Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. Computing
  3. News

Corsair’s Bulldog, Lapdog take a bite out of the gaming console competition

By
4K and VR Gaming, Unleashed: BULLDOG
While Corsair is typically known for its memory products and PC cases, the company has launched a full-blown desktop. Appropriately called Bulldog, it takes a bite out of the console-class competition in the living room using a mouthful of high-end PC components supporting 4K gaming and virtual reality. The company has also introduced a DIY kit based on the Bulldog configuration, and a portable gaming center called
Recommended Videos
Lapdog.
Corsair Bulldog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For starters, the actual Bulldog desktop system is listed as available in Q3 2016 and currently does not offer actual hardware specs. However, the DIY kit version is on sale now for $400 and consists of Corsair’s console-like Bulldog chassis, the Hydro Series H5 SF processor cooler, the SF600 power supply, and the GA-Z170N-WiFi motherboard from Gigabyte. This kit first made its appearance as a prototype during Computex 2015 and moved on to earn Best of CES 2016 honors back in January.

Related

The all-steel black Bulldog chassis itself supports mini ITX motherboards, and its console shape makes it a great fit in the living room next to the Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and Nintendo Wii U. It sits horizontally on any surface, measuring 381mm by 457mm by 133mm. The case supports a maximum GPU card length of 300mm, a CPU height of 90mm, and a power supply measuring 190mm.

Corsair Bulldog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

As for other features, the case provides two expansion slots, one bay for a 2.5-inch drive, one bay for a 3.5-inch drive or three 2.5-inch drives, three fan locations (two 92mm fans are included and one 120mm fan is optional), and a designated spot for a 120mm radiator at the bottom. External connectivity includes two USB 3.0 ports, one headphone jack, and one microphone jack. The Bulldog case is compatible with Corsair’s H5, SF, H55, H60, and H75 liquid coolers.

“Builder-friendly layout, tool-free fittings, and a standard mini-ITX form factor makes upgrades easy, Corsair said on Wednesday. “What’s more, Bulldog can mount not just the H5SF low-profile CPU cooler, but also a host of compatible all-in-one graphics card liquid-coolers such as the Corsair HG10 and H55, providing the benefits of liquid cooling to not just the CPU, but the power-hungry GPU as well.”

Corsair Bulldog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

According to Corsair, the actual Bulldog systems that will be sold through Micro Center this fall will sport Intel Z170 mini ITX motherboards from various vendors, not just Gigabyte. These are built for sixth-generation Intel Core processors that can be overclocked, support dual-channel DDR4 memory, and have built-in Wireless AC connectivity. USB Type-C and USB 3.0 are also typical features, as well as gigabit Ethernet and Bluetooth 4.2.

Corsair’s Bulldog DIY kit is available now in North America, and all system builders need to do with this kit is slap in a processor, memory, the graphics card, and storage. The company plans to bundle it with hardware components “soon” followed by the pre-built systems with various configurations and prices in Q3 2016.

Corsair Lapdog
Image used with permission by copyright holder

In keeping with the living room theme, Corsair has also introduced the Lapdog, which would work rather nicely with the Bulldog “console” system. This peripheral first made its appearance during Computex 2015, and is now available in North America, the United Kingdom, France, Germany, and Scandinavia for $120. It essentially crams a keyboard, a mouse, and a mousepad together onto one platform so you’re not gaming on a wobbly TV dinner table and falling forward off the living room couch (been there, done it).

However, for that price, customers are just getting the lapboard itself. The Lapdog is compatible with the Corsair K70 mechanical keyboard and the Corsair K65 mechanical keyboard, which will rest within a special dock that resides to the left of the 11-by-11-inch mouse pad area. However, the company provides $250 bundles that includes a $130 K70 keyboard, but no mouse.

What makes the Lapdog over a hundred bucks is its overall high quality. The peripheral is built from anodized, brushed aluminum and weighs just 5.81 pounds. It provides a USB hub supplying four USB 3.0 ports (mobile device fast-charging is supported), and there’s even a secret compartments for storing away annoying cables. A memory foam cushion is installed on the Lapdog’s belly for maximum user comfort, and the Lapdog platform itself connects to the customer’s PC by way of its built-in 16-foot USB 3.0-based “tail.”

The Lapdog and its associated bundles can be purchased directly from Corsair.

Editors' Recommendations

Topics
Kevin Parrish
Kevin Parrish
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Kevin started taking PCs apart in the 90s when Quake was on the way and his PC lacked the required components. Since then…
Dell’s XPS 13 for $599 deal is back, and who knows for how long
The Dell XPS 13 in front of a window.

Dell almost always has great laptop deals and for a little while now, it’s been selling an older model of the Dell XPS 13 for just $599. That deal continues today but we’re really not sure how long it’s going to stick around for. It feels like it must be ending very soon. The laptop usually costs $799 so you’re saving $200 but overall, this is a fantastic deal for the hardware involved. If you’re keen to learn more before the deal ends, keep reading.

Why you should buy the Dell XPS 13
Dell is one of the best laptop brands out there so you simply can’t go wrong with purchasing from it. With this model, you get a 12th-generation Intel Core i5-1230U processor along with 8GB of memory and 256GB of SSD storage. There’s also a 13.4-inch full HD+ screen with 1920 x 1200 resolution, 500 nits of brightness, and anti-glare properties. That’s fairly standard stuff at this price but it’s the build quality of the Dell XPS 13 which makes it stand out so much.

Read more
M4 vs. M3: How much better are Apple’s latest chips?
An official rendering of the Apple M4 chip.

Apple has announced the M4 chip, its successor to the M3 that’s currently found in a bunch of Macs and iPads. The M3 is an excellent chip and a real leap above the M2 that came before it, so the question is whether the M4 can manage a similar feat.

Right now, the M4 is only in the iPad Pro, and that means information about how good it is and what it does is rather limited. But if you’re interested in finding out more, you’re in luck, as we’ve gathered up everything we know about Apple’s M4 chip and compared it side by side with the M3. If you want to learn more about Apple’s next chip -- and how it compares to the M3 -- read on.
Where can you find these chips?

Read more
iMac deals: New, renewed and refurbished iMac computers
Apple iMac with Retina 5K Display review close

If you're in the Apple ecosystem and need a desktop computer rather than something like a MacBook, then you'll want to go for the Apple iMac, which is one of the best all-in-one computers on the market. There are quite a few screen sizes and specs to pick from, and if you're willing to go for a renewed option, you can get some older yet still powerful iMacs for a great price with desktop deals. Even if you aren't, there are still some great Apple deals you can take advantage of to save yourself some money, which is why we went out and scoured the internet for the best deals we could find. If you need something portable, check out MacBook deals. For extra savings, check out refurbished MacBook deals.
Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) Renewed -- $409, was $460

Even cheaper than any of the MacBook deals going on, this Apple 21.5-inch iMac (2018) might be a few years old but it offers plenty of juice for the price. That's the beauty behind many iMacs -- they last a long time thanks to offering reliable hardware and the benefits of MacOS, which tends to mean they stay fast for awhile. In the case of the 2018 21.5-inch iMac, you get a 2.7GHz Quad-Core Intel Core i5 processor paired up with 16GB of memory which is a great set of specs for ensuring you can get plenty of work done.

Read more