AVADirect Launches Clevo P270WM Gaming Laptop

Category: Gaming, Prebuilts
Posted: February 7, 2012 12:29AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Ohio-based custom-computer manufacturer AVADirect has launched its latest gaming laptop dubbed the Clevo P270WM. The new laptop is touted as the 'fastest desktop replacement in the world,' featuring the Intel X79 chipset coupled with Sandy Bridge-E CPUs, such as the Intel Core i7-3960X. In addition to the Intel CPU, the Clevo P270WM packs up to three 9.5" HDDs or SSDs (optional RAID configuration), up to 32GB of quad channel memory, the latest GPUs such as the NVIDIA GTX 580M 2GB with SLI support, and overclocking support. Other features include an HDMI output, three USB 3.0 ports and a 17.3" Full HD LED display. A backlit keyboard makes typing easy in low-light situations. The AVADirect Clevo P270WM gaming laptop is available for pre-order now, starting from $3000.00. The base model will include the Intel Core i7 3930K processor, NVIDIA GTX 580M 2GB video card, 4GB of DDR3 memory running at 1333MHz, a 750GB hard drive, and will run on Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit.

CyberpowerPC Offering Overclocking Warranty Plan from Intel

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: January 31, 2012 03:15PM
Author: Nick Harezga

Intel recently announced its new warranty plan aimed at those of us that like to overclock our CPUs. CyberpowerPC has announced that it is the first manufacturer to offer the Intel Performance Tuning Protection Plan as part its systems. As part of the new plan, a CPU that fails under normal usage will be replaced under the standard warranty, but a CPU that fails while outside of the specifications laid out by Intel will be replaced under the Performance Tuning Protection Plan. CyberpowerPC will offer this with all systems that feature "K" and "X" series Intel processors. The plan is being offered for free in conjunction with Gigabyte to those customers that purchase a Gigabyte Z68 motherboard to go with the Intel processor.

HP Launches Mini 1104 Cedar Trail-based Netbook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: January 23, 2012 02:46PM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP has launched its latest netbook dubbed the HP Mini 1104. The new netbook is designed for education and business applications, packing in a near full-sized keyboard, up to nine-hours of battery life and a multi-touch trackpad. The Mini 1104 is powered by a dual-core Intel Atom N2600 'Cedar Trail' CPU running at 1.6GHz, up to 2GB of memory and Intel Integrated GMA 3600 graphics. Storage is covered by a 320GB hard drive operating at 5400RPM. Other features include a 10.1" 1024x600 pixel display and a VGA webcam, along with three USB 2.0 ports, a media card reader, a VGA output, an ethernet port, audio in/out ports, a microphone and stereo speakers. WiFi a/b/g/n and Bluetooth 4.0+HS connectivity is included with the option of adding HSPA+ mobile broadband and GPS. The HP Mini runs on either Windows 7 or FreeDOS and will be priced from US$399.

Alienware Announces the X51 - Console-sized Gaming PC

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: January 18, 2012 12:14PM
Author: bp9801

Alienware is known for being a company behind some high-end and high-priced gaming computers, but its latest computer is anything but expensive by its standards. Dubbed the X51, this console-sized gaming PC is more than capable of playing all the latest games for those on a budget. The Alienware X51 has a starting price of $699, and for that chunk of change you get a pretty good starter PC that can handle games. The overall size of the X51 is pretty similar to the original PlayStation 3, with it coming in at 13.5" tall, 12.52" deep, and 3.74" wide. It has a slot-loading disc drive so it can stand veritcally or lay horizontally, and features a matte black case, alien accents, and customizable LED lighting. There will be eight different models on hand, with that base $699 version sporting a dual-core Intel Core i3-2120 at 3.3GHz, 4GB of RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and an NVIDIA GeForce GT545.

More expensive models include quad-core Intel Core i5-2320 and Core i7-2600 at 3.0GHz and 3.4GHz, respectively, with up to 8GB of RAM, and NVIDIA GeForce GT555 GPUs. The top-end model at $1,199 even includes a Blu-ray drive, so it would have no problem sitting in a home theater setup. Alienware has designed the X51 to be incredibly friendly to user upgrades, with the video card, CPU, motherboard, and RAM being easy to swap out thanks to the custom-built case. All versions of the X51 include integrated 802.11b/g/n WiFi, six USB 2.0 ports, two USB 3.0 ports, front audio out, and HDMI and optical out.

