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Digital Storm's compact gaming PC is fast and upgrade-friendly
It's tricky to find a small-form-factor PC that hits all the right notes. You can get easily expandable systems, but are they good-looking and as fast as a regular desktop? Digital Storm, at least, thinks it has everything nailed down. Its latest Bolt model, the Bolt X, promises to pair brisk performance with a slick design and easy expansion. To no one's surprise, the case is the big deal here. In addition to sporting a considerably cleaner look, it has both a vented base and top-mounted fans to improve the cooling. You can run overclocked processors and the "fastest" graphics cards in the Bolt X without cooking the insides, then. Digital Storm also vows painless upgrades through a "simplified" layout that lets you slot in fresh parts, including multiple storage drives.
Digital Storm's latest gaming all-in-one packs a 10-core CPU
The trend of gigantic all-in-one gaming PCs isn't ending any time soon. Digital Storm has unveiled a new version of the Aura, a 34-inch curved system that packs some truly high-end hardware. To begin with, it's one of the first PCs to use Intel's enthusiast-oriented, Broadwell-E-based Core i7 Extreme Edition processors -- you can equip it with up to a 10-core chip if you're bent on juggling multiple apps at the same time. You can also stuff in a GeForce GTX 1080 to make sure games play smoothly at the Aura's ultra-wide 3,440 x 1,440 resolution.
Which gaming PCs are worth buying?
If you're serious about your computer gaming, you're going to want a desktop made for it. Many gamers choose to build their own, selecting the parts that best suit their needs. But to do that, you need the time and money, and it also generally helps to know what you're doing. For those of you lacking in one of these essential qualities, there are plenty of companies that will sell you a great pre-configured gaming PC or even a custom-built one. But which to choose? While we don't really review gaming desktops ourselves here at Engadget, we've gathered opinions from across the web on some recent gaming PCs to help you figure out which one will best suit your individual needs.
Digital Storm's revamped gaming laptops boast extra-speedy NVIDIA graphics
If you've been waiting for a gaming laptop that wrings the most performance out of NVIDIA's new GeForce 800M graphics chips, you may want to check out Digital Storm's freshly revamped laptop line. The Javelin, Lance, Krypton and Behemoth all carry fast dedicated video, ranging from the GeForce GTX 860M (in everything but the Behemoth) all the way to dual GTX 880M chips in higher-end Krypton and Behemoth models. Beyond that, you're mostly paying for screen size and frills. The Lance starts things off at $1,196 for a 15.6-inch 1080p screen, a quad-core 2.4GHz Core i7, 8GB of RAM and a 750GB hard drive. Step up to the $1,430 Lance and you'll get both improved cooling and audio alongside minor spec bumps; the $1,478 Krypton adds a 17.3-inch screen, while the $2,289 Behemoth takes a big leap forward in speed with a GTX 880M GPU, 16GB of RAM and a 128GB solid-state primary drive. All of Digital Storm's latest portables are available to order today.
Digital Storm's Bolt 2 is a Steam Machine, dual-boots Windows and SteamOS
Digital Storm's latest Bolt is more than the standard tower we've seen from the PC boutique company in the past-- it's a Steam Machine! Well, sort of. It's also a regular PC, with the ability to dual-boot into both Windows and SteamOS. The biggest difference is that it ships with Valve's Steam Controller -- something you'll need if you're interested in playing any cursor-based games in your living room. Confusingly, the Bolt 2 was previously teased with a starting price of just under $1,500; the latest update from Digital Storm puts it at a starting price of $1,899. Apparently this disparity comes down to power: "We decided to offer a more powerful entry level system," a company rep told us. No specs are available, but we previously heard you could outfit the box with a GPU as serious as NVIDIA's GTX Titan. We've reached out to Digital Storm for more, and expect we'll have all the details by later today when Valve holds its CES 2014 press conference. Bolt 2 is set to launch sometime this month.
Digital Storm targets PC enthusiasts with exclusive HydroLux cooling solution
Let's suspend disbelief for a moment and pretend that you're willing to drop a grand on your PC's cooling system -- that's the kind of cash you'll need to set aside for the HydroLux from Digital Storm. The system combines liquid and air cooling, a control board and a bevy of sensors, along with custom software that puts you in command of your PC's thermals. High-flow pumps will push over 300 gallons of cooling fluid across the CPU and graphics cards every hour, which is augmented by an airflow system that can adjust dynamically, operate quietly or act as a wind tunnel. As a nice touch, you'll also find LED lighting throughout the rig that serves as a quick visual indicator of the heat levels within your PC. The HydroLux is a new upgrade that's exclusive to custom PCs from Digital Storm, and it's available immediately across the company's desktop lineup. You'll pay $1,084 for single graphics card setups, on up to $1,994 for monsters that rock four GPU cards. Feel free to check out Digital Storm's website and peruse the system; you don't have to return to reality just yet.
