Posted 11/02/09 at 11:15:39 AM by Katherine Stevenson

From the looks of it, you probably wouldn’t figure iBuypower’s M865TU for a gaming notebook. Its aesthetic is much more subdued than typical representatives of that class. The chassis is covered in a subtly textured black plastic, with tasteful silver trim around the edges and the touch pad. Unlike other gaming notebooks, backlighting is limited to the power button and an unobtrusive iBuypower logo on the notebook’s lid. Furthermore, the 15-inch M865TU is smaller than many gaming rigs and has a more streamlined formfactor.

But despite its smaller stature and no-nonsense appearance, the M865TU’s got game. That’s courtesy of the Nvidia GTX 260M GPU under its hood. Based on a reworked G92 chip, which uses a smaller, faster process (55nm vs. 65nm) and features slightly higher clocks, the GTX 260M proves more capable than previous-generation G92 mobile parts. For example, the M865TU performed almost 30 percent better in Far Cry 2 and Call of Duty 4 than the 9800M GTX-equipped Qosmio X305 we reviewed in June, with scores of 31.3fps and 58.3fps, respectively, at the notebook’s 1680x1050 native res and the highest quality settings. (This month, we jettisoned the games we have previously used for notebooks reviews in favor of FC2 and CoD4, which are far more indicative of a GPU’s prowess—expect to see these titles integrated into our benchmark chart going forward.)

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Posted 09/11/09 at 12:43:34 PM by Paul Lilly

iBuyPower on Wednesday announced its new Paladin E-series Gaming PC built around Intel's "Lynnfield" processors and new P55 chipset. Three rigs in all -- Paladin E720, E780, and E870 -- come equipped with one of Intel's new socket 1156-based Core i7 800 series or Core i5 processors, but what iBuyPower really hopes will give it an edge over the competition is an optional "Power Drive" overclocking service.

iBuyPower will overclock your processor up to 10 percent for free (Power Drive Level 1), up to 20 percent for $49 (Level 2), and up to 30 percent for a dollar shy of a C-note (Level 3). Depending on which level you choose, you'll also need to configure compatible components iBuyPower says are certified for a particular OC (Gigabyte's GA-P55-UD6 is certified for a level 3 OC, whereas the GA-P55-UD3R is certified for level 1, for example).

 The Paladin E-series is available now starting out at $649.

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Posted 08/18/09 at 10:41:03 AM by Paul Lilly

Whenever we receive a press release from iBuyPower, we expect it to detail the boutique system builder's latest gaming PC, but that isn't the case today. Instead, IBuyPower today announces the its proprietary USB Internal Expansion System, otherwise known as an IES Controller.

So what exactly does it do? According to iBuyPower, the IES Controller "enhances control and boosts power to front panel USB ports and add-ons like card readers." It does this by connecting your front panel ports directly to your system's power supply, making it possible to deliver more juice to power hungry peripherals.

In addition to supercharging your front panel ports, the IES Controller also adds an internal USB port that iBuyPower says can be used for storage expansion with a flash drive or for adding a USB wireless router. Or hook up a Bluetooth module to the IES to free up a front panel USB port and sync up with your mouse, keyboard, printer, or other Bluetooth device.

For the time being, the IES is only available with the purchase of a new iBuyPower PC as a $14 add-on, or $24 with Bluetooth capabilities. No word on whether or not the OEM plans to sell the item as a standalone part.

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Posted 05/27/09 at 03:15:47 PM by Paul Lilly

We don't know if this will become a trend, but accident-prone gamers have little to fear with iBuyPower's new Battalion 101 CZ-10 gaming laptop. The release kicks off the company's new accidental damage protection plan, which comes standard on the Battalion and has gamers' backs in the event of spills or drops.

"We felt it was time to refresh our mainstream gaming notebook line," said Darren Su, VP of iBuyPower. "We are excited by the features and exceptional coverage we are able to offer with the CZ-10 Premium at a very competitive price."

