Back in March, I took a closer look at how a tricked out HPE Phoenix performed in a couple quick tests with an Nvidia GTX 580 inside. In short, it is pretty solid for a mainstream single-GPU gaming machine. So, what I'm doing for this quick update - as you probably figured out from the title - is that I got my greedy little mitts on a slew of the newest graphics boards. I'm talking AMD's Radeon HD 7950, the HD 7970....and Nvidia's latest release – the GTX 680 – for a spin. Snagged-and-plugged-in, I am now in the midst of running a couple tests on this board. If you're curious to see what kind of difference these cards can make, read on....

Some of you have had a full week to play Diablo III by now. And sleep at some point. You are one of the 6.3 million people that bought a copy of the game within its first week, right? If you've been hedging, thinking you need a supercomputer to play -- or you weren't sure your computer was up to the task -- this story is for you. What you’re going to find after the jump, in short form, is a quick breakdown of a couple different machines I tested and what in-game settings I’d recommend for each.

 You know that old saying, "That's so easy a kid could do it...."? Well, imagine that "kid" was an 11-year old and the "It's so easy" part was referring to upgrading a Z1 Workstation. Well, we talked a good game a while back when we first unveiled the sweet-looking high-powered all-in-one. Now, though, in video form we have proof on Youtube as 11-year-old Eleanor Rose Ozer disassembles....and then puts it back together. Blindfolded. You really need to see this.

I know I get all “rah-rah” about PCs and PC gaming – I mean, I do work at HP. Now, what if I told you that HP and Microsoft are here to hook up that student in your life with a FREE Xbox 360 when you buy a qualifying Windows 7 PC? That’s right, starting Sunday, May 20^th and going through Saturday, September 8^th, you can score a 4GB Xbox 360. Free. Console. If you’re a student. For more details, like the computers that qualify for the deal, keep on reading (or just jump over to the HP – Xbox sale page so you can get cracking for yourself).

For most people printer ink isn’t exactly dinner conversation, that is, until you come to my house. As HP’s resident Inkologist, I do my best to share the cool and complex work that goes into developing each HP ink formulation. Now, I certainly could go on and on with the formulas, bits and bytes of ink cartridge technology (it’s very interesting I assure you!), but today we’re going to take a look at the all important, and perhaps underappreciated, role of the cartridge foam. 

My niece, Sarah, is amazing.  She’s fun, smart…she likes nerdy things like video games, and she’s crazy for Star Wars …so what, exactly, am I supposed to buy for her as she graduates from college? A Death Star?  In trying to be creative and give her a gift as unique as she is, I had to do some serious online searching. Here’s what I found…

I’ve tried to pawn off the sexy, svelte laptops on my wife over the years, but she keeps passing. I figure she’d want the super-stylish stuff so that she can turn more heads. You know, with the tech. That’s just not her style, though. She wants no-compromise computing that looks cool, has a good-sized screen….but doesn’t want to “lug around a tank.” Her words…and I’m not gonna argue. So, honey, if you’re paying attention, you should probably check out the new Pavilion m6 the new Pavilion m6.

With the latest round of HP Pavilion laptops, you now have even more choices to make when buying your PC. So, when you’re looking at buying a new dv4, dv6 or dv7 – you’re getting 3^rd generation Intel Core CPUs and the option  to amp up your graphics with either a GeForce GT 630M or GeForce GT 650M. (The later falls just below the GTX-enthusiast class line in terms of performance.)  What does this mean to you? You’re getting some pretty solid gaming performance-to-go with the 650M without breaking the bank. Keep reading for more information -- and benchmarks.