PCR Tech and IT retail, distribution and vendor news
Computex Taiwan is back for another year to play host to the latest computer, mobile and chip tech from around the globe.
Today is the first day of the show and PCR has collected some of the biggest announcements so far.
PC gaming seems to be a pretty prominent theme amongst today’s announcements, with new PC cases, gaming laptops and components being showcased.
There are also some more eclectic products at the show, such as Zenbo – ASUS’ first ever consumer robot.
ASUS ZENBO HOME ROBOT AND NEW TRANSFORMER 3 PC
ASUS Chairman Jonney Shih took the stage today during the Zenvolution press event at Computex 2016 to unveil Zenbo, the first ASUS robot.
While revealing Zenbo, Chairman Shih said: “For decades, humans have dreamed of owning such a companion: one that is smart, dear to our hearts, and always at our disposal. Our ambition is to enable robotic computing for every household.”
Joining Shih on stage, Intel’s Corporate Vice President and General Manager of the Client Computing Group, Navin Shenoy said: “For nearly thirty years, Intel and ASUS have been collaborating to bring some of the most innovative PCs and devices to market. We are excited to continue that collaboration on the new ZenBook and Transformer 3 family powered by Intel Core processors, and we look forward to working closely with ASUS on expanding beyond traditional clients into new, emerging markets like robotics.”
The firm also showcases the Transformer 3 Pro, which it called the world’s most versatile PC. It’s a 2-in-1 powered by Intel Core i7 and including up to a 1TB PCle x4 SSD and 16GB of 2133MHz RAM. It has an integrated kickstand with a stepless hinge that lets users set the device at almost any viewing angle up to 170-degrees.
There is also a Transformer 3 model, which has up to a 512GB SSD and up to 8GB of RAM.
8 NEW ROG PRODUCTS FROM ASUS
ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) has hosted its Join the Republic press event at Computex 2016, marking its first full decade in the premium gaming market. The firm unveiled a new line-up of elite gaming gear at the show, including the ROG Avalon– a proof-of-concept build that envisions the future of gaming PCs beyond the standard form-factors.
Product reveals included Rampage V Edition 10, a celebratory refresh of ROG’s flagship gaming motherboard, and G31 and GX800 — respectively the world’s most-powerful compact gaming desktop and gaming laptop.
Also shown for the first time were Swift PG248Q, a super-narrow-bezel gaming monitor with an overclockable 180Hz refresh rate, the Centurion gaming headset that delivers true 7.1-channel surround sound, and XG Station 2, an innovative external graphics dock.
Strix was also introduced as the newest recruit to Join the Republic, with ROG Strix GeForce GTX 1080 revealed as the first gaming graphics card to carry the ROG Strix branding.
NEW PC CASES FROM ANTEC
Antec is celebrating its 30th anniversary with a number of new PC cases being showcased at this year’s Computex.
The featured enclosures include the GX1200, the Trapeze (Cube design) and the Crown. The GX1200 is ideal for gamers and measures 510 mm x 510 mm x 200 mm (L x W x H). The GX1200 is compatible with mini-ITX / micro ATX / standard ATX/ E-ATX motherboards and supports up to 410 mm VGA cards.
The case boasts two 3.5"/2.5” HDD drive cages, three 2.5" SSD drive cages as well as seven PCI-Expansion slots. The enclosure’s thought-out cooling system offers two pre-installed 120 mm front LED fans (customizable with seven colour options) and offers space for optional four 120 mm fans, one in the front, two on top, one exhaust fan the rear section of the GX1200 as well as one optional hard drive cage fan.
The Antec Trapeze (Cube design) is a compact mini ITX case measuring 355 mm x 250 mm x 459 mm (L x W x H) and featuring a unique leaned forward design with a hybrid structure made of 3 mm Aluminium and 0.8 mm cold-rolled steel.
