bridge

Gateway has been successful in bringing strong desktop systems to the budget-minded market with its DX series of multimedia PCs, and we're treated to another refresh to the whole line at CES 2011. With three additions including the DX4350-43, DX4850-27e, and DX4850-45, these PCs should hold true to their legacy as affordable, general-purpose PCs.

Under the hood, all three desktops will feature Intel's new second-generation Core i5 2300 processors, an Intel H67 Express Chipset, Wi-Fi, a Blu-ray player, and up to 3.5 terabytes of storage with the addition of Gateway's 1.5TB SATA hard drives--a big … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Here's a question we're interested in seeing answered over the next few months: will the 21-inch, $799.99 MSI WindTop AE2210 and its 2.7GHz Intel Core i5 2500s outperform one of the many similarly priced mainstream PCs from HP that have stuck with multicore AMD CPUs?

In truth, we suspect HP is savvy enough to manage its pricing accordingly, and while it is offering some AMD-based Pavilion Elite midtower PCs, it also has a few Sandy Bridge models of its own in that product line.

Still, we're curious to see what happens across the mainstream … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Rounding out its recently expanded Aspire Predator gaming desktops, Acer this morning announced a new budget-oriented Aspire Predator G3600.

For $899, and equipped with Intel's Sandy Bridge Core i5 2300 quad core chip and an Nvidia GeForce GT 420 graphics card, the Aspire Predator G3600 will join the high-end Predator G7000 line and the mid-range Predator G5000 series when it hits retail, which is supposed to happen today.

The budget G3600 packs a less stylized design than its line-mates, but it seems to offer a reasonably good deal for under $1,000. In addition to the CPU and … Read more

We can't say we like the busy design of MSI's new 23.6-inch WindTop AE2410 all-in-one, but it has some intriguing features, and starts at a reasonable price.

For $899 when it comes out later this quarter, the AE2410 will offer Intel's new Core i7 2630QM mobile Sandy Bridge CPU. You can opt for a discrete graphics card upgrade with this system, but its integrated Intel HD graphics core on the CPU may provide enough basic gaming and home entertainment capability for casual consumers. We'll know more once we can test a few of these mainstream … Read more

Three months ago, the Gateway SX 2850-33 earned our Editors' Choice Award for versatility and speed, and Gateway is upping the ante again with the introduction of four new additions to the SX line that feature Intel's new Sandy Bridge series of desktop chips. They are the SX2803-25e, SX2851-09e, SX2851-41, and SX2851-41e.

Design-wise, the SX desktops still feature the curves we praised in the past, but Gateway has updated the top of the chassis with a padded "device deck" that should be handy for storing MP3 players, external hard drives, and various cameras. Additionally, the front lip … Read more

Editor's note: This live event has concluded. For a brief rundown of what was announced, check out our summary post here. You can also replay our live blog in the Cover It Live module below.

LAS VEGAS--Intel has already shared a few details about its plans for 2011, but will likely get into a lot more detail today during its CES 2011 press conference.

And this is the place to be, live from the Venetian Hotel in Las Vegas, where several tech companies are holding press events Wednesday. You can get our up-to-the-minute updates in the Cover It Live … Read more

LAS VEGAS--If you plan on getting one of those new 450Mbps wireless routers and access points from Trendnet, such as the TEW-691GR or the TEW-692GR, you'll need wireless clients or adapters that can take advantage of the new higher speed.

Today the company announced a product of the sort, something it calls the "first 450Mbps Wireless-N gaming adapter," the TEW-687GA.

This is a wireless device that adds wireless capability to Ethernet-ready devices, such as computers, gaming consoles, televisions, media players, and so on. Traditionally, these devices have required a network cable to connect to a network.

Gaming … Read more

Intel is officially announcing its next-generation processor tomorrow--and Hollywood is playing a big role.

Sandy Bridge--or what Intel now calls the 2nd Generation Intel Core processor family--is a big step for the chipmaker because, for the first time in a mainstream product, the graphics chip is grafted directly onto the main processor, boosting performance. This design essentially provides the graphics function for free, allowing PC makers to bring out laptops that don't have to always rely on separate graphics processors from Advanced Micro Devices or Nvidia. (For more on the technical details of the new chip, see this companion report.) … Read more

LAS VEGAS--On the eve of the 2011 CES show, Intel has officially unveiled the details about its new line of desktop and laptop CPUs. Code-named Sandy Bridge, these chips will in actuality carry the same Core i3/i5/i7 naming as the 2010 generation of Intel processors.

The basics of the Sandy Bridge platform have been known for some time, and a few PCs with the new chips have even leaked onto the market early.

According to Intel, highlights of the second-generation Core processors, built around a new 32nm microarchitecture, include more energy-efficient performance and improved 3D and graphics performance. … Read more