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Dell's XPS 630 gaming desktop gets official, reviewed
Hailed as a rig that "gamers won't outgrow," the XPS 630 that we originally peeked at CES is finally official. As expected, the tower is ATI CrossFire and NVIDIA SLI-ready and will support Intel's Core 2 Quad and Core 2 Extreme processors on the nForce 650i SLI chipset. You can beef things up with 4GB of DDR2 RAM, 1TB of HDD space or an optional Blu-ray drive and AGEIA PhysX accelerator, and you'll have plenty of room for all those peripherals thanks to six total USB 2.0 ports, an optional 19-in-1 media card reader, gigabit Ethernet, audio in / out, FireWire and even PS/2 mouse and keyboard connectors. Also of note, it's the first pre-fab PC to support the Enthusiast System Architecture (ESA), and you can snag your own for as little as $1,249 right now. Click on through for more of the breakdown. Oh, and if you're interested to see how this beast stacks up, you can check out reviews from PC Mag, Hot Hardware and Computer Shopper. %Gallery-16948%
Vigor's Colossus gets you close to Skulltrail, bankruptcy
We're not going to set this one up with some creepy bedtime story like Vigor does on its own website, but seriously, this beast is kind of scary. The aptly-dubbed Colossus houses Intel's Skulltrail platform along with two Core 2 Extreme QX9775 quad-core processors, and that's just the beginning. You'll also find a menacing (albeit somewhat unsightly) chassis, a 1,000-watt PSU, 4GB of DDR2 RAM, twin 74GB Raptor hard drives, 2TB of storage on a pair of RAIDed SATA HDDs, dual 512MB GeForce 8800 GTS Xtremes, a dual-layer DVD burner (skimp much?) and a 3.5-inch floppy drive for loading up your tax template from 1998. As you can probably surmise, this one won't run you cheap, so we'll leave it to you to decide if forking out a small fortune $6,799 is worth it.[Thanks, Zee]
Velocity Micro intros new gaming, desktop and notebook lines
Custom manufacturer Velocity Micro brought some new goodies to CES, including a brace of gaming PCs, a mid-range desktop, and configurable notebook. The Raptor Signature Ultimate Gaming line (pictured, left) takes approximately 5995 of your hard earned smackers (depending on config) in exchange for a personal blessing by Velocity founder Randy Copeland and some actual functionality in the form of Intel's Core 2 Extreme QX9650 and quad 3.0GHz cores. The Edge M40 system (pictured, right) is billed for those "beyond casual gaming," so if you're beyond Peggle but not quite ready to call yourself a hardcore gamer, this could have your name on it. The Edge M40 is built on AMD's new Spider platform and sports AMD Phenom processors and your choice of ATI or nVidia motherboard, starting around $2000 with plenty of options for the tinkerers amongst you. For those still mired in casual gaming, the mid-range Vector Z20 might be your ticket starting at $899, or perhaps the $1499 and up NoteMagix C90 Ultra notebook for some Puzzle Pirates action on the road. Street dates vary on these but all will be rolling out within the next month.
Tomarni touts nearly-silent gaming desktops
While nearly-silent operation likely isn't a top concern among those in the market for a gaming PC, those that do favor a little peace and quiet during their gaming downtime now have a new option to consider from upstart German company Tomarni, which is touting a new desktop that packs plenty of power with minimal decibels. According to the company, the systems will be configurable with your choice of dual-core or quad-core processors, SLI or Crossfire video cards, and a range of other high-end (and presumably pricey options), not to mention your choice of colors if basic white isn't your thing. No word on pricing or availability just yet, but it seems likely that those in company's home country will be the first to get their hands on 'em.[Thanks, Thomas]
Evesham launches Cosmos family of gaming rigs
Evesham's no stranger to the gaming laptop realm, but the company is lookin' out for the desktopers too with its lineup of Cosmos gaming rigs. The standard Cosmos comes equipped with a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Duo E6850 processor, 2GB of Corsair DDR2 RAM, a 500GB SATA drive, NVIDIA's 768MB GeForce 8800 Ultra graphics card, a dual-layer DVD writer and a 24-inch widescreen monitor for good measure. The Elite system ups the ante with a 3GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6850 CPU, double the RAM, a pair of 500GB HDDs, and twin GeForce 8800 Ultras. Both machines come bundled with a Microsoft wireless keyboard / mouse combo and include a three-year warranty, and while you can certainly customize these things till your credit card cries uncle, they start out at £1,999 ($4,027) and £3,199 ($6,445), respectively.[Via Pocket-Lint]
HP Blackbird 002 gaming rig reviewed
If the HP Blackbird 002's good looks weren't enough to justify is sky high price tag for you, than perhaps HotHardware's review of the top-end gaming rig will be enough to push you over the edge. The folks there got their hands on a pre-release version of the system, loaded with a Core 2 Extreme QX6850 processor factory overclocked to 3.67GHz, 4GB of Corsair dual channel DDR2-8500 RAM, and two GeForce 8800 Ultra cards running in SLI mode, among other desirable specs. Not surprisingly, with all that under hood the system couldn't help but impress, with it delivering a few benchmark scores higher than any other machine they've tested. They also, of course, dug the system's case design, which not only looks good but makes upgrading an ease (they replaced a hard drive in 12 seconds flat). On the downside, they found the system to be "somewhat noisy," and the slot-loading optical drives could limit upgradeability further on down the line. Then, of course, there is the price, which starts at $2,500 and tops out over $7,000 when packed to the gills.
