Computex effectively gave us a five-day release roundup, so we skipped the usual feature last week in favor of more in-depth coverage of various product announcements. Despite the abundance of new goodies at the show, though, the folks at Lian Li, PNY, Razer, and Scythe still had new items to introduce this week:
- Lian Li launches HTPC PC-C60 and Mid-Tower PC-6 computer cases. Here comes a tandem of fresh computer cases from Lian Li. One of them, the PC-6, has a conventional mid-tower form factor with tool-less, rubber-mounted drive bays (three 5.25", three 3.5", and one 2.5"), a bottom-mounted PSU area, 140-mm front and rear fans, and USB 3.0 connectivity. The PC-C60 is geared toward home-theater systems; it features more internal drive bays (six 3.5" and three 2.5" bays), two 140-mm fan mounts on one side, and both USB 3.0 and eSATA front-panel ports. As you can see below, the PC-C60 is meant to lay flat like a set-top box.
- PNY joins forces with Asetek to provide powerful liquid cooled graphics solution. PNY’s new XLR8 liquid-cooled GeForce GTX 580 graphics cards are strange animals, both featuring a conventional-looking blower cooler out of which pokes out a liquid-cooling radiator and large exhaust fan. The $580 model connects that radiator directly to the card, while the $650 model has a CPU block hooked up to the closed-loop cooling system. PNY bundles both offerings with a 16-ft HDMI-mini-to-HDMI cable, an 8GB USB flash drive, and a T-shirt. More importantly, the liquid-cooled system has a five-year warranty (provided you sign up within 90 days of your purchase).
- Razer unveils world’s most advanced gaming-grade tracking technology. Behind that rather sensational headline hides new versions of Razer’s Mamba and Imperator mice, both with a 6400-DPI "4G Dual Sensor System." This sensor has "both an optical and a laser sensor for enhanced tracking accuracy" and allows "calibration of mouse to the surface you’re using," according to Razer. Users can also adjust how far the mouse will have to be lifted up before it stops tracking. The new Mamba will set you back $129.99, while the revamped Imperator costs $79.99.
- Scythe announces Kaze Q8 and Kaze Q12 fan controllers. Don’t reach for the Clearasil—these are merely fan controllers with a lot of fan-speed adjustment knobs. The smaller of the two, the Kaze Q8, fits inside a 3.5" drive bay and has controls for eight separate fans. The Q12 goes into a 5.25" bay and lets one adjust the speeds up of up to 12 fans. Both controllers offer adjustments from 5V to 12V and have LEDs that light up above each knob if a fan is connected. Scythe quotes pricing of 16.75 and 23.95 Euros for the two controllers, although sadly, the press release doesn’t mention U.S. pricing.
I suppose something like Scythe’s Q8 wouldn’t hurt to stick into a quiet PC, especially considering the relatively low price (16.75 euros works out to about $24). I can’t help think that more ubiquitous and customizable motherboard fan controls would be a better solution, though.