Digital Storm Veloce review: Clevo's new gaming laptop is cheap, powerful, flawed
More Info Digital Storm's 13.3-inch VELOCE gaming laptop announced Origin PC's EON 13-S offers another spin on Clevo's latest gaming laptop Razer Blade review (14-inch, 2013) In a market obsessed with slim, lightweight, energy-efficient machines, gaming laptops stick out like a sore thumb. Hulking 17- and 18-inch chassis dominate the category like a physical representation of a tired cliché: bigger is better. In some ways, the old phrase rings true -- these oversized machines often pack the latest and greatest components -- but any hope of reasonable portability is lost in the mass. Despite this overwhelming (and oversized) majority, a handful of small-frame rigs still make it to market each year, and one of 2013's most petite just happens to have landed on our reviews desk. Meet the Clevo W230ST, a 13-inch, ODM (original device manufacturer) gaming notebook destined to be rebadged under different brands. As such, it goes by many names -- Sager, Origin PC and AVADirect each have their own take -- but today, we're looking at Digital Storm's version, the Veloce. Can this diminutive monster keep up with the category's biggest beasts? Let's find out.%Gallery-195616%
Digital Storm's 13.3-inch VELOCE gaming laptop grants Haswell power savings, HD gameplay for $1,535 on July 17
Digital Storm's mostly known for its many desktop gaming rigs, but it dabbles in laptops, too. Its latest portable offering, the VELOCE, comes packing a 13.3-inch, 1920 x 1080 display, a quad-core Haswell Core i7 4800MQ CPU and NVIDIA GTX 765M graphics. It's also got 8GB of RAM and 2GB of graphics memory along with three USB 3.0 ports, HDMI, VGA out, and Bluetooth 4.0. Storage comes in the form of a hybrid drive comprised of a 7,200RPM 750GB HDD and an 8GB SATA SSD. All that hardware tips the scales at 4.6 pounds and is 1.26 inches thick -- sizing right in line with its 14-inch competition from MSI, but roughly twice the girth and a half-pound heavier than a Razer Blade. Regardless, those yearning for a VELOCE of their own can grab one at Digital Storm's website should they be willing to part with $1,535 come July 17th.
Digital Storm goes after DIY gaming PCs with its $699 Vanquish (video)
Dear rig builder, before you go shopping for your next PSU, Digital Storm would like a word. The company's new line of Vanquish PCs is aimed at gamers who want the price of a self-build, but without the worry that they've mistakenly jammed a 12V ATX cable into a Blu-Ray drive. The base unit offers up an AMD FX-4300 with 8GB RAM, 1TB HDD, a Radeon HD 7750 and Windows 7 for $699 -- just $38 more than the company claims you could snag those unassembled parts on NewEgg. Alongside the professional build, Digital Storm will provide lifetime in-house tech support and a three-year warranty, so if you'd like to learn more, there's PR and video after the break.
Digital Storm's Hailstorm II relieves you of gaming PC claustrophobia, $2,760 cash
What's the price for glory? Digital Storm's just launched its latest flagship PC gaming platform, the Hailstorm II, letting serious players part with anywhere between $2,700 and $8,000-plus. A sequel to the original Hailstorm PC, the integrator claims its new platform is the first to take advantage of the Corsair Obsidian Series 900D case, letting it accommodate up to quadruple GPU and dual CPU configurations. In order to keep those setups chill, the case can accommodate up to two power supplies, four radiators and 15 total fans, allowing for overclocking speeds of up to 4.8GHz. The top level 4 configuration will include three NVIDIA GeForce GTX Titan 6GB graphics cards, an Intel Core i7 Extreme Edition 3970X CPU, 16GB of RAM, a 1200-watt power supply, "custom exotic liquid cooling" and a 240GB SSD / 1TB HDD combo, all for the cool sum of -- wait for it -- $8,085. Lesser configurations bring the price down considerably, but if you care less about dollars than FPS, hit the PR after the break for more.