The Alienware X51 is available now from Alienware's website. You can get an idea of what each model offers and how much it costs, but for those wanting a small PC that is more than capable of gaming, the X51 would be a welcome option.

ECS Showcasing Products at CES 2012

Category: Motherboards, Networking, Prebuilts
Posted: January 11, 2012 09:55PM
Author: Dale Shuck

ECS will be displaying its entire lineup of Intel and AMD platform motherboards at CES this year. As part of the show, ECS will be introducing tow top-end boards based on the Intel X79 chipset supporting LGA2011 Sandy Bridge-E processors — X79R-AX Black Extreme and X79R-AX Black Deluxe. Along with the motherboards, ECS plans to have its lineup of graphics cards on display as well.

ECS is also featuring two of its G11 all-in-one systems at CES this year, the ID2 photo frame style unit and the L-style ID4. ECS also has its Wi-Bridge wireless display adapter at the show. The new wireless display solution allows you to connect your PC or notebook wirelessly to a big screen supporting 1080p HD via HDMI.

I'm sure we'll see further coverage on the products from our OCC CES team here soon so keep checking back for coverage on these products and more from CES 2012.

Patriot PBO Alpine Media Player Announced

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: January 10, 2012 08:55PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Patriot Memory is expanding its lineup of media players with the introduction of the PBO Alpine. The first notable difference with the PBO Alpine is that is an Android-based device. Powered by an ARM926 processor, the Alpine supports HD video output in full 1080p resolution at 30fps. The PBO Alpine comes ready to play right out of the box with iRadio, iTV, YouTube, Picasa, and a fully functional web browser. You can always add custom functionality with user-developed apps. Additionally, it supports M-JPEG, MPEG-1, MPEG-2, MPEG-4, H.263, H.264, VC-1, DivX, Xvid, RealVideo, VP6, and .MKV formats. It comes with 2x USB 2.0 ports, SD card storage and HDMI and Dolby Digital.

HP Unveils ENVY 14 Spectre Ultrabook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: January 10, 2012 01:12AM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP has unveiled its latest ultrabook dubbed the ENVY 14 Spectre. The new ultrabook is crafted from scratch-resistant black and silver glass to create a striking look. As the name suggests, the ENVY 14 Spectre has a 14" high definition "HP Radiance Display" for vivid colour and better viewing angles, all packed into a 13.3" body. Audio is supplied by Beats Audio mesh speakers coupled with an analog aluminium volume dial. HP Wireless Audio technology allows uncompressed audio streaming to the ultrabook from up to four external devices. The ENVY 14 Spectre is equipped with an Intel Core CPU, up to 256GB of storage space and a backlit keyboard with proximity sensor. Connectivity includes USB 3.0, HDMI, Mini DisplayPort and Gigabit Ethernet ports. The ultrabook has a quoted battery life of up to nine hours. The ENVY 14 Spectre weighs under four pounds, is 20mm thin and should be available on February 8 in the United States, starting at $1,399.99.

CyberpowerPC Features Fang III Black Mamba Gaming Rig at CES 2012

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: January 9, 2012 09:06PM
Author: Dale Shuck

The OCC crew is busy covering the CES 2012 show and one of the products they will get to see is CyberpowerPC's top-of-the-line Fang III Black Mamba gaming rig. The Black Mamba starts off strong with an Intel Sandy Bridge-E i7-3960X CPU and X79 chipset and quad-channel memory. CyberpowerPC ships the Black Mamba with a 30% overclock on the CPU using its Venom Boost technology backed up by its Advance Hydro Liquid Cooling Kit mated to a 480mm radiator. The rig is enclosed in Azza Fusion’s 4000 super-tower gaming chassis that can actually house two systems in one enclosure. The CyberpowerPC OC Media Server Station acts as the second system for a home server for viewing and storing all your digital media files. The base price for the Black Mamba $4,999.

