The PC gaming world is all aflutter over the new Intel platform introduced this week that includes the Intel Core i7 CPU and X58 chipset. Many manufacturers are rolling out gaming and non-gaming machines using the platform.

Dell has announced a XPS gaming rig and a pair of Alienware machines that use the new Intel technology. The two Alienware machines are the Area-51 X-58 and the Area-51 ALX X-58. The Dell machine is the XPS 730x. The two Alienware machines can be optioned with RAID configurations and up to 12GB of RAM.

CyberPower has unleashed the Black Pearl. It will be powered by Intel’s recently announced Core i7 processor. Some of the features under the hood are: 3.2GHz 965 Extreme Edition processor, 12GB RAM, Two ATI Radeon HD 4870 X2 PCI-Express cards (2GB each), Intel X58 chipset, Support for NVIDIA three-way SLI and ATI CrossFireX technologies, Triple-channel DDR3/1600 SATA RAID with eSATA and Dual GbLAN, USB 2.0 and FireWire connectivity and 7.1-channel audio support. Living up to it’s name as a rare gem, it will cost you $3,999, if you’ve somehow weathered the current economic climate.

NVIDIA has been having a rough couple of quarters recently posting a loss thanks to defective GPUs in notebooks and then seeing profits decline significantly. That hasn’t stopped the graphics firm from bringing new products to market like the 9400M GPU and today it has announced a new professional graphics card.

The Quadro FX 5800 is the industry’s first graphics card to use 4GB of graphics memory. The card features CUDA massively parallel processing architectures and is aimed at the oil/gas exploration, medical imaging, and styling/design markets.

Sony is offering this James Bond 007 Sony Vaio TT Series Notebook with carbon fiber black casing that also sports a 007 engraved logo and a leather case. The TT series features an 11.1″ widescreen LCD display, 2GB RAM, a 64GB Solid State Drive, HDMI out, and comes with a pair of noise canceling headphones. If you don’t want to dish out the $2,399 you can always get the Limited Edition 007 8GB Micro Vault Click USB Flash Drive for $29,99.

It allows you to “Gather intelligence for your next mission with the limited edition 007 Quantum of Solace 8GB Micro Vault Click USB flash drive. Featuring a hidden USB connector, it’s easy to transfer and exchange data with colleagues and correspondents. The USM8GL/B also includes Virtual Expander to virtually store three times the information. In addition to the 007 Gun Logo on the side, this flash drive comes preloaded with a Quantum of Solace movie trailer, stills and behind-the-scenes footage.” OMG. This is exactly what you need to become the next James Bond.

The small form factor computer system has many uses. A SFF rig can make a nice gaming machine for those who frequent LAN parties. Home theater fans looking for a tiny HTPC to fit into the entertainment center often go with a SFF machine.

One of the biggest purveyors of SFF systems is Shuttle with its line of small barebones machines. Shuttle announced its latest barebone machine today called the X27D. The X27D is the first system from Shuttle to use Intel’s dual-core Atom 330 CPU.

Here’s one for Bentley fans who have $20k to drop on a netbook. The Bentley Laptop by Ego Lifestyle goes all out for that luxurious look, with top quality leather and bold, shiny chrome exterior. I mean, you look at the thing and you want to drive it instead of boot it up. Inside it’s pretty average with an unnamed AMD 64 chipset, 2GB of RAM and a 160GB hard drive with a 12.1″ display. For $20k it should also sport wheels and double as an RC car, have a gas tank and come with a hot blonde.

A refresh of Apple’s MacBook Pro, it certainly has good looks. What’s interesting is the multi-touch glass trackpad, which gets rid of a single mouse button and adds some new tricks, like app switching for instance. It’s also slimmed down quite a bit to just 0.95-inches thick, while being just a tad heavier then it’s predecessor at 5.5 pounds.

Under the hood is the fancy “brick” aluminum that helps Apple keep it thin and strong. It also makes room for all the stuff inside, like NVIDIA’s new 9400M GPU + chipset for integrated graphics, plus a 9600M GT switchable discreet graphics chip. You’ll also get an SSD option, with the drive accessible under the battery. The 15.4-inch base model has a retail price of $1999, with a 2.4GHz Core 2 Duo processor, 2GB of DDR3 RAM and both GPUs. For $2499 and you get a faster CPU, 4GB of RAM and a 320GB HDD. The 17-inch MacBook Pro model has a similar configuration, without the redesign.

