Better of Computex 2026: Essentially the most intriguing and modern PC {hardware}

Sure, it’s a tough time for PC fanatics. However PC innovation stops for nobody.

That turned strikingly clear the final couple occasions we’ve headed to Taiwan for Computex. Ostensibly the largest PC present of the 12 months, one the place distributors proudly reveal the brand new wares inbound for the essential back-to-school and vacation buying seasons, Computex’s onslaught has felt muted the previous couple of years – first because of the menace of tariffs in 2025, after which AI sucking all of the air from the room throughout this 12 months’s occasion.

Uncertainty breeds competitors, although – and the PC saved its foot on the fuel pedal at Computex 2026. From Nvidia’s debut PC CPU to Intel’s new gaming handheld hope to low cost laptops galore and a rush of eye-popping new monitor applied sciences, there was an abundance of licensed bangers for nerds to salivate over.

Which reveals received us deeply, personally excited? That is the perfect {hardware} of Computex 2026. Giddy up.

Nvidia RTX Spark

There’s been some wild stuff popping out of Computex this 12 months, however for my cash nothing’s extra thrilling than Nvidia’s new RTX Spark chips. Sure, Nvidia is within the shopper CPU recreation now through a partnership with Mediatek. Whereas they received’t begin transport in laptops and mini PCs till the autumn, I believe they’re going to make an enormous splash upon arrival.

Every sports activities a 20-core CPU, a Blackwell GPU with 6,144 CUDA cores (similar to an Nvidia RTX 5070) and room for as much as 128 GB of LPDDR5X reminiscence, making for a severe powerhouse. Issue within the help for Nvidia’s DLSS 4.5 upscaling tech and I’m betting these slices of silicon could possibly be a serious shot within the arm for gaming on ultraportables, mini PCs and hopefully handhelds some day – although the preliminary focus is clearly on AI. – Alex Wawro

Microsoft Floor Laptop computer Extremely

Alaina Yee / Foundry

As somebody who has used virtually each Floor gadget Microsoft has ever produced, this was a no brainer: the Floor Laptop computer Extremely revitalizes a lineup that has in any other case change into stale. Inside and outside, the Floor Laptop computer Extremely screams productiveness — properly, a brand new period of productiveness, the place brokers work hand in hand along with your eyes, mind, and fingers.

It’s a revolution for Floor, from the brand-new Nvidia RTX Spark Arm processor inside it to a wholly new mini LED show. Microsoft engineered the Extremely for multitasking between operating AI fashions as much as 120 billion parameters and basic productiveness purposes, too. How does this all play out? We’ll discover out this fall. For now, it’s all I can take into consideration. – Mark Hachman

Samsung 4K 360 OLED panel

Samsung

Screens have been bettering at blistering velocity this decade, however true show sickos – like yours actually – have been holding out for a no-compromises holy grail: 4K decision at blistering 360Hz speeds, letting you’ve your visible constancy cake and eat peak efficiency, too. The issue? The expertise merely wasn’t there but.

Now it’s. Samsung – who makes lots of the panels present in rival screens as properly – formally launched the world’s first 4K 360Hz QD-OLED panel at Computex, unfold throughout a roomy 32 inches. (If you happen to bump the decision right down to 1080p, it hits 680Hz, however who desires to have a look at that?) VESA DisplayHDR True Black 600 certification means these darks can get darkish for scintillating distinction ratios, too.

Now the wait begins. With Samsung unveiling the panel, count on to see it in high-end gaming screens nearer in the direction of the tip of the 12 months – however don’t look forward to finding this bleeding-edge tech in shows going for underneath 4 figures anytime quickly. – Brad Chacos

Dell XPS 13

Dell

I went into Computex 2026 questioning if the MacBook Neo would pressure PC distributors to play ball—however apparently, Dell already had lengthy determined to play an analogous recreation. Its revived XPS 13, which can characteristic a selection of Intel’s new Wildcat Lake processors or extra {powerful} (however much less energy environment friendly) Panther Lake chips, is provided to duke it out with Apple’s funds providing.