Less exciting is the 15.6-inch Battalion's mishmash of both high and lower end components. Starting from the top and working our way down, the 101 CZ-10 comes equipped with Intel's Core 2 Duo Mobile T9550 processor (2.266GHz, 6MB L2 cache, 1066MHz frontside bus), 4GB of DDR3-1066 RAM, AMD's ATI Radeon HD 4650 graphics, 8X DVD burner, and a 500GB hard drive spinning at 5400RPM.

Other features include four USB 2.0 slots, HDMI, 3-in-1 media card reader, finger print scanner, and 6-cell battery.

The Battalion is available now starting at $1,235.

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Posted 05/20/09 at 09:46:23 AM by Paul Lilly

Glossy case paint jobs can sometimes cost more than the components they're holding, but on IBuyPower's new Chimera series, the fiery exterior comes standard. In this case, standard starts at under $1K and includes a customized NZXT Guardian 921 enclosure. An "exclusive glossy flame exterior" and unique side panel window make this unlike any Guardian 921 you've ever seen before. Three 120mm cooling fans keep the interior from getting as hot as the exterior looks, which you can tabs on with an optional front-panel thermal readout display.

IBuyPower offers the Chimera in both AM3 and Core i7 trim. Pricing for the latter starts at $1300 and includes an Intel Core i7 920 processor, MSI X58-Pro motherboard, 6GB of DDR3-1333 memory, Nvidia GTX 275 videocard, 750GB hard drive, 22X DVD burner, 700W power supply, and Vista Home Premium 64-bit.

For $300 less, the AMD configuration comes equipped with a Phenom II X4 910 processor, Gigabyte GA-MA790XT-UDP5 motherboard, 4GB of DDR3-1333 memory, ATI Radeon HD 4870 videocard, 500GB hard drive, and same DVD burner, PSU, and OS as above.

The Chimera is available now and you can knock another 5 percent off with coupon code 'IBUYPOWER' during checkout. Free games and other current promotions can be found here.

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Posted 04/29/09 at 04:21:12 PM by Andy Salisbury

So you’re a fan of multiplayer gaming, but you haven’t tried a LAN party yet. What’s holding you back? If it’s the (admittedly) huge hassle of packing up your entire computer, iBuypower has got you covered with their latest PC.

The LAN Warrior, which is a mega tower with a nylon strap attached, comes with your choice of an Intel Core i7 processor, a 1000W power supply, an Asus Rampage II Gene X58 motherboard, up to 24GB of RAM, and either dual Nvidia or ATI graphics cards.

The machine starts at only $1000, and is available now.

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Posted 03/20/09 at 03:18:07 PM by Andy Salisbury

iBuyPower! Tiger Direct! With their powers combined, they are budget computing!

Well, in all seriousness, iBuyPower and Tiger Direct have teamed up to bring you the Gamer Power 906. The 906, which packs an Intel Core 2 Quad Q8300 Processor, 4GB DDR2 RAM, an Nvidia 9600GT 1GB graphics card, 500GB HDD and a 600-watt PSU will play games well, and sell for just $710.

You can pick one of your very own up at CompUSA or Tiger Direct, and it’ll even come with pretty neon lights. Honest!

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Posted 03/10/09 at 04:19:08 PM by Andy Salisbury

Amidst a jungle of ugly cases, iBuyPower has been managing to release some pretty impressive computers as of late. And, on top of offering all the latest processor that AMD and Intel have to offer, it looks like they’re pushing systems with Nvidia’s GeForce 3D Vision as well.

The Gamer Fire 640 will come with an AMD Phenom X3 720, 4GB DDR3, a 500GB HDD and a GeForce 9800GTX+, while it’s close brother, the Gamer Paladin F830 will come with an Intel Core i7 920, 6GB of memory, and a GTX 260 GPU. Both of these machines will come with Vista Home Premium 64-bit, and both will come with an Nvidia GeForce 3D Vision.

These machines run nearly $1,200 a piece, and are available for order right now. So, if you’re looking to check out the next step in 3D gaming, these guys are offering a pretty reasonable bundle to bring it to you.

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