VoodooPC

VoodooPC, formally Voodoo Computers Inc., was a Canadian luxury personal-computer company founded in 1991 by Rahul Sood. The company built its reputation around premium, enthusiast-oriented desktop computers that combined high-end components, distinctive industrial design, customization, and boutique-style customer appeal. Rather than competing primarily on volume, VoodooPC positioned its systems as aspirational performance products for affluent enthusiasts, gamers, creative professionals, and technology early adopters. The company was particularly associated with desktop systems. Its product range included gaming desktops, compact systems, media-center computers, fanless designs, and experimental or specialty concepts. VoodooPC also explored liquid cooling in cooperation with CoolIT Systems, reflecting its focus on thermal performance and advanced component configurations. Its designs often emphasized sculpted or unconventional enclosures instead of the generic cases common in the broader PC market. Models such as Rage, Hexx, Eden, Aria, Vibe, F Class, Fury, EGAD, DOLL, Idol, and Epic represented different attempts to extend the brand across gaming, entertainment, silent computing, and high-performance personal-computer segments. Rahul Sood founded the company, and his brother Ravi Sood joined its board of operations in 1999. Before HP acquired the business, Voodoo reportedly employed approximately 40 people across its Canadian headquarters and a web-development office in Bangalore. The company’s boutique structure and design-led identity helped distinguish it from larger mainstream computer manufacturers. On September 28, 2006, Rahul Sood announced that HP would acquire VoodooPC for an undisclosed amount. Following the transaction, Sood became chief technology officer of HP’s Global Voodoo Business Unit. HP used the acquisition to strengthen its position in premium and enthusiast computing while retaining elements of Voodoo’s design language and brand equity. The HP Blackbird 002, released in September 2007, carried VoodooDNA branding inside the case and served as a prominent example of the relationship between the two companies. HP also developed the Firebird, a more compact gaming system associated with VoodooDNA, while other projects included the cancelled Firefly dual-screen notebook concept. In June 2008, HP presented a major redesign of the Voodoo Omen computer. The system featured a brushed-metal enclosure and a mounted seven-inch auxiliary display. At the same time, HP described a revised direction for Voodoo: the brand would emphasize high-end, top-spec computers rather than functioning solely as a gaming label. VoodooDNA systems continued within HP’s portfolio for a period, but the standalone Voodoo identity gradually weakened. HP later used the Envy name for premium performance computers without Voodoo branding or VoodooDNA labeling. By 2013, HP had ceased using Voodoo as an active consumer brand. HP subsequently relaunched the OMEN name in 2014 for thin-and-light gaming laptops and expanded OMEN into desktops and monitors in 2016. OMEN retained the same logo associated with Voodoo for a time, until the logo was changed in 2020. VoodooPC therefore survives mainly as a historical brand and as an influential predecessor to HP’s premium gaming and performance-computing businesses, rather than as an independent operating company.

VoodooPC began in Canada in 1991, when Rahul Sood established Voodoo Computers Inc. as a boutique maker of luxury personal computers. The company’s central proposition was that a computer could be both a high-performance machine and a visually distinctive premium product. Its systems were aimed at enthusiasts and other buyers willing to pay for advanced specifications, customization, unusual enclosures, and a more personalized purchasing experience than mainstream PC manufacturers typically offered. The company became best known for desktop systems. Its portfolio covered gaming computers, media-center machines, compact systems, silent or fanless designs, and experimental concepts. VoodooPC worked with CoolIT Systems on liquid-cooling experimentation, showing its interest in advanced thermal-management solutions. Product names included Rage, Hexx, Eden, Aria, Vibe, F Class, Fury, EGAD, DOLL, Idol, and Epic. Some projects were cancelled or remained limited, including Omega and the Firefly dual-screen notebook concept. Ravi Sood, Rahul Sood’s brother, joined the board of operations in 1999. Before the company was acquired, Voodoo reportedly had about 40 employees split between its Canadian headquarters and a web-development office in Bangalore. Its small scale allowed it to emphasize design and product experimentation, although it also limited the company’s ability to compete directly with major international PC manufacturers. HP announced the acquisition of VoodooPC in 2006. The purchase brought Voodoo’s design reputation and enthusiast credibility into HP, while Rahul Sood assumed a technology leadership role in HP’s Global Voodoo Business Unit. HP subsequently used Voodoo-related branding in selected products. The Blackbird 002, announced in 2007 and released on September 15 of that year, was a high-end gaming desktop that included VoodooDNA branding inside the chassis. HP also developed the compact Firebird system with VoodooDNA associations. After the acquisition, HP reconsidered the purpose of the Voodoo name. In June 2008, it revealed a comprehensively redesigned Omen computer with a brushed-metal case and a built-in seven-inch auxiliary screen. HP described the new direction as a focus on high-end, top-spec computers rather than limiting Voodoo to gaming machines. VoodooDNA products continued for a time, but the identity was progressively folded into HP’s broader premium-computing strategy. HP began using Envy for premium performance computers in 2009 without Voodoo branding. By 2013, the Voodoo name was no longer being used as an active HP product brand. HP later revived OMEN in 2014 for thin-and-light gaming laptops and expanded the line to desktops and monitors in 2016. The OMEN branding used the same logo associated with Voodoo until a logo change in 2020. VoodooPC is consequently a defunct independent brand whose principal legacy is its influence on HP’s premium, gaming, and enthusiast-computing portfolio.

