iBuyPower Chimera 2 Gaming PCs Feed the Flames

By Geoff Duncan November 19, 2009

Boutique PC Maker iBuyPower is celebrating its 10th anniversary by rolling out its new Chimera 2 gaming PC just in time for the end-of-year holidays. Available in five customizable forms (the Chimera 2-F, Killer Chimera 2-F, Chimera 2-E, Chimera 2-Q, and Killer Chimera 2-Q), the system caters to serious gamers at any budget point, and offers innumerable configuration options so players can be sure to get exactly the capabilities they desire…so long as their credit lines can support it.

iBuyPower Chimera 2 desktop gaming rig — Image used with permission by copyright holder

The Chimera 2 systems feature either Intel Core i5, Intel Core i7, or AMD Phenom II x4 processors, support up to 16 to 24 GB of DDR3 memory, and are available with multi GPU graphics solutions from either ARI or Nvidia; the systems also ship with Killer NIC low-lag Ethernet, the Creative Labs SoundBlaster X-Fi card, and a wide range of peripherals from companies like Logitech, SteelSeries, and Razer. The systems sport power supplies up to 1200 Watts, offer liquid cooling options, and plenty of storage capability: 7 internal 3.5-inch drive bays and 4 external 5.25 bays for optical drives. All systems ship with Microsoft Windows 7 64-bit.

iBuyPower Chimera 2 desktop gaming rig (right side) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Prices for Chimera 2 systems start as low as $1,000, but as with all custom builds prices escalate quickly with horsepower, options, and capabilities. The one thing that doesn’t seem configurable is the flame-on case design. Love it or hate it, looks like Chimera customers are stuck with it.

iBuyPower Chimera 2 desktop gaming rig (open) — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Editors' Recommendations

Topics

PC Gaming

Former Digital Trends Contributor

Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…

Computing

We finally know the price of Asus’ most powerful gaming NUC

The Asus ROG NUC on a desk surrounded by three monitors.

The first Asus ROG NUC (Next Unit of Computing) model is just around the corner. The small form factor PC is now up for pre-order at a German retailer, and although it's powerful enough to rival some of the best laptops, it costs more than many comparable models -- and you'll still have to pay extra for a monitor.

Asus' first take on Intel's portable PC contains a lot of compute power in a small chassis. Although there are a few configurations of the PC, the one that was spotted up for sale ahead of time comes with Intel's latest Meteor Lake-H CPU, the Core Ultra 9 185H, which sports 16 cores and 22 threads and can be boosted to run at up to 5.1GHz, all with a thermal design power (TDP) of 45 watts. However, Asus allows overclocking, meaning that the CPU can run at up to 65 watts instead.

Computing

4 gaming monitors you should buy instead of the Alienware 34 QD-OLED

Cyberpunk 2077 running on the Alienware 34 QD-OLED.

The Alienware 34 QD-OLED is one of the best gaming monitors you can buy. There's no doubt about that. It has exceptional image quality, an attractive price, and a suite of features that are actually useful. Even with such high praise, the Alienware 34 QD-OLED isn't for everyone, and there are some other great options available.

Maybe you're looking to spend a little more or a little less, or maybe the ultrawide form factor isn't for you. Regardless, we've rounded up four monitors that Digital Trends has reviewed and found to be great alternatives to the Alienware 34 QD-OLED.
Samsung Odyssey OLED G8

Computing

How buying the wrong gaming PC can go horribly wrong

A gaming PC on a carpeted floor.

We all have that one PC horror story. Maybe you can laugh about it now, or maybe it's just a lesson learned, but it probably wasn't all too funny at the time when everything broke down.

I have plenty of stories like that, but a few of the worst ones that come to mind are all related to prebuilt PCs. Here are some of the prebuilt disasters I've seen over the years, and what to look out for if you're trying to buy a desktop PC.
It's better to be patient
I'm no custom PC snob, or at least I try not to be, but that doesn't stop me from warning the people in my life when they decide to buy a prebuilt. This is because buying a good prebuilt PC is not as easy as just walking into a store and picking out the first thing that looks decent enough. Much like PC building, buying prebuilts requires a fair bit of research for things to end well.