The last time a full in-person Computex was waged in Taipei, with a flood of international visitors in attendance, was mid-2019. In the topsy-turvy times since then, COVID-19 upended the world (and kept Taiwan, in particular, on tight lockdowns and quarantines for years). AI has emerged as a game-changing force, touching every corner of the industry, in ways that we’re only beginning to comprehend. Plus, in the intervening years, the PC components field was roiled by the drama of shortages, price gouging, inflation…and alongside all that, the big chip makers posting some massive numbers (not all of them good, mind you)
The 2022 Computex was a subdued, mostly local affair. The 2023 edition, which PCMag will be attending in person, portends a return to normalcy, with more than 1,000 exhibitors, mostly packed into the Nangang Exhibition Hall (“TaiNEX”) in the eastern part of the city. The usual big suspects, the Taiwan-based Acer, Asus, MSI, and Gigabyte, will use the platform to show off their latest and greatest, and many other companies with deep Taiwan roots, such as Nvidia, will also be strutting their stuff. (Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang, indeed, will lead off the Computex keynotes at 11 a.m. local time on the pre-opening day, May 29.)
What Is Computex, Anyway?
Computex is one of the largest IT- and electronics-related trade shows in the world, in years past topped only by the annual International CES in Las Vegas. Held every May/June in Taipei, Taiwan, the focus has traditionally been on advancements and innovations in IT and computer hardware. Given Taiwan’s reputation as a central hub for technology and electronics manufacturing, it’s ideally sited for a show that follows the leading edge of IT. The traditional sectors exhibited at the show include computer systems, PC components, peripherals, gaming gear, networking equipment, and software. Other recently added focus areas include artificial intelligence, virtual reality, augmented reality, Internet of Things, and 5G connectivity.
The last "big" in-person Computex: Nangang Exhibition Center, 2019The show also serves as a platform for established global players and startups alike to launch their latest products, exhibit prototypes and concept designs, and “dealmake.” It’s also a sourcing platform for manufacturers to meet up with buyers in a structured format, facilitating business negotiations, strategic partnerships, and investment opportunities.
Earlier Computexes were spread around Taipei at multiple locations, primarily the Nangang Exhibition Hall and Taiwan’s World Trade Center (the latter near the famous Taipei 101 skyscraper), but 2023’s edition is centered at TaiNEX, supplemented by lots of isolated events around town. In 2023, planned keynotes include presentations by Nvidia's Huang, Arm CEO Rene Haas, and Acer CEO Jason Chen.
TOP TRENDS: COMPUTEX 2023
1. Expect a Flood of Laptop Refreshes
AMD, Intel, and Nvidia dropped their latest CPU and GPU silicon early this year, but plenty of laptop product lines aren’t yet sporting the latest parts. Expect to see component upgrades for flagship products from the major Taiwan manufacturers, notably Acer, Asus, and MSI (like Acer with one of the first Wi-Fi 7-ready laptops), particularly in the gaming space.
That means laptops adopting a range of Nvidia GeForce RTX 40 series GPUs, as well as processor bumps to Intel’s 13th Gen and AMD's Ryzen 7000 mobile. Major laptop redesigns are less likely, but these performance-focused upgrades should excite gamers and professional content creators.
In particular, be prepared for more midrange gaming- and creator-laptop updates, as Nvidia's RTX 4060 and RTX 4060 Ti cards and Intel's P- and U-Series chips proliferate to more affordable and ultraportable systems. Media-maker laptops, like the newly revealed MSI Creator Z17 HX Studio, pack 13th Gen Intel Core i9 processors and Nvidia 40 Series graphics, delivering raw power for creatives to work with increasingly complex images, audio, and video.
2023 OLED Asus Zenbook S 13But Nvidia’s and Intel's steps down to the midrange also make room for AMD’s next Ryzen chips. We’ve already seen AMD’s Ryzen “Dragon Range” chips show up in chunky gaming rigs, and its ”Phoenix” laptop Ryzen chips for ultraportables can’t be far behind, giving some competition to the Intel-based laptops out there.
Displays are another golden opportunity for manufacturers to introduce better options, with Asus already claiming awards for a number of OLED-equipped laptops. From the ultra-light ExpertBook B9 OLED business laptop to the powerful Zenbook Pro 14 Duo OLED (UX8402), Asus has made a big move into OLED of late, and other manufacturers may follow suit.
