Gaming PCs tend to have some common features. The things are usually much more expensive than your average computer and they are crammed with high-performance hardware. iBuyPower is a boutique gaming PC maker that has some very cool machines and today it unveiled the Chimera 2 gaming PC.

The most notable thing visually about the computer is the four surface wrap around paint job with flames and a dragon motif. The machine can be had with several different CPU options including Intel Core i7 and i5 CPUs or AMD Phenom II parts. Several video card options are available as well.

Maingear just launched a new range of PCs dubbed Maingear Shift, which they are calling the “personal supercomputer that redefines computing performance, design and support”. The Maingear SHIFT uses the power of graphics processing units (GPU) and is designed to speed up everyday mundane tasks like video and photo editing.

The SHIFT features an aluminum case, steel skeleton and advanced cooling with bottom and top airflow and liquid cooling. Two models in the range are available, the SHIFT Intel P55, which comes with an Intel Core I7 800 series processor, Intel Kingsberg P55 Extreme Series motherboard,ATI Radon or NVIDIA GeForce graphics cards, up to 8GB of DDR3 RAM, up to 6 hard drives, or 12 SSDs, and either a Blu-ray or DVD burner.

One of the things that the computer industry is measured by is how many GPUs ship. The more GPUs that ship, the more computers ship. All computers have a GPU of some sort inside them today. The latest figures from Jon Peddie Research for Q3 2009 have been released.

The GPU market grew an impressive 21.2% compared to Q2 2009. AMD was the biggest gainer for the quarter with growth of 30% followed by Intel who grew 21% for the quarter. NVIDIA grew only 3.3% during Q3.

Lenovo introduced a few new computers today, but the most interesting visually is the B500 all-in-one, which sports a sexy and stealth fighter like angular design. The IdeaCentre B500 isn’t just about looks though. It has decent specs.

At it’s highest and most expensive configuration, the 23-inch 16×9 B500 packs a Core 2 Quad processor, 4GB of memory, 1TB hard drive, DVD or Blu-ray, and an optional TV tuner with remote.

Rave Computer is offering a rugged in-car computer dubbed the MIL-SPEC-810F, which debuted at the MILCOM 2009 exhibition. It’s a fanless computer powered by an Intel 1.6 GHz Atom N270 processor, which consumes less power, making it suitable for nearly all vehicles and almost all conditions.

The MIL-SPEC-810F is capable of operating normally in temperatures from -30 C to 60 C (-22 F to 140 F) and runs on 6 – 36 VDC. The PC also sports a PCI-104 expansion connector, 2 mini PCI express slots, compact Flash and SIM slots, Gigabyte Ethernet, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth, GPS, and three USB ports.

We have been fielding robots of all sorts on the battlefield for a while now, typically associated with finding and disposing of bombs and other explosive devices. I always thought when Android’s hit the battlefield they would be packing laser cannons and the visage of Arnold Schwarzenegger. Apparently, the first Android to hit the battlefield will be in the form of Google’s open source OS and cheap computer terminals.

Raytheon has announced its RATS battlefield networking system will be powered by Android. The system will allow troops in the field to coordinate with other combatants and gain access to other assets. Presumably, these other assets would include air strikes and drones.

Normally custom programming for a robot can be a real pain, requiring that you make any changes on a computer, then connect the bot to the computer and download. This gets repeated a lot. As you can imagine it takes some time. But the Robovie-PC from Vstone sets out to change that because the robot is the computer.

This guy sports a 1.6GHz Atom Z530 processor, dual USB ports, VGA connector, and of course Wi-Fi, along with a 1.3 megapixel camera. Programming advanced functions should be much easier since the robot is the computer, capable of running Windows or Linux. This innovation doesn’t come cheap as the 15-inch tall bot will cost about $4,500.

Kopin has announced that the Golden-i Gen 2 will be starting field trials in December and production will begin next year. The units are expected to feature a Bluetooth headset, a 15-inch virtual PC display, head-gesture recognition and voice-control.

The units will run Windows Embedded CE 6.0 and are capable of streaming 30fps 720 x 480 video over Bluetooth 2.0, so it will be great for entertainment, or with your smartphone, laptop or MID for internet access etc. It can also connect using WiFi for up to SVGA resolution video.

Two segments in the computer industry are growing robustly despite the economic downturn around the globe. Those two segments are netbooks and all-in-one desktops. In fact, IDC expects the all-in-one category alone to grow by 12.4% from 2008-2013. Today Lenovo added a new all-in-one to its line called the C100, and it’s cheap.

The C100 will be available this month with prices starting at $399. The little rig gets an 18.5-inch LCD with a wide aspect ratio that is only 2-inches thick and houses all the hardware the typical PC has. Basic machines get an Intel Atom 230 single-core CPU.

Mini computers are growing in popularity every day and over the last several months there have been lots of new mini PCs, nettops, and netbooks unveiled. These low cost systems have proven very compelling options for consumers with less to spend during the global economic crunch.

IFA 2009 is in full swing over in Europe and Fujutsu has unveiled its latest Mini PC called the Esprimo Q1500. The little mini PC is packed inside a small case that has a volume of 1.4 liters and still offers HDMI out and optional Blu-ray. The machine is square and is about the size of a CD case according to Fujitsu.

It’s been a while since we’ve seen an awesome geek cake as retro-liscous as this one. A genuine Commodore 64 Cake. It was made in honor of some guy’s 30th birthday.

It has some super nice detail work on the frosting, like all of that keyboard lettering. Even a power cord. Though I don’t remember Pong being available for the C64. It sure looks tasty. This guys wife, who made the cake, is a real special woman and if things don’t work out for them she can make me a cake anyday.

Optoma has announced a brand spanking new projector that hovers below the $1,000 price point. Barely. The HD20 is a DLP-based front projector featuring a 1080p resolution and is aimed squarely at computer and home theater users. You can take the image all the way up to 120-inches and it has a contrast ratio of 4,000:1, with 1,700 lumens of brightness.

Some other features include two HDMI ports and a VGA connection. Some analog connectors are also included like RCA and component. No release date yet, but the $999 price tag sure makes it tempting.

Are you worried about a massive computer crash that will wipe out all of your data? The Rebit from Seagate will backup everything automatically from your computer. All of your important data like files, photos, music, movies and e-mail will be protected, including Windows operating system, software applications, drivers, passwords, bookmarks, and preferences.

The device couldn’t be easier to use. Just plug the Rebit(How clever, it has a frog on it) external USB backup drive into your computer, activate the software and you are good to go.

PC gamers are a picky lot that eschew traditional keyboards and mice for products catering to the specific needs of gamers. Typically gaming mice offer high levels of sensitivity, lots of buttons, macro capabilities, and a high price tag. Microsoft has added a new low price gaming mouse to its SideWinder line up called the SideWinder X3. Today we are going to take a hands on look at the SideWinder X3 and see is low price means low performance. Read on for more details on the Microsoft SideWinder X3.

MAINGEAR has decided to bring back their top of the line gaming PC, the F131. The system offers the same functionality and high-class performance as it’s predecessor, with some new tricks as well. Now, you can crank it up a few notches with 3 ATI 4890 graphics cards in CrossFireX. How about up to 8TB of storage space thanks to its numerous SATA connectors?

It also features a new Domino ALC liquid cooling system provided by CoolIT Systems. Want the outside customized? No problem. MAINGEAR’s M.A.R.C laser etching tech will put in place a logo or image of your choosing.