The enclosure offers one 3.5" HDD drive bay and two 2.5" SDD bays. A total of four fan mounts with one pre-installed 1200 mm LED fan (customisable in seven colours) in the rear of the case ensure sufficient cooling. The Antec Trapeze (Cube design) is water-cooling ready with space for a 240 mm radiator in the front and a 140 mm radiator in the rear.
With the Antec Crown, the Californian manufactures presents a mini ITX case with is fully made of aluminium including built-in windows in the front and on the side panels of the case and an excellent thermal concept. Its vertical duct design lets the user easily install the motherboard directly in the top section of the enclosure.
The case measures 339 mm x 430.7 mm x 236 mm (L x W x H) and features two 3.5” HDD and four 2.5” SSD drive bays, two PCI expansion slots as well as one pre-installed 120 mm top LED fan. The Antec Crown supports VGA cards with a length of up to 330 mm and space for a water-cooling solution in the top for a size of up to 128 mm.
CORSAIR DDR4, FANS, HYDRO GFX GEFORCE GTX 1080 AND MORE
Corsair has a number of new products on show, including the two new ranges of high-performance DDR4 memory – CORSAIR Vengeance LED and CORSAIR Dominator Platinum Special Edition.
Vengeance LED brings integrated lighting and an aggressively styled new heat-spreader design to the award-winning CORSAIR Vengeance range of XMP 2.0 certified DDR4, allowing enthusiasts to light up their system with vibrant LED lighting in either red or white. Vengeance LED will also be the fastest CORSAIR DDR4 memory kit ever, with specially selected Samsung ICs driving kits to 4,333MHz and beyond.
Dominator Platinum Special Edition is built using top bin Samsung ICs, rigorously tested to ensure ample overclocking headroom on X99 and 100 Series platforms. The result is memory that offers both premium looks and premium DDR4 performance. Vengeance LED and Dominator Platinum Special Edition will launch in Q3.
The new Corsair ML PRO and ML PRO LED fans include an entirely different kind of bearing that the firm says will ‘change what enthusiasts expect from a high-performance cooling fan’. Also launching in Q3, the fans harness patented Magnetic Levitation bearing technology and custom rotor designs.
Corsair has once again partnered with MSI in the development of its Hydro GFX GeForce GTX 1080. Featuring an integrated closed-loop Corsair liquid cooler and PCB design by MSI, the Hydro GFX pushes the GTX 1080 to the limit thanks to its greatly increased GPU core cooling capacity, allowing the GPU to reach higher boost clock frequencies for longer. The result is a quieter, cooler, faster GeForce GTX 1080 right out of the box. The Hydro GFX GeForce GTX 1080 will launch in Q3.
Celebrating the launch of the Corsair BULLDOG and LAPDOG last week, thef irm will also be showing the latest application for its living room gaming system and control center, virtual reality. By combining the performance of the liquid-cooled, living room friendly BULLDOG system, couch-comfortable LAPDOG and the latest in VR technology from Oculus and HTC, gamers can experience all that VR has to offer, right from the comfort of their chair.
ACER SWITCH V 10 AND SWITCH ONE 10
Acer has announced two 10-inch 2-in-1 notebooks designed for students and budget-conscious families, the Acer Switch V 10 and Switch One 10.
Both the Acer Switch V 10 and Switch One 10 feature Windows 10 and the latest quad-core Intel Atom processors. They include multi-touch 10-inch screens with IPS technology for wide-viewing angles and vivid colours, while Precision Touchpads enable accurate, smooth and responsive navigation experiences, and support Windows 10 Precision Touchpad gestures. With the Acer Snap Hinge latch-less magnetic hinge design, both devices utilise Continuum to easily transform into four versatile usage modes: notebook, pad, tent and display.
COOLER MASTER’S EXTENDED PRODUCT LINE-UP
Cooler Master has unveiled it next steps towards ‘embodying the Maker Spirit in building and using PCs’.
MasterCase and the FreeForm Modular System are creating more avenues