Folks, I’d like for you to meet the latest additions to the Ling family.

Fawkes, and Voldemort.

We’ll start with Fawkes, because he’s definitely the most impressive of the two.

CPU: Intel E8400 3.0GHz/1333MHz FSB/6MB L2 Cache, $220
CPU HSF: Artic Cooling Alpine 11, $10.50
Mobo: XFX 780i SLI, $150
RAM: Team Xtreem Dark 4GB kit, $50
GPU: Asus EN9800GT 512MB, $100
HDD1: Western Digital 320GB WD3200KS, $40
HDD2: Western Digital 150GB Velociraptor, $130
Case: Cooler Master CM-690, $109
PSU: Cooler Master 460W, $30
Other: 2x Xigmatek 140mm fans, $44
OS: Windows 7 RC1, 64 bit edition, $0
Total Cost: $783.50

It’s not too bad. 😛

Fawkes wasn’t born out of necessity – I could have gotten along just fine with my Macbook – but rather, out of a desire to want to game occasionally. I’m not an extreme gamer by any definition of the word, I just want to be able to get stable framerates in any game I want to play – I’m hoping that Fawkes will satisfy that, and more 🙂

Any geek worth their salt has named each of their computers – furthermore, any respectable geek knows that a common theme with their computer names scores brownie points. You can see that I fit into both of these categories, as all the computers in the family have names related to Harry Potter.

Ah yes, Harry Potter. It’s probably not the best thing to say out loud (unless I want to be ridiculed), but Harry Potter is awesome. I’m a huge fan, and it shows in the way I’ve named all of my computers.

Not only do all of my computers have Harry Potter-related names, each name has a story to go behind it. I don’t just assign my computers random names from Harry Potter, oh no. To do so would be a travesty. Instead, each name that I choose for my computers has a name with a story behind it…

Fawkes was chosen for this computer because like the phoenix that bears the same name in the Harry Potter books, it’s a powerful machine which has been reborn out of another computer (in this case, Protego. More on this in Part II.)

So, there you have it. One new computer.

Fawkes, welcome to the family. May the fragging be with you! 😀