Tag Archives: break-the-bank

The Best, Cheapest Ways to Upgrade Your PC [Parts]

Upgrading your PC can be a head-spinning process. Our Lab experts help you sort through the chaos with 18 products that won't break the bank. More
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Ask Engadget: best HTPC for under $500?

We know you've got questions, and if you're brave enough to ask the world for answers, here's the outlet to do so. This week's Ask Engadget question is coming to us from Justin, who can't afford both a high-end HTPC and textbooks for next semester. If you're looking to send in an inquiry of your own, drop us a line at ask [at] engadget [dawt] com . "I am a college student looking for a cheap way to hook up to my standard-def TV. It's not HD capable but has an HDMI input. What do you think would be the best sub $500 HTPC for my home use?" We served up a similar question a few years back for the high-end crowd, and we taught you how to build your own Blu-ray-capable HTPC last year for a solid grand, but this sub-$500 territory is all new. Anyone have any decent HTPC options that won't break the bank? Any tips on constructing your own from an older desktop? Go on and share in comments below -- it's good for the soul, we tell ya. Ask Engadget: best HTPC for under $500? originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 22 Apr 2010 23:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Dell Smoke slaps Android in the wild form factor you secretly wanted

Okay, so imagine a Pixi , but awesome. We think you'd end up with something closely resembling the phone that Dell's whipping up with a codename of "Smoke," running Android Froyo atop a 2.8-inch QVGA display (looks more like WVGA to us, but whatevs). Dell calls it a "non-conforming style," but we just call it drop-dead gorgeous -- assuming the final product even remotely resembles the company's renders -- and they're even promising a price that "won't break the bank," which is always a nice little bonus. The description we're reading of the phone leads us to believe that Dell will be targeting a corporate audience with the Smoke, and that's certainly the clique that tends to enjoy portrait QWERTY keyboards, so this should fit right in amongst the sea of BlackBerrys when it launches in the second quarter of 2011. That's a hell of a wait, yes, but in return, you'll be getting Qualcomm's next-gen MSM7230 processor at 800MHz, a 5 megapixel autofocus cam, 14.4Mbps HSPA, microSD expansion to 32GB, WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR, and dual-mic noise canceling tech in a 12mm package. Check out the full gallery below! Gallery: Dell Smoke slaps Android in the wild form factor you secretly wanted Dell Smoke slaps Android in the wild form factor you secretly wanted originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 21 Apr 2010 20:44:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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AMD 12-core Opterons leaked ahead of launch?

Provantage of North Canton (isn't that the birthplace of Marilyn Manson?) is featuring a number of 12-core AMD Opteron processors on its retail website. Obviously, this is well-ahead of the launch -- and subject to the usual caveats -- but if you're a chip-head the info is rather interesting nonetheless. The most expensive of the lot, the Opteron X12 6176 SE (pictured above) is a 2.3GHz processor with an 18MB cache, 105 watts, and it can be yours for $1,485.61. If you're not quite in the mood to break the bank, the X12 6128 SE is a 2GHz chip with 16MB, 80 watts, and it's currently listed at $291. According to PC World , the processors (codenamed Magny-Cours) should start shipping to retailers "around the time Intel announces the eight-core Nehalem-EX processor," later this month -- even if it appears that someone in Ohio has jumped the gun a little bit. AMD 12-core Opterons leaked ahead of launch? originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 23 Mar 2010 22:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Lenovo announces all-in-one, multitouch-enabled C315 desktop

More of a desktop person than a laptop person? Then Lenovo's got you covered too, as it's also just announced its new C315 all-in-one PC to go along with its latest pair of laptops . This one actually looks to be the same all-in-one we saw at CES last month as the C310 , and packs a 20-inch multitouch display, along with an unspecified AMD Athlon dual-core processor, 4GB of RAM, ATI Mobility Radeon graphics (of some sort), and of course plenty of pre-loaded apps to take advantage of that big multitouch screen -- oh, and it's brown. Best of all, like the similarly budget-minded laptops announced today, this one won't break the bank, with it boasting a starting price of just $649 -- look for it this April. Lenovo announces all-in-one, multitouch-enabled C315 desktop originally appeared on Engadget on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 15:43:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds . Permalink
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Want To Upgrade Yourself? Head To The Bionic Body Shop [This Cyborg Life]

Vagus Nerve Stimulation: $95,000. Deep Brain Stimulation: $40,000. Sacral Nerve Stimulation: $16,000. I don't need most of these things (or even know what they are), but I'd still love a spending spree in the Bionic Body Shop . While most of these upgrades aren't exactly available at this time, it doesn't mean we can't play around with the options. My personal favorite is the Brain-Machine Interface, but what would you break the bank for? Or do you require something so incredible that it's not even in the Bionic Body Shop? [ IEEE Spectrum ] This week, Gizmodo is exploring the enhanced human future in a segment we call This Cyborg Life . It's about what happens when we treat our body less as a sacred object and more as what it is: Nature's ultimate machine.
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Asus Continues USB 3.0 Onslaught With a Cheap PCI-E Card [USB]

Man, Asus is really going nuts with USB 3.0 gear this week. First a 3.0 compatible motherboard , now this SuperSpeed ready PCI-E card that won't even break the bank at $30. Unfortunately, the guys at Maximum PC didn't have any USB 3.0 devices to run the card through it's paces. All we know is that Windows 7 boots fine while once it's installed, and it gets similar USB 2.0 transfer rates to other controllers out there. That said, we all know that USB 3.0 is going to be blazing . As long as the card performs anywhere near as fast as we expect from USB 3.0, the fact that it'll be out "soon" and won't cost much is good enough for me. [ Maximum PC via CrunchGear ]
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