2. PCI Express 5.0 SSDs Rev Up
Computex 2023 falls in the middle of what could be thought of as a PCI Express 5.0 spring, with devices supporting the latest iteration of the interface standard in full rollout mode, solid-state drives among them. PCIe 5.0 (also known as Gen 5) SSDs are rated at up to a theoretical maximum throughput of 14,000MBps, twice as fast as the elite PCI Express 4.0 sticks craved by gamers and content creators with the hardware to support them. The system requirements for Gen 5 SSDs are even more rigorous, and to run one of these drives you may have to build a whole new system with the latest supporting hardware—chiefly motherboard and CPU around it. And you will need an effective heatsink—either one supplied with the drive, or the motherboard’s own heatsink—to dissipate the thermal energy generated by these speedsters.
Aorus 10000 Gen 5 PCI Express 5.0 SSDAt CES 2023, we saw four early PCI Express 5 drives: two from MSI (the MSI Spatium M570 and M570 Pro), one from ADATA/XPG, and one from Gigabyte. Of them, only the latter SSD—the Gigabyte Aorus 10000 Gen 5—has hit the shelves, though more are imminent. ADATA has two Gen 5 models in development, both rated to reach the theoretical maximum of 14,000MBps in sequential read speed: One, known only as Project Nighthawk, uses an SMA controller, while the other—dubbed Project Blackbird—sports an InnoGrit controller. The Aorus 10000 and several other Gen 5 offerings we’ve seen use Phison’s PS5026-E26 Gen 5 controller.
We are likely to see some of the aforementioned drives, as well as other fledgling PCI Express drives—both preproduction units and finished products—at Computex. The trickle of new Gen 5 SSDs may soon become a stream, though not likely a flood anytime soon because of the rarified niche these drives claim, and the daunting hardware and cooling requirements. We look forward to seeing—and eventually reviewing—the PCI Express 5.0 SSDs that come out of this show.
3. Motherboards for AMD AM5, Intel 13th Gen Get 'Real'
With the key motherboard manufacturers based in Taiwan, we typically see lots of new motherboards come out of any given Computex, and this year should be no different. AMD and Intel have both launched new chipsets within the last six months that have already hit the market, so these boards likely won’t be anything revolutionary, but that doesn’t mean we won’t see something exciting.
Often the best motherboards for a given platform, or at least the most compelling ones for shoppers, come out a bit later in the platform's life. This gives board OEMs a chance to implement improvements and new features across the line. We could see some OEMs push new flagship motherboards, but more likely we’ll see new midrange and budget-friendly models with improvements and better value, as some design elements trickle down from high-end boards. We expect slightly more affordable models with built-in Wi-Fi, improved audio and USB support, and a smattering of convenience features like easier M.2-drive mounting systems.
Asrock B760 motherboardThe “affordable” aspect would be especially welcome, as board prices have drifted upward in recent years. Current Intel LGA1700 boards start at around $90 in a few B- and H-class chipset models, a far cry from the $50 to $60 floor of earlier generations for the most basic boards. The lowest-end AMD AM5 boards, meanwhile, start at around $80 in A620 guise, so we don’t expect much downward motion there. But Intel has some room for expansion at the low end. Though we doubt we’ll see any drastic price drops or radically low-cost introductions, even boards with modestly lower prices would be welcome in a PC-building community that’s contended with fierce price spikes for some components since the last Computex.
4. AMD Ryzen 3 7000 CPUs—Maybe?—Make an Appearance
AMD’s new Ryzen 7000 series processors were quite impressive at launch in late ‘22, offering significant performance gains over the older Ryzen 5000 series. AMD and Intel have since been duking it out at the upper and middle parts of the processor market with Ryzen 7000 battling Intel’s 13th Gen “Raptor Lake” processors head on. At the low end of the market, however, AMD has been surprisingly quiet, without Ryzen 3 7000 processors to fight Intel’s 13th Gen Core i3 CPUs.
An AMD Ryzen 7 7000 series chip: No cheap 7000s so farThis is a bit less surprising on closer inspection, as AMD’s last-gen, AM4-platform Ryzen 5000-series chips have been selling at dramatically reduced prices, effectively combating Intel at the low end. Still, AMD can’t expect to stick with this strategy forever, and Ryzen 3 7000 chips would seem inevitable. The next generation of processors is inching closer every day, and if AMD waits too long, it could end up losing ground to Intel in this segment of the market. The rumor mill hasn’t ground out anything credible yet about Ryzen 3 7000, but it would make sense for AMD to seize the heightened media attention of Computex to make these chips a reality...or at least tease them. We’ll see!
