12. Conclusion

The Überclok Reactor is a performance monster with the available E8400 at 4.01 GHz and dual 8800GTX graphics cards in SLI, but is it worth the price?

We checked the online prices of every component, and our total to build it ourselves was over $2700, including the operating system, keyboard and mouse. The most recent price available from Überclok’s web configuration page was over $3500, which is a difference of around $800.

What does the extra $800 get you, other than a couple hundred dollars worth of service? The Überclok Reactor comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee and three-year warranty. Buyers can evaluate their systems and return them if unsatisfied, while those who choose to keep their system will be covered against component failure for three years. These two programs are expensive to manage, because Überclok can’t sell a returned system as new, and Überclok can’t return a processor to Intel if it dies from overclocking. Überclok even pays the shipping for system repairs, taking 100% responsibility for related expenses.

Thus, the price premiums Überclok charges for its custom-tuned systems seem reasonable. Home system builders who cringe at the thought of paying someone else to do the work need to consider the total cost of three years worth of system support, since many home-built systems suffer early deaths when overclocked.

For buyers who have more money than time, the Überclok Reactor provides a great path to performance that exceeds any off-the-shelf parts.