CyberpowerPC's Fang III series also includes Rattler, Viper and Cobra PCs featuring second generation Intel Extreme Core I processors and motherboards with PCIe 3.0 and other features like liquid cooling, feature-rich gaming cases and Venom Boost overclocking.

Also debuting at CES is NZXT's Switch 810 Full Tower gaming chassis (pictured here) which will be featured in several CyberpowerPC gaming systems. The Switch 810 is a full tower chassis that easily accommodates liquid cooling setups as well as being able to support silent performance or extreme airflow configurations.

CyberpowerPC will also be using the recently announced AMD Radeon HD 7970, the first 28nm GPU, which is ready for DirectX 11 and features all-new support for stereo 3D, universal bezel compensation and brand new display configurations.

All this can be previewed at the CES 2012 show in Las Vegas running from January 10-13 and you can expect OCC to stop by and check it out.

CyberpowerPC Unveils Fang III Series

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: December 29, 2011 03:34PM
Author: Nick Harezga

CyberpowerPC has announced the Fang III series of gaming PCs, which it plans to show off at CES next month. The Rattler, Viper, Cobra, and Black Mamba are all receiving component upgrades, starting with Intel Sandy Bridge-E CPUs and the X79 chipset. The Fang III PCs will range from dual core to hexa-core machines, accommodating all budgets. Venom Boost technology will overclock your system by up to 30%. In addition to the new CPUs, the PCs will also have a wide variety of GPU options, including multi GPU setups featuring SLI or CrossFireX. The Black Mamba and Cobra introduce a new cooling option, the 480mm Advanced Hydro liquid cooling kit. The Rattler starts under $999, the Viper at $1249, the Cobra under $1999, and the top of the line Black Mamba starts at $4999. Head to the CyberpowerPC website for full details on each system and configuration options.

LG Unveils Xnote Z330 13.3" Ultrabook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: December 7, 2011 03:47AM
Author: Daryn Govender

LG has unveiled the thinnest ultrabook in its line-up dubbed the Xnote Z330. The new ultrabook packs in a Core i5 (1.6GHz) or Core i7 (1.7Ghz) processor, 4GB of RAM and a 120GB or 256GB SSD for storage. This hardware coupled with LG's "Rapid Start Technology" enables a 10 second boot time on Windows 7. The Xnote Z330 also features Intel HD graphics displayed by a 13.3" High Definition LED screen. Connectivity is covered by Wi-Fi and Bluetooth support, along with USB 3.0 and HDMI out ports. The LG Xnote Z330 measures 315x215x14.7mm, weighs in at 1.2kg and has a rated battery life of six hours. LG did not release details regarding the availability or pricing of the Xnote Z330.

CyberpowerPC Releases New Gamer Xtreme PCs

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: November 17, 2011 06:25PM
Author: Nick Harezga

CyberpowerPC has announced that it is updating many of its PC lines to include the new Intel i7-3000 series CPUs, also known as Sandy Bridge-E. To go with the new processors, the PCs will also use the new X79 chipset motherboards. The systems that will be receiving the upgrades include the Gamer Xtreme 3D, XE, and XI, as well as the FANG EVO Black Mamba and Cobra. The featured processors will be the 3.33GHz i7 3960X and the 3.2GHz i7 3930K. In addition to the new processors, the Gamer Xtreme line also gives consumers several cooling options to choose from, including several liquid cooling options. The Venom Boost technology from CyberpowerPC will allow you to overclock your CPU by up to 30%. The Gamer Xtreme line starts at less than $1200. Be sure to check out the OCC review of the Gamer Xtreme 1000 SE.

ECS G11 AIO Computer Offers Two Additional Designs

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: November 16, 2011 05:32PM
Author: Dale Shuck

Elite Computer Systems (ECS) has announced two more designs for its G11 all-in-one (AIO) computer. The original ID1 is now being joined by the ID2 and ID4 models. The first one to be made available is the new ID2 (North Star) photo-frame style unit. ECS plans to make the ID4, an L-stand style model, available later this year. With the L-stand, users can easily adjust the height of the monitor as well as the viewing angle. The G11 is based on the Intel H61 Express chipset with support for second generation Core processors. Each style incorporates a 21.5” wide LED touch with 10-finger multi-touch support and up to 1920 x 1080 resolution.

