9 Hot Products For The Hardcore Gamer

Winning in the gaming arena takes know-how and inventiveness. The market is abuzz with what chip is fastest, which is coolest and what is down the pike in terms of graphics.

But in addition to the nitty gritty specs, system builders should take note of other offerings available that they can add on to a sale and turn a tidy profit. Whether that means protecting the screen of a monitor or enclosing the system in a "cone of silence," a bevy of products are ready and willing to be resold through the channel.

ANTEC'S MINI P180

Antec Inc., Fremont, Calif., has introduced the Mini P180, the latest addition to its Performance One series. The compact, high-performance enclosure offers quality and quiet in a small and highly portable frame, and is targeted at gamers and "quiet computing" enthusiasts.

The Mini P180 continues the legacy of the Performance One series, and features a dual-chamber structure that isolates heat by separating the power supply from other internal components. According to Antec, the cooling system includes a 120-mm rear mounted fan, a 200-mm top mounted fan and an advanced cable management system to improve airflow throughout the case. The compact chassis features three-layer side panels made of aluminum and plastic, as well as silicone grommets to reduce hard drive vibration and noise.

The Mini P180 accommodates (up to) a microATX motherboard with four expansion slots. The cable management system keeps wires organized, and the 270-degree double-hinged door helps ease installation by providing direct accessibility into the case. In addition to eight drive bays, there are front-mounted USB 2.0, eSATA and Audio I/O ports. Available at the end of February, the Mini P180 is backed by the manufacturer's three-year warranty. Pricing: $159.00

BENQ X2200W LCD

Featuring an 8ms Motion Picture Response Time (MPRT) the X2200W offers a clear, lifelike visual experience. MPRT is the latest and most accurate specification for measuring motion blur or ghosting.

The 22-in., widescreen X2200W is engineered with the professional gamer in mind. BenQ's PerfectMotion Technology incorporates Advanced Motion Accelerator (AMA) and Simulated Pulsed Driving Technologies. A shorter response time equals a crisper picture. At 8ms MPRT, the X2200W can offer a clearer image than conventional LCD monitors, which typically have MPRTs of 20+ms.

Pricing: Less than $350

COOLIT ELITE

The Elite harnesses the power of both liquid cooling and thermoelectrics to drive CPU temperatures down to unprecedented levels. The Freezone Elite builds off of CoolIt's Freezone product, offering a 120mm fan, increased heat dissipation of up to 250W, and a sleek new black faceplate.

The Elite package also includes CoolIT's MTEC Control Center, a hardware/software module that helps the user monitor thermals in real time and adjust cooling power with a mouse click. The Freezone Elite is fully ESA (Enthusiast System Architecture) certified bringing CoolIT into the forefront of the most cutting-edge PC hardware technology.

The CoolIT Systems Freezone Elite is available now for $449.99.

OPPO'S HM-31 HDMI SWITCH

With the OPPO HM-31 Advanced 3x1 HDMI Switch, users can expand the single HDMI input port on a TV to seamlessly connect up to three HDMI sources, such as DVD, Blu-ray or HD DVD players, cable or satellite receivers, and gaming consoles.

OPPO's HDMI switch ranks among the very few HDMI switches to pass the official HDMI 1.3 certification test, so it is compatible with all HDTV resolutions up to 1080p and PC resolutions up to 1920x1200. Equipped with advanced HDMI 1.3 features such as Deep Color, higher bandwidth and a signal equalizer, the HM-31 supports the latest generation of home theater products.

According to the manufacturer, the HM-31 transmits rich, vibrant images and sound while maintaining the highest in video and audio quality. It is EIA/CEA-861D, DVI 1.0, and HDCP 1.1 compliant and supports DDC and HPD switching to ensure maximum device compatibility. Equipped with a remote control, the switch can rest on a table top or be mounted on a wall.

Pricing: $99 (MSRP)

PANASONIC'S PT-AX200U LCD HOME CINEMA PROJECTOR

Panasonic's new projector is billed as an affordable luxury for gaming and home theater enthusiasts. The new PT-AX200U model is the next evolution of its market-leading predecessor, the PT-AX100U (source: Pacific Media Associates).

