CES 2011 Photos

[Oneslowz28]

Hey guys, I do not have time to upload to flickr at the moment. So check them out at this link and feel free to post some of the them here in the thread.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2092101&id=1023629593&l=988dbf2410

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2092328&id=1023629593&l=3eaddcd409

Definately not work safe. Click at your own risk.
Curtis and I met Dennis Hoff from HBO's Cathouse with 3 of his girls. Later that night we ran into Ron Jeremy.
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2092339&id=1023629593&l=09e484f124

[Airbozo]

Thanks!

Now I am really pissed I missed this show. I was _supposed_ to be flying out to Pittsburgh and/or really busy this week... LOL! I am sitting on my hands and just doing busy work. (although I am catching up on my SharePoint server maintenance...)

Nice photo's BTW!

[blueonblack]

I am sitting on my hands and just doing busy work. (although I am catching up on my SharePoint server maintenance...)



Pack it up and join us!!!

[Airbozo]

lol.

Wish I could...

Where is the show located (what convention center or hotel?)

[Drum Thumper]

That has to be the ugliest tablecloth I have ever laid eyes on in those Gigabyte photos. What little old lady is missing her tablecloth?

[SgtM]

Uh.. that's camo netting.

[blueonblack]

Where is the show located (what convention center or hotel?)

It's at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

[x88x]

Hey, most of these pictures don't have any tech stuff in them at all! Most of them are just of girls!

...

:whistler:


I see you found Bodd's Sensei though, nice! And you found the fake Venice! ...it was about 4am when I was there...no gondola...whatever you call people who pilot gondolas... :(

[Snowman]

for the love of god tell me you guys went and talked to this girl Contour GPS Viewfinder (http://www.engadget.com/2011/01/07/contourgps-live-viewfinder-on-ios-hands-on/)

[Airbozo]

Hey, most of these pictures don't have any tech stuff in them at all! Most of them are just of girls!

...

:whistler:


I see you found Bodd's Sensei though, nice! And you found the fake Venice! ...it was about 4am when I was there...no gondola...whatever you call people who pilot gondolas... :(

Gondolier?

[x88x]

Gondolier?

Yes! That one.

[Kayin]

Gondor? I love Gondor! Are we gonna go see Aragorn?

[Mach]

Eragon? The book was ok but the movie was just meh.

[Lothair]

Internet Meme? Most are pretty good but this one is just meh.

[blaze15301]

please please please tell me you guys have more info on the msi big bang conquer am3+ board.

[Oneslowz28]

Added another album

[Oneslowz28]

new album added to the first post

[Ichbin]

Boobs and Computer stuff!

Awesome! Can't wait to read the articles that are gonna spawn from this :)

Now to go back into hibernation.

[x88x]

Internet Meme? Most are pretty good but this one is just meh.

No, just people going off words that sound like other words. :P


Love the new albums CJ. ;)

[blueonblack]

http://sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash1/hs760.ash1/165107_131453166918684_100001620039205_200575_6647 059_n.jpg

[SXRguyinMA]

that things pretty neat! like a baby level 10 lol

[blueonblack]

Pretty close. That's the Level 10 GT. Expect to see more of it soon. :)

[Lothair]

Now at the great low cost of half a billion dollars! Afford-ability has never been more... affordable!

Did you guys know that the Level 10 (What I'm now going to call the "Big Daddy Edition") costs $699? That is freaking insane! And now they've added a "GT" onto the end of the title, made it smaller AND it has a window along with what I'll put money down on them calling an "advanced cooling solution", which is nothing more than perforated metal, aka mesh. This... is going to be laughably expensive.

What's that thing sticking out of the side? Unusable drink cup holder? Air intake shroud? Is it an airplane wing so it can fly? lol

I'm actually surprised that nobody has made a case that looks similar to the Level 10. It's a pretty neat idea. I've even thought of making a case that is compartmentalized like that. Do any exist and I just haven't seen them?