Commodore's flagship XX gaming rig gets reviewed
Those looking to relive a hint of their childhood in a big way need look no further than Commodore's high-end gaming PC lineup, as the vintage logo and unmistakable name will certainly be found on its newest rigs. 'Course, all this mushy razzmatazz doesn't mean much if it won't perform, and considering the £3,000 ($6,153) or so that the flagship XX will set you back, we're sure you'd like to know how this beast stacks up before you pull that trigger. TrustedReviews was able to get ahold of a finalized unit and put it through the standard 2D, 3D, and other speed-related paces, and while it wasn't up to the same level as an Alienware or Dell XPS in terms of noise, build quality, and case design, the actual performance seemed to be right on target. Overall, the XX was deemed a solid buy for those who didn't mind the far-out artwork and less-than-stellar construction, but since you'd be saving some £500 ($1,026) over a similar offering from Alienware, that sacrifice may be one worth making.[Thanks, Andy]
Commodore unveils lineup of US-bound gaming desktops
Unlike some companies we've seen, it appears that Commodore Gaming is actually keeping its word, as the company has just now released the final details on its lineup of flashy US-bound gaming rigs. The Cg, Cgs, Cgx, and Cxx machines progress gradually from least extreme to highly 1337, and all four can be customized to suit your every fantasy. To give you an idea of what's on tap (if you've got the coin), the Cxx packs a 2.66GHz Intel Core 2 Extreme QX6800 processor, twin 500GB 7,200RPM hard drives in a RAID 0 array, 2GB of Corsair RAM, DVD-RW optical drive, an 850-watt power supply, Creative's Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card, Windows Vista, and dual 768MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800 Ultra GPUs to boot. As far as pricing goes, word on the street is that the base system will start out around $1,700, but we'll know for sure when these come stateside in Q3.[Via CNET]
HiPe intros K-Tana 2.0 gaming rig, two-in-one Daisho 2.0 Dual PC
HiPe PC is no stranger to the land of excessive power and unorthodox construction, and the firm's latest two gaming rigs are no exception to either. The K-Tana 2.0 can come stocked with your choice of an overclocked 3.2GHz Intel Core 2 Quad Extreme or dual liquid-cooled AMD Athlon FX-72 / FX-74 processors, an overclocked NVIDIA 8800 SLI graphics setup, 1,200-watt power supply, up to 8GB of DDR2 RAM, up to 4TB of HDD storage, acoustical dampening, colored neon lighting systems, and the ability to order up a customized paint scheme if the early 90s vibe isn't really workin' for you. The real head-scratcher is the Daish? 2.0 Dual PC (shown after the jump), which as the name implies, sports a duo of networked PCs within a single vertical chassis. The primary PC is a GeForce 8800-equipped gaming rig with up to 4GB of RAM and 4TB of HDD space, while the secondary computer is a "personal media center or server" powered by either VIA's Epia C7 or Intel's Merom processor. Additionally, the secondary unit is connected to a motorized touchscreen LCD and responds to your voice thanks to the included speech recognition software. Notably, both machines can be configured to include a Blu-ray writer, and while both systems manage to start around $2,600, the sky really is the limit when adding in luxurious extras.
A-Power's AP-Halo gaming PC dons Halo 2 outfit, beastly innards
With Dell's XPS 720 getting ready for showtime, it's quite possible that a few of you out there are eying a slightly different kind of animal, and for the Halo faithful, look no further than A-Power. The AP-Halo machine sports a fully customized Halo 2 chassis to go along with the game's PC counterpart, but it manages to look fairly good on the inside as well. Beneath the metal you'll find an Intel Core 2 Quad Q6600 processor, up to 640GB of SATA II hard drive space, Asus' P5K Deluxe motherboard, a Samsung dual-layer DVD burner, Sound Blaster X-Fi Xtreme Gamer sound card, gigabit Ethernet, a 768MB NVIDIA GeForce 8800GTX handling the DX10 duties, a 700-watt power supply, and to cap things off, it also comes bundled with Microsoft's own Reclusa keyboard and Habu mouse. Of course, it'll come pre-loaded with Vista Ultimate and Halo 2, and deep-pocketed gamers can add on an Xbox 360 PC controller if they choose. The Halo 2-themed system is slated to launch on May 22nd, and while the base price sits at CAD$1,659 ($1,505) sans a monitor, those hardware upgrades will send that figure quite a ways north.