Priced at $599 for college students till November and $699 for most people, this 13-inch pocket book permits Home windows customers to purchase new, reasonably priced {hardware} with out having to change groups. And it sports activities helpful premium options in comparison with the Neo, like a backlit keyboard and a touchscreen. (Positive, the Neo’s exterior is fairly, however you’ll be able to’t see it at midnight.) As thrilling as Nvidia’s beastly RTX Spark is, it received’t put trendy expertise into palms proper now. Dell’s XPS 13 will. – Alaina Yee

Dell

Dell’s new XPS 13 hits the spot as a uncommon funds laptop computer that doesn’t really feel funds. It packs an OLED show, an aluminum chassis, and all-day battery life due to Intel’s new Wildcat Lake processor. It’s Dell’s reply to Apple’s MacBook Neo, focusing on the identical worth level and doing its finest to match that have in Home windows type, full with Retina-level 2560×1600 decision on its 13.3-inch display (about 225 PPI, spectacular).

Beginning at $599 for college students and $699 for everybody else, it clearly punches above its weight. However I’m cautiously optimistic right here. We solely have Dell’s phrase to go off to date—testing might reveal some quirks and deal-breakers, particularly concerning that all-day battery life declare. And it begins with solely 8GB of RAM and a 512GB SSD, which is tight for energy customers. Nonetheless, if all the opposite key specs pan out, this could possibly be the final word every day driver for budget-conscious distant employees. That’s one thing to be enthusiastic about. – Joel Lee

Intel Arc G3 Excessive

Because the debut of “Panther Lake” CPUs at CES earlier this 12 months, Intel has been speaking an enormous recreation in terms of handheld gaming. Positive, its predecessor Lunar Lake was an enormous leap over Meteor Lake, however AMD has dominated this section for therefore lengthy Intel’s chip have been extra of a curiosity. No extra.

At Computex, Intel launched a brand-new handheld-focused processor line dubbed Arc G3 Excessive. It seems to be able to take down AMD’s handheld dominance — and Crew bBue couldn’t be extra excited. Intel’s Tom Petersen described the Arc G3 line as GPUs with CPUs hooked up (reasonably than the opposite means round) due to good cuts and enhancements to effectivity underneath the hood.

In the case of efficiency, Intel is claiming a 44 p.c common uptick in body charges gen-over-gen, and a 42 p.c common efficiency benefit in comparison with the AMD Ryzen Z2 Excessive at comparable energy ranges. So as to add insult to damage, Intel claims that at 17 watts the G3 Excessive matches the Z2 Excessive at 35 watts – an totally large win within the power-constrained handheld house. – Adam Patrick Murray

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+

MSI leads the launch lineup of Intel Arc G3 Excessive units and continues the corporate’s handheld journey from zero to hero. The workforce has gone again to the drafting board in terms of ergonomics, and for such a big gadget, the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ instantly feels incredible within the hand. On the coronary heart of this gadget is after all the Panther Lake-based Intel Arc G3 Excessive processor, which seems to be to take a drastic leap over the competing prime finish Ryzen Z2 Excessive that powers most excessive finish handhelds in the marketplace in the present day. Even though the brand new Claw remains to be utilizing last-generation’s IPS panel and it solely is available in one shade, there isn’t a lot to level out as a draw back.

Though we’re presumably taking a look at the perfect handheld in the marketplace, I’m additionally bracing for impression in terms of pricing, because it has not been locked down. The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ will certainly are available in over $1500, however we aren’t certain how near $2000 it’s going to attain  — and that will likely be an enormous query mark till nearer to launch later this month. – Adam Patrick Murray

Lengthy dwell AM5

Foundry

Whereas AMD’s older AM4 chipset has kicked round longer than anybody ever anticipated, the destiny of its successor at all times felt murkier. (If you happen to may even name it a successor, on condition that AM4 hasn’t taken its retirement but—and it doesn’t seem that AMD will pressure that any time quickly.) Crew Pink solely nudged AM5’s life out in small increments, first pledging a assure of 2025 again in December 2023, after which once more one other of 2027+ in June 2024.