• 2020

  The OMEN logo changed

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  The OMEN brand stopped using the logo associated with Voodoo after a later identity change.

• 2016

  OMEN expanded to desktops and monitors

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  HP broadened the OMEN product family beyond laptops to include desktops and monitors.

• 2014

  OMEN returned as a gaming brand

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  HP relaunched OMEN for thin-and-light gaming laptops, later expanding it to additional gaming hardware categories.

• 2013

  Voodoo branding was discontinued

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  The Voodoo name was no longer used as an active HP product brand by this point.

• 2009

  HP shifted premium performance products to Envy

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  HP used the Envy name for high-performance computers without Voodoo or VoodooDNA branding.

• 2008

  The redesigned Omen was revealed

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  HP presented a redesigned Omen computer with a brushed-metal enclosure and a seven-inch auxiliary display.

• 2007

  HP Blackbird 002 launched

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  HP released the Blackbird 002, a high-end gaming desktop carrying VoodooDNA branding inside its case.

• 2006

  HP acquired VoodooPC

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  HP acquired VoodooPC for an undisclosed amount and placed Rahul Sood in a technology leadership role within HP’s Global Voodoo Business Unit.

• 1999

  Ravi Sood joined the board of operations

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  Rahul Sood’s brother Ravi Sood joined the company’s board of operations.

• 1991

  VoodooPC was founded

  [1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  Rahul Sood founded Voodoo Computers Inc. in Canada as a boutique luxury personal-computer company.

A boutique luxury-computing brand focused on premium industrial design, extreme specifications, customization, and enthusiast performance. After its acquisition by HP, the brand was repositioned toward broader high-end computing before being phased out and succeeded in part by HP Envy and OMEN.

• Gaming desktop

  Rage

  Rage was a VoodooPC gaming desktop designed around the company’s boutique performance proposition. It represented the brand’s emphasis on high-end components, enthusiast-oriented configuration, and a distinctive chassis rather than standardized mass-market construction.

• Media-center computer

  Aria

  Aria was a VoodooPC media-center system intended for home entertainment and living-room computing. It extended the company’s design-led approach beyond gaming desktops into systems intended to combine personal-computer functionality with media playback.

• Small-form-factor gaming desktop

  Hexx

  Hexx was a compact gaming desktop that brought VoodooPC’s enthusiast performance focus into a smaller form factor. The model reflected the company’s interest in combining powerful configurations with less conventional enclosure designs.

• Media-center and console-oriented computer

  Vibe

  Vibe was a media-center product associated with Xbox-oriented entertainment use. It formed part of VoodooPC’s effort to address the convergence of personal computing, digital media, and home-console environments.

• Fanless gaming desktop

  Eden

  Eden was a fanless or silent gaming-oriented computer. Its defining idea was to reduce acoustic noise while retaining the premium positioning and performance ambitions associated with VoodooPC.