[blueonblack]

I think you'll be pleasantly surprised. I certainly was.

[Lothair]

Not a cent over $200 and I'll be pleasantly surprised. But even then, it'd have to be one feature packed and well-built chassis.

Pretty cool looking chassis either way, though.

[x88x]

I'm actually surprised that nobody has made a case that looks similar to the Level 10. It's a pretty neat idea. I've even thought of making a case that is compartmentalized like that. Do any exist and I just haven't seen them?

Yeah, there have been a few. IIRC, one was called 'Level 11'. I don't remember the names of any of the others but yeah, there have been a few custom builds making similar things.

[Oneslowz28]

The thing you are calling a "wing" is a holder for your headphones and it will retail for much less than its big brother. Blueonblack will be providing you guys with a fully detailed hands on in the very near future. I will let him disclose the actual MSRP and the other unique features then.

[Lothair]

That's actually not too bad of an idea. I don't think I'd ever use it, but it's kind of nice that it's there so long as it's removable.

I also just noticed something a little bit familiar. Thats a Thermaltake Frio! And it actually looks like there is a small bit of room to spare. Perhaps this chassis isn't so baby after-all? That or it's older brother is a friggin' monster. lol

I love it when someone takes the time to color-match their hardware. Makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. :p

[Oneslowz28]

Its not a baby at all, and the headphone holder is 100% removable and IIRC when removed, it does not leave a hole.

[BS Mods]

I just heard the price and was shocked! Much better than the original. Now it's within most peoples reach.

[Lothair]

Well I took a look at this case on a bigger screen and I've got to say, it's not nearly as nice as it's bigger brother. I didn't realize it wasn't even compartmentalized this time around. It's pretty much just a normal case with a unique design, like every other normal case with unique designs. I also read that it was $270? That's insane and unreasonable.

Why don't they just sell the original for like $200? That would be awesome and entirely reasonable.

This thing better have some REALLY nice features.

[Oneslowz28]

Actually the hard drive bays are compartmentalized and there are many nice features that put this case above the rest.

You do not hear anyone complaining about the $300 price tag on a plain ATX sized boring looking Lian Li. IMO those are the cases we should be complaining about and before you point out that they are aluminum, I say so what! Aluminum is not some magic metal that makes things perform better. At the end of the day I would much rather pay $300 for the Level 10GT which I know I can stuff full of stuff over a Plain Jane Lian Li that will barely fit a board, card and 1 240 radiator.

[x88x]

Why don't they just sell the original for like $200? That would be awesome and entirely reasonable.

Having seen one in person, I'm gonna say probably because they wouldn't be making a profit if they did that. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised at all if it costs more than $200 to make. True, the Level 10 is a ridiculous case, and personally I would never buy one, but it is an incredibly well built case.

[Lothair]

Yeah I wouldn't say that high-end Lian Li cases are worth that much either.

Build material doesn't affect the cost that drastically, as the cheaper models are made of aluminum as well.

I think the reason nobody complains about Lian Li is because they just aren't, for good reason, in the lime light. They don't make unique and desirable cases that you can't get anywhere else. Basically, nobody has a reason to complain about their "high-end" chassis costs, so nobody does. If many people wanted one, I bet there would be complaining. But that's just not the case. People who buy or even want a Lian Li are a minority. They're just off the radar for most people. They aren't anything special. Most people I'd imagine just look right past them.

But that's all beside the point. Justification by comparison is foolish at best. I mean there are a few cases out there that cost less than this one and are just as good or better. All it really has going for it is it's unique design with a few honestly unnecessary gimmicks. I don't really see where the cost is coming from.

[Lothair]

Having seen one in person, I'm gonna say probably because they wouldn't be making a profit if they did that. Seriously, I wouldn't be surprised at all if it costs more than $200 to make. True, the Level 10 is a ridiculous case, and personally I would never buy one, but it is an incredibly well built case.