ZOTAC Unveils ZBOX Nano VD01 Series Mini-PCs

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: October 6, 2011 08:18PM
Author: Daryn Govender

ZOTAC today unveiled its latest product, a "palm-sized" mini-PC dubbed the ZBOX nano VD01 series. The new ZBOX packs in a VIA Nano X2 U4025 CPU paired with the VX900H chipset, enabling excellent performance and low power consumption.

Carsten Berger, marketing director at ZOTAC International said that "ZOTAC is pleased to expand its mini-PC lineup with the addition of a VIA platform. The VIA Nano X2 with VX900H chipset enables us to deliver an affordable energy-efficient mini-PC that is ideal for digital media consumption and home server use with the ZOTAC ZBOX nano VD01 series."

VIA's Vice President of Marketing also mentioned that "ZOTAC is an industry leader of innovative mini-PC solutions. VIA is proud to partner with ZOTAC for the ZBOX nano VD01 series that highlights our energy efficient Nano X2 platform."

The ZBOX supports fluid playback of high definition video formats such as Blu-Ray, MPEG 2 and H.264. The mini-PC requires a 2.5" SATA hard drive and one DDR3 SO-DIMM memory stick, although the ZBOX nano VD01 Plus models are preinstalled with a 320GB hard drive and 2GB of DDR3 memory. Connectivity is covered by an ethernet port along with USB 2.0, USB 3.0 and eSATA support. ZOTAC did not disclose details regarding the availability or pricing of the ZBOX nano VD01 series of mini-PCs.

Toshiba Prepares Thrive 7" Tablet; Coming December

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: September 28, 2011 01:46AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Toshiba is busy preparing its latest Thrive tablet, this time a smaller 7" offering. The Thrive 7" tablet features a high resolution touchscreen (1280x800) coupled with Toshiba Adaptive Display and Resolution+ technology to enhance video and image quality. The Thrive packs in a NVIDIA Tegra 2 dual-core CPU and 1GB of RAM, along with either 16GB or 32GB of on-board flash memory. Other features include a microSD card slot for extra storage, two cameras (one 5MP rear with LED flash and one 2MP front), and micro HDMI and USB ports. All the basics such as WiFi, GPS and Bluetooth support are also covered. Android 3.2 is the OS of choice. The tablet also includes a gyroscope and stereo speakers, and weighs in at 0.88 pound. The Toshiba Thrive 7" tablet should be available in December, although Toshiba did not disclose details regarding the pricing of the new tablet.

NEC Announces LaVie Touch 10.1" Windows 7 Tablet

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: September 12, 2011 03:26AM
Author: Daryn Govender

NEC today announced its latest tablet, named the LaVie Touch. The new tablet packs in a 10.1" 1280x800 IPS panel, Intel's Oak Trail platform including a 1.5GHz Atom Z670 CPU, 2GB of RAM and a 64GB SSD. Connectivity is covered by 802.11b/g/n wireless, Bluetooth 2.1+EDR, two USB ports, a HDMI port, a SDHC card slot and a 1.3MP camera. The LaVie Touch runs on Windows 7 Home Premium and has a quoted battery life of 10.6 hours. The tablet will only be bundled with a "Multistation," a combination between a stand and a DVD-drive, along with a wireless mouse and keyboard. The NEC LaVie Touch will be available in Japan next month for around US$1,230, including the Multistation accessory.

Apple Quietly Launches Sub-$1k iMac

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: August 8, 2011 01:36PM
Author: F13Bubba

Parting from its usual Modus Operandi, Apple has quietly released a new iMac, priced at $999. The new computer features a 21.5 inch screen, a 3.1 GHz dual-core i3 cpu from Intel, as well as an AMD HD 6750m graphics card and a 250GB hard drive. The iMac also carries 2 GB of ram that oddly cannot be upgraded by the end user. While the lower price is a welcome change, don’t get too excited; the new offering from the tech giant was designed for educational institutions, and as such, cannot be purchased by general consumers.

