Gadgets and gizmos

All I seem to do is write about gaming PCs and accessories at the moment, but that’s only because manufacturers are getting a bit carried away with themselves. Advancing tech and new bits of wizardry are enabling them all to have a piece of the gaming market. Bizarrely, though, it’s Packard Bell’s turn to wheel one out for the extreme, late night gamer that not only wants speed and power but a little viewing window and plenty of neon lights.

It sings all the right notes with liquid cooling and Core 2 Quad processors. Pretty much everything else is what you might call standard on one of these beasts and the design is reasonable. It’s not overtly extreme but it’s hefty and it certainly shouts about the fact that it’s no ordinary PC.

Unusual features for a gaming machine include the 7.1 surround sound system that’s included as standard. Should be good for watching films and listening to music but at £999 for the basic model it’s pretty expensive as a multimedia player – although not at all bad for a high end gaming machine. It’s due to be released in the UK and Europe towards the end of the year so you will have to wait a while.