I can tell you that all three design is not good and why - please comment my answer.
Current method:
- too much information and configuration options
- related searches is not top information - cut.
- "results for" is not need at all - cut.
- Display should be simple icons.
- Sorting can be icons too.
- Lack of breadcrumb like "CPU > Intel > New generation".
- Unselected filters can be open but better if they are closed.
- Search term not need combo I think - some help is need for free text search to learn terms.
- Lack of button to clear all filters!
My opinion I
- Selected filters should be not close to allow disable.
- Remove triangles from filters what is need of it? - loosing space and readability?
- All previous remarks is in force.
My opinion II
- Wrong design if it not dedicated http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Right-to-left - probably you want to show something new but not care if it working - it will be unique and looking like creative but really will not working.
- All previous remarks in force from current method.
Other things:
Every time a user clicks a filter checkbox or radio button or whatever, the page refreshes (or the results refresh via AJAX), updating the search results
It is no so easy to answer must be only AJAX and AJAX can be done in many ways. Search results must be refreshed fast.
The user must manually press a "Filter" button after selecting various checkboxes, etc
Do not make it hard - not all people: perceptive, fast learner, have good eyesight - consider that older people will spend too much time on your page and reject it.
The user might not realize they have to hit a "Filter" button in order to actually apply the checkboxes and stuff they checked. So they might hit some checkboxes and wait and nothing happens.
It is wrong that user not see what is doing - how to learn if you no see it?
I can do for you some professional design services but need to see site (including proper seo, navigation, layout, behavior and testing for the best UX) but it need contracting. I need to do analysis of you site that design - maybe it need more than one iteration - some testing is also need.
Consider that you can not do the best site for all people always but you can do the best site for as much as possible - some features should be cut to achieve it - some features should be not added.