$5011
Features:
Hard drive storage capacity:
1TBGraphics processor: 2 x GeForce GTX 280
Installed memory (RAM): 2GB
Processor: Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650
Processor speed: 4.2GHz
Pros:
Excellent DirectX-10 gaming performance, looks good, very well built, overclocked to 4.2GHz, liquid cooled
Cons:
Doesn't use 10,000rpm hard drives, consumes a lot of electricity
The final word:
If you're a serious gamer, you need a serious machine - and a serious wallet. This $5011 Altech NRG PC is about as serious as they come. It's beautifully built, has a GeForce GTX 280 SLI graphics card configuration and plenty of straight-line speed thanks to its overclocked quad-core CPU.
THERE are normal PCs, and then there are statement PCs.
Altech's NRG is one of the latter and it's designed with high-end gamers in mind. It's the "don't mess with me or you'll get creamed" statement that's heard loudest from its fans' synchronous whispering, and it's definitely one of the best built and most intimidating machines we've seen in a while.
It stands out from the crowd not only because of its liquid-cooled quad-core processor, but also because it has two Inno3D GeForce GTX 280 graphics cards set up in an SLI configuration. They give the PC enough 3-D grunt to smoothly render pretty much all current games on the market. They propelled the system to a score of 21,700 in 3DMark06, which is a tremendous result, and they also had no problems churning through frames while running at the highest possible graphics settings in the DirectX 10-based Call of Juarez and Lost Planet: Extreme Condition benchmarks; the system averaged 65 frames per second in the Call of Juarez test and 54fps in Lost Planet.
In the Blender 3D test, the CPU used all of its four cores to render a test job in only 22sec. Meanwhile, it took 38sec to encode 53min worth of WAV files to 192Kbps ap3s. Both times are very fast, so there's no doubt this machine will suit the keen video editor or anyone else who does a lot of encoding.
Cooling the overclocked CPU is an Alphacool liquid cooling kit, which seems to fit perfectly in the machine's Antec Twelve Hundred full-tower case. Its pump sits at the bottom-front of the machine, and it feeds UV-reactive coolant through green pipes, which are attached to the reservoir at the top-front of the machine, and the radiator, which is attached to the ceiling of the case. The reservoir can be seen from the front of the machine, while the side panel is windowed and exposes the lovely, cold-cathode-illuminated craftsmanship of the interior.
Despite being liquid cooled, it's not a quiet machine by any means. In fact, it's damn loud. There are no fewer than 15 fans in the system when you count all the memory, graphics and power supply fans along with the case fans, but this shouldn't faze most gamers unless they have poor headphones or speakers. It's not a machine that you'll want to leave switched on overnight though. Not only will its lights and fans be bothersome, but it will also consume a lot of power. We measured its power consumption at over 310W when just browsing the web, over 420W when using all four cores to render a 3-D project, and 590W when running a DirectX 10-based game at high settings. Even when it's switched off, it will still draw 60W from the outlet.
We love the way it has been assembled though. All cabling has been routed between the case's motherboard base and right-hand side panel, which means the system is very much a hallmark of neatness. The combination of blue lights along with the yellowish-green tubing looks quite good and should provide a nice ambience when gaming in the dark, unless you place the unit under a table.
An aspect of the NRG that's a bit of a let-down is its storage. Our test machine shipped with two 7200rpm, 500 GB Hitachi hard drives in a RAID 0 array, and while these turned in a fast performance (they combined to produce a 49.3MBps file transfer result), a couple of Western Digital VelociRaptor (WD3000GLFS) drives would make this machine even faster. We think that if you're going to be spending over five grand on a gaming system, you may as well go all the way and put in the faster disk system.
In saying that, the NRG is still a monster and it was a pleasure using it. If you want a pre-built system that's fast and looks great, and it's within your budget, then it's hard to overlook it.
Showing posts with label LATEST COMPUTER. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LATEST COMPUTER. Show all posts
Friday, October 3, 2008
LATEST COMPUTER REVIEWS:Altech NRG-W-02
Sunday, September 28, 2008
LATEST GADGETS: LAPTOP IV - EGO LAPTOPS
Bentley Motors launches $19,800 'Ego' laptopGet out your checkbook? or maybe take out a second mortgage.
Running Microsoft Vista software, the laptop has a 64-bit processor and a 160GB hard drive. And Bentley being nothing if not stylish, the notebook is encircled with a white gold frame engraved with the limited edition number.
Looking more like an expensive handbag than a laptop when it's closed, the outside of the machine is trimmed with "Bentley leather" and styled with Bentley cross-over hand stitching.