HP Launches Llano-based Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition Laptops

Category: CPU's, Prebuilts
Posted: July 4, 2011 02:40AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Hewlett-Packard has launched its latest line of Pavilion dv6z Quad Edition laptops, this time with a twist. The Palo Alto-based company has added AMD processor configurations to its Quad Edition laptops for the first time, with previous releases being Intel-exclusive. HP has added five options from AMD's recently released Llano-series of Accelerated Processing Units (APUs). The new APUs range from the low-end A6-3400M running at 1.4GHz, to the high-end A8-3530MX clocked at a higher 1.9GHz. It is worth noting that the stock speeds can be increased to between 2.3 and 2.6GHz on selected cores using AMD Turbo technology. Processors aside, the dv6z Quad Edition laptops feature up to 16GB of memory backed by up to 1TB of 5400RPM storage, and are equipped with either an 1366x768 or 1920x1080 15.6" screen. Additional graphics options include a 512MB or 1GB GDDR5 Radeon video card. Connectivity options include HDMI 1.4, VGA, two USB 2.0 and two USB 3.0 ports, along with a webcam and optical drive (DVD or Blu-Ray). As always, 802.11b/g/n wireless and Bluetooth support come as standard. The Quad Edition laptops have a sleek design featuring an island-style keyboard, and will be available in either dark umber or steel gray color schemes. Windows 7 Home Premium is the operating system of choice. The Quad Edition laptops are available now, priced from $650.

Amiga Reborn for PC

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: June 29, 2011 11:15AM
Author: edwardquilo

The classic Amiga personal computer brand has been resurrected, this time as a series of new performance PCs. Put together by Commodore USA, the new company has licensed both the Amiga and Commodore brands. The company will also be producing a modern Commodore 64.

The new Amiga line consists of three variants: the small Amiga 1000, the huge Amiga 2000 and the Amiga 3000. The Amiga 1000 box is primarily intended for the HTPC crowd, the roomy Amiga 2000 leans more towards hardware enthusiasts, with support for seven expansion cards, full sized ATX PSU and motherboard support, and an optical drive. Lastly, the Amiga 3000 falls somewhere in between the 1000 and 2000, with support for a micro ATX motherboard, four low-profile expansion cards, four hard drives, an optical drive and a full-sized ATX PSU. Further details were not yet available, although Commodore USA has promised to reveal more information at a later time.

3D AIO From LG

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: June 1, 2011 03:40AM
Author: Birul Walidain

LG is known as a manufacturer of some of the best flat-screen TVs and monitors. The company is displaying its new V300 all-in-one system at Computex this week. The high-end configuration comes packed with a second-generation Core i7 CPU, AMD Radeon 6650M dedicated graphics, 750GB worth of storage, 8GB of DDR3 RAM, and a Blu-ray player to watch those high-def movies - all in just a 1.8 inch thick frame. The 23-inch monitor offers a multitouch screen and 3D with the help from the film-type patterned retarder panel and polarized glasses. Looks like a great idea for saving space while packing some punch. The V300 will first be launched in Korea, followed by Europe, the Middle East and Asia. There's no word whether the AIO will hit USA store shelves.

HP Releases 15.6" Pavilion g6s Sandy Bridge Notebook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 22, 2011 09:21PM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP today released its latest Sandy Bridge offering in the form of the Pavilion g6s notebook. The new 15.6" notebook is based on Intel's Sandy Bridge platform, packing in a second-generation Intel Core CPU (ranging up to a Core i7-2620M) supported by up to 8GB of memory and either Intel HD 3000 or Radeon HD 6470M graphics. Storage is provided by a conventional hard drive, up to 750GB. Other features include a DVD writer (8x), Altec Lansing audio and all the basics: LAN, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth (optional) and a 6-cell battery promising around 4 hours of battery life. On the outside the g6s includes a 15.6" display (1366x768), a sleek keyboard and a borderless touchpad. The HP Pavilion g6s is available in five colours, priced from US$549.99.

