The Best of Computex 2024 (2024)

In the aftermath of Computex 2023 in Taipei, Taiwan, we described what felt like an inescapable “AI wave.” Following our time on the ground at this year’s event, that wave has grown into a rip current, with every major chipmaker showing off even more enhanced AI accelerators for cloud servers, individual systems like laptops, and even AI robots.

Artificial intelligence was top of mind with almost every major product announcement, but what else caught our eye during the world’s biggest annual computing show? Taiwan-based computing brands like Acer, Asus, and MSI once again took this opportunity to show off new wares in laptops, desktops, displays, and PC-building gear in addition to the swirl of new silicon.

We found several excellent systems, parts, and components from almost every category and subcategory that we cover every day. Now is the time to make the tough calls: The following are the best products and technologies that debuted at Computex 2024. (For more Computex in detail, see also our favorite PCs that debuted at the show, our favorite PC cases of the dozens unveiled, and the top PC DIY gear we saw.)

Best Consumer Laptop

Asus ZenBook S 16

(Credit: John Burek)

We saw a lot of laptops at Computex this year, but our favorite of the bunch is the Asus ZenBook S 16. Packed with power, thanks to AMD’s Ryzen 9 AI 300 "Strix Point" processors and beefed-up neural processing unit (NPU), this is the AI PC we're most looking forward to after a week of announcements. Asus has surrounded the processing hardware with impressive tech and premium touches, from an ultra-slim vapor chamber cooling system and Wi-Fi 7 connectivity to a 3K resolution 120Hz OLED panel and ceramic-bonded finish on the aluminum lid and chassis. — Brian Westover, Lead Analyst

Best Business or Content Creator Laptop

Asus ProArt P16

(Credit: John Burek)

Many of the best products coming out of Computex are Windows' AI-enhanced Copilot+ PCs, powered by AMD's new Ryzen 9 AI 300 processors, and that includes the Asus ProArt P16. However, this creator laptop levels that up with an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, a 4K OLED panel with Pantone-validated color, and a digital DialPad built into the touchpad that lets artists rapidly select tools and change settings in media creation apps. Pack it all into a slim and portable machine with up to 64GB of memory and as much as 4TB of storage, and you've got a dream machine for modern creators. — BW

Best Gaming Laptop

MSI Stealth 18 Mercedes-AMG Motorsport

(Credit: John Burek)

Sometimes, bigger and louder is better. MSI honored the first anniversary of its partnership with automotive brand Mercedes-AMG Motorsport with a co-branded Stealth 18 gaming laptop. It has a stylish and boisterous design with a red racing stripe, logos on various parts of the laptop, and a patterned keyboard deck. Of course, high performance is a must in this arena. Accordingly, this Stealth 18 packs an Intel Core Ultra 9 185H processor, up to 96GB of memory, and an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 GPU. A roomy, 18-inch mini LED screen will make you glad for those parts with its UHD+ resolution and 120Hz refresh rate. This limited-edition powerhouse outmuscles everything else we saw at the show. — Matthew Buzzi, Senior Analyst

Best Classic Desktop

MSI MEG Vision X AI

(Credit: Mark Stetson)

Desktop AI processors are coming—Intel’s “Arrow Lake” desktop chips are next up on the roadmap after Lunar Lake—but mobile systems have been the first beneficiaries of the AI PC wave. MSI will whet desktop fans’ whistles with the MEG Vision X AI, a gaming PC with a touch screen and AI integration, set to launch later this year. The PC’s front-facing touch panel integrates with MSI’s AI Engine, which can optimize your performance, lighting effects, and audio settings. The AI Engine and touch screen combine to produce what MSI calls its “Human Machine Interface.” The Human Machine Interface also has a chat module that lets you generate AI images, search your documents, and more. The processor will handle the workload—sans NPU for now, meaning the load is on the CPU—so that the graphics card can continue prioritizing more demanding tasks, like gaming. It’s experimental, and we’ll have to really see what it can do in a longer session than a demo, but it earns points as an interesting first swing at an AI desktop. — MB

Best Mini Desktop

AceMagic Tank

(Credit: John Burek)

