PC chassis specialist Lian Li announces the PC-Q04-- a mini tower chassis for Mini-ITX motherboards ideal for fanless systems, with enhanced vents improving airflow.

The PC-Q04 features aluminium construction and compact (194x294x210mm) dimensions. Cooling vents facilitate airflow near hot components such as the CPU, GPU and PSU, while tall rubber feet provide further room for warm air rising beneath the chassis.

Lian Li says the chassis fits one 3.5-inch HDD and one 2.5-inch drive in the upper removable tray, together with one drive of either size in on the chassis floor panel. Customers can also replace storage capacity in the bottom of the chassis with a 120/140mm fan.

EVGA Launches the GQ series of budget-friendly semi-modular power supplies, with technology from the higher-end FSP Aurum PT designs and power levels ranging from 650W to 1000W.

Split into 4 power levels (650, 750, 850, 1000W), the GQ series is 80 Plus Gold certified for 90% peak efficiency and features Japanese solid-state capacitors for what the company claims is long-term reliability. A 135mm fluid dynamic bearing fan promises quiet performance, with an ECO intelligent thermal control system eliminating fan noise at low to medium loads.

IBM researchers to biology for inspiration in the building of the next generation of computing technology-- so much so it is set to combine power and cooling in "5D electronic blood."

The term "5D electronic blood" might sound like something out of science fiction but it is really a fairly simple, if futuristic, concept. It involves an electrochemical mix of cooling fluid and "redox couples" able to generate electricity (via oxidisation) while flowing through microfluidic channels built into a chip. Thus the fluid not only cools the chip, but also delivers power. A bit like blood, really.

The researchers say the technology allows for more innovative computer configurations, with multiple CPUs and GPUs built on top of each other and and each chip getting a unique power and cooling system. Such a system eliminates hotpots, allowing for higher clocking speeds and more efficient machines.

Zotac presents a Steam Machine gaming PC-- the NEN, a small form-factor console-style machine feauturing a 2.2GHz Intel CPU and Nvidia GeForce GTX 960 graphics.

The CPU in question is a quad-core Intel i5-6400T, and comes complete with 8GB RAM (with room for a second 8GB DIMM) and 1TB HDD. Connectivity comes through x4 HDMI 2.0, x4 USB 3.0, x1 USB Type-C and x2 ethernet ports, as well as wifi and SD card reader.

All the above comes inside a compact (20x20cm) chassis promising quiet yet efficient cooling via dual radial coolers. Customers can even disable the built-in LEDs for distraction-free gaming.

The global PC gaming hardware market is to "slightly recede" in 2015 Jon Peddie Research (JPR) reports, but growth should resume in 2016 thanks to upcoming mass market 4K/UHD desktop PCs.

The gaming PC decline is not as bad as that of the overall PC market, even if low-end gaming notebooks and PCs are especially challenged by customers opting for tablets and TV gaming options. However the new wave of TV-optimised PCs from the likes of Alienware and iBuyPower could beat the trend, while gaming periperals and upgrades serve as a buffer, since even cash-strapped PC gamers will continue buying mice, keyboards and heasets.

On the other hand the high-end enthusiast segment will continue going strong-- as the PC gaming equivalent of sports car owners, enthusiasts demand the very best in performance and style, and as such will not resort to lower-cost options.

NZXT launches the HUE+ digital PC lighting solution-- an advanced lighting device featuring dual-independent channel output able to control up to 8 LED strips.

Controllable vis NZXT CAM software, the HUE+ reacts to PC system changes and audio. It connects to PCs via USB, and has 2 LED lighting channel connectors able to control upt o 4 LED strips each.

InFocus presents a portable desktop PC claiming to be the smallest in the world-- the Kangaroo, Windows 10 machine packed in a device the size of a smartphone.

The Kangaroo carries a 2.24GHz Intel Cherrytrail (Atom Z8500) SoC, 2GB RAM, 32GB storage (expandable to 128GB via microSD card slot) and an onboard battery, making it able to handle light PC-style use and media playback. It measures 124 x 80.5 x 12.9mm, weighs 200g and connects to displays via HDMI, while Bluetooth 4.0 handles the addition of peripherals. Wifi takes care of the internet.

Further connectivity comes through the Kangaroo Dock, an removable accessory adding x1 HDMI port, x2 USB ports and a DC power port. The maker adds users can even pair it to an iPad via free OS Link iOS app for the ultimate in portable desktop setups.

Intel starts selling a complete (rather barebones) NUC mini PC-- the NUC5PGYH, a machine the company describes as a "tiny but mighty package" complete with quad-core "Braswell" processor.

Previously customers had to source components such as RAM, storage and OS to get an Intel NUC unit up and running. Not with the NUC5PGYH, since it ships with a 2.4GHz Pentium processor, 2GB DDR3 RAM, 32GB storage (with room for another SSD or HDD) and Windows 10 as pre-loaded OS. A "low acoustics" fan keeps the CPU cool, while audio comes through 8-channel output via HDMI or optical cable, as well as regular headphone jack.