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What term would an enthusiast use to describe a powerful, tripped-out personal computer, the kind he might custom-build in his garage and overclock to the max?

The usual reference sources are failing me here, as I'm looking for a slang/jargon term.

The closest I've found is rig (as in "gaming rig").

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A rig is just a device that is designed with a purpose in mind. Because gaming is very resource intensive on the computer, a "gaming rig" is often automatically considered to be a mid- to high-end computer. That being said, rig is probably not an appropriate word. –  Mike Jan 10 '12 at 16:54
In general PC usage, a "workstation-class" system is usually the highest-end, top-performing, best-equipped type of system in a product line.... –  Hellion Jan 10 '12 at 22:50

3 Answers 3

up vote 3 down vote accepted

I think rig is fine here, but I've also heard box or build.

You could combine the common geek term uber, for uber rig or uber box.

The owner of this rig would tell you that it screams.

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gaming rig is also common, especially if thats what it was built for –  mgb Jan 10 '12 at 22:34

Ars Technica produce regular system guides (here's the latest) in which they recommend the best gaming rigs you can build at different price points. They call their systems:

  • cheapest: Budget Box
  • mid-range: Hot Rod
  • no expense spared: God Box
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The God Particle is still not proven exist, though. –  Kris Jan 10 '12 at 12:03
yeah, I was thinking about Ars as well. you could check out their forums, too for what users call their own boxen. Anyway, most terms I can think of are two words, or hyphenated. –  John Ferguson Jan 10 '12 at 12:19

I've heard the word work-horse used in this context...

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