That might be true, however even if it were true that's still a huge profit they're making. If it actually does cost $200, then why not sell it at $300? That covers the cost of the product and you'd still turn a pretty good profit.

Itd be interesting to know just how much it actually costs to make.

[x88x]

I think the reason nobody complains about Lian Li is because they just aren't, for good reason, in the lime light. They don't make unique and desirable cases that you can't get anywhere else. Basically, nobody has a reason to complain about their "high-end" chassis costs, so nobody does. If many people wanted one, I bet there would be complaining. But that's just not the case. People who buy or even want a Lian Li are a minority. They're just off the radar for most people. They aren't anything special. Most people I'd imagine just look right past them.

I feel like Lian-Li are kinda like the Volvo of the PC case world. They don't stand out much, but most of the people who buy them don't really care. They cost a bit more, but they're built to a very high standard. Overall they're just very nice, very subtle cases. And actually, looking at the prices, they're not that different than Cooler Master, Antec, or any of the Thermaltake cases I would actually spend money for. It looks like about 80% of their product line is in the $50-300 range, with the bulk in the $100-200 range and a few outliers in each direction. Rather like PSUs, I accepted a long time ago that to get a case I would be happy with from a build-quality stance, I would have to pay at least ~$80, and $200-300 for an incredibly nice one isn't out of the question. That being said, any company is free to charge what they like for their product. Obviously enough people bought the Level 10 at $700, or Tt would have dropped the price. I always felt like it was more of a publicity stunt than anything else anyways.

[Lothair]

The real and only reason why these cases cost so much is due to one thing. Mind-set. Image. Perception. However you want to word it, that's what it is. It's all about how they want people to view the product. It probably, in part at least, has to do with artificially increasing desirability through the increase of cost resulting in people mentally attaching the label "high-end" onto the product, which makes the product in the mind of the consumer as well as onlookers more desirable. Apple being a great example of how well playing around with such a thing works.

It's just bull****. These cases are like Bose or Monster Cables. They're all very nice, sure. But the cost is simply outrageous. It's total greed. It's not about giving products to the consumer, it's about screwing people to better make money. The only thing these products show me is that the companies behind them don't actually care about us, the consumers, their fans and their customers. Thermaltake wouldn't have even had the chance to work with such a huge company with massive resources if it weren't for us. This to me is a ****ty way to say "thanks".

I understand that businesses need to make money. I'm even okay with companies turning a large profit for no other reason than "because they can". But these prices are clearly unfair and over the top. It's even worse because we've been conditioned into thinking it's okay.

Monuments to greed and consumerism. Keep it, because I don't want to be apart of that. I'll stick with Nzxt. They at least have always treated us fairly, even with their flagship models, although I'm sure there was still a small markup with those, which is okay honestly.

/Just my penny and a nickle of an opinion.

[x88x]

I disagree. It costs money to make a quality product. This is a fact. It costs more to make, say, an NZXT Phantom than it does to make, say, a POS Linkworld case. That's why the Phantom costs a lot more. The raw materials cost more, the designing costs more, the R&D costs more, the manufacturing costs more. The end result is instantly recognizable when the two are compared in person. The high-end cases are simply an extreme case of this. They tend to be much larger (therefore using more materials), implement new designs and features (therefore costing more in design and R&D), and often are more complicated (together with the larger form, increasing the cost of manufacture). The materials are by far the smallest part of this.

