We all know that the SSD has many benefits when compared to a traditional HDD. One of those benefits is speed. You get faster boot times and your apps load faster from a SSD. Another big benefit from a SSD is longer battery life, but the SSD is also much more robust than a HDD.
It’s common when a notebook is dropped for the machine itself to survive the fall, but the traditional HDD inside can be damaged rendering any data on the drive inaccessible. iBUYPOWER has put a corny video up on YouTube to prove how strong the Intel SSDs it offers as options are.
The notebook was dropped from about waist height to start with and the machine and SSD were fine afterwards. Not satisfied, the guys went to the roof and dropped the notebook onto its edge from a single story up. The notebook was seriously killed. The SSD on the other hand worked just fine in a desktop docking station. Check out the YouTube video below.
iBUYPOWER is a maker of all sorts of gaming computers with notebooks and desktops among its offerings. The machines are available in a bunch of different price ranges with all the hardware that a gamer would want regardless of if they prefer Intel or AMD based machines.
The company has announced a new gaming PC called the LAN Warrior II that is designed for the gamer who likes to go to LAN parties and wants a more compact gaming PC that is luggable and still wants performance. The rig is crammed inside the new NZXT Vulcan micro ATX chassis with a carry handle. The case itself is 40% smaller than full tower cases.
Pricing for the machine starts at $999 and it uses a variety of Intel Core i7 CPUs, up to 24GB of RAM, and can have dual high-end ATI or NVIDIA video cards. The machine comes with a robust air cooling system with multiple fans and a liquid cooling option is coming soon.
I haven’t purchased a desktop computer in years; I like to build my own. One of the things I don’t really do a good job of is routing the wires that I don’t use inside the machine. My routing job usually consists of cramming the extra wires into the vacant 5.25-inch bays in the front of the computer.
If you aren’t the roll your own type, iBUYPOWER has a bunch of different desktop computers designed to suit different needs from gaming to media use. The company has announced that it is now offering a professional wiring upgrade that makes the inside of your rig look as good as the outside with wire routing.
Routing of the wires is important for cooling, but on PCs with side windows wire routing also makes the machine look better as well. The company uses individual sleeves on the 24-pin system power plug, 8-pin CPU power, and SATA power connectors for an extra $19. That is actually very cheap.
iBUYPOWER has joined CyberPower in updating their gaming desktop PC range with AMD’s new Phenom II X6 hexacore CPUs. The Chimera 2-Q, Gamer Fire and Gamer HAF models all can be specified with the new processor, and prices kick off at $999.
Both the Phenom II X6 1055T and 1090T are on offer – the latter being standard fit on the Killer Chimera 2-Q, from $1,639 – paired with various single and dual graphics cards from ATI. As we saw from reviews earlier today, the new AMD hexacores may pale in comparison to Intel’s Core i7 hexacore when it comes to raw performance, but they’re also considerably cheaper meaning you get a decent overall system for a relatively wallet-friendly price.
As well as gaming, iBUYPOWER reckon the updated PCs would be particularly well suited to multimedia editing; that’s because the six-core CPUs unsurprisingly handle multi-threaded apps particularly well. They’re all available to configure online now.
Press Release:
iBUYPOWER Upgrades Chimera 2-Q, Gamer Fire and Gamer HAF Systems With New Blazing Fast Six-Core
El Monte, CA – April 26, 2010 – iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce it is now offering the four new Phenom II x6 six-core processors on its Chimera 2-Q, Gamer Fire and Gamer HAF lines. The new 6-core processors from AMD provide gamers with an affordable 6 core CPU that excels at multitasking and multithreaded activities like movie encoding or gaming.
The Phenom II processors all feature AMD’s Turbo Core Speed Technology, which automatically overclocks the CPU for a quick burst of speed when opening a program or batch processing images and files. The intelligent technology can increase the processor speed by as much as 19%.
“At iBUYPOWER we are committed to offering our customers the best components available as soon as they become available,” said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. “We are thrilled to be among the first to offer AMD’s fastest processor ever.”
The Chimera 2 gaming systems are built in the iBUYPOWER’s signature Chimera Inferno II Chassis. The systems are the second generation of fiery gaming rigs named after the legendary beast, and are designed inside-and-out for an epic gaming experience. The Chimera 2 is a true evolution of system design, featuring visual, thermal, acoustic, and performance advancements.
