Computer Systems News - Page 26

E3 2016 - The Alienware Alpha is one of the company's coolest achievements and something my wife and I use in my living room daily. It's half the size of a console but still keeps up with the majority of new PC games, and it boasts a completely unique and optional OS layer that runs on top of Windows but shoves traditional Windows annoyances out of the way. It can also double as a kick-ass little media PC. Today at E3, Alienware announced its Alpha is getting a few upgrades.

While I was personally hoping for it to rock an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070M, that card hasn't officially been announced yet -- even though we know mobile Pascal is coming soon. Instead, it's getting an upgraded NVIDIA GTX 960, now with 4GB of VRAM. AMD fans will be thrilled to hear that rocking a Radeon R9 M470X is also an option with the 2nd generation Alpha system.

Alienware tells us that by popular demand, the Alpha is also newly compatible with the Alienware Graphics Amplifier, opening it up to the world of high-end desktop-class gaming and VR. The Graphics Amp is now compatible with newer Alienware laptops, the Alpha, and all Alienware desktops.

E3 2016 -- We can't visit Alienware's E3 booth just yet, but the PC maker is unveiling a slew of upgraded systems this year including the Area 51. Alienware's full-tower desktop, which supports up to three full length video cards in SLI, is now getting a performance from Intel's Broadwell-E CPU and NVIDIA's Pascal GPUs.

If you want to run NVIDIA's VR Funhouse (which boasts an absurd amount of physics and particles), you can load it up with three NVIDIA GTX 1080 cards, or you can boost it with the insane (albeit a touch overpriced) 10-core Intel Core-i7 6950x. The Area 51 also supports AMD Radeon graphics, and we're sure that the upcoming RX 480 will get integrated once it's released.

Alienware Area-51 configuration options include:

It's day 0 at E3 2016, and Alienware has unleashed a slew of announcements, including the fact that Aurora, their mid-sized enthusiast PC offering, is getting a Pascal upgrade and a smaller footprint.

The Alienware Aurora is a dual-graphics capable PC with optional liquid CPU cooling, and has the distinction of being Alienware's first tool-less chassis, allowing easy access to your GPU and other peripherals.

Probably the most notable update to Aurora is the availability of NVIDIA's Pascal-based GTX 1080 and GTX 1070, available in single card or SLI configurations. AMD Radeon options are also available, and I have to imagine that once the RX 480 launches, it will be included in their configurations shortly thereafter.

E3 2016 - Origin's new Omni all-in-one gaming PC is now shipping, with it being an awesome 34-inch AIO gaming PC with a 21:9 UltraWide display packing some seriously fast hardware.

The Origin PC Omni features a 34-inch 3440x1440 curved panel, and inside you can configure it with Intel's latest Core i7-6950X processor, up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and even NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1080 video card. The Omni AIO gaming PC makes use of Origin's Frostbyte CPU liquid cooling system, and Origin's professional overclocking expertise. Origin boss Kevin Wasielewski and founder says: "All-in-one PC users no longer have to make comprises, the ORIGIN PC OMNI offers the full performance and upgradeability that games and enthusiasts crave. With it's gorgeous 34" Ultra-Wide 3440x1440 curved display, support for up to an Intel Core i7 6950X processor, 32GB of DDR4 Memory, and an NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1080, the ORIGIN PC OMNI delivers the best of every world".

Just how powerful is the Omni? Check out the all-in-one features, and what the best CPU and GPU can be packed inside of the 34-inch AIO gaming PC.

Computex 2016 - MSI has launched its new AEGIS and AEGIS X barebones PC systems, providing a stylish and performance-driven DIY solution for high-end gaming and VR.

With MSI's new AEGIS and AEGIS X barebones PCs, gamers can pack in potent, enthusiast-grade desktop PC hardware in a compact design that's perfect for LAN parties. The AEGIS duo can house full-sized powerhouse video cards like NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1080, with support for Intel's 6th Gen Skylake CPUs and an onboard 600W 80 Plus Silver PSU. Up to 32GB of DDR4 RAM can be slotted into the onboard motherboards, with room for two NVMe PCIE-E SSD's in Super RAID 4 configuration to enable blistering-fast data speeds of up to 3300MB/s. MSI's new Silent Storm Cooling 2 thermal system ensures "exceptional cooling and silence even under the most stressful battles" with two separate intake chambers that cool individual components.