Companies exist to make money. Sure, maybe it's not the only reason or even the primary reason, but at the end of the day, product development costs a lot of money. The only way that product manufacturers can turn a profit is by charging a large markup on their products. This is the way the market works. It's not greed (ok, sometimes it is, but mostly not). I for one don't feel that any companies I buy products from owe me anything more than the product and support that I pay them for, and in turn I don't feel that I owe them anything more than the money I pay them for their product. If I am satisfied with their product and the price I pay for it, I may patronize them again. If not, I won't. If I find that they have a reputation for not providing adequate compensation for the cost of their product then I probably will not do business with them in the first place. On the flip side of that, if I find that they have a reputation for providing more than expected compensation for that cost, I will be more likely to do business with them over another company. If they have a stagnant product line, I will be less likely to be interested in their products. On the other hand, if they have constant innovation in their product line I will be more likely to be interested in their products. None of this is news or unique to me. The problem is that the things that draw people to a company or a product cost a lot of money. The sole way that these companies have of recouping that cost is by charging more for their products. As in other industries, these costs are often disproportionately shifted towards the upper end of the product line so that the lower end can remain cheap and attractive to a larger customer base. With a very few exceptions it's not greed, it's not companies trying to screw the consumer. Quite the opposite, it is about keeping the company profitable so that they can continue to invest money in trying to create better things for you, the consumer.

This is one reason why I like Microcenter so much. I can go and actually see a case in person, feel the construction, and determine for myself whether it is worth the cost that the seller is asking for it. Sometimes the answer is yes...sometimes it is not. In the case of the Level 10, if I had the money and actually wanted to buy it (neither being the case), I would say it is probably worth around $400-450. The rest is markup for various reasons (some explored above). On a side note, I wonder how much BMW charged them for their help designing it. ...I imagine it wasn't cheap...


Not trying to start a war, just trying to present another side of the story.

..btw, $400 NZXT (http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=N82E16811146049) ;)

[Lothair]

$400? For that? Oh come on Nzxt! You betrayed me! lol

Even the Adamas wasn't nearly that expensive. It was smaller sure, but I bet material cost was higher. R&D I'd say is probably the same with any high-end case. There isn't a real reason that I can see as to why such a huge price difference. I think that basically addresses the above post. I'm not saying I'm unwilling to pat where it's due, I'm just saying that this is absolutely without a doubt price gouging.

How dissappointing. *looks over at Phantom* Okay, I forgive you. :p

[Oneslowz28]

It's simple economics. The price will reflect what the market will bear. You also have to consider the tooling in the price of the product. 90% of the PC cases on the market have a basic frame that is stamped on the same machine with the same die. The difference is the injection molded plastic front and top. So X company can buy X amount of frames in bulk at a great discount. Then they simply have to pay for some molds to be made to make those generic frames appear different.

In the case of NZXT's phantom, the entire case was manufactured on custom tooling and therefore the cost of manufacturing was much more than say a NZXT Beta Evo which shares the same frame as the M59, Lexa S, and Tempest. The same thing applies with the Thermaltake Level 10 GT. It required completely custom tooling on top of custom molds for the plastic. Not to mention the design royalties they pay to BMW.

Another thing you have to take into account is the $$ these companies have to recuperate from their advertising. They will send 200+ of every product they release to sites like ours for us to review. 90% of the time those products are kept by the reviewers. Also consider the products they give away for free in contest like we have here. These manufacturers pony up hundreds of dollars worth of products for giveaways every month.

The general rule of thumb for small business is 3x cost for minimal profits and 4-5x cost for good profits. I have no idea what kind of profit margin a large company like Thermatake operates on, but I bet its not in the 4-5x range.

It's just like when I was a photographer. I would charge $120 and hour for my services during commercial and wedding services. Sure there were other photographers who would charge half that. Were my photos or coverage better than theirs? I would like to think so, but the reality was that we were all about on par with each other. I simply charged what I did because I knew my clients would pay it.

[dr.walrus]

The price will reflect what the market will bear.

I think this sums it all up very nicely.

Speaking of NZXT, I'd never bought one of there products before til I built in a BETA for a friend. Was so impressed, I barely blinked at spending £100 on the Phantom...

[Lothair]

The Phantom should win a Best Value and Best Design Award. Aside from cases that price around $200 it is easily one of the nicest cases I've laid my hands on. It's a lot bigger than I originally thought, though. I was pretty surprised to say the least. lol

[blueonblack]

The Phantom should win a Best Value and Best Design Award.

