HP Takes Blackbird Game System Quad Core

By Geoff Duncan Published January 21, 2008

Hewlett-Packard might still hold the top spot for worldwide computer sales, but the company still wants to win over the hearts and minds of gamers. To that end, the company has just announced its Blackbird 002 alpha desktop gaming system, now featuring a new 45nm Intel Core 2 Extreme QX9650 quad-core processor. The QX9650 uses Intel’s Hi-K hafnium-based metal gate in its transistosrs, boosting performance and lowering power consumption compared to its Core 2 predecessors.

“We’re thrilled to offer gamers the speed and strength of the new Intel architecture,” said CTO of HP’s global gaming unit Rahul Sood, in a statement. “The HP Blackbird 002 was designed to redefine the gaming experience and delight even the hardest-core user. Intel’s new technology helps us to continue to deliver on that promise.”

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The Blackbird 002 alpha features dual ATI Adeon X2900 video cards with 1 GB of video RAM, 2 GB of system memory, a 160 GB 10,000 rpm hard drive, a 16× combo drive and a 16× DVD±RW drive, an Ageia PhysX 100 Series PCI-E accelerator card, a factory-sealed liquid-cooled CPU, a 15-in-1 memory card reader, and Microsoft Vista Home Premium. Prices on the Blackbird 002 alpha start at $5,499.

If going through a more-traditionally boutique high-end PC brand is more your style, HP is also offering the QX9650 quad-core processors on Omen desktop systems available through its VoodooPC subsidiary…just don’t expect the prices to be any friendlier.

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Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

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This HP Victus gaming laptop is down to $480 with this deal

HP Victus placed outside while displaying an attractive background.

Even with discounts, gaming laptop deals can still get pretty expensive. That's not the case with the budget-friendly HP Victus 15, which is currently even cheaper from Best Buy. From its original price of $800, it's down to only $480 for savings of $320. We're not sure how much time is remaining on this bargain though, so if you want to get this gaming laptop for a very affordable price, you're going to have to push through with your purchase within the day.

Why you should buy the HP Victus 15 gaming laptop
As a device that's designed for budget-minded gamers, you shouldn't expect the HP Victus 15 to match the performance of the most advanced models of the best gaming laptops. However, it's capable of delivering decent speeds when you're playing the best PC games with its AMD Ryzen 5 7535HS processor, AMD Radeon RX 6550M graphics card, and 8GB of RAM. You won't be able to play games at their highest settings, but that's an acceptable trade-off considering the cheap price of the HP Victus 15. Every purchase of the gaming laptop also comes with a one-month subscription to Xbox Game Pass Ultimate, for access to a massive library of titles.

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The 17-inch HP Omen gaming laptop just dropped below $1,000

An HP Omen 17 laptop on a desk.

The gaming laptop deals that are worth buying for hardcore gamers rarely go under $1,000, so imagine our surprise when the powerful HP Omen 17z fell below that price. This configuration with the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card, which usually sells for $1,350, is down to just $930 from HP for savings of $420. We're not sure how much time is remaining before this 31% discount disappears, so if you want to get this gaming laptop for much cheaper than usual, you should stop hesitating and proceed with your purchase right away.

Why you should buy the HP Omen 17z gaming laptop
The HP Omen 17z aims to challenge the best gaming laptops, as its Nvidia GeForce RTX 4050 graphics card combines with the AMD Ryzen 5 8645HS processor and 16GB of RAM for enough power to run the best PC games without any problems. You'll be able to appreciate modern PC graphics on the gaming laptop's 17.3-inch screen with Full HD resolution and an up to 144Hz refresh rate, for a display that's sharp, smooth, and colorful. The HP Omen 17z comes with the Omen Gaming Hub, through which you'll be able to further optimize its performance.

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HP is having a massive gaming PC sale this weekend

HP Omen 40L Gaming PC on a table connected to a monitor.

Gamers assemble: If you’ve been waiting to make a huge upgrade to your gaming rig, or you’re looking for a powerful PC that can play Diablo IV at max settings, allow us to draw your attention to this amazing sale that HP is having!

We’re always on the lookout for gaming PC deals, and this is one of the best promotions we’ve seen in a minute. While this sale lasts, you’ll be able to purchase the HP Omen 45L, HP Omen 40L, and HP Victus 15L, all at discounted prices.