One of the key words I felt described the Consumer Electronics Show this year was innovation. I know that word tends to get thrown around a lot in tech circles, but for CES 2019 there really wasn’t a better one. To say there is a plethora of system builders trying to outdo each other every year is a bit of an understatement as well. So, finding a company that not only continues to innovate, but do so with such style and finesse might seem to be asking for a lot.
iBUYPOWER as the company name suggests, build powerful PCs and exotic cases. Their focus is not only on the top of the line components to make you the frag-king on the block, but ensuring each build is unique and innovating while doing it. Entering their suite in Las Vegas this year, I was instantly drawn to their one-of-a-kind spinning Project Snowblind X4. While maybe not the most practical gaming rig to have on your desk, it certainly is a statement piece. While one could argue that it is more of a work of art than daily driver it consists of 4 18” 1366×768 TN screens covering each of its tempered glass sides, custom water cooled in its ATX case. Oh, and did I mention it spins??
You can catch a brief video of it here:
While currently a one-of-a-kind item, that doesn’t mean there won’t be a market for it. Afterall, who doesn’t need some functional computer art in their home or office?
For those who are looking for a bit more practicality iBUYPOWER offers that as well. On display was the latest generation of their ITX system the Revolt 3. The case itself was carefully thought out and offers one of the best designs I’ve ever seen. ITX cases are notoriously limited in both expandability, and versatility. Particularly when video card manufacturers continue to push the space availability on any case on the market regardless of size. The Revolt 3, through its use of some amazing spacers, allow you to adjust the size of the case to your liking, meaning that at its full height it can accommodate a GPU up to 330mm in length. It even offers support for 2 GPUs, although only the two slot varieties (sorry no room for the 2.5 slot variety in a SLI/Crossfire configuration). All of this in a case that measures only 17”X10”X9”. The case is surprisingly easy to work in, and it “feels” much larger than it is. It’s also designed in such a way that it can stand vertically or lay horizontally.
For those looking for something a bit larger, iBUYPOWER also had their latest iteration of their now famous Snowblind case. For those unfamiliar with the case itself, it offers a tempered glass side panel with an integrated transparent LCD panel. The panel offers amazing clarity and is such an incredibly cool feature. One problem with previous versions of the case was how the cable had to be connected which limited the ability to easily remove the side panel. The new Snowblind S case now offers a hot-pluggable display that allows the side panel to be removed without the need to physically unplug the cable. The case and the side panel each have a connector, that when attached, provides power to the LCD screen. It is an elegant solution and one that continues to show how iBUYPOWER listens to its audience and is continuously looking to improve.
iBUYPOWER continues to shine with their incredible use of the clear LCD screens in their numerous offerings and complete build customization. While the Snowblind X4 will be difficult to top next year, I can’t wait to see what iBUYPOWER has in store for us, this year and at CES 2020.
