[Top photo: (from left) Aztech HL110EW Wireless Homeplug extender, Philips 42PFL7482 42-inch Full HD LCD TV and The MSI CR420]

The annual IT Show is Singapore's longest running IT and consumer electronics tech fair. The four-day IT Show will held from 11 to 14 March 2010 from 12 noon to 9pm daily.

Uber geek Oo Gin Lee reveals his personal best buys.

1) Under $1,000 laptops

Most netbooks at the show are going for $699. Why not pay a little more for a more powerful mainstream version?

The MSI CR420 (above, 3rd from left) is a good benchmark unit as it comes with the new Intel i3-330M processor, 14-inch HD-ready screen (1,335 x 768 resoultion), 2GB RAM, 320GB hard disk, Windows 7 Home, Wi-Fi 802.11b/g/n, Bluetooth and DVD burner - for $999. This workhouse can handle all the basic computing needs though it will cut on ice with mainstream games without a dedicated graphics card. Price: $999

Also check out the $849 Acer emachines. It has similar specs except for a last-generation Intel Pentium T4500 2.3Ghz processor. To make up for that, it has 4GB RAM and other goodies.

If you want to play a wide range of games, fork out about $300 more for a machine with a graphics card.

Two worthy contenders are the Asua A42Jr22i3 ($1,298) and the MSI CX420 ($1,228).

Asus' models runs on a faster 2.26Ghz i3 processor and has a mid-range 1GB ATI Mobility Radeon HD5470 plus a larger 500GB hard disk.

The MSI model has more RAM (4GB), a 500GB hard disk, the HD4570 graphics card plus a Blu-ray combo drive.

2) Xbox 360 Elite bundle (above)
Price: $499 (usual price: about $700)
Booths: 6118 and 6801

3) Philips 42PFL7482 42-inch Full HD LCD TV
Price: $799 (usual price: $1,799)
Booth: 8410

4) Aztech HL110EW Wireless Homeplug extender
Price: $169
Booths: 6356 and 6351

More to come...