The iBUYPOWER Phenom II x6 six core systems start at $999 and are available now at www.iBUYPOWER.com
FULL SPECS BELOW
Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable gaming PC at www.iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.
Recently it’s been all desktops from iBUYPOWER, but the company has outed a new notebook and it looks pretty decent. The iBUYPOWER Battalion Touch CZ-11 range packs Intel Core i7 processors, ATI Radeon HD 5650 graphics and a 15.6-inch Full HD 1920 x 1080 display, the latter of which is multitouch-capable.
Whether a multitouch display will actually help you with your gaming is open to debate, but we won’t argue with the Touch CZ-11’s specs in general. As well as a 500GB hard-drive and optional Blu ray, there’s 4GB of RAM and WiFi b/g/n, together with a DVD burner as standard.
OS is Windows 7 Home Premium. The iBUYPOWER Battalion Touch CZ-11 range kicks off at $1,100, but expect to pay upward of $1,299 if you want a decent gaming configuration with the Intel Core i7-720QM CPU.
Press Release:
iBUYPOWER Announces Availability of Battalion Touch CZ-11 with Intel Core i7 Processor and Full HD 1080 LCD
El Monte, CA – March 30, 2010 – iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator in gaming PCs, is excited to announce availability of the new multi-touch gaming notebook – Battalion Touch CZ-11. Launching on the heels of the highly successful Battalion Touch CZ-10, the CZ-11 is second in a line of new multi-touch notebooks from iBUYPOWER. iBUYPOWER Battalion Touch Notebooks are the only multi-touch gaming notebooks currently available anywhere in the world.
“Multi-touch is one of the fastest growing PC gaming interfaces,” said Darren Su, Executive Vice President of iBUYPOWER. “Pairing those capabilities with a Core i7 processor, high definition LCD and graphics card allows the CZ-11 to meet the mobile gaming needs of almost any user.”
The Battalion Touch multi touch gaming notebooks are perfect for Real-Time strategy gaming titles like R.U.S.E from Ubisoft, which is available in Beta now and due out on June 3 of this year. The beta has already been downloaded by well over 1 million gamers worldwide.
iBUYPOWER’s newest 15-inch multi-touch gaming notebook features a Full HD 1920×1080 LCD with DirectX-11 capable graphics and the powerful new Intel Core i7- mobile processor. The CZ-11 also features 4GB of DDR3 memory, an ATI Radeon HD 5650 DirectX 11 graphics card, 500 GB hard drive and an optional Blu-ray drive. Starting at a gaming-ready configuration for just $1,299, the Battalion Touch CZ-11 can be customized to meet your needs for as low as $1,100.
Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable gaming PC at www.iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.
With the arrival of Intel’s Core i7-980X hexacore processor, we’re told we can expect even greater extremes of performance; several gaming and workstation manufacturers have already announced new models using the desktop CPU. Custom desktop builder iBuyPower sent over their latest machine, the Paladin F Series Desktop, pairing the i7-980X with dual ATI graphics and liquid-cooling. Could this be the fastest desktop we’ve ever tested? Read on for the full SlashGear review.
Since iBuyPower allow customization on pretty much every aspect of their machines, you can take the spec list with a pinch of salt; it’s configurable depending on your intentions and budget. Our review unit had the 3.33GHz Intel Core i7-980X processor, 6GB of DDR3-1600 memory, a Gigabyte GA-X58A-UD5 motherboard using Intel’s X58 chipset and, among other things, two USB 3.0 ports, and two ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics cards set up in ATI CrossFire configuration. Asetek 550LC liquid-cooling keeps everything cool and quiet, and there are two drives: a 40GB Intel X25-V SSD for the OS – in this case Windows 7 Home Premium – and a 1.5TB Seagate SATA 7,200rpm hard-drive for data. A 1,000W PSU, both Blu-ray and DVD drives, and a distinctive Coolermaster HAF 922 case round things out, and iBP Labs Level 2 Powerdrive Overclocking service means the Paladin F is already kicking above its weight when it leaves the factory.
Intel’s Core i7-980X Extreme processor is the company’s latest flagship, built on 32nm processors like previous Core i7 chips but packing six cores each running at 3.33GHz. The processor also has more L3 cache than earlier versions – 12MB versus 8MB – and boosted QuickPath Interconnect speed, at up to 6.4 Gt/s; Intel have made better use of that cache, too, thanks to Advanced Smart Cache which can dynamically allocate the memory depending on each core’s workload. Finally you get Hyper Threading and Turbo Boost.