The Ego laptop, of course, can be ordered to look like your Bentley automobile. According to the company, the color options of the lacquered inside matches the car's most popular exterior paint colors.
Bentley also notes that the laptop has an ergonomic, integrated handle designed to "remove the need for an unattractive bag or case."
"It perhaps isn't the value leader in the notebook market -- maybe $1,500 worth of technology, plus another $1,000 for the case, coupled with meager support, all for only $19,000," said Dan Olds, principal analyst with the Gabriel Consulting Group. "All this thing brings to the table is a cool handle, a durable outer case, and some assignable keys. This thing is ostentatious enough to give Paris Hilton pause? Their brand name of "Ego" really sums everything up perfectly."
Bentley Motors teamed up with Ego Lifestyle on the ultra high-end laptop project. Ego Lifestyle designs and sells high-end consumer electronics.
The Bentley laptop comes as organizations like One Laptop Per Child work to bring $100 laptops to the worldwide masses. Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to sell the OLPC organization's low-cost XO notebook computer in November.
Looking more like an expensive handbag than a laptop when it's closed, the outside of the machine is trimmed with "Bentley leather" and styled with Bentley cross-over hand stitching.
The Ego laptop, of course, can be ordered to look like your Bentley automobile. According to the company, the color options of the lacquered inside matches the car's most popular exterior paint colors.
Bentley also notes that the laptop has an ergonomic, integrated handle designed to "remove the need for an unattractive bag or case.""It perhaps isn't the value leader in the notebook market -- maybe $1,500 worth of technology, plus another $1,000 for the case, coupled with meager support, all for only $19,000," said Dan Olds, principal analyst with the Gabriel Consulting Group. "All this thing brings to the table is a cool handle, a durable outer case, and some assignable keys. This thing is ostentatious enough to give Paris Hilton pause? Their brand name of "Ego" really sums everything up perfectly."
Bentley Motors teamed up with Ego Lifestyle on the ultra high-end laptop project. Ego Lifestyle designs and sells high-end consumer electronics.
The Bentley laptop comes as organizations like One Laptop Per Child work to bring $100 laptops to the worldwide masses. Amazon.com Inc. has agreed to sell the OLPC organization's low-cost XO notebook computer in November.
Friday, September 26, 2008
LATEST WACKY GADGETS: BATMAN GADGETS
After the latest Batman movie, The Dark Knight, the Batman fever is catching everyone from kids to big boys. “Everybody likes Batman. He’s a superhero we can relate to. Unlike Superman or, say, the Incredible Hulk, Batman isn’t an alien or mutant. He’s just a regular guy who makes himself “super” using mobile gadgets.
Batman offers a “what if” fantasy of gadget extremism. What if you were a billionaire and had control over a world-class military R&D lab that produced devices just for you?
Batman is in the crime-fighting racket. And he’s better than other crime fighters because he’s got better devices, computers, cars and weapons — and has trained himself how to use them.
But most of us don’t fight crime. We’re IT professionals and lawyers and technology columnists. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be like Batman and transform ourselves into superheroes in our own professions by buying and mastering extreme devices.
Batman gadgets tend to be very rugged, bleeding edge and numerous. Batman would never hold back and buy sensible, practical gadgets. He goes all out and gets the most powerful, advanced and rugged gadgets possible. You can, too.” Check out the batman style gadgets that you can use on your day to day life.
Batman offers a “what if” fantasy of gadget extremism. What if you were a billionaire and had control over a world-class military R&D lab that produced devices just for you?
Batman is in the crime-fighting racket. And he’s better than other crime fighters because he’s got better devices, computers, cars and weapons — and has trained himself how to use them.
But most of us don’t fight crime. We’re IT professionals and lawyers and technology columnists. But that doesn’t mean we can’t be like Batman and transform ourselves into superheroes in our own professions by buying and mastering extreme devices.
Batman gadgets tend to be very rugged, bleeding edge and numerous. Batman would never hold back and buy sensible, practical gadgets. He goes all out and gets the most powerful, advanced and rugged gadgets possible. You can, too.” Check out the batman style gadgets that you can use on your day to day life.
BAT-WATCH
BAT-GLASSES
BAT-PHONE
Bat-Ultra Mobile
BAT-PC
LATEST GADGETS: LAPTOP III
ASUS U3S A1W - Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2 GHz - 13.3" TFT
This by the way is my baby right now, I just brought this over yahoo shopping. It is so light and works perfectly. The only thing is that it has limited memory though I use external drive so it's not much of a problem with me. Overall the laptop is the best for me so far.
