CES 2012: Computers and Hardware

LAS VEGAS--We've had positive dealings with custom PC maker Digital Storm over the last couple of years. Its first custom case design should help raise its profile in the high-priced world of boutique PC vendors.

Too many "custom" PC vendors simply grab off-the-shelf parts and sell them as their own computers. You can still get a decent desktop from those sellers, but I take a brighter view of companies that design a chassis to their own specifications. It's a sign that a vendor is truly committed to selling custom desktops. It also suggests an investment in mastering the thermal, material, and compositional specifics of the end product.

A custom chassis brings no guarantees, of course.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--The case might look more like a piece of HVAC equipment than a gaming desktop, but if it really can hit 5.7GHz with its new cooling system, Origin will be able to offer its customers frankly ridiculous CPU performance.

"Origin PC's exclusive Phase Change Technology...cools the processor to subzero temperatures as low as -40 degrees Celsius," says the company's press release. Origin will offer the cooler as an option in its high-end gaming desktops.

There's always a certain amount of hype that comes with press releases from boutique PC vendors. We've also had our share of difficulty testing even sub-5.0GHz overclocks recently. In fairness, the stability issues that plagued the recent Intel X79 motherboard-based PCs we tested were more to do with prerelease BIOS software than CPU overclocking. Just be aware that specific clock speed claims can be risky due to the variability in CPU silicon.… Read more

LAS VEGAS--Intel demonstrated today at CES a Lenovo tablet based on its new "Medfield" Atom processor and said a Windows 8 tablet based on a next-generation Atom was on the way.

The Lenovo IdeaTab K2110 tablet (see photo and video) is based on Intel's freshly-minted Medfield Atom processor--the same processor powering the Lenovo K800 smartphone announced today.

This Android Ice Cream Sandwich-based tablet is slated to appear sometime in the second quarter.

Intel and Lenovo are also demonstrating a more futuristic Lenovo tablet running Windows 8 and packing Intel's next-generation Atom chip, dubbed Clover Trail.

That … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Intel made the case tonight that it didn't miss a step in the smartphone and tablet game, instead offering that computing has become device-agnostic.

Nonetheless, Intel spent the majority of its focus on smartphones and tablets, announcing deals that should spur more Atom-powered mobile devices in the near future.

On the smartphone front, that amounts to a reference design for a phone with a 4.03-inch LCD, two cameras (including one at 8 megapixels), and one of Intel's low-power Z2460 processors. The company hopes it will cut down the time and money it takes OEMs to get … Read more

LAS VEGAS--Lenovo will launch its first smartphone--one powered by Intel chips--in China in the second quarter, CEO Liu Jun said during Intel CEO Paul Otellini's CES keynote.

The Lenovo announcement was followed by news of a new Intel-Motorola partnership, a look at Intel's upcoming Ivy Bridge processor, and a cameo appearance by an overly scripted will.i.am.

The Lenovo phone is 10 millimeters thick and will run on China Unicom's network. It has a 4.5-inch screen, an 8-megapixel camera and offers 8 hours of 3G talk time, with 14 hours of standby. Otellini said the … Read more