According to Thomas Zitelli, president of Panasonic Projector Systems Co., the PT-AX200U, which ships with a new gaming mode, is the manufacturer's first projector designed with gamers in mind. Compared with Panasonic's prior model, the new projector's gaming mode provides a 60 percent faster response time using the controller buttons. Gamers can also program and save up to eight settings for games or movies.

The PT-AX200U's Pure Color Filter uses optical adjustment to achieve accurate color reproduction, going a step further than projectors that reproduce colors by adjusting the white balance. The color filter achieves a higher purity level of the three primary colors -- red, green and blue -- displays deeper, purer blacks, and expands the color gamut. In addition, the new Smooth Screen technology uses crystal double refraction to arrange pixels on a screen with no gaps -- producing vivid, smooth images similar to those found in commercial movie theaters. The technology also enhances images' three-dimensional effect.

The PT-AX200 also comes with two HDMI inputs, eliminating the need for an HDMI switcher.

Pricing: $1,999 (MSRP)

SAMSUNG'S SYNCMASTER 2693HM AND 2493HM

Samsung Electronics America's new series of 24- and 25.5-inch LCD monitors are aimed at consumers and commercial users looking for enhanced entertainment and multimedia capabilities.

Featuring full 1080p HD resolution, HDMI inputs and built-in multimedia speakers, these monitors are targeted at consumers looking for superior image quality and next-generation audiovisual input while listening to music, gaming, or watching movies on their computer monitors. End-users can participate in teleconferences or listen to videos and audio presentations using the built-in multimedia speakers.

The SyncMaster 2693HM (pictured) and 2493HM feature a 5-ms GTG response time, virtually eliminating blurring or ghosting, according to Samsung. The pair also benefit from a high resolution of 1920 x 1200.

The 2493HM and the 2693HM monitors are backed by a three-year limited warranty on labor and parts, including the backlight, as well as toll-free technical support for the life of the display.

Pricing: 2493HM -- $599 (MSRP); 2693HM $699 (MSRP).

VIEWSONIC 62 SERIES

These LCD monitors tout industry-leading color performance and 2ms response times in a unique, multi-use design. The manufacturer is targeting the series at gaming and high-definition content enthusiasts.

The glossy black monitors feature invisible speakers. According to ViewSonic, it has improved the clarity and sound quality of the incorporated speakers with the inclusion of SRS WOW HD software, which is activated by installing SRS Audio Soundbox, which comes with the monitor. This enhancement extends the frequency range of the speakers and allows for better response and sound performance, which will compliment the multimedia features in the displays.

In addition to the fast 2ms response time, the VX1962w and VX2262wm boast a native 1680x1050 HD resolution and 6000:1 dynamic contrast ratio (typ) to deliver fluid, full-motion images and optimized video performance.

Pricing: $279 (MSRP), with an estimated street price of $249

ZAGG'S INVISIBLESHIELD

Created from material originally developed to protect military helicopter blades from wind, sand and the wear and tear of high-speed travel, ZAGG's invisibleSHIELD is now available for all handheld electronic devices on the market, including laptops. A full-body protection solution ZAGG guarantees the ultra-tough film will keep the design and structure fully intact without the bulk of other electronic device casings.

According to ZAGG, invisibleSHIELD is resilient enough to withstand most sharp objects, and is scratch proof and stain resistant. The protector is backed by a lifetime warranty: If the invisibleSHIELD is scratched or damaged, ZAGG will replace it for free. The product is available in more than 1,000 precision cut designs, and the maker also offers custom-cut orders for unique models, such as gaming laptops or other custom-built systems.

Pricing: starts at $9.95 (MSRP)

CUSTOM CASES

The artists at Falcon Northwest Computer Systems aren't limited to PC cases alone. In this instance, the customer wanted a complete package including mouse and keyboard. Flames are a popular, and apt, metaphor for the blazing fast processing speeds gamers require. The airbrushing, done by hand, is time-consuming, but the results speak for themselves.