Commodore debuts horrendously overpriced XX and GX PCs
Those of you pining to blow $3500-$5800 or more on an semi-overspecced and definitely-overpriced PC need look no further: Commodore is offering its GX and XX gamer PCs online now. With quad-core Intel processors, GeForce 8800 GTX SLI graphics and those utterly frilly "C-kin" paint jobs, you can know your cash is going to sort-of good use. Or if those two pricetags are too steep, you can hold out for the GS and G models, which should be hitting retail right about now -- though we're guessing this whole shady operation is going to be UK only for the time being.[Via Joystiq]
Commodore set to introduce high-end gaming PCs
Commodore's big beige glory days may be long past, but the familiar name is still out there kicking (such as it is), lending its considerable cachet to an array of otherwise unremarkable devices. Now the company appears to have decided to bring things back a little closer to its roots, prepping a new line of Commodore-branded PCs aimed at gamers, pitting them against the well-established likes of Alienware and VoodooPC. Unfortunately, there's been no other details whatsoever announced, with Commodore Gaming CEO Bala Keilman only going so far as to say that the PCs will deliver "what gamers need and want." It looks like we won't have to wait too long for the complete rundown, however, with the company promising to reveal everything (including playable systems) at CeBIT on March 15th. [Via Slashdot]
Mouse Computer's gaming rig -- for non-gamers
Japan's Mouse Computer -- best known for their effeminately named LuvBooks -- is trying-on hardcore this morning by dressing up a couple of middling rigs in chain wallets, wife-beater Ts, and Vista Ultimate in hopes of nabbing a gaming PC classification. Let's pop the hood and see shall we? The MASTERPIECE series (pictured) tops out with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo E6600 processor, 2GB of 333MHz PC2-5300 memory, 512MB of GeForce 7950 GT graphics, and 320GB of unspecified RPM disk. That's the high-end box mind you. The NEXTGEAR series tops-out with a 1.83GHz Core 2 Duo E6300, 2GB of RAM, 250GB of disk, and 256MB of GeForce 7900GS graphics... oh, puleeease. No dual-graphics option, quad-core QX6700 or Q6600 processors, or even an overclocked Core 2 Duo Extreme X6800 in the bunch. Then again, these kits won't set you back $10k either. Expect a well-equipped Masterpiece to hit later this month for ¥219,870 (about $1,813) while the Nextgear slides in at ¥179,970 (about $1,484) -- sans monitor and Japan only... which is fine by us.
'Luxury' gaming PCs: When a solid-gold PS3 isn't enough
The Associated Press writes about high-end, "luxury" gaming PCs easily overpowering the consoles. The computers cited from Alienware and Falcon Northwest cost $5,400 and $9,600 respectively. (The Falcon PC includes a 30-inch display at that price.)Our first reaction was, "So what, of course PCs are faster." Then, we moved to, "How much again!?" There seems to be a sense of pride in enthusiasts spending a lot of money on their PC. At a recent Nvidia event, audience members in the front rows were thanked for being such strong supporters of the company; they'd each spent about $1,000 for SLI setups on their current gaming machines. Yes, that's just for video cards.Is the ability to appreciate gaming rigs for their price just a gene we're missing? Are we getting old and cranky? Where's our pudding?
Vadim Computers unveils $8,800 quad-core gaming rig in the UK
Just moments ago, we're sure a hoard of you rushed off to purchase the newest OMEN PC from VoodooPC in order to have the most intense gaming rig in your neck of the woods, but we've got news for you: it's already been outdone. Vadim Computers is offering a custom-built machine that packs the latest and greatest computing hardware the world has to (currently) offer, outdoing even VoodooPC's latest offering. Inside the liquid-cooled case, you'll find Intel's quad-core 2.66GHz Core 2 Extreme QX6700 processor nestled in an Asus P5N32-SLI Premium motherboard, surrounded by such niceties as 2GB of DDR2 RAM, dual nVidia 8800GTX 768Mb PCI-e graphics cards, twin 150GB Raptor 10000 drives (and a 750GB Seagate Barracuda 7200.10 just for storage), dual-layer DVD burner, CD-burning combo drive, and a Creative 7.1 X-Fi ExtremeMusic sound card -- and that's just the bottom-of-the-line configuration. The "3-to-20 percent variable overclocking," as well as the system itself, is backed by a two-year warranty, but similar to the Mac Mini, you'll be providing your own mouse, keyboard, and monitor. The tally on this incredulous beast comes to £4,622.23 ($8,818) -- which isn't quite what Dell demanded for its all-inclusive Renegade 600 -- but that's before the government even takes its share. Pony up, fellas.[Via The Inquirer]