Apple Removes Ability to Change Main HDD in New iMacs

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: May 12, 2011 04:29PM
Author: Nick Harezga

Apple has taken an interesting position in its upcoming iMacs that support Thunderbolt. Other World Computing, a third party hardware vendor for Apple products, has announced that the main hard drive cannot be changed, or even moved. The company did find that a second drive could be installed without issue. The problems with the main drive arise because Apple decided to swap out an industry standard connector for a proprietary connector. Also installed was a proprietary temperature and fan control system. Without these two components, the system will fail an Apple Hardware Test and won't function. The only drives that can be used as a main drive will be those available through Apple.

Samsung Launches 13.3" Huron River-based Laptop

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 11, 2011 01:35AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Samsung today launched its latest laptop, named the QX412. The new laptop is based on Intel's Huron River platform and packs in a 2.5GHz Core i5-2520M CPU along with 4GB of memory, a 320GB hard drive and a NVIDIA GeForce GT 520M 1GB memory card. On the outside the laptop features a 14" LED-backlit screen (1366x768) with a 1.3MP webcam, a DVD writer, a Gigabit ethernet port, a card reader, a USB port and a HDMI output. Connectivity is covered by 802.11 b/g/n WiFi and Bluetooth 3.0 support. The laptop features a DuraCase aluminum cover and is powered by both Windows 7 Professional 64 bit and a six-cell battery. It is worth noting that this laptop is the size of a 13.3" laptop although it has a 14" screen. The Samsung QX412 is available now in Europe for around US$1,370 (€950).

HP Releases 14" Pavilion dm4x Sandy Bridge Laptop

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: May 5, 2011 01:41AM
Author: Daryn Govender

HP today released its latest Sandy Bridge-based (Huron River) laptop, the Pavilion dm4x. The new 14" laptop is powered by either a Core i5 or Core i7 CPU, up to 8GB of memory and a Radeon HD 6470M GPU with 1GB of GDDR3 memory. Storage is provided by one HDD (5400 or 7200RPM) up to 750GB. Connectivity is covered by 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Gigabit ethernet, a HD webcam, a media card reader, three USB 3.0 ports, one VGA port and one HDMI port. The dm4x is finished in brushed metal and features a "chiclet keyboard" along with a 14" 1366x768 LED display. Windows 7 64-bit (Home Premium or Professional) is the OS of choice, while juice is provided by a 6-cell battery. The HP pavilion dm4x is available now, starting at US$730.

ASUS Unveils New Lamborghini Laptop

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: May 4, 2011 05:03PM
Author: Nick Harezga

ASUS has long had a partnership with Lamborghini to produce high quality laptops bearing the Lamborghini mark. The newest addition, the VX7, hopes to continue that legacy. The design of the VX7 is based on the LP-640 Roadster, featuring the same piano paint in black or orange, sharp angles, and aluminum trim. Keeping with the Lamborghini theme, the VX7 features more power than almost all laptops. The quad core i7-2630QM is paired with 16GB of RAM, a GeForce 460M, and two 750GB 7200RPM hard drives. There are also a large line of accessories to go with the laptop that will cost you $2,069. Full specs can be found by following the link.

Apple Updates iMac Line - Thunderbolt and Sandy Bridge for All

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: May 3, 2011 02:28PM
Author: bp9801

The last time Apple did a refresh of a product line, it was for the MacBook Pros. Now, it is time for the iMacs to get an update and while each may look the same on the outside, it is what's inside that counts. The 21.5" and 27" iMac each get upgrades in the form of an Intel Sandy Bridge processor, beefier graphics, and an Intel Thunderbolt connection. The 21.5" model keeps the 1920x1080 IPS display but adds a 2.5GHz or 2.7GHz quad-core Core i5 processor, 500GB or 1TB hard drive and a AMD Radeon HD 6750M or 6770M GPU. The 27" model has the 2560x1440 IPS display and adds either a 2.7GHz or 3.1GHz quad-core Core i5 processor, 1TB hard drive, and an AMD HD 6770M or 6970M GPU. You can, of course, configure your iMac with up to a 3.4GHz quad-core Core i7 processor, up to 2TB of hard drive space, a 256GB SSD, and more RAM. The 21.5" model has one Intel Thunderbolt connection on the rear while the 27" model comes with two. On the front you will find a FaceTime HD camera to call any FaceTime-equipped Mac, iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

The new Apple iMacs are available now. The 21.5" model starts at $1,199 while the 27" begins at $1,699.

