May 8 - 8:50am EDT   MSI today stepped into audio devices with the launch of its Syren line. The series is headlined by the SyrenSound X-Fi, one of the few non-Creative sound cards to use X-Fi hardware. It uses the same technology as Sound Blaster cards to restore missing detail in compressed audio as well as to introduce EAX effects, and supports up to 7.1-channel sound while reducing the CPU overhead versus integrated sound chipsets. The PCI Express-based board currently requires Windows XP or Vista. [full story]

April 28 - 4:50pm EDT   iBuyPower this afternoon publicized a relatively unique small form factor game PC designed to be easily transportable to a LAN gaming party but without sacrificing its speed. The LAN Warrior is only slightly larger than some SFF boxes with its NZXT case but has room to accommodate Core i7 processors up to the 3.2GHz Core i7 Extreme courtesy of dual side fans and liquid cooling. It can also address as much as 12GB of DDR3 memory and two GeForce GTX 295 or Radeon HD 4870 X2 cards. [full story]

February 25 - 7:45am EST   Dell this morning revealed more ambitious plans for its desktops with an early launch for the Studio XPS 435. Unlike the original, the new version has its own, much sleeker case design with better airflow and more room for expansion: the new system has room for up to 24GB of memory (up from 12GB), holds as much as 4.5TB of storage and carries a 475W power supply that can handle significantly more expansion than most pre-made PCs. [full story]

October 30 - 10:05am EDT   Dell today upped the stakes for all-in-one PCs with the launch of the XPS One 24. The system ups the size of the PC to 24 inches and gives it a new, edge-to-edge 1080p (1920x1080) display with a 16:9 ratio that should make it ideal for watching Blu-ray movies at native resolution. The update also brings a major speed update with a 2.33GHz Core 2 Quad as well as the option of a GeForce 9600M GT for video that makes it a better fit as a gaming system or for heavy-duty HD video decoding. [full story]

August 27 - 4:20pm EDT   Between the upcoming IFA show in Berlin and COMEX in Singapore taking place at the end of this month, Creative will show off at least three new products, including the Sound Blaster X-Fi Go! portable USB sound card, the N400 speakers and EP-430 in-ear earphones. The X-Fi Go! uses a microphone and headset port but differs from the earlier USB Play! sound card with the company's X-Fi audio processing software and 1GB of internal storage capacity. [full story]