Home : Hardware : Reviews : Blackbird 002
HP's custom PC is here to dominate the gaming market.
Voodoo is a name that PC gaming enthusiasts will know. Voodoo PC has been giving high-end desktops and laptops, similar to Alienware and Falcon-Northwest, but they've been on the brunt end of the popularity stick. When they were bought by Hewlett-Packard in 2006, when HP was struggling in both the consumer and gaming markets, it was a great decision. After a year of research and development, and one somewhat failed attempt, HP has the Blackbird 002. 
The Blackbird 002 is not just a computer, it's a force to be reckoned with. Everything about it screams over the top; just the way we like it. From the super-tall adamantium case to it's custom innards that are smoking hot, there's plenty of room for awe.
With a joint effort by technicians, developers and everyone at HP and VoodooPC, the Blackbird is a startling, fear-inducing machine that we had the utmost pleasure to review. And so, without further ado...
Specs
The Blackbird 002 is completely customizable on their website, and that the machine we got is not the top of the food chain. That, of course, is not important because it is made to be upgraded, which you’ll see soon enough. Here’s a full list at the specs we got to play with:
The Blackbird 002 is completely customizable on their website, and that the machine we got is not the top of the food chain. That, of course, is not important because it is made to be upgraded, which you’ll see soon enough. Here’s a full list at the specs we got to play with:
This specific machine goes for just over $5,000, though you can customize one to fit you for anywhere from $2,500 to $8,500 for just the computer . Add on a few monitors, speakers and more and you’ve got a whole different ballpark figure.
The key components to note is the custom case, which deserves an applause because it is certainly magnificent, both in its immense size and wonderful design. The second is the Blu-ray writer/HD-DVD reader, which is 1/5th useless (also is a DVD-RW and CD-RW, as well as a DVD player) now that HD-DVD is going down the drain. It may be a year or two ahead of its time, especially with Blu-ray players still rare and expensive, but it’s worth will increase over time. We also asked if there are currently any plans to replace the combo drive for a Blu-ray only, and for the time being there aren't. If it doesn't skew production costs, why should they.
Let’s take a look at how it all fits together.
