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In what's supposed to be the most exciting time of the year for tech journalists and enthusiasts alike, day 1 of CES is in the books. We say 'supposed to be,' because to be blunt, we've so far been underwhelmed by CES as a whole. We've watched the show decline in attendance the last three years and really hoped that 2007 was simply an off year, but here it is 2008 and we've yet to be swept off our feet.
But lest we come off as total negative Nancies, we're not declaring the show a total bust this year. After all, we're but a single day into the event, and we've only scratched the surface of the show floor and meeting with companies. So who did we meet with so far? Today we talked with EVGA, Antec, Corsair, OCZ, and Foxconn.
Our first stop of the day was with EVGA, who showed off their line of video cards and their new 7XXi Series of motherboards. Shown above is their 780i motherboard, and in addition to the reference design, EVGA plans on offering their own 780i mold with an 8-phase power design (compared to 6) and some other enthusiast oriented goodies. And that chunk of motherboard at the top? That's a sneak peek of the upcoming 790i, which we're not allowed to show.
EVGA also showcased a unique dual monitor setup based on their Inter View technology. A pair of 17" LCD panels connect to a base with integrated speakers, and each panel can be flipped over. When flipped, the screen too adjusts so that viewers aren't looking at an upside down desktop.
Along with the Inter View setup, EVGA gave us a glimpse of their UV Plus+ device, which allows users to connect multiple monitors by way of USB cables. The plug-and-play device requires no external power and appeared to work well with Vista, including Aero Glass support.
Next up was Antec, who showed off a couple promising PSUs that are a major change of direction from their past offerings. These 'Signature Series' power supplies feature a dual-PCB design, and HardwareLogic PSU reviewer Chris Adcock walked away impressed with what he saw. More to come!...
Stealing the show in Antec's lineup was undoubtedly their upcoming 1200 chassis, which, dare we say, might be the most anticipated case of 2008? Improving on the Antec 900's design, the 1200 sports filters galore (and easily removable, too!), fan controls at every turn including sturdy knobs down the front panel, and an all-black paint job, both inside and out. We plan to cover the 1200 in an upcoming review, and this will be one write-up you won't want to miss.