pc gaming

The best Windows 8 gaming laptops

We recently complained about the lack of a single best-case gaming laptop for the Windows 8 era. That was largely because of the handful of portable PCs with higher-end graphics cards we'd reviewed in the six months since Microsoft's new OS took over, none thought to include a touch-screen display. That's a feature not particularly called for in even current-gen PC games, but it's one that Windows 8 practically begs for during the hours when you're not using your laptop for gaming.

Since then, we've finished reviews of a couple more gaming laptops -- … Read more

The 404 1,246: Where we kick rocks (podcast)

Leaked from today's 404 episode:

- EA awarded "Worst Company in American History" for second consecutive year.

- Next Xbox won't be backward-compatible, report says.

- CNET How-to: How to make a video game patchbay.

- Warner Bros. Montreal developing Arkham City prequel starring "unrefined" Batman: Arkham Origins.

- 404 news: We're starting to break segments out into shorter clips that are easier to share. Help us blast these out to your friends, won't you? The first one is our report on the list of NSFW movies the Vatican is watching right now!… Read more

Wild Wednesday: $99 3TB hard drive, $499 touch-screen laptop, and more!

So many deals, so little time!

1. Mo' terabytes, mo' savings. If your PC doubles as a media center, especially one that pulls DVR duty, you can't have too much storage. Likewise, if you work with a lot of video, you can't have too much storage.

While supplies last, TigerDirect has the Western Digital Elements 3TB USB hard drive for $99.99, plus $3.80 for shipping. That's after redeeming a $20 mail-in rebate (PDF), which makes this the least expensive 3TB external drive I've ever seen.

It's a USB 2.0 drive, alas, but … Read more

Get PopCap's Peggle (PC/Mac) for free!

How much do you value your productivity? If you're smack in the middle of an important work or school project, or you've got important life events to deal with -- eating, drinking, and so on -- you might want to steer clear of this deal.

Because I warn you: once you start playing Peggle, you won't want to stop.

Don't believe me? Peggle comes from PopCap Games, makers of such addictive pastimes as Bejeweled, Bookworm, and Plants vs. Zombies. And I'd say it ranks just as high as those classics on the time-suck scale.

It'… Read more

Get a 10-game indie bundle for $5

Problem: You're all fired up to play the hot new BioShock Infinite, but you can't scrape together $60 for the privilege. Plus, you know that roughly six months from now, you'll be able to get the game for half as much -- maybe even less.

Solution: Satisfy your game lust with 10 other titles and pay just one-twelfth the price. No, literally: five bucks.

Bundle Stars is offering an Indie MashUp 10-game bundle for just $5. Actually, that's the minimum price; you can also pay more if you feel the bundle is worth it, keeping in … Read more

Logitech thanks science for new 'G' PC gaming accessories

Logitech has rebranded its gaming group division with six mice and keyboards, along with two new headsets that make up the company's latest "Logitech G" lineup. Using infrared technology and a bit of science to determine optimal hand position, the new G100s and G400s optical mice are both clues to the company's commitment to innovation, with a new sensor technology called Delta Zero that promises to improve accuracy at any speed.

The G100s, G400s, G500s, and G700s gaming mice are all equipped with a "hydrophobic" coating that repels palm perspiration to keep your hand … Read more

Stinky Footboard gives your PC gaming foes agony of the feet

Snickers come easily when dealing with a product like the Stinky Footboard, to be announced later today. It has a corny name. The idea of a specialized foot-based input device for PC gaming seems spectacularly niche and nerdy.

Then you use it, and you recognize its benefits almost immediately.… Read more

What does a great Windows 8 gaming laptop need?

A recent question from a reader brought up an issue we've been discussing around the office recently -- the lack of Windows 8 laptops that include both a touch screen and a high-end GPU. Our reader's question, excerpted below:

May I ask for your advice on purchasing a gaming PC? I'm considering the Alienware M14x, but the only thing holding me back is the absence of a touch screen and I can't seem to find powerful laptops with a touch screen. Do you think touch-screen laptops will soon become the standard?

It's true that the … Read more

Get Max Payne 3 (PC) for $13.59

Quick update regarding yesterday's post, the one about three free months of Next Issue. There was a technical glitch, one that couldn't be quickly resolved, so CNET decided to pull the deal (and my post) to avoid further confusion/consternation. The good news is that everything appears to be hunky-dory now, and the deal is live as of now. (After you click through, be sure to scroll down a bit to read "the fine print" section for a couple important details.) Sorry for the inconvenience!

CNET gave it five stars and named it one of the … Read more

Three name-your-own-price indie game bundles

Game bundles are kind of a dime a dozen these days, but that doesn't mean they're not worth checking out.

Indeed, as evidenced by the three new bundles I've rounded up today, there's a lot of good gaming to be had for cheap. Really, really cheap.

1. Bundle Stars 'Fire and Ice'

Bundle Stars' latest gives you two games for $1.26, or eight games if you pay at least $4.97. The latter option includes two additional mystery titles that will unlock in the future.

They're all Windows titles, with the exception of Tiny … Read more