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Alienware Alpha R2

Alienware Alpha R2 review

The initial Alienware Alpha impressed by packing gaming hardware into a tiny box, but left much to be desired. Now the dry run is over, and the revised version of the compact gaming PC is ready to prove there’s still air left in the Alpha’s tires.
Origin Millenium PC 2016

Origin Millennium (2016) review

Origin, founded by former Alienware staff, has become a major player in the arena of high-end PCs. Its flagship Millennium is now available with Intel’s beastly Core i7-6590X processor – but finds itself facing no shortage of competition.
Best Desktop Computer Falcon Northwest Mach V

Falcon Northwest Mach V (2016) review

Falcon’s flagship, the Mach V, isn’t the biggest desktop on the market, or the most extravagant – but it is the end result of decades of work. Can this refined, old-school rig defeat up-and-comers from Digital Storm, Origin, and others?
Digital Storm Aventum 3

Digital Storm Aventum 3 review

We’ve reviewed many big, beefy desktop computers, but Digital Storm’s Aventum 3 is by far the largest. It weighs over 100 pounds -- also contains the most powerful hardware we’ve ever tested.
Intel NUC 6i7KYK

Intel NUC Skull Canyon review

Intel’s newest NUC looks the part with its intimidating skull logo, but whether it’s fast enough to satisfy serious – or casual -- gamers is another issue entirely.
AVADirect Avant PC

AVADirect Avant (2016) review

With an overclocked Intel Core i7 and a GTX 980 Ti, the AVADirect Avant takes high-end performance and shaves some of the cost off the top -- but can it keep up with more heavily customized competitors?
origin chronos 2016 review vhero v2 16 9

Origin Chronos (2016) review

Small form factor PCs rarely match the performance of their full-sized peers, but Origin’s new Chronos thinks it can be the exception. Can it take down competitors twice its size?
Dell XPS 8900 Desktop

Dell XPS 8900 Special Edition review

Gaming desktops don’t always announce their arrival with blazing LEDs, and Dell’s XPS 8900 proves a subtle approach can lighten the damage to your wallet. But is it as capable as more boisterous rivals?
origin teases powerful customizable omega living room pc steambox 3 frontoffset 2

Origin Omega home theater desktop review

Gaming PCs that target the living room have attempted a resurgence in recent years, but UI issues and limited performance have eliminated many contenders. Can Origin’s high-horsepower Omega change the game?
Falcon Northwest Tiki (2015)

Falcon Northwest Tiki (2015) review

With the newest components and a beautiful custom case, the Falcon Northwest Tiki wants to be more than just another living room PC - it wants to be your everything.
Velocity Micro Edge Z40 mini PC

Velocity Micro Raptor Z40 review

Velocity Micro’s new Raptor Z40 is a mini-tower that tries to deliver a knockout performance punch despite its small size. Does it succeed, or should you look elsewhere for a light-weight champion?
Intel NUC i7

Intel NUC Core i7 (NUC5i7RYH) review

The Intel NUC Core i7 is a customizable, compact computer, with a speedy processor. That being said, most users will find the cheaper Core i5 version will get the job done just as well for $100 less.
AVA Direct Corsair X99

AVADirect X99 Gaming System review

There’s nothing technically wrong with the AVADirect X99 gaming rig, but its competitors still have the upper hand.
Origin Chronos (2015)

Origin Chronos (2015) review

Can a Titan X fit comfortably in a small gaming rig? Origin seems to think so, and has set out to prove it with the latest Chronos, a system that can even tackle 4K gaming – for the most part.
Intel NUC Core i5 NUCi5RYK mini PC review front

Intel NUC (early 2015 model) review

Want a computer the size of a Roku that can compete with a $1,000 laptop, and costs half as much? Last year we'd call you crazy, but Intel's NUC makes this dream a reality.
Digital Storm Eclipse review front angle

Digital Storm Eclipse review

Digital Storm enters the budget gaming battle with the Eclipse. Small, inexpensive, and powerful, let’s see how it stacks up against other budget rigs like the Syber Vapor and Alienware Alpha.
Falcon Northwest Tiki-Z

Falcon Northwest Tiki-Z review

Falcon Northwest's Tiki Z proves you don’t need a premium plot of real estate for a premium gaming experience.
Syber Vapor 1 review front

Syber Vapor I review

Not quite a Steam Machine, but still a strong contender, the Syber Vapor I proves that Valve's failure to deliver Steam OS on time doesn’t mean the PCs built to take advantage of it can’t hold their own with the best gaming PCs.
falcon northwest mach v late 2014 review nw desktop front angle

Falcon Northwest Mach V (late 2014) review

Falcon Northwest has put over two decades of experience into its latest Mach V, a flagship desktop that melds outstanding performance, attractive aesthetics and quiet operation into a perfectly balanced PC.
Lenovo Horizon II