Two more Titan-powered PCs emerge, from Digital Storm and Origin
Both Digital Storm and Origin are getting NVIDIA's latest GPU, the GTX Titan, the two boutique PC makers announced this morning. Per Digital Storm's adorable little Bolt PC, a single Titan GPU is replacing the GTX 680 as the most powerful GPU offered, while Origin is offering a variety of setups featuring the Titan (all the way up to four Titans working together in an SLI configuration). Of course, at $1,000 for the Titan video card, you're looking at a ridiculously hefty price tag for that four-way setup (akin to what we saw this morning from Maingear), not to mention the custom liquid cooling Origin's throwing in. Interestingly, Digital Storm's Titan-enabled Bolt and Origin's top of the line setup offer two very different real world examples of how NVIDIA's latest GPU can be put to work. While it scales to the ultraniche, superrich PC gamer, Titan also caters to the more casual PC gamer (albeit one who's still willing to shell out a good amount of cash). Both are set to launch alongside the Titan itself on February 25th.
Digital Storm Bolt stuffs full-power graphics into a mini gaming desktop, stretches laws of physics
Attempts to create truly small gaming desktops usually involve at least some kind of performance hit. Even HP's category-bending Firebird, one of the few stand-out examples, had to use toned-down graphics to succeed in a tiny enclosure. Digital Storm might have broken the trend towards sacrifice with its new Bolt desktop: although it's just 3.6 inches wide and 14 inches tall, the Bolt can cram in as much as a GeForce GTX 680 and will even let gamers upgrade the graphics like they would in a full-size PC. The seemingly logic-defying (if also finger-defying) case still allows room for as much as an overclocked 4.6GHz Core i7, 16GB of RAM and storage options that meld a spinning hard drive with up to two SSDs and a DVD burner. Digital Storm isn't even setting an absurd base price, but it's in the cost that we finally see the catch to the miniaturization tricks. The $999 entry-level Bolt carries a modest 3.1GHz Core i3, 8GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive and GeForce GTX 650 Ti, while it takes a staggering $1,949 to get a fully decked-out Core i7 system with a GTX 680. Those prices might be worthwhile for anyone who has ever strained while lugging a traditional tower to a game tourney. %Gallery-169137%
Digital Storm unveils X17E gaming laptop, pushes your CPU to 4.5GHz for frenzied fragging
Specialist gaming outfit Digital Storm has busted out its new X17E gaming laptop, designed to keep you entertained without too much grunting. The 17-inch unit comes with a 1,920 x 1,080 display, a choice of GeForce GTX 680M or Radeon 7970M and an Intel Core i7-3910XM, which the company's engineers reckon can be stably overclocked to a whopping 4.5GHz. It's got the usual raft of features you'd expect in a high end unit, including support for 32GB RAM, USB 3.0, eSATA, Blu-Ray and a backlit keyboard you can tweak to your needs. The base model will be out at the end of September, setting you back $1,753, while a signature edition with a custom paint-job will come later, and cost you more.
Engadget's summer gear guide 2012: desktops
In the interest of keeping cool this summer, we've put together a list of the hottest products out right now. From smartphones to e-readers and everything in between, there's no time like the present to re-up that post-spring-cleaning stash. So grab a popsicle or a cold one and dive in -- the water's just right. Desktops are amazing. They deliver serious, expandable computing power to the places where you need it most, and with much better bang-for-the-buck than laptops. Moreover, they're constantly evolving: low-power PCs can now do more with fewer watts, regular gaming PCs can achieve 3D effects that would have required extreme setups just a year ago, and all-rounder desktops have become, well, even more rounded. Which brings us to the recommendations: three PCs that range from $799 to $1,199 and beyond, and that represent each of these three categories. If you're going cheaper, don't be afraid to build your own -- that way you'll only spend money on specs you actually need. Ready to see our selections? Head on past the break to read 'em.
Digital Storm locks and loads Ivy Bridge into its new recruits
Digital Storm has announced that its premium-priced (and not so premium-priced) gaming PCs will soon be touting Ivy Bridge processors. This means, going forward, all machines will come with the Intel's third generation Core architecture, with the PC maker already claiming it's managed overclocks at 4.8GHz. Like its machines, Digital Storm is keeping cool on when the systems will find their way from workshop to LAN, or what effect (if any) there'll be on pricing. Keep the cross hairs focused on the source link for more info.