The AceMagic Tank03 is all about pizzazz. This cube-shaped mini PC is plenty punchy for its size, with a gaming-grade Intel Core i9-12900H processor and Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics, all wedged into a 6-by-6-inch frame that's bedazzled with RGB flourishes and a large glowing knob that lets you quickly switch between performance modes. Snap-on side panels provide quick access to the RAM and SSD slots and a rich selection of ports on the back. It's a mix of cyberpunk style and gaming-grade muscle that’s an attention-getter for its size. — BW

Best AIO Desktop

Acer Aspire C27 (2024)

(Credit: John Burek)

We don’t tend to get a ton of all-in-one desktop computers these days, but we’ve seen enough over the years to recognize when an especially nice one comes our way. Acer’s Aspire C27 is a sleek white AIO with a sturdy, wide-based silver stand and a crisp, 27-inch 1440p display. While the all-in-one nature of these desktops is appealing, they still need to be equipped for modern productivity and performance needs. To that end, Acer packs the C27 with Intel Core Ultra processors (a 155U or a 125U), up to 32GB of RAM, and as much as 2TB of SSD storage. A wide array of ports, a 1440p webcam, and the option for VESA mounting further support this as both a work and entertainment station. — MB

Best Display

Gigabyte Aorus CO49DQ

(Credit: Mark Stetson)

Ultrawide monitors have long been the choice for multitaskers, power users, and simulation enthusiasts, and Gigabyte’s latest looks to be one of the best. The company's Aorus CO49DQ arcs at a soft curvature of 1800R and stretches wide to 49 inches, or the length of two 16:9 27-inch monitors side by side. It’s similar to the Samsung Odyssey OLED G9 in that regard, but it comes with two major differences that might just sway you. The first is a unique AI-based algorithm to minimize the risks of burn-in issues while using the monitor. The second is its asking price of $1,099, which is incredibly affordable for a screen of this size. — Zackery Cuevas, Analyst

Best Input Device

Asus ROG Azoth Extreme

(Credit: John Burek)

We fell in love with the Asus ROG Azoth when we reviewed it last year, and after getting our hands on the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme, we might have been struck by Cupid’s arrow two years in a row. All of the features that make the Azoth our favorite gaming keyboard return, including its compact, premium build, hot-swappable key switches, and super-stable ROG NX switches. But the most extreme thing about the keyboard might be its ability to switch between a deeper or shallower key press across the whole board with the flip of a switch. Whether you’re a hard-core gamer or an avid keyboard enthusiast, the Asus ROG Azoth Extreme seems set to give you everything you want and more out of your keyboard. — ZC

Best Gaming Headset

Fractal Design Scape

(Credit: Mark Stetson)

A sleek gaming headset with a Scandinavian design aesthetic, clean lines, and an ultra-comfortable over-ear design, Fractal Design’s Scape (the company’s first headset) will look at home in modern gaming dens—the sort with plenty of windows that might also be a living space you share with the rest of your family. To tune them out and ensure your teammates can hear you, use its flip-to-mute detachable microphone. Plus, inductive charging from the base to the headset should keep the battery level adequate at all times. Available in black or white, the Scape connects to your gaming rig using Bluetooth 5.3. A final flourish: ambient lighting and audio presets that you can customize using an online configuration tool—no software installation required. — Tom Brant, Deputy Managing Editor

Best Camera or Imaging Device

Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera

(Credit: John Burek)

The Acer SpatialLabs Eyes Stereo Camera, a compact stereoscopic webcam, records video and still images that can be rendered in immersive 3D. It fully integrates with the SpatialLabs lineup of products, such as the Acer SpatialLabs View ASV15-1B display and the Acer Predator Helios 300 Spatial Labs Edition laptop. In addition to capturing images and video, the SpatialLabs Eyes 3D Camera enables real-time 3D streaming and storytelling, letting you share your 3D content live on YouTube and other streaming platforms with the new Acer SpatialLabs Player 3.0. Acer plans to start selling it in Q3 for $549. — TB

Best Storage Product

ADATA Project NeonStorm M.2 SSD

(Credit: John Burek)

The NeonStorm M.2 is a high-speed PCI Express 5 M.2 solid-state drive that's set apart by its unique cooling solution. It uses a self-contained miniature liquid cooler with the same footprint as the M.2 slot. Its unique transparent body lets you see the coolant flow, and the attractive aesthetic exudes the cutting edge on any late-model board that supports M.2 PCI Express Gen 5. The drive is rated for 14,000Mbps read and 12,000Mbps write speeds. — John Burek, Executive Editor & Lab Director

