Have you ever been as bored as I’ve been? If so, then you too have probably visited one of the big computer shopping sites and configured one of their models with everything possible just to see how much it costs. I call it the Most Expensive Computer Playoffs.

Historically speaking, you could always buy an intro model computer for about $500. This was true even when I bought my first computer back in the 1980s. Mid-range work computers cost between $1,000 and $2,0000. Then you can get pricey by configuring a computer with the latest technology and packing it with all the options. That will run you about $10,000.

Or will it?

I went to a few computer manufacturer websites with this goal in mind: configure their high-end computer system with everything desirable and possible. Go to the wall. Money is no object, but power is. I mean, they do sell those pink, diamond-encrusted laptops for the money-is-my-trash set. But those people are idiots. I’m more concerned with raw computer power and technological heft.

The following quotes represent the top-o-the-line computer for each manufacturer. Each computer was configured with the maximum memory, disk storage, video options, and so on. No software other than the operating system was included in the purchase price. (Remember, software is extra.)

Gateway. They may be known as the king of Best Buy, but you an pay $3,500 for Gateway’s high end model, the FX541XT. That may seem pricey, but you ain’t seen nothin’ yet!

Alienware. Here’s a game machine for you: All the latest things any fanboy would drool over! A fully configured Area-51 ALX Extreme priced out at only $9,702. It’s hard to beat that. Well, maybe not.

Dell. I was able to configure a Dell XPS 730 H2C gaming computer to price out at $9,842. That’s a wee bit more than the Alienware ALX, but honestly I think that the Alienware system looks better on paper. But looking good isn’t the object here; it’s price!

Apple. The kind of the Mac heap is the Mac Pro. Yes, secretly I lust after this machine. Configured with all the memory, processor power, disk storage, and dual monitors powered by dual display adapters, the sucker weighs in at $23,197. Da winner!

The Mac Pro had more options available to it than the other computers I configured. For example, it has RAID drives and a curiously powerful video adapter: an NVIDIE Quadro FX 5600 that’s priced as a $2,850 upgrade from the standard Mac video adapter. Plus the two 30″ LCD monitors added another $3,600 to the machine’s configuration price.

Yes, I’m really doing nothing here to dispel the (so-called) myth that Apple computers are over-priced. Then again, as the Mac fanboys like to argue, you get a lot more technology for your buck with a Macintosh than you do a PC. For example, one of the reasons the Mac Pro can cost so much is that it supports options just not found on a typical PC (such as 32GB of RAM).

Remember, I’m not out to say these computers are over-priced. They’re not. Bargains still abound in the computer arena, and you can get a lot of bang for less bucks than I’ve listed here.