The AEGIS X is fully optimized for hardcore VR and gaming performance, sporting one-touch overclocking with the Dragon OC button. The AEGIS X also rocks a liquid cooling solution to keep thermals at bay, with a full Z170 motherboard that fits Intel K-series CPUs (up to a Core i7-6700K) along with 32GB DDR4 RAM support. A front-facing HDMI-out pass through port enables easy VR headset hookups.

Computex 2016 - EVGA didn't just show off their custom GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 cards at Computex 2016, they also had their DG-87 gaming PC on show and what a beast it is.

EVGA's DG-87 PC is powered by the EVGA X99 Classified, 4 x EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti QRG video cards which are all watercooled, the CPU is watercooled by the EVGA QRC CPU cooler, while the entire system is powered by the EVGA 1600W T2 PSU. To get the 4-way GTX 980 Ti cards working, EVGA used their 4-way Pro SLI Bridge V2, with the entire system looking absolutely beautiful.

On the side of the system is an awesome reflective panel, where we have an LED read out and I/O. It looks ridiculous in person, and really catches you eye.

Computex 2016 - Digital Storm has just unveiled its amazing new Aura, a 34-inch all-in-one gaming PC that somehow manages to cram inside the next-gen Intel Core i7-6950X and NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1080 video card.

Digital Storm COO, Harjit Chana explains: "We're excited to announce the Aura, it's unlike anything we've offered. You can now truly have an immersive gaming experience in a slim AIO form factor".

With an innovative internal design, Digital Storm says that the Aura is easy to access and upgrade, with the video card, RAM, storage, process and motherboard all based from off-the-shelf components that can be "replaced or upgraded by users".

Computex 2016 - GIGABYTE has unveiled its new BRIX Gaming UHD mini-PC that's designed for 1080p gaming and running applications in 4K UHD.

GIGABYTE's new BRIX Gaming UHD ultra-compact mini-PC sports a discrete NVIDIA GeForce GTX 950 video card along with an Intel Core i7 Skylake-U processor to enable easy 1080p gaming across four displays, as well as applications in 4K UHD.

Users can slot in two DDR4 2133MHz SO-DIMM RAM sticks for high-performance speeds, and there's room for two 2.5" HDD/SSD's at 7 and 9.5 mm thickness via two 6Gbs SATA 3 slots. Ontop of those storage options, two M.2 SSD's can be equipped for high-speed storage.

Computex 2016 - GIGABYTE has a sweet looking new AIO for your system building pleasure. Dubbed the HKC X320 Plus, it features an R1800 Samsung curved panel, ultra thin PIO, a full-sized GPU slot, a backcover that's easy to take apart and put back together, and USB 3.0 support. Oh, and if you're worried about heat (as you should always be), it accommodates natural dissipation on top, while negative pressure dissipates the heat on bottom.

The display is your stock 1920x1080 60Hz, but interestingly, the panel is VA, which generally makes for good viewing angles, blacks, and contrast compared to other popular panels, but poor response times and ghosting. Response time here is GTG 8ms, while colour is measured at 10.7B; viewing angle is measured at 178 degrees both vertically and horizontally.

See below for supported hardware. There's no word yet on launch date or pricing, but stay tuned.

Computex 2016 - MSI is the latest to join the VR PC backpack craze with a new prototype model that essentially lets uses strap high-end PC hardware to their back for portable VR gaming.

The aim of MSI's new VR backpack--and others like it--is to abolish the irksome cords that tether VR users to desktop PCs, thereby making the experience much more mobile. Now that your hardware is on your back, there's no worry about tripping over cords while wearing room-tracking HMD's like the HTC Vive. The form factor for MSI's backpack is actually smaller than mini-ITX, but it supports full desktop-grade video cards like the GTX 980. In fact, MSI plans to slot in desktop-sized NVIDIA GeForce GTX 1070 and NVIDIA's new VR powerhouse the GeForce GTX 1080 into the backpack.

MSI has yet to fully announce the VR PC backpack and the hardware is still in its early stages. The unit demoed to press was a sample, and sported an Intel Skylake Core i7 K-series processor paired up with a desktop-grade NVIDIA GTX 980. Users will also be able to swap out and upgrade hardware components like video cards and power supplies. The demo unit provided about 90 minutes of VR gaming on a single charge, but the backpack can be plugged into a wall socket to continue gaming.