Now AM5 has gotten one other official extension throughout this 12 months’s Computex, this time to 2029. Cynics might interpret this information as a lazy transfer on AMD’s half, in addition to one which stifles innovation. Me? I consider it’s higher that AMD isn’t breaking AM4’s precedent. Proper now DIY PC builders should deal with slower innovation and better costs. If they’ll save money by dropping in a brand new CPU into an current motherboard, I’m all for it. – Alaina Yee

Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI

Computex favors the {powerful}, the acute, and the outrageous. I selected one thing sensible as an alternative: the Acer TravelMate P6 14 AI, good for somebody touring to Taiwan for a commerce present like Computex! The attraction is summed up in just some quick phrases: 2.2 kilos, and 30 hours of battery life. Skinny, gentle, long-lasting — that’s what I like in a journey laptop computer.

Contained in the laptop computer is Intel’s Core Extremely Sequence 300 (Panther Lake) chip, with an possibility for the Core Extremely X7 368H with Intel’s {powerful} built-in Xe3 GPU behind a 14-inch 2,880 x 1,800 OLED or IPS touchscreen. That’s a number of bling for a productiveness machine. Will probably be one to observe when it launches in August. – Mark Hachman

Alienware 39 5K OLED Gaming Monitor AW3926QW

Dell

Alienware screens at all times impress, however the Dell subsidiary is on a heater in 2026. Mere weeks after unveiling a game-changing $350 OLED monitor, the corporate is again at it with the more-than-a-mouthful Alienware 39 5K OLED Gaming Monitor AW3926QW.

The whole lot about this beast is excessive – it’s a 39-inch ultrawide panel with a pixel-packed 5120×2160 decision and 165Hz refresh charges (330Hz at 1080p) on prime of the contrast-y OLED gaming goodness and love.

However Alienware’s new monitor could possibly be good for greater than gaming – a rarity within the OLED world. It’s powered by an LG panel with the corporate’s new “5K RGB stripe tandem OLED” expertise. I noticed LG debut RGB Stripe at CES and the outcomes have been breathtaking – the expertise largely eliminates the distracting textual content ‘fringing’ you’ll be able to see in effective, skinny particulars on OLEDs, notably textual content.

As a dude who writes and spreadsheets all day and video games all night time, I can’t wait to see this beast in motion. Yo Dell, ship me one to evaluate! – Brad Chacos

Noctua NT-CP1

Carbice

Noctua’s NT-CP1 thermal pad sort of slid in underneath the radar this 12 months at Computex, nevertheless it’s truly fairly dang thrilling tech. The corporate partnered with Carbice to design a carbon nanotube thermal pad for the retail market. You might not have heard of them, however Carbice already makes thermal pads for satellites, aerospace, and pre-built PCs—the corporate partnered with AMD to provide pads with the simply re-released Ryzen 7 5800X3D.

The addition of carbon nanotubes right here is actually intelligent. The nanotubes conform to the microscopic floor of a CPU’s IHS over time, bettering conductivity with every thermal cycle. It additionally comes with an aluminum spine sitting between the nanotube layers, and a nanoscale polymer coating on the floor. Which may sound like sci-fi to most of us, however virtually it signifies that in contrast to thermal paste, this pad lasts the lifetime of your CPU with no upkeep required.

The Noctua NT-CP1 is sized to suit AM5 and AM4 AMD Ryzen CPUs, with a floor space that completely matches the IHS of chips in each sockets. Noctua is ready to assist Carbice develop future thermal pads, which—fingers crossed—might level to an Intel model of the NT-CP1 down the road.

The product is ready to launch in September 2026. I can’t wait to see what the benchmarks present when this factor is launched. I for one, can not wait to be rid of thermal paste as soon as and for all. – Sam Singleton

Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 Bundle

Asus

The ROG Xbox Ally X20 is ASUS’s twentieth anniversary version of the ROG Xbox Ally X handheld. And I can already hear handheld fanboys and collectors leaping for pleasure.