Absolutely agreed. I love my Phantom.

[NightrainSrt4]

Maybe this will explain why Lian-Li cases can potentially cost so much. (http://www.bit-tech.net/hardware/cases/2010/08/24/lian-li-factory-tour/1)

Between the hand assembly, QA process, cost of materials, etc. It doesn't surprise me they cost so much. They also do not make them in huge quantities as they just do not have the facilities to do so. Less quantity means you have to charge more for each just to break even, nonetheless turn a profit.

And top end, low production, models will always be expensive. A BMW's higher cost compared to an Accord doesn't necessarily reflect the ratio of cost to build. A GTX580 doesn't cost $600 to produce. A cow isn't butchered and sold with all cuts equally priced even though it is a set cost to foster the cow. It's all exclusive and in demand.

Things don't need to have the prices they do but as long as people are willing to pay for them they will be. As for Lian-Li the cases are just lovely. If I made them I'd damn sure sell them for whatever price I could. Without the ability to increase yields it makes sense that they cost a bit more, as they have to charge more to make similar profits compared to other manufacturers who can just set the factory to pump out a million cases.

[dr.walrus]

The Phantom should win a Best Value and Best Design Award. Aside from cases that price around $200 it is easily one of the nicest cases I've laid my hands on. It's a lot bigger than I originally thought, though. I was pretty surprised to say the least. lol

Hmm, while I love it to bits, I have a few relatively serious niggles with the design. Power switch is easy to get back in the place when you remove the top panel, top panel a bit fiddly and difficult to remove, and if you fill all the fan spaces, you have the problem that you have a little too much 'pull' - you should ideally have a 230mm in front of the graphics cards, not the 200.

However, NZXT only produce up to 200mm, but only guarantee compatibility with their own products... including a product that doesn't exist? Also, the second drive bay should not be installed by default, and the vent on the other side shouldn't be there either.

If I could go back and buy again, I think I might well go for a Silverstone Fortress (with a red interior!) instead... Now THAT case should win a Best Design award.

[blueonblack]

I think I might well go for a Silverstone Fortress

The new FT03 is absolutely beautiful, from visual and design standpoints both. We hope to have one torn apart for you guys soon.

[dr.walrus]

The new FT03 is absolutely beautiful, from visual and design standpoints both. We hope to have one torn apart for you guys soon.
I'm still not sure about the FT03, but certainly if it's a patch on the FT02's functionality it'll be a stonker

[Lothair]

And here I thought I was a hard sell. :p

I can't say I've experienced any of those issues though. I also have a total of 8 case fans inside my rig and everything is staying cool to the touch. I've never noticed a notable difference in any build so long as there is some kind of airflow.

I wish they would make a 230mm case fan though. It wouldn't fit anyways because of the Frio, but you'd think they would have one.

[SXRguyinMA]

Hmm, while I love it to bits, I have a few relatively serious niggles with the design. Power switch is easy to get back in the place when you remove the top panel, top panel a bit fiddly and difficult to remove, and if you fill all the fan spaces, you have the problem that you have a little too much 'pull' - you should ideally have a 230mm in front of the graphics cards, not the 200.

However, NZXT only produce up to 200mm, but only guarantee compatibility with their own products... including a product that doesn't exist? Also, the second drive bay should not be installed by default, and the vent on the other side shouldn't be there either.

If I could go back and buy again, I think I might well go for a Silverstone Fortress (with a red interior!) instead... Now THAT case should win a Best Design award.

and if you check out my Arctic Cat build, the Xigmatek 200mm fans I got are BIGGER than NZXT's 200mm fans :think:

[Oneslowz28]

I think I heard something about some NZXT 230mm fans coming out soon. I could be mistaken though.

[CorsePerVita]

Looks like fun!

[Waynio]

Ooooh I like those gigabyte boards I mean babes :whistler::D & the bar babes hehe, computer show tech wha babes babes babes :D lol awesome :D:banana:.