Description
The latest technology now comes in a sleek package with lightweight slimness. Enjoy revolutionary entertainment on the go - Intel Technology in U3S enables breakthrough mobile performance, new high-definition capabilities and improved battery life.
The latest technology now comes in a sleek package with lightweight slimness. Enjoy revolutionary entertainment on the go - Intel Technology in U3S enables breakthrough mobile performance, new high-definition capabilities and improved battery life.
Main Specifications
Manufacturer Part # U3S-A1W
Brand ASUS COMPUTER INTL
Product Description ASUS U3S A1W - Core 2 Duo T7500 2.2 GHz - 13.3" TFT
Dimensions (WxDxH) 12.5 in x 9.6 in x 1.3 in
Weight 3.9 lbs
Platform Technology Intel Centrino Duo
System Type Notebook
Built-in Devices Stereo speakers, wireless LAN antenna, GPS, Bluetooth antenna
Embedded Security Trusted Platform Module (TPM)
Security Chip , fingerprint reader
Processor Intel Core 2 Duo T7500 / 2.2 GHz ( Dual-Core )
Cache Memory 4 MB - L2 cache
RAM 1.5 GB (installed) / 2.5 GB (max) - DDR2 SDRAM - 667 MHz ( 1 x 1 GB + 512 MB (soldered) )
Card Reader 8 in 1
Hard Drive 160 GB - Serial ATA-150 - 5400 rpm
Display 13.3" TFT 1280 x 800 ( WXGA )
Graphics Controller NVIDIA GeForce 8400M G - 128 MB
Audio Output Sound card
Telecom Fax / modem - MDC - 56 Kbps
Networking Network adapter - Ethernet, Fast Ethernet, Gigabit Ethernet, IEEE 802.11b, IEEE 802.11a, IEEE 802.11g, IEEE 802.11n (draft), Bluetooth 2.0
Wireless NIC Intel Wireless WiFi Link 4965AGN
Notebook Camera Integrated - 1.3 Megapixel
Input Device Keyboard, touchpad
Power AC 120/230 V ( 50/60 Hz )
Battery Lithium ion
Operating System Microsoft Windows Vista Business
Manufacturer Warranty 2 years warranty
LATEST GADGETS: LAPTOP II Touchscreen
If you own a laptop you probably are familiar with the worries you have to put up with when traveling with your computer. If don’t have a desk job you and your computer is not safe strapped to your office desk then you are aware of the special precautions for your laptop when, for instance it is raining, you are traveling on a dusty road, living in a humid climate or are on a bumpy ride. Well, that means the guys from Tablet Kiosk were thinking of you when they designed the heavy-duty portable PC Sahara TufTab.Equipped with an Intel Celeron 1.0GHz processor and 1 GB of RAM, the Sahara TufTab is not only all muscles but has brains too. It is able to connect through Bluetooth, it is highly secured by fingerprint scanning and its 12.1” LCD touch screen has a feature that’s lacking most laptops, you can see the writing even under bright sun-light.It weighs no more then 1.7 kg. You can carry it around using a hand strap. It has Windows Microsoft XP preinstalled but also has an extra option of installing SUSE Linux. The prices begin with 2.099$.
LATEST GADGETS: LAPTOP
For businessmen who spent more time traveling then sleeping, Fujitsu came up with a new model. In their continuous research for improving convertible tablet PCs they came up with new ultra light models that even though they have lost few functions they are perfectly portable.The difference between the models is firstly the processors they use as one works with a P70WN and a Solo U1400while the other operates with a P50WN and a Celeron M443.They both have between 60 to 80 GB hard drive space, you can feast your eyes on an 8.9 inch touch screen display with a resolution of 1280 x 768. And can you believe this whole package weighs only 1 KG? Well for the time being we don’t have a precise price to give you but hey, if there’s any consolation, look how pretty it is!
LATEST GADGETS:Computers
Three new models of desktop PC series have been launched into the market by HP. The three models of the Pavilion Slimline series are s3000, a6000 and m8000. The first one comes with 1GB of RAM, and you can pick either a AMD CPU or an Intel CPU, but for the later you have to pay an extra 50$. If not you can buy it for 500$. The PC can be set with a low graphic card, maybe a TV tuner and a Pocket Media Drive.You can buy the a6000 at a lower price then the s3000. It’s just 330$ but you would be throwing off some memory because it has only 512 MB of RAM. But the bright side is that it comes with an Intel CPU, a Pocket Media Drive and a graphics card. But the “jewel of the crown” is the m8000. And the price says so to. At 950$ it has a DVD drive and again you can pick between a dual core AMD or Intel processor. All three models have Windows Vista preinstalled.
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