Desktop computers were once the computer of choice for the majority of users. Improvements in technology making notebooks cheaper and mobile Internet connections have turned the majority of users today to notebooks. However, there is still a market for the desktop PC, though it is shrinking literally and figuratively.

Many desktop computers today are shrinking in size into small form factor systems. The latest SFF desktop to hit retail shelves is the eMachines EL 1200 series. The series includes two computers — the EL 1200-05w and the EL 1210-01e. eMachines says the computers are about the size of a dictionary.

Specialty consumer electronics company Okoro Media Systems has unveiled a new Windows Vista media device designed for the home entertainment room. It is called the OMS-SX100 and you’ll find it pricing around $1,700.

The OMS-SX100 is described as an “Ultra Low Profile” digital entertainment system powered by the AMD Athlon X2 platform. It supports Blu-ray, when working with a Blu-ray drive, to make it Blu-ray profile 2.0 compliant and also capable of decoding 5.1 Dolby Digital and DTS along with 7.1 Dolby TrueHD and DTS Master Audio formats.

I picked up an Acer Gemstone 6920 awhile back and it’s an awesome and powerful laptop. Those who are wanting to get in on the Gemstone action and haven’t yet now have four new models to look at. The high-end Aspire 8930 sports a 18.4-inch HD CineCrystal display, 2.53GHz Core 2 Duo T9400 CPU, 4GB of DDR3 RAM, NVIDIA’s GeForce 9700M GT, optional Blu-ray drive, WiFi, 320GB 7,200RPM SATA drive and starts at $1,699.99.

The 6930 features a 16-inch WXGA LCD and as you might expect, less few less options for $699.99. Then there’s the 5735 with a Pentium T3200, 15.6-inch WXGA display, and 2GB of RAM for $549.99. Last but not least is the 14.1-inch 4730, which also starts at $549.99. All are available now.

Hard-core gamers and fans of overclocking like to spend money on quality computer components that can withstand extreme use. Buying cheap CPUs, motherboards, PSUs and RAM won’t cut it for this sort of user.

Kingston has announced a new RAM kit that is claims to be the fastest DDR3 modules available. The memory is Kingston’s HyperX DDR3 Ram running at 2GHz. Enhanced Performance Profiles are pre-programmed on the modules.

After the success of the Studio Hybrid mini PC, Dell today launched two new entries to the Studio line of desktops. The Studio Desktop and slimmer Studio Slim Desktop. Starting at $549, systems start out with 2.53GHz Core2Duo processors, 2GB of RAM and integrated graphics, but include HDMI out and are ready for Blu-ray. You have to hand it to Dell, at 4 inches tall on its side, a Studio Slim isn’t going to annoy you. You can order one today, but systems are listed as shipping only in early October.

Starting in 2009 this automated baby stroller from 4Moms can be yours. Personally I think it’s a plot from Terminators in the future to nab John Connor in his infancy. Check out the video below to see it’s autonomous collapsing trick. It’s anybodies guess what happens when an unsuspecting mother hits the collapse button. It probably has a safety feature. Unless I’m right about Skynet getting into the stroller business. In that case it becomes a baby compactor.

On a practical note, it’s powered by a rechargeable generator. It gets more power with every 300 feet of movement. It’s also environmentally friendly, with the plastic being from 90% of recycled materials. It will cost you $650 and a very cranky baby if things go wrong.

Here’s a flash drive for those with a love of Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars. But don’t zoom this one all over your desk or make it jump ramps, because your precious data is inside. This 2GB USB memory stick from Green House is molded to resemble a Formula One race car. A very shiny and tiny race car. The USB connector is in the rear. Like all good things we seem to want, this one is currently only available in Japan at the end of the month, where they love shiny little cars and pink kittys.

Sotec’s E7 media center PC series adds an iPod dock. A hidden compartment at the base houses a slot where you can plug in the mp3 player. The 21.6 inch PC also features a DVD drive, built-in card reader, 1.3MP camera, wireless keyboard and mouse, 8W Onkyo speakers, NVIDIA GeForce 9300 video card, integrated 802.11a/b/g Wi-Fi module, Gigabit Ethernet, 1GB of RAM and a160GB hard drive as part of the standard option.

It’s powered by an Intel dual-core 2GHz with optional enhancements like 2GB RAM, 500GB hard drive, and a 2.53GHz processor. The E7 should be arriving with an October launch date. The standard version is priced at about $950, while the fully-loaded options will cost you $1560. It’s nice to see an iPod dock included, but it doesn’t make it stand out enough in a sea of PC’s that are all very much the same.