Inside the HP Blackbird

To say that the interior of the Blackbird boasts an incredibly clean and precise design would be an understatement. Along with its sleek cases and custom cooling systems, VoodooPC has become known for its meticulous wiring and organizational skills. In this respect, the Blackbird is a true achievement. When you pop the latch and swing open the left side panel of the case, the system shines with its tidy configuration and space-saving design. Starting on the right side, the Blackbird holds a delightful addition: an Allen wrench and a handful of screws enclosed in a foam panel at the top right of the case. Sood has said repeatedly that HP and VoodooPC wanted to make it exceedingly easy to customize and expand the Blackbird, and they've accomplished this mission with the highest of marks.

The Blackbird's interior is impeccably organized and incredibly user friendly.

The Blackbird has compartments that enclose the power supply and CrossFire GPUs to maximize airflow and keep the temperature down.

Below the tool panel - and the "Voodoo DNA" logo - is arguably the best feature of the Blackbird's configuration: five independent SATA hard drive bays that allows users to easily slide in and secure hard drives with no wiring or tools needed. Like everything else about the Blackbird, the hard drive bays are clean, neat and incredibly easy to use. To the left of the hard drive bays is another smaller hinged door that protects the dual ATI video cards. This compartment is designed not only to hold the GPUs in place for transport (either shipping the rig or taking the Blackbird to show off at a LAN party) but also to keep them cool by directing airflow through the enclosed space as if it were a tiny wind tunnel.

HP even included an Allen wrench and some screws to allow gamers to upgrade and expand their Blackbirds.

The Blackbird's five SATA hard drive bays are one of the system's best features.

And below the GPU compartment is yet another hidden panel that when removed will reveal the Blackbird's power supply. The PSUs power cords have been snugly tucked away at the base of the chassis to once again present a configuration that's both easy on the eyes and easy to adjust. Moving up the GPU and power supply compartment door, you'll see another VoodooPC trademark: cooling. This is where the Calgary-based computer maker made its mark, and it certainly doesn't disappoint here with the Blackbird.

Actually, much of the credit goes to HP and Asatek for the Blackbird's liquid cooling system, which was jointly developed by the two companies specifically for HP's new gaming system (the liquid cooling system is factory sealed and, according to HP, doesn't require periodic maintenance). And it's a thing a beauty; we put the Blackbird through several hours of testing and continuous gameplay, and sure enough, the system remained surprisingly cool - and quiet for a gaming system of this level.

The liquid cooling system is strategically placed around the CPU and CrossFire setup, which is crucial because the Blackbird CPU comes factory overclocked courtesy of VoodooPC's method. At the top of the Blackbird case, you'll find two large fans conveniently located for maximum cooling effect and ease of use for upgrading and customizing. In addition, head sinks and copper heat pipes fill out the system to provide lower temperatures for the Corsair RAM and Asus Striker Extreme Motherboard.

VoodooPC's fingerprints are all over HP Blackbird, especially when it comes to cooling the gaming rig.

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