the Studio XPS with 4GB of memory and a 20-inch monitor for $1,000, but when I configured the system, it also offered the new 23-inch monitor, the S2309W, for the same price.

Dell’s gaming division announced three new systems. At the entry level, the Alienware Area-51 X-58 starts at $1,650 with a 2.66GHz Intel Core i7-920, 3GB of DDR3 memory, Nvidia GeForce 9800 GT graphics with 512MB, and a 250GB hard drive. The mid-range Dell XPS 730x adds the faster Core i7, the 2.93GHz i7-940, and has a 500GB hard drive for $2,000.