Acer Gaming PCs Overheat, Recall Issued

Acer America on Thursday recalled more than 200 expensive Predator gaming PCs, because of an overheating problem.

The recall alert was issued by the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, which advised owners of the problem systems to stop using them immediately. The affected machines have model numbers ASG7200 and ASG7700.

The problem stems from insulation on the computers' internal wiring, which can become bent and stripped, the CPSC said. This can result in the wires overheating while the PCs are in use, posing a burn threat to the users.

Acer has received two reports of the desktops short-circuiting, resulting in melted internal components and external casing, the agency said. The incidents occurred outside the United States and no injuries were reported.

Acer has recalled 215 systems sold through computer and electronics stores from May to December 2008. The PCs, which were made in China, cost between $2,000 and $6,000.

Acer is offering to repair the machines at no charge and has set up a toll-free number, (866) 695-2237, for customers to call. Additional information is also available on the company's Web site.

The computer industry is no stranger to recalls, holding the dubious distinction of having the largest recall effort in U.S. history. Millions of Sony laptop batteries were recalled in 2006 following reports of them bursting into flames and causing some minor injuries.

Apple, Dell, Lenovo, Hewlett-Packard, Toshiba, and Sony were all forced to recall the batteries, which were still causing problems last October, when computer makers asked customers to return a total of 100,000 units.