Reviewed on January 27, 2009Maingear's Ephex is the fastest PC we've reviewed, and also the most expensive. You can find better service policies from other boutique PC vendors, but the Ephex's overall speed and build quality are enough for us to recommend it to those in the market for the best desktop they can find.TAGS:Maingear, Intel Core Microarchitecture, LightScribe, Blu-ray, 64-bit, Intel, video card, PC, games, hard drive
Reviewed on November 4, 2009AVADirect's tries to distill as much gaming power as possible into its Nano Cube, but the extra small case requires too many sacrifices next to even standard small form factor PCs. Gaming purists with a need for an extra tiny PC might appreciate the Nanon Cube, but even they should be wary of everything you need to give up for this tiny desktop.TAGS:Nvidia GeForce, Intel Core 2 Duo, motherboard, networking, games, Intel, NVidia, video card, hard drive, PC
Reviewed on September 8, 2009There's quite a lot to like about Logitech's new Gaming Mouse G500, but with a competing mouse from Microsoft offering its own set of features, gamers now have some choices to make. The G500 will appeal to performance-driven shooter fans. The choice is less clear for other kinds of PC gamers.TAGS:Logitech, Razer, mouse, gamer, wheel, games, Microsoft Corp., PC
Reviewed on February 21, 2009HP's Firebird 803 brings the influence of its Voodoo PC acquisition to the mainstream with a compelling design, admirable power efficiency, and strong bang-for-the-buck. What it lacks is any sort of graphics upgrade path. For some, the limited upgradeability kills the deal. For those still interested, this PC offers a complete gaming PC with conversation-piece design.TAGS:HP Firebird, Voodoo, design, power supply, HP, PC, video card, games
Reviewed on October 27, 2008While the great-looking Altec Lansing Expressionist Bass FX3022 multimedia speakers fall a little short for music listening, their potent bass makes them a better choice for gaming and movie watching.TAGS:Altec Lansing, speakers, games, PC
Reviewed on June 20, 2008Bose's entry-level Companion 2 Series II speakers offer good bass and dual inputs--but they're not the best-sounding PC speakers in their price class.TAGS:Bose, speakers, subwoofer, PC, games
Reviewed on August 4, 2009Asus crafted the Essentio CG5290-BP007 to serve as a no-frills gaming desktop for just more than $1,000. And while the boutique PC vendors have a bit more polish for not too much more money, Asus can at least claim that this PC is one of the fastest on the retail shelves. You might have a hard time arguing the necessity of such a fast gaming box for back-to-school, but we can at least recommend this system as a speedy bargain.TAGS:back-to-school, ASUS, retailer, 64-bit, customer service, games, Nvidia GeForce, NVidia, video card, PC
Reviewed on July 31, 2009Don't let the overlarge case get you too excited, but Asus has put together a compelling budget gaming PC with the Essentio CG5270-BP003. With fast gaming and general application performance, as well as a competitive price, this desktop will satisfy any aspiring PC gamer looking to save a buck.TAGS:chassis, ASUS, gamer, 64-bit, video card, games, PC
Reviewed on March 12, 2009The Carcharias is by far the most comfortable, best-sounding PC gaming headset we've tested in a while.TAGS:Razer, headset, microphone, Skype, session, noise, games, PC
Reviewed on April 23, 2009The AVADirect shopping experience can be daunting, but for the tech-savvy buyer willing to navigate the many options available for this system, you'll find that AVADirect's Custom Gaming PC is competently built, with options for blazing fast overclocking, all at an attractive price.TAGS:Intel Core Microarchitecture, overclocking, degree, Blu-ray, motherboard, PC, Intel, games
Reviewed on May 6, 2008Logitech's revised version of its already distinctive G15 gaming keyboard adds polish and trims some of the fat. Throw in the now-mature user community that churns out lots of homebrew apps for the built-in LCD screen, and we'd recommend this keyboard to any PC gamer as a unique, useful, and customizable input device.TAGS:Logitech, LCD screen, macro, LCD, app, World of Warcraft, keyboard, key, games, PC
Reviewed on April 1, 2008The tiny Bose MusicMonitor computer speakers are ideal for buyers who need the smallest possible speakers, but you can find better-sounding--albeit much larger--alternatives at this price.TAGS:Bose, speakers, PC speakers, jack, size, music, CD, PC, games
Reviewed on October 20, 2009Nvidia's Ion graphics chip gives the Asus Eee Top ET2002 better-than-average video performance for a Nettop, but that does little to spare this system from its weak overall performance and the variety of competitive, more well-rounded alternatives for low-cost video and gaming. Nettops might be competitive someday, but for now this category as a whole is a disappointment.TAGS:ASUS, graphics chip, Gateway Inc., Xbox 360, entertainment, keyboard, Microsoft Xbox, LCD, NVidia, Nvidia GeForce, games, video, mouse, PC
Reviewed on June 1, 2009Logitech's $200 G19 Gaming Keyboard boasts a built-in color LCD with exciting capabilities, as well as lots of little improvements over previous models. But with few apps--thus far--that take advantage of the screen in a meaningful way, the G19's potential remains largely untapped. Until the community software effort gets rolling, we can't recommend spending this much on a keyboard that, while flashy, has yet to realize its full potential.TAGS:Logitech, color screen, color, LCD, app, YouTube, keyboard, USB, games, PC, video, Microsoft Windows
Reviewed on March 20, 2007Logitech finally earns a CNET Editors' Choice award with this update to its flagship gaming mouse. An extra thumb button, an updated laser sensor, and more convenient and flexible customization options than the competition make this mouse easy to recommend to any PC gamer.TAGS:Razer, Logitech, sensitivity, mouse, weight, button, laser, gamer, games, PC
Reviewed on August 18, 2009The G330 Gaming Headset is one of, if not the, most comfortable headsets we've ever tested and may have you sacrificing audio quality for comfort.TAGS:headset, Razer, Logitech, microphone, design, gamer, games, PC
Reviewed on November 21, 2007Despite the usual caveats of an ever-fluctuating 3D market, for the moment, at least, ATI's new Radeon HD 3850 graphics card delivers the best bang-for-the buck in PC graphics hardware. Until now we haven't had an acceptable sub-$200 option for PC gaming this year. Thanks to AMD, now we do.TAGS:Radeon, DirectX, ATI Technologies, card, Nvidia GeForce, games, video card, NVidia, motherboard, PC