Computex 2019: Everything you need to know
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Computex 2019 is here. This week, from May 28 to June 1, the international computing trade show is undoubtedly full of gaming announcements — related to hardware and software and more — some of which have never been shown to the public. Assuming you haven’t noticed, this year is the year to start. No matter what the haters say(opens in a new tab), the game is not going anywhere. So it’s only a matter of time before we see mainstream interest shift to systems and services.
For many companies, Computex is the catalyst for attracting emerging markets. For example, AMD hosted a keynote speech the day before the official opening of the Expo. It was there, and we finally got to see the highly anticipated 7nm Ryzen 3000 processor and Radeon 5000 GPU. The company claims that the latter is 10% faster than Nvidia’s existing GeForce RTX 2070 graphics card(opens in a new tab). With it comes a host of X570 motherboards(opens in a new tab), the latest chipset designed for 3rd Gen Ryzen and PCIe 4.0.
Still, the stars of the show are Asus and MSI. While Asus has primarily focused on creators this year, MSI says it has a durable laptop capable of maintaining a stable 5GHz overclock (opens in a new tab). Until then, you can read our live coverage from the comfort of your own home without leaving your home as we continue to explore the sights of this famous metropolis in Taipei, Taiwan.Stay tuned to this page (and our Facebook (opens in a new tab) and Twitter(opens in a new tab) Latest update for Computex 2019).
Jarred Walton: Components
Computex is a big deal for AMD. While Intel will be launching new 9th and 10th Gen (opens in a new tab) CPUs this year, the 10th Gen CPUs are only for laptops. Desktops will have to use a new range of 9th gen Coffee Lake Refresh parts, and when the 10th gen desktop parts arrive, we expect they will initially be 14nm Comet Lake (opens in a new tab) instead of 10nm.
Meanwhile, AMD has been touting its 3rd Gen Ryzen 3000 CPUs(opens in a new tab). AMD will use TSMC’s 7nm process technology for the Zen 2 architecture and Ryzen 3000 CPUs, while Intel continues its efforts to roll out 10nm. That means smaller chips, and we expect AMD’s mainstream AM4 platform to have up to 16-core/32-thread processors.
AMD announced five third-generation Ryzen 3000 parts at Computex: Ryzen 9 3900X, Ryzen 7 3800X, Ryzen 7 3700X, Ryzen 5 3600X, and Ryzen 5 3600. The current range is from 12-core/24-thread on the 3900X to -core/12-thread on the 6 Ryzen 5 part. Zen 2 architectural upgrades include larger caches, doubled floating-point performance, and an overall 15% improvement in IPC. The result is that the performance AMD is now touting can actually match Intel’s in single-threaded tests and come out ahead in multi-threaded tasks while using less power.
AMD X570 motherboards for 3rd Gen Ryzen CPUs are also live, with AMD advertising 56 different models to its partners. The biggest feature of the X570 is that it supports PCIe 4.0, which will double the bandwidth between the CPU and chipset, as well as between the CPU and GPU. Previous generation AMD X370 and X470 motherboards and B350/B450 will also support Ryzen 3000 via a BIOS update.
AMD also revealed details, release plans and branding for its Navi graphics architecture and new AMD Radeon RX 5000 GPU(opens in a new tab). The RX 3000 rumors were all proven wrong, and instead, AMD will be using the RX 5000, 50 of which is in part to commemorate AMD’s 50th anniversary as a company. According to AMD, the Navi architecture improves the base performance per CU by about 25%, and the performance per watt will increase by 50%.
From this standpoint, AMD’s RX 5700 looks set to go head-to-head with the RTX 2070, likely matching it in performance and power (but without ray tracing and DLSS capabilities). What’s more, the RX 5000 chip should deliver this kind of performance in a smaller chip at a lower price.
AMD hasn’t announced the full lineup of RX 5000 GPUs yet, but we know they’ll be available on July 7th. Hopefully the RX 5700 will be priced between $300 and $350, but we’ll find out more at E3 (opens in new tab).
Joanna Nelius: Desktop PCs and Cases
There’s still a lot of activity around desktops, and Nvidia’s RTX and GTX 16-series graphics cards are now the new pre-built staples. But with the upcoming AMD Ryzen 3000 series as well as the Radeon RX 5000 series, expect pre-build manufacturers to add these processors and graphics cards to their list of build specs.
We assume these companies are already testing pre-builds with the new Ryzen processors and graphics cards; AMD announced that its Ryzen 3000 series and Radeon RX 5000 series will be available starting July 7, so one or both of the pre-built desktop PCs A component should be right around the corner.
Computex 2019: Desktop PCs and Cases
As far as PC cases are concerned, the trend towards smaller cases is slowly growing, but still has the same power as a high-end PC in a full-size case. Companies like Cooler Master recently released some of the cases it showed off at CES 2019, such as the customizable MasterBox Q500L, a mATX case that can support standard ATX motherboards. Corsair has a high-end system, the One i160, as well as MSI’s Trident X, so maybe we’ll see cases that focus on maximizing airflow and keeping noise as low as possible.
