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Gateway FX P-7805u Laptop

Let’s face it people, desktop replacements are in. And in case you had idea to the contrary, just trust me, take my cue, and pretend you knew it all along too. And so allow me to present… the Gateway FX P-7805u!

Ok, so there aren’t exactly any red carpets or flashing paparazzi for this one. But while the Gateway FX P-7805u isn’t the machine that’ll get you green-eyes looks from a mile off, it is exactly the kind of notebook you’re looking for if you have a good balance of price and performance in mind, especially for gaming. For just a mere $1299 (usually available for less at most Best Buy stores), you get the performance of a 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400 CPU, 4GB RAM (1066MHz DDR2) and an Nvidia GeForce 9800 GTS. The bad news? Its 17” screen gives you the resolution of a mere 1,440×900. A somewhat disappointing cost-cutting measure (but hey, at least it cut the cost), especially for avid gamers looking to get the maximum possible performance out of their computers, but this machine isn’t really for one of those.  It’s intended to be able to run most available games, (though maybe not always at the highest graphics settings) and be an economical buy at the same time. After all, outrageous performance machines also must inevitably come with outrageous price tags.

The final verdict? A bit low on the visual delight end because of its comparatively lower resolution, but that isn’t really a deal-breaker. For a gamer with a budget, this machine is seriously worth considering.

CyberPower Gamer Xtreme 3D Desktops

Heigh-ho. Another plain old gaming desktop… Are you crazy?! Go ahead, just a take a look at one of these beauties!

The CyberPower Gamer Xtreme desktops floor you from the word go- they don’t even need those 3D goggles to dazzle you. Better yet, this monster’s exists so you can actually use it to play every single game in the market, rather than just wish you could while staring wistfully at its price tag through the glass casing of a display showroom. Prices for the series start at an extremely reasonable $1299 (for AMD; as Intel based set up starts at $1839). And do you get your money’s worth?

Well, judging from specifications given below, we’d have to say…

Intel Core i7-920 2.66GHz CPU (Overclocked to 3.0GHz)/ Phenom II X3 720 Black Edition triple-core CPU (for AMD)

ASUS P6T Deluxe Motherboard

3GB Kingston Hyper-X 1800MHz DDR3 Memory

Sapphire Radeon 4870 X2 2GB Video Card

600W Thermaltake Toughpower Power Supply

1TB SATA II Hard Drive

Sony BR-5100S Blu-ray Drive

Sony 20x Lightscribe DVDRW

22-inch Samsung Syncmaster 2233RZ 120Hz LCD monitor

ASETEK 120mm Watercooler (CPU)

Thermaltake Spedo Advanced Case

Windows Vista Home Premium 64bit

Logitech EX 110 cordless combo

3D Vision stereoscopic glasses

…oh, yeah! Do you ever!

So the packaging may be bulkier than you expect. This machine has still wowed all circles for its delivering one of the most solid price-performance combo around. Bigger does mean better sometimes.

Alienware Area-51 M17 Laptop

An Alienware desktop replacement with an under $2000 price tag, yes it is not a joke!

Your prayers have finally been answered. Finally, there’s an Alienware for everyone.

The M17 is the more affordable (read: watered down) version of the outrageously-over-the-top M17x. It trades in the Nvidia graphics for ATI (including a multi-GPU CrossFireX option) and also includes optional Intel Quad Core 2 Extreme CPUs (the standard, however, being a 2.26GHz Intel Core 2 Duo P8400). The price-cut reflects in the other components too. The M17 has just 3GB of RAM and a 160 GB hard drive. The latter does tend to disappoint (especially when you think of the 1TB that you could get with the M17x), but then again, aren’t we forgetting something? Like the $6000 bill that that same M17x will set you back with? In comparison, the M17 is priced from between $1400 to $2000. Mere peanuts in comparison!

In conclusion, it must be said that the M17 isn’t exactly the best that you could be getting. It’s not just about undue comparisons with its majorly-out-of-its-league cousin, even in terms of value for money it is outdone by the Gateway P-7811FX. But you might not care anyway. After all, the hypnotic lure of an otherworldly denizen with green eyes is too much to resist…

Playstation 3 Slim

The smaller, lighter, quieter (and cheaper!) version of the to-die-for gaming console is already out in the market, thanks to Amazon (and, most probably, your local Best Buy store too… rush!), and never mind Sony’s official release date of 1^st September.

The PS3 Slim has been worked down to just 7.05 lb in comparison to the 11 lb of its older models, and sports a matte finish to cut costs. In fact, this new model is all about cutting costs. At $299, it’s a $100 cheaper than the original 160GB PS3, and having a capacity of 120GB itself it’s infinitely preferable to the older 80GB model which comes at the same price. Also, it consumes significantly less power than the older PS3 ‘Fat’ models (the difference won’t be much initially, but it’ll make a definite improvement in your electric bill… in a few years time). The model also adds the ability to bitstream Dolby TrueHD and DTS-HD audio, but is no longer Linux compatible. However, the biggest let-down of the PS3 Slim is that it’s still not fully back compatible. While it can run all PS1 applications, the lack of PS2 compatibility has left a significant number of fans high and dry (no Final Fantasy XII for you… can you say ‘ouch’?)

All in all, in comparison to the older models, the new PS3 Slim is definitely a better buy. However, aside from being lighter on the back and on your pocket, it doesn’t really add anything new. Also, with the Xbox 360 Elite due to cut its cost down to $300 as well as of 28^th August, the competition is also back on in the game.

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