Digital Storm launches Marauder series of desktop PCs for gamers on a budget
Digital Storm gets plenty of coverage for its boutique gaming PCs and coma-inducing prices, but its latest Marauder lineup serves as proof that it's willing to also build quality, affordable rigs for the masses. Consumers may choose between four configurations, which feature AMD processors on the low-end and Intel counterparts on the high-end. For example, the entry-level Marauder sells for $799 and offers a quad-core 3.6GHz AMD FX-4100 CPU and a Radeon HD 7750 GPU, whereas the most expensive variant sells for $1,299 and includes a quad-core 3.3GHz Intel Core i5 2500K CPU and a Radeon HD 7870 GPU. Regardless of system, consumers will fetch a Corsair Vengeance C70 case, a similarly respectable Corsair GS 600W power supply, 8GB of Corsair Vengeance RAM and Windows 7 Home Premium. In every case, the prices rival the DIY alternative quite well, and if you'd like to take a look at the full array of configurations, just hop the break for a spec sheet and the PR.
Digital Storm launches Aventum range with Cryo-TEC cooling system
The last thing you want when things are getting hot in the battlefield, is for things to start heating-up under your desk too. Digital Storm's been back in the lab, looking for ways to prevent just that, and thinks it's cracked it with the new Aventum system. It's the first to be kitted out with the PC-maker's Cryo-TEC liquid cooling mechanism, and boasts a thermal exhaust, five software-regulated "zones" and no less than 13 configurable fans. The range starts with an Intel i7 2700K core, 16GB RAM, 120GB SSD (1TB HDD) and a GeForce GTX680 for $3,859. If your pockets are even deeper, then you might fancy the 2x dual Xeon E5-2630 hexacore-totin' system with 32GB DDR RAM, and three-way SLI (with the same GeForce GTX680) for a jaw dropping $7,856. With a price like that, however, it's probably your credit card that'll need cooling down. Digital Storm is taking orders as of today, and full details of the range in the PR after the break.
Digital Storm's ODE gaming PC brings the heat
It may look like a space heater (in the best way possible, of course), but what you're looking at is actually Digital Storm's very first pre-built gaming system, the ODE. Available in your choice of "Good," "Better," "Best," or "Ultimate" configurations, the rig packs a Core i7-2600K processor that can be overclocked to 5.0GHz, along with NVIDIA GTX 570 graphics (SLI in all but the lowest config), a standard 8GB of RAM, plus a regular 1TB hard drive that can be paired with an SSD up to 120GB -- not to mention that nice red glow, which shouldn't actually give off much heat thanks to some liquid cooling. Check out the gallery below for a closer look, and hit up the source link to place your order if you like what you see -- this one starts at $1,499. %Gallery-124350%
Digital Storm's slim Enix desktop takes Sandy Bridge to 4.7GHz
Overclocked, custom-built PCs are nothing new, and neither is 4.7GHz from the factory. But Digital Storm has managed to take one of Intel's newest Sandy Bridge chips to that height, and it's doing so in a case that's far sleeker than most of the towers out there. The all-new Enix relies on a Micro-ATX system board, vertical heat dissipation and a mobo that's rotating 90 degrees -- a move that's being made in order to "take advantage of heat's natural tendency to rise." Consumers can order one starting today, with the $1,132 base unit boasting a Core i3-2100, 4GB of DDR3-1600 memory, NVIDIA's 1GB GeForce GT 220, a 1TB hard drive and a copy of Windows 7 Home Premium. The high-end model tops out at just north of two large, with each model offering a hot-swap bay and a pair of USB 3.0 ports. Eye candy is below, and the source link shouldn't be ventured to unless you're fairly immune to impulse buys. %Gallery-114981%
Intel's Sandy Bridge hits the desktop realm: Dell, CyberPower, Digital Storm and more
For the most part, Intel's Sandy Bridge introduction at CES made a giant impact in the outlook of future laptops, but not as much was said over in the desktop world. Quietly, a slew of custom PC makers have slid out revised towers with the second generation Core lineup, with Dell's XPS 8300, Digital Storm's entire family, Cyber Power's Gamer Xtreme 1000 / 2000 and iBuyPower's Chimera XLC seeing the new Core i5 and Core i7 chips. Care to dig in deeper? Hit the source links below, and be sure to bust out your credit card -- Intel's fastest doesn't come cheap, you know.