So far, the following companies have made announcements about new PC desktop cases:
MSI Five new cases were shown, the MPG Harpe 300 and 300R, and the MPG Sekira 500 series, which came in three different models: Sekira 500G, 500X and 500P.
NZXT The H210, H210i, H510, H510i, H710 and H710i have updated almost their entire H-series chassis.
cooler guru Several new cases were announced, five to be exact: Cosmos C700P Black Edition, Silencio S400, Silencio S600, MasterCase H100, and MasterCase SL600M Black Edition.
Quiet! Introduced their first compact ATX case, which can hold a full ATX motherboard, coolers up to 360mm, high-end graphics cards and a bunch of other goodies, just like a mid-tower or full-tower. Small sizes are definitely getting more and more popular.
Gabe Carey: Laptops
In an unusual event, Intel has stole the show with laptops this year. As Jarred mentioned, 10nm processors are here, just not as you might expect. This time around, they’re only showing up on laptops, and now there are rumors that this die-reducer will skip desktops entirely. Instead, we’ll see 10nm, 10th Gen U and Y-series chips make their way into laptops, and 10nm desktop chips will move to another batch of 14nm chips. Then, probably sometime next year, we’ll start seeing Intel’s 7nm chips.
More excitingly, however, the blue team showed off a dual-screen proof-of-concept called Honeycomb Glacier(opens in a new tab). Aimed at avid multitaskers, especially streamers who often find themselves switching between playing games and interacting with fans, the idea is to license the design to OEMs like HP and Asus for their own laptops. While we’ve never seen an actual Intel laptop called the Honeycomb Glacier, we’re likely to see a brand new gaming laptop supported by a pair of sturdy hinges, like a “normal” clamshell.
Of course, no Computex is complete without MSI.In addition to revamping its GE65 Raider with thin and light, it’s worth noting that No With a Max-Q design — and a (up to) 9th-gen Intel Core i9 processor, GeForce RTX graphics, and a 240Hz screen — the Taiwanese hardware maker has revealed a new musclebook that’s been four years in the making. Equipped with 11 heat pipes and two pairs of fans, it’s sure to stay cool despite its desktop S-series Intel i9-9900K processor overclocked to 5GHz with stability. Or MSI claims…we’ll definitely see when we get the review unit in the New York office, hopefully before the June release.
Alan Bradley: Peripherals
PC peripherals and accessories have traditionally formed a niche but important corner of Computex announcements, and we expect this year to be no different. On the monitor side, BenQ will likely make monitor announcements on panels aimed at the esports segment, as they focus on that subset of the market, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see their monitors appear more broadly aimed at gaming and productivity. HP has also been making waves in the gaming monitor space lately, so more information about their upcoming panels is sure to be a major part of their showcase.
We also know that some other major players in the peripherals space will also be at the show, including Cooler Master, so expect keyboards, mice, or something around their PC cooling solutions. When it comes to mechanical keyboards, we’ve seen new switches in Taipei before, so there’s a good chance we’ll get news of a new configuration from Cherry, Kailh, or some of their new competitors.
Judging by the language in some of the manufacturer’s invitations, we also expect a number of companies to expand into full-size mouse charging pads and compatible pointers, as well as pads that support Qi charging for mice and other devices. Headphones are also likely to continue to monopolize their share of the spotlight – we expect to see new cans from SteelSeries and Sennheiser, as well as more focus on gaming headsets with USB-C connectivity.
Computex 2019: Peripherals
We’ve seen announcements from HyperX so far, and they’ve launched a gaming keyboard called Alloy Origins with switches that mimic a proprietary version of Cherry MX Reds (but with slightly shallower travel and actuation depth), and Cooler Master’s wireless gaming mouse. The mouse packs a Pixart PMW 3360 sensor and a huge 32,000 CPI cap, as well as, as expected, Qi wireless charging support. SteelSeries also released a pair of gaming keyboards, the Apex Pro and Apex Pro TKL, at the show, which allow users to manually set the actuation point of the switches, whether they prefer shallow actuation instead of sending junk keys quickly or a little deeper for accuracy. The Apex Pro also has a small built-in OLED display that can blink notifications from games and apps.
Bomore: Software
As a hardware-focused show, we don’t usually see game announcements at Computex. As for other forms of software, we’ve seen some changes in the form of new benchmarking tools. That said, PCMark 10 Professional has two new benchmarks: a battery life test, which provides a broad look at a laptop’s battery performance, and a new Microsoft Office-based application test.
Other things to look out for are chassis mods and overclocking records, both of which have excelled at Computex each year. We’ve seen some great case mods(opens in a new tab) over the past few years, and the show is also a time for professional and amateur extreme overclockers to show off their skills and even compete. G.Skill hosts its annual Overclocking World Cup(Opens in a new tab) for RAM Overclocking, where pros like de8auer(Opens in a new tab) are usually in attendance to showcase the latest in overclocking, deletes and other cutting-edge technology.
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