Meanwhile AMD’s ATI Radeon HD 5870 graphics card has already carved a niche for itself among gamers, and with good reason. Built on 40nm processes, each card – the Paladin F has two, remember – has an 850MHz core clock speed, 1,600 stream processors and 153.6GBps memory bandwidth. Each card has two DVI ports, an HDMI and a DisplayPort connector, and is capable of 2560 x 1600 maximum resolution.
As you might expect, that sort of specification adds up to superlative performance, and our benchmarking certainly didn’t disappoint. We started off with Windows 7’s own “Experience Index”, which assesses key components on a scale of 1.0 to 7.9. The iBuyPower PC scored 7.3 overall, only held back by its primary hard-drive data transfer rate; it scored 7.8 each for processor, memory, graphics and gaming graphics.
We then moved on to Geekbench, a synthetic test of processor and memory performance, and the iBuyPower system came back with a whopping 15,710 points. Contrast that with Apple’s Mac Pro – a system we’re still awaiting a Core i7-980X update for – the dual-CPU configuration of which we benchmarked seven months ago. Running two 2.66GHz quadcore Intel Xeon processors, the Apple desktop scored 9502 in comparison.
Finally we loaded up PCMark, often used to give more of an insight into how a system will perform in various tasks such as gaming, productivity and entertainment. The iBuyPower scored 19,174 PCMarks overall, with a huge 24,629 in the Gaming Suite category.
If it wasn’t already clear, Intel’s CPU – with the help of a well configured system – has no shortage of power. Users demanding the very highest frame-rates in today’s games, as well as the overhead to handle whatever titles are on the horizon, should frankly look no further. Throw into the mixture the ability to overclock the Core i7-980X to over 4GHz – we’ve seen at least one system builder offering a factory overclock of up to 4.4GHz – and the ambitious PC owner unafraid to tinker with BIOS settings could readily squeeze out even more performance.
The downside is, of course, price. A system using the same core components as our review unit – the CPU, memory, motherboard, dual graphics cards, SSD/HDD combo and PSU – comes in at over $3,000; with the bells & whistles iBuyPower added to our system you’re looking at more like $3,299. Is it worth the price? For everyday users, everyday gamers, everyday video editors… no, perhaps not; for a considerable reduction in price you can have a merely moderate drop in performance. Meanwhile the hexacore processor is to be just the first of a range of chips, and costs will inevitably fall over the coming months.
Still, the people considering the iBuyPower system are doing more than balancing sticker price with functionality, and if you have to have the fastest performing PC right now then you need to have Intel’s Core i7-980X inside. What most users will be asking the iBuyPower system to do won’t probably touch the edges of its capabilities, but that doesn’t undermine the fact that this is an incredible PC.
We’ve got to hand it to iBUYPOWER. They know how to release the computer that just look fun to use. The Paladin series, announced today, is no difference. This is one of those products that we just want to touch. Sure, it doesn’t hurt that the innards of these things make us want to actually use them. The company has officially announced the latest in their Paladin series, and these are definitely a chip off the old block.
Each of the four different variations of the Paladin are issued with the new Intel Core i7 980X Extreme Edition Processor, which makes the system quite the healthy benchmark demolisher. As the press release reads, the new systems are “extremely overclockable, and allow unmatched multitasking capability.” We just love the word overclockable. It’s unique. In any event, iBUYPOWER is banking on the fact that gamers won’t have to worry about how many windows/browsers they have open anymore, let alone if they’re listening to their favorite music or using GameSpeak, due to their machine’s power.
The Paladin F950, F970, and XLC V3 are all equipped with 12GB of DDR3 memory, provide at least 1 TB of storage, and have Blu-Ray Disc players. They all also keep with the liquid-cooling tradition of iBUYPOWER, and offer the “upgrade” for free. Graphics wise, you can choose from an ATI Radeon card, or go with the NVIDIA GeForce variation if you wish. The F970 and XLC V3 are packed with an 80GB Solid State Drive (SSD) and have been upgraded to Windows 7 Ultimate. If you’ve got $2,159 lying around, then you can start shopping now at iBUYPOWER’s website to pick out your favorite piece. Full press release just below.
