Yeah, right. I just built a similar system: 1) This case: http://www.pcalchemy.com/product_info.php/pName/silverston... 2) Pentium 4 Extreme 3.2Ghz ($220 - newegg.com) 3) 1GB pqi DDR DIMM ($86 - newegg.com) 4) MSI NEO2-865 Mobo ($74 - newegg.com) 5) 2 - Hauppauge WinPVR 250MCE ($130 ea. - pcalchemy.com) 6) NVidia GeForce FX 5200 ($46.00 - pcalchemy.com) 7) 1 - 30GB HDD for the OS. ($25 - ebay) 8) 2 - 250GB Western Digital SATA HDDs LVM'ed to look like 1 - 500GB drive ($101 ea. - newegg.com) 9) 1 Generic CD-RW ($20 - ebay.com) 10) 1 NEC DVD-+RW. ($40 - newegg.com) 11) Microspeed IR Keyboard w/ trakball.($40 - eBay.com) Looking to upgrade to the Gyration Remote. 12) Audio Authority's High Definition Video Converter (VGA-to-Component Video), because s-video out to my set sucks. ($140) 13) Originally purchased Windoze MCE 2005 ($130). Now running Suse Linux 9.3 Pro. (Free download) 14) Running MythTV for PVR software. (Free download) 15) Still looking for a compatible IR blaster/controller device for the digital cable boxen. 16) Dynamat ($13) is lining the interior of the case to quiet the 6 fans (1-below Mobo, 2 rear fans, 1 CPU fan, 1 GPU fan, 1 big fan on PSU) 17) Yes, this sucker is heavy! Total expenditure: $2,072.00 plus NO TAX! Anyone who buys the Voodoo is getting azz-raped. You're basically paying for a $3K paint job. Matt E.

Well, the same could be true about even the high-end Dell systems. Also, with the touch-screen, the FX-57, and the 7800 card, you could have easily spent another $1000-1200. Not that you'd notice the difference, in a MC box, but it's not fair to Voodoo to use cheaper parts (at least not ones that affect performance by as much as those). Oh, and the killer (i.e. worst) part of buying from Voodoo isn't the tax, it's the shipping.

Oh, and one time I worked out a similar price comparison for a Mach IV and the difference was in the $3500 range, and that one didn't even have a paint job!