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OCZ buys high-end PC builder

OCZ, the California memory module maker, has gone and bought itself a PC company. Its new baby is called Hypersonic PC, a New York-based "performance" - i.e. expensive - system builder, which specialises in gaming rigs, fancy notebooks and juiced up workstations. The money it paid Silicon Data Inc., Hypersonic's former owner, is undisclosed

OCZ will continue to position Hypersonic at the high-end market, while investing to "maximize innovation and technological leadership". In May, the company bought a component firm called PC Power and Cooling, which does pretty much what you think it would. Considering how awful the memory market is lately - and in recent years there have been many more downs than up, it surely makes sense for OCZ to broaden its wings.

It will be interesting to see how its focus on the high-end of the PC market pans out, for the commoditisation of this market is relentless. The point about being a niche PC boutique, presumably, is to be more nimble than the big guys, get to market more quickly, and out-design them for the hard core enthusiasts. But Dell and HP are doing this too, through their recent-ish acquisitions: Alienware and VoodooPC. And they have immeasurably more buying power and more mindshare with the Intels, AMDs and Nvidias, than, well, anyone. And more designers than you can shake a stick at, too. ® ®

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