Game time on HP's Spectre and Phoenix

I love video games – from simple apps on handheld devices to the most 3D intensive games. If there’s a goal or some sort of challenge, I want in on it. It’s probably my competitive spirit. And also because I’m a bit of a score whore. But really, there is something special about picking up legendary items while slaying the evil dead that makes me happy. Freeing the world from the clutches of evil is one of my purposes as a gamer. Proving that I am the better fighter and that my fireball is stronger and faster than yours is another. So is burning rubber while outracing you; and crossing you over before finishing at the rim with a nasty two-handed slamdunk. I even compete with myself. Achieving the bonus for a 15-letter word on my phone’s Word Mole game was proud moment in my gaming life. The kind of moment that made me clench my fist and pump it in the air, Michael Jordan-style. (Word Mole is a 2D, one-player spelling game, by the way.)

But, admittedly, I don’t get easily bitten by the video game bug. Only the special kind of game, which comes along every so often has that effect. If not the game, then it could also be the cutting-edge technology and hardware that draws me in. Pairing the two, however, is a deadly combination. That’s a surefire recipe for OCD, insomnia, anti-social behavior, and single-mindedness. As a result, the creature born out of this (un)holy pairing of game and machine is hell-bent on saving the virtual world, no matter what the cost. Screw work and personal relationships. There is a higher purpose when this happens.

Phoenix rising: Prepare to spend days glued in front of the HP Phoenix’s with its smooth and seamless graphics.

That purpose was made clearer to me at the recent launch of the HP Spectre, the brand’s flagship Ultrabook laptop and, more importantly (for me, at least) the HP Phoenix – HP’s premiere desktop PC, made specifically for the gamer in mind.

At the Tents@Alphaland where the event was held, two stations were set up. On the right was an artsy-fartsy looking space for the Spectre display. The Spectre, aside from being powerful and handy in a small package, aims to be a benchmark for design. Gorilla Glass and a Beats by Dr. Dre sound system keep it hip. An i7 processor, Intel HD Graphics, and 4GB of DDR3 memory also mean it’s got the hardware to back everything up. The Spectre looks sleek, it’s got the power, and it has a pretty price tag, too.

“From a consumer’s standpoint, I see the Spectre as a high-powered, fully compatible lifestyle machine that looks great with its iconic design. With both the Spectre and the Phoenix, we wanted to create iconic designs that would turn heads and that would be immediately identifiable. The type of design that people could immediately recognize and say ‘Hey, that’s an HP,’” says Jason Lim HP market development manager for consumer desktops.

I spent a whole two minutes being thoroughly impressed at the Spectre booth before naturally being drawn over to the Phoenix display. I couldn’t help it. The sound of guns being fired and demons crying out in pain as they are vanquished has the same effect on me the song of the sirens had on Odysseus.

There were stations set up for COD: Modern Warfare 3 and for Diablo 3. I don’t know how many hours I clocked in “testing” both machines. I do remember stopping for dinner. But I stopped for real when I realized that the pack-up crew had come and started moving tables out.

HP Commercial sales manager Edward Hizon; Commercial Channels manager Paul Alcantara; market development manager for consumer desktops Jason Lim; country general manager for HP Printing and Personal Systems Group Albert Mateo; market development manager for workstations Bernard Chua; consumer retail manager Mela Inocencio and wholesaler account manager Ferdie Fetros with the new HPE H9 Phoenix, the company’s flagship gaming desktop.

I did take some time to notice some things about the Phoenix, however. The machines were cool to the touch, even after being over-clocked. An advanced liquid cooling system built in the tower ensures that even the most intense gamer can’t burn this baby out. The graphics card on the Phoenix, the Radeon HD 7770 with 2GB GDDRS dedicated memory, ensures graphics are smooth and not clippy. An Intel Core i5-3570K processor, up to a maximum of 3TB of space and 16GB of memory, a 3D HD LED monitor, and high definition Beats audio technology, make the Phoenix a worthy gaming machine.

But according to Jason the Phoenix is more than just a great gaming PC.

“We built this machine for power and also for aesthetics. It’s also a machine that’s well suited for desktop publishing, photo editing, and animation. The configuration of the Phoenix is like a workstation, so it’s a multi-purpose machine. Any game in the market right now can be maximized, as well as other intensive programs such as ones from the Adobe line and others like Auto CAD.”

Yup. Sure. Desktop publishing, Adobe programs, and Auto CAD. That’s what I’ll really be doing if I get my hands on a Phoenix.

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For more information on the Spectre and the Phoenix, visit www8.hp.com.