• High-end desktop computer

  Omen

  Omen was VoodooPC’s signature high-end computer and later became the basis for an HP gaming brand. A major 2008 redesign introduced a brushed-metal enclosure and a seven-inch auxiliary screen, illustrating the product’s focus on visual drama, premium materials, and advanced specifications.

• High-end gaming desktop · 2007

  HP Blackbird 002

  The HP Blackbird 002 was a high-end gaming desktop introduced after HP acquired VoodooPC. It included VoodooDNA branding inside the case and served as one of the clearest examples of HP applying Voodoo’s enthusiast design heritage to an HP-branded system.

• Compact gaming desktop

  HP Firebird

  The HP Firebird was a more compact gaming desktop developed after the acquisition and associated with VoodooDNA. It extended the Voodoo-influenced design and performance approach into a smaller system format.

• Dual-screen notebook concept

  Firefly

  Firefly was a proposed dual-screen laptop concept associated with VoodooPC and HP. It did not become a regular commercial product and is listed among the cancelled Voodoo-related projects.

• Premium ultraportable notebook

  Envy 133

  The Envy 133 was a premium ultraportable notebook sold by HP during the period when the company was moving premium computing away from explicit Voodoo branding. It included Splashtop instant-on software and represented the successor direction for high-end portable computing.

• 2014

  Re-establishing OMEN as HP’s gaming identityStrategy

  Background

  With Voodoo no longer active, HP needed a recognizable name for its gaming-computer portfolio.

  Action taken

  HP relaunched OMEN for thin-and-light gaming laptops and later expanded the name to desktops and monitors.

  Aftermath

  OMEN became the enduring successor brand for HP gaming hardware, retaining the Voodoo-associated logo until 2020.

  Source

• 2013

  Phasing out the Voodoo nameStrategy

  Background

  HP had increasingly integrated Voodoo’s premium-computing concepts into its own product architecture and other brands.

  Action taken

  HP stopped using Voodoo as an active consumer-facing product brand by 2013.

  Aftermath

  OMEN later became HP’s principal gaming identity, while Envy served much of the premium performance-computing role.

  Source

• 2008

  Repositioning Voodoo toward high-end computingStrategy

  Background

  After the HP acquisition, the brand was being reconsidered rather than used solely as a gaming label.

  Action taken

  HP revealed a redesigned Omen and stated that Voodoo would focus on high-end, top-spec computers while continuing selected VoodooDNA machines.

  Aftermath

  HP subsequently used Envy for premium performance products and eventually discontinued Voodoo as an active brand.

  Source

• 2006

  Accepting HP’s acquisitionM&A

  Background

  VoodooPC operated as a relatively small boutique computer company while HP sought to strengthen its premium and enthusiast-computing portfolio.

  Action taken

  HP acquired VoodooPC for an undisclosed amount, and Rahul Sood moved into a technology leadership role within HP’s Global Voodoo Business Unit.

  Aftermath

  Voodoo technology and design ideas appeared in HP products such as the Blackbird 002 and Firebird, although the independent Voodoo identity was gradually reduced.

  Source

• 2014

  HP relaunched OMEN as a gaming-computer brand[1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  HP relaunched OMEN for thin-and-light gaming laptops, later extending the brand to desktops and monitors.

• 2009

  HP moved premium performance computing toward the Envy name[1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  HP used the Envy line for high-performance computers without the Voodoo brand or VoodooDNA designation, indicating the gradual reduction of Voodoo’s role within HP’s portfolio.

• 2008

  Voodoo Omen received a major redesign[1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  Product generation

  HP revealed a redesigned Omen computer with a brushed-metal enclosure and a seven-inch auxiliary display as part of a shift toward high-end computing beyond a strictly gaming-focused identity.

• 2007

  HP introduced the Blackbird 002 with VoodooDNA branding[1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  Product launch

  HP announced the Blackbird 002 high-end gaming desktop, which incorporated VoodooDNA branding and extended Voodoo’s design and performance identity into an HP product.

• 2006

  HP announced its acquisition of VoodooPC[1]VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org

  M&A

  Rahul Sood announced that HP would acquire VoodooPC for an undisclosed amount. He was expected to lead HP’s Global Voodoo Business Unit as chief technology officer.

1. 1VoodooPCen.wikipedia.org