The internals for the X20 are set to remain the identical however the chassis is tricked out with a translucent black end accented by gold all through. The massive improve over final 12 months’s mannequin although is the show: a stunning 7.4-inch 1080p 120Hz OLED panel with as much as 1,400-nit peak brightness, full Dolby Imaginative and prescient help, and a 0.2ms response time.

And if that’s not sufficient, this new bundle consists of the ROG Xreal R1 Version 20 AR glasses. They join through USB-C and ship a digital 171-inch display, a 240Hz refresh price, and native 3DoF head monitoring through micro-OLED. This new X20 additionally provides TMR joysticks for higher drift resistance, a remodeling D-pad with eight-way management, and redesigned flush face buttons.

Pricing and an official launch date for the bundle haven’t been confirmed but. Though contemplating the usual Ally X prices round $1,000 (not on sale) and the glasses alone run $850, count on the bundle to land close to or above $2,000. Positive, that worth could also be laborious to swallow, however I’ve to confess that this factor seems to be unimaginable. – Sam Singleton

Acer Aspire Go 15

Though the largest information out of Computex was the RTX Spark, I discover myself extra enthusiastic about one thing much more understated: the Acer Aspire Go 15, which comes with an entry-level Snapdragon C processor. Inexpensive, environment friendly laptops really feel extra essential than ever due to rising reminiscence costs. Individuals want extra accessible choices, particularly as Computex continues to push high-end efficiency {hardware}, which is why I’m completely happy to see Acer leaping on that prepare. – Ashley Biancuzzo

Nvidia OpenShell

No, it’s not a brand new terminal program, neither is it an open-source vibe-coding app. Developed in partnership with Microsoft, OpenShell is Nvidia’s stab at making AI brokers protected–properly, safer–for PC desktops.

Nvidia OpenShell presents three key safety layers: sandboxing for every agent and sub-agent, permitting them to tinker with out mucking straight along with your system recordsdata; an in depth and customizable algorithm figuring out what your brokers can and can’t do; and a privateness gateway that retains your most delicate duties in your native system whereas stripping away private particulars from something despatched to the cloud. Consider it as OpenClaw with some heavy-duty guardrails included–in idea, anyway.

At present in early preview, OpenShell is slated to reach within the first wave of RTX Spark-powered laptops coming this fall.  – Ben Patterson

Dell XPS 13, but once more!

Dell

Usually, the headline grabbers of a present like Computex are the merchandise with the sickest, most cutting-edge specs and design. However these aren’t regular occasions, and for me, probably the most thrilling items of equipment introduced at Computex 2026 was the return of the Dell XPS 13, catering to funds patrons.

With Apple’s MacBook Neo squarely in its websites, the XPS 13 is the sorely wanted Home windows-based budget-laptop challenger. – Katherine Stevenson

Despair

If I might sum up Computex in a single phrase, it might be “despair.” Because of corporations speeding to money in as they sate the “AI” bubble, common customers are being left with two decisions: make big cuts and compromises for an reasonably priced PC, or spend big quantities to get a mid-range or premium possibility. And all of these are costlier than they have been only a 12 months in the past.

Corporations like Dell and Acer are attempting to match the MacBook Neo, however can’t — costs begin at $100 costlier, even with newer, less-powerful chips from Intel and Qualcomm. Handhelds, as soon as an entry-level possibility for PC gaming, at the moment are debuting solely above the $1000 mark.

For many of this century desktops and laptops have been, if not precisely low cost, then at the very least accessible to most individuals. I believe that point is quickly drawing to an in depth. Full PCs (versus telephones or tablets) are going to change into a serious expense it’s important to plan for, or one thing it’s important to work round in absentia. It’ll be the identical relationship lots of people have with automobiles.

Despair. Yup, that about sums up 2026 for me. Oh, and within the PC market too. – Michael Crider