Game On with Acer Aspire Predator AS7750

Computer maker Acer is looking to increase its share of the worldwide and U.S. PC markets, but that doesn’t mean the company is only making mass-market machines designed to appeal to the broadest possible audience: it’s not above making niche machines…particularly when those niches can have very high margins. To that end, Acer has just announced it’ss latest high-end gaming desktop, the Acer Aspire Predator AS7750. As with all gaming rigs, the specs and parts can be customized and tweaked to a gamer’s preferences and budget, but the latest Predator can come equipped with Intel Core i7 quad-core processors and Nvidia GeForce GTX470 graphics with three-way Nvidia SLI support…which means the system can handle up to 12 GB of video memory.

And for better or for worse, the Predator case still looks like something that might have escaped from the Transformers franchise.

“Designed to conquer and destroy, the Aspire Predator boasts a rugged, intimidating chassis as well as super power and speed,” said Acer America desktops senior business manager Steve Smith, in a statement. “It’s a smoking hot gaming rig delivering eye-popping graphics and dynamic audio for a jaw dropping experience that will fire up even hard core gamers.”

The AS7750 comes with an Nvidia GTX470 video card on the motherboard, and can handle up to two more of them in that three-way SLI configuration, which ought to be more than enough power to handle DirectX, PhysX, and CUDA visuals in delicious real time. The graphics system also supports Nvidia 3D Vision, which means users can pop on wireless shutter glasses to experience 3D gaming and movie content.

The system ports an Intel Core i7 930 quad-core CPU, a 1.5 TB hot-swappable SATA hard drive, and four serial ATA bays that can potentially boost the system’s storage capacity over 8 TB. The system comes with an optical drive, and has an available 5.25-inch bay for an additional optical drive or device that needs front panel access. Also available:> two PCI Express ×16 slots, two PCI Express ×1 slots, a standard PCI slot, and a total of 11 USB 2.0 ports, FireWire, two eSATA ports, to gigabit Ethernet ports, two DVI-D outputs (up to six with additional graphics cards, and TV out.

The system supports 7.1 channel audio with Environmental Audio Extensions (WAX), and the AS7750 sports a two-part liquid cooling system to make sure nothing bakes even during the longest and most intense gaming battles. The Transformers-ish case has a front panel that lifts up to reveal USB ports and a multi-in-one card reader; the case also offers a handle for moving the system about (gotta get to those LAN parties!), and long with lighting effects sure to impress/distract opponents.

Pricing for the Acer Aspire Predator AS7750 starts at $1,999; they should be available from electronics retailers now.