5. A Line Show of New Mainstream Graphics Cards: Radeon RX 7600, GeForce RTX 4060 Ti
AMD’s Radeon RX 7600 and Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 Ti cards launched and went on sale just the week before Computex, and we’ll see much more of these two card families during the show. Typically, with new graphics cards, cards running at stock clocks appear first, with amped-up models following soon after. The higher-end models feature enhanced thermal solutions and often come factory-overclocked to give you a performance boost right out of the box.
Some have started showing up before Computex began, but given the proximity to the show, OEMs like Asus, Asrock, MSI, Gigabyte, and Zotac will surely have their best models on display. Some of these may even get held back for unveiling during Computex.
AMD Radeon RX 7600 reference cardFactory-overclocked cards are always something to see, as the performance boost, at times, can be substantial. With both the Radeon RX 7600 and the GeForce RTX 4060 Ti, you’ll want to watch for models, in particular, that ship with faster RAM. Both cards are somewhat hampered by memory bandwidth, and while boosts in core clock can goose performance, we’d expect to see even bigger boosts if any OEMs opt for faster GDDR6 memory on their cards.
We’ve also seen announcements of some Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 (non-Ti) graphics cards, so we’ll be looking for those on display, which will give us our first glimpse of these cards, set to launch in July.
6. A New Generation of PC DIY Gear, Geared to Big, Hot Components
Computex is nothing if not a wonderland of PC-builder gear. Desktop aficionados revel in a world-beating array of PC cases, motherboards, cooling solutions, mods, and much more. We haven't been to a Computex in four years, though, and since that time, Nvidia and AMD have turned the graphics-card scene into a war of giants–giant cards, that is. Flagship cards like the GeForce RTX 4090 and Radeon RX 7900 XTX now routinely exceed 11 inches, and we expect to see a new world of PC cases and desktop designs, that even in compact form, adjust to the new reality of gigantic power-monster cards.
Fractal Design's Torrent Nano: Even compact PC cases are accepting giant graphics cards.Over the last year or so, we've seen even Mini-ITX PC cases throw in the towel and accede to the footlong-video-card trend. We’re excited to see how the desktop-design, PC-builder, and modder communities are responding to this trend, as well as that of high-power-consumption CPUs like the latest high-end Intel 13th Gen Cores. PC building, nowadays, involves fitting in bigger, hotter components than ever, if you live on the PC-parts bleeding edge.
7. Count on It: Everything’s Getting Connected to AI
If any next-generation processors get teased at Computex, count on AI being part of it, too. AMD, Intel, Qualcomm, and Nvidia have each built AI capabilities into the last several generations of their chips, and any new Ryzen, Core, Snapdragon, or GeForce processor launched this year will certainly tout them as well. These capabilities typically rely on third-party software developers for full functionality—an image-editing app that harnesses a Core i7’s AI engine to speed up filter applications, for example.
A more revolutionary AI presence at this year’s show would involve extremely buzzworthy ChatGPT-style natural-language AI, which relies on data center compute power. Nvidia and Microsoft just announced that they are looking into how it can run on laptops with muscular discrete graphics chips too, so we could see similar announcements from other companies at the show.
8. Wi-Fi 7 Pokes Up Its Head
The Wi-Fi 7 spec has yet to be finalized, but with Wi-Fi 7-supporting routers for consumers now available, we expect to see at least a few Wi-Fi 7-capable client devices launched at the show. (Acer, for one, pregamed Computex with one announcement.) Phone and tablet debuts are typically scarce at Computex, but it’s possible that one or two models that use Qualcomm’s Snapdragon 8 Gen 2 could be announced, following in the footsteps of the OnePlus 11 5G.
It’s a surer bet that Wi-Fi 7 PCs will show up, since both Qualcomm and Intel have frequently used Computex to debut new PC-connectivity tech. Could there be a version of Fastconnect 7800 (Snapdragon 8 Gen 2’s radio module) for Snapdragon-based PCs? Maybe. It’s more likely that any Wi-Fi 7-based laptops that show up will be based on Intel technology; the company demonstrated it last fall and has said it plans to release Wi-Fi 7-certified products to the market this year or next.
Tony Hoffman, Tom Brant, and others also contributed to this article.