Best Processor (Desktop)

AMD Ryzen 9000

(Credit: Annabelle Chih/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

AMD unveiled its upcoming Ryzen 9000-series desktop processors during its Computex keynote, which appear quite impressive on paper, with an average 16% increase in the number of instructions they can perform per clock cycle. This is achieved while maintaining similar clock speeds to the Ryzen 7000-series processors and reducing the thermal design power on most chips, indicating power consumption has also been reduced. These factors combined suggest that AMD’s Ryzen 9000-series chips will be faster, cooler, and more efficient than their predecessors. As an added bonus, AMD also announced a new X870 chipset to support the fresh silicon, which has improved PCIe 5.0 and USB4 support for an all-around better platform. — Michael Sexton, Analyst

Best Processor (Mobile)

Intel Core Ultra “Lunar Lake”

(Credit: Intel)

AI computing is the big trend in 2024, with new processors with NPUs from all of the major chip makers dominating the headlines. Late in 2023, Intel led the way with its first-generation Core Ultra chips, named “Meteor Lake,” while Qualcomm made the biggest splash in 2024 so far with its Arm-based Snapdragon X processors that will power the first wave of Copilot+ PCs. Not to be outdone, Intel showed off its next-gen AI chips at Computex, dubbed “Lunar Lake,” with big claims that it will outmuscle the Snapdragon X Elite. Intel claims its new NPU is capable of 45 trillion operations per second (TOPS, a measure of AI performance), and the GPU up to 60 TOPS. This would put Intel atop the AI power pile and underline the x86 instruction set’s superiority. A small (likely favorable) selection of test results claimed superior power efficiency and faster performance versus the X Elite. AMD, too, unveiled its upcoming “Strix Point” AI processors, making for a very competitive field. While we will need to test all of these chips to crown a champion, if Intel’s performance and architecture live up to the claims, Lunar Lake looks like the most promising mobile AI platform. — MB

Best PC Case

Hyte Y70 Touch Infinite

(Credit: John Burek)

Hyte’s original Y70 Touch PC case, equipped with its signature tall, thin 4K display on its angled front face, was one of last year's most popular. Indeed, it was so popular that Hyte couldn't source enough screens to keep it in stock. Enter the Y70 Touch Infinite—called Infinite as a promise that this version will remain available—which uses a sharper 2.5K display with deeper contrast and includes a vertical GPU mount that is even color-coordinated with the case. The new Y70 comes in a choice of four milk-themed colors: Snow White, Taro Milk, Strawberry Milk, or Blueberry Milk. At $379.99, it's no budget chassis, but it's the fast route to a stunning conversation-piece PC build. — JB

Best PC Power or Cooling Product

Lian Li Edge Series

(Credit: John Burek)

The power supplies in the Edge series from Lian Li scream, “Where have you been all my life?” Designed for PC cases, notably dual-chamber models that require you to mount the power supply vertically, Lian Li’s Edge power supplies put the modular connectors on an extension plate that juts out the back of the enclosure. This allows for easier access to the modular cables’ sockets as needed and allows room for a four-port USB hub that can expand one of the headers on your motherboard. The Edge power supplies come in white or black, with a larger range of available capacities in black. — JB

Best Motherboard

Gigabyte WRX50 AI TOP

(Credit: John Burek)

AMD’s Ryzen Threadripper 7000-series processors are among the fastest in the world, and the platform that supports them needs to be just as robust to maximize performance. Gigabyte’s TRX50 AI TOP aims to be a top-tier motherboard for supporting Threadripper 7000-series processors. The motherboard’s main features are about what you’d expect from a top-of-the-line board, with 16+8+4 phases using digital voltage regulator module circuits. It also has two 40Gbps USB Type-C ports, top-tier networking hardware including dual 10Gbit wired LAN controllers, and a Wi-Fi 7 adapter. The board’s four PCIe x16 slots are arguably more important, all of which can run using PCIe 5.0 with a Threadripper Pro processor. This allows you to install four graphics cards to support heavy compute- or AI-intensive workloads. Gigabyte will even have a special GeForce RTX 4070 Ti Super AI TOP edition card specifically for this motherboard. — MS