El Monte, CA – March 18, 2010 – iBUYPOWER, a leading innovator of gaming PCs, is excited to announce four new Paladin gaming systems all powered by the new Intel Core i7 980X Extreme Edition Processor. The new 6 core processors are extremely overclockable, deliver benchmark shattering performance and allow unmatched multitasking capability. Gamers need not be concerned with having multiple browsers open, team speak, or MP3s files playing while gaming due to the new processor’s revolutionary hyper-threading technology.
The four new configurations all feature the finest components available, including the newest ATI Radeon and NVIDIA GeForce high-definition video cards, which all support DirectX 11 graphics. The Paladin F950, F970 and XLC V3 all pack 12GB of DDR3 Memory, provide at least a 1 TB of storage space and a Blu-ray drive. The fully loaded F970 and XLC V3 also come standard with an 80GB solid state drive and have been upgraded to Microsoft Windows 7 Ultimate. Additionally, like all iBUYPOWER desktop systems, the newest Paladin model all feature free liquid CPU cooling.
Gamers looking to get the most out of their new six core systems can take advantage of the iBUYPOWER Labs’ Power Drive Overclocking Service, which overclocks the CPU by as much as 30% and comes standard on the Paladin XLC V3. Other innovative iBUYPOWER exclusive products and services include the Harmony Sound Reduction System, the Internal USB Expansion System, and iBUYPOWER’s Specialized Advanced Packaging System with expanding foam inserts to prevent damage during shipping.
The new Paladin systems start at $2,159 and are available now at www.iBUYPOWER.com.
Customers with more specific gaming needs can configure a fully customizable system at www.iBUYPOWER.com. All iBUYPOWER systems also come standard with 1 year limited warranty and lifetime technical support.
iBuyPower surely didn’t expect a name could really be so, well, striking. One of the brave reviewers at Laptop Magazine has been left a nasty cut by the company’s Battalion laptop, (the Touch CZ-10), due to the peeling off of the computer’s sharp-edged aluminum logo.
iBuyPower claims that fewer than 1 percent of recently shipped systems use the same labeling, and after some investigation, it has since ended the practice of using the aluminum logo in favor of a plate-style label with rounded edges. Perhaps a name change too?
Seeing that the Battalion would have left you a grand lighter, there’s no point in getting a second, physical cut (only this time not your wallet). If you already own one, go ahead and contact iBuyPower support for a less-dangerous logo.
What could make the stonking Thermaltake Level 10 PC case any better? How about a custom liquid-cooling system; that’s what iBUYPOWER and Asetek have done, modifying the latter’s 120mm LCLC to fit the asymmetric Level 10 layout.
We’re not entirely clear on the exact details of the liquid-cooling setup in place, but going from the images iBUYPOWER have supplied it’s covering the CPU at least. It’ll work hand in hand with the company’s custom overclocking service, where they crank up the CPU speed before the PC even ends up on your desk.
Interestingly, iBUYPOWER are offering the Asetek liquid-cooling system as a free upgrade for their Level 10 based systems (there’s a $20 mail-in rebate involved). That’s reasonably generous of them, though given the PC starts at a shade over $2k before you start to add in the more interesting extras who’d quibble over $20.
There were gobs of computers unveiled at CES last week and among them was the interesting Battalion Touch from iBuyPower. The notebook is the first gaming machine to feature a touchscreen and is aimed at the RTS gamer. The rig sports a 15-inch screen with multi-touch capability.
iBuyPower has announced that the notebook will ship on January 22 with a price starting at $999. At the base price, you will get an Intel Core 2 Duo P8700 CPU, ATI 4650M graphics, 2GB of RAM, 250GB of storage, and a 6-cell battery. Those wanting more can add options.
The options include up to 8GB of RAM, 500GB of storage, a Blu-ray player, and various gaming peripherals. The machine is being billed as a great mobile gaming platform for the RTS gamer letting them touch the screen to control the action rather than using a mouse.
If it wasn’t already clear, Intel’s CPU – with the help of a well configured system – has no shortage of power. Users demanding the very highest frame-rates in today’s games, as well as the overhead to handle whatever titles are on the horizon, should frankly look no further. Throw into the mixture the ability to overclock the Core i7-980X to over 4GHz – we’ve seen at least one system builder offering a factory overclock of up to 4.4GHz – and the ambitious PC owner unafraid to tinker with BIOS settings could readily squeeze out even more performance.