Lenovo Horizon II 27-Inch

The Lenovo Horizon was an experimental family computer with some interesting traits that failed to offer a compelling reason to use it. Has its successor improved on the formula, or does it remain a PC without a purpose?
AVAdirect Z97 front angle

AVADirect Z97 Quiet Gaming review

Gaming computers have become outlandishly powerful, but they're also loud. AVADirect has built a computer for those looking to play in peace, but has eliminating noise also hurt performance?
Origin Millenium 2014 review front angle

Origin Millennium (Late 2014) review

What do you get when you combine an overclocked Intel Core i7-5960X, with three GTX 980 video cards? Record breaking performance, that's what.
HP Envy 23xt Beats Special Edition review front screen

HP ENVY 23xt Beats Special Edition review

The HP Envy Beats all-in-one PC wears a bold design, and supplements it with speakers that will rock your house.
Origin Chronos 2014 review gaming case front angle

Origin Chronos review

Gamers looking for a small form-factor rig should take a look at the Chronos, which is a surprisingly affordable option from Origin.
Alienware Area-51 2014 edition

Hands on: Alienware Area-51 (2014 edition)

The otherworldly Alienware Area 51 combines eye-grabbing looks with practical design, and supremely powerful hardware options.
Lenovo Erazer X510

Lenovo Erazer X510 review

Can Lenovo’s Erazer X510 iwin the hearts of hardcore gamers and overcome its corporate roots?
LG 22CV241 Chromebase review front screen

LG 22CV241 Chromebase review

LG's $349 Chromebase might help to write a new chapter in the growth of Google's desktop operating system.
Digital Storm Bolt II lower front

Digital Storm Bolt II review

The Bolt II is Digital Storm's latest attempt at building a high-powered small form factor rig, but is it enough to beat Maingear's liquid-cooled Torq?
Maingear Torq

Maingear Torq review

Maingear's futuristic-looking Torq looks like a prop from a sci-fi movie, is heavy and powerful, and is the most expensive desktop Digital Trends has ever reviewed.
Maingear VYBE

Maingear Vybe Z97 (2014) review

The Maingear Vybe offers good performance, but if you’re sticking to 1080p gaming, you can safely opt for a lesser configuration.
Acer Aspire AZ3 615 front angle

Acer Aspire AZ3-615 review

Acer's new Aspire AZ3-615 bundles passable parts into a tidy, balanced, and affordable package.
Apple-iMac-2014-front-angle

Apple iMac 21.5-inch (2014) review

Apple’s 21.5-inch iMac now sells for as little as $1,099, making the lauded all-in-one more accessible than ever.
tango pc review press image

Hands on: Tango PC

The Tango PC is a truly pocket-able desktop computer, but does it deserve a place in your bag (and your life)?
Digital Storm Vanquish 2

Digital Storm Vanquish II review

Digital Storm’s Vanquish II is an affordable gaming desktop with enough graphics grunt to handle high-end 1080p gaming.
Senior Editor, Computing

Luke Larsen is a Senior Editor at Digital Trends and manages all content covering laptops, Macs, monitors, PC hardware, and peripherals. Around here we call it “computing,” but here’s a good rule of thumb: If it’s a computer or something that plugs into a computer, you found your guy. Oh, and these days, AI too. So much AI.

After getting a degree in music from the University of Oregon, Luke started his career in media hoping to get into music journalism. But when the opportunity arose, he landed in tech and hasn’t looked back since. He has over a decade of tech journalism experience, first joining Digital Trends in 2017 as a native Portlander, happy to join a tech media company that called his city home. Before working at DT, he worked as Tech Editor at Paste Magazine for over four years and has bylines at publications such as IGN, TouchArcade (RIP), and The Oregonian.

In his years at Digital Trends so far, Luke has covered high-profile industry events such as CES, IFA, and Microsoft Build, delivering on-the-ground coverage, breaking news, and first-hand reporting. He’s hosted countless YouTube videos, made podcast appearances, and written over 600 articles.

Some of his earliest tech memories include learning HTML through his MySpace account and trying to play Baldur’s Gate II on his parents’ dusty old beige box. These days, his obsession with technology is in telling stories with tech — in finding the narratives that ebb and flow through both technological advancement and product design, trickling right on down to our day-to-day experience of it. He is convinced that we all spend too much of our time using technology and not enough time thinking about it — cue a healthy dose of navel-gazing and philosophizing.

When he’s not endlessly debating what the best laptop is, Luke spends his days being a dad and a husband. Oh, and when there’s time (which there isn’t), he’s an avid fiction writer, player of designer board games, and still occasionally makes some music.