Toshiba's Glasses-less 3D Laptop

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: April 22, 2011 02:06PM
Author: Jeremy Holstein

A new glasses-free 3D laptop from Toshiba is on the way that will be a new member to the Qosmio family. Aside from being able to display 3D images and videos, this laptop can display 2D content as well. At the same time! The computer uses a "face tracker" that allows the webcam to send the proper images. This is done by sending a different image to each eye which is aided by the webcam which tracks the position of your face.

In addition to the awesome 3D features the laptop runs on an Intel Core i5-2410M processor and a GeForce GT540M for graphics. With up to 8GB of RAM and a Blu-ray player, this laptop can do just about anything. You will see this in stores starting in July. This is definitely something to keep an eye on.

Acer Prepares Aspire One 722 11.6" Fusion-based Netbook

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 18, 2011 09:12PM
Author: Daryn Govender

Acer is preparing an updated version of its Aspire One 522 netbook, dubbed the Aspire One 722, or AO722. The AO722 brings a few updates, most notably a 1366x768 11.6" display, a larger battery offering up to 7 hours of use and one extra speaker. Apart from those changes, the AO722 is essentially the same on the inside as the AO522, featuring a 1GHz AMD C-50 dual-core APU and Radeon HD 6250 graphics. The netbook will also have a water drop design similar to the AOD257. Windows 7 Starter will be the OS of choice. I'd expect to hear more details regarding the Aspire One 722 in the coming weeks.

MSI X370 Fusion-based Laptop Available in the U.S.

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 15, 2011 12:55AM
Author: Daryn Govender

AMD's Brazos platform is gaining momentum, with MSI releasing its latest laptop featuring the upcoming platform. The new laptop, named the X370, packs in a 1.6GHz E-350 dual core APU including Radeon HD 6310 graphics (supporting DirectX 11), 4GB of memory and a 13.4" 1366x768 LED-backlit display. Storage space is provided by a 500GB hard drive, while connectivity options include Gigabit Ethernet, 802.11 b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 2.1 support. A 1.3MP webcam and two SRS 2W speakers along with VGA and HDMI outputs complete the multimedia experience. Windows 7 Home Premium 64 bit will be the OS of choice. The MSI X370 features an 8-cell battery and is available now from Newegg, retailing at $600.

Dell Alienware M14x Laptop Pictured

Category: Prebuilts, Small Form Factor
Posted: April 5, 2011 01:50AM
Author: Daryn Govender

Dell's latest Alienware creation, the M14x laptop has been pictured, thanks to Chinese site zol.com.cn. The sleek M14x is targeted at the gamers, bearing the Alienware brand name. Packed inside the M14x obtained by zol.com.cn are a Core i7-2820QM quad-core CPU, NVIDIA's GeForce GT 555M including a whopping 3GB of DRR5 memory, backed by 4GB of RAM. Storage is sorted by a 7200RPM hard drive up to 750GB or a SSD up to 256GB. A 14" screen with a resolution of 1366x768 or 1920x1080 and a back-lit keyboard complete the machine. Other features include Klipsch speakers, a slot optical drive and all the mainstays: Gigabit ethernet, WiFi, HDMI, VGA and mini DisplayPort connectivity. An 8-cell battery will power this behemoth. It is worth noting that the M14x will be customisable, and most of the specs listed here can be changed. I'd expect Dell to reveal more official information on the M14x in the coming weeks.

Thanks to zol.com.cn for the pictures of the M14x. (Link in Chinese)

Lenovo Unveils Pair of Workstation Computers

Category: Prebuilts
Posted: March 28, 2011 04:15PM
Author: Nick Harezga

Lenovo sure seems busy today, having just made an announcement on laptops. Now, I bring news of something a little more stationary. The ThinkStation E30 features an Intel Xeon processor and a choice of SSD. Also included is the choice between NVIDIA Quadro or NVS graphics and up to 16GB of RAM. The ThinkCentre M81 is available in both full and small form factor, and an Intel processor. The M81 also features the option of an SSD, but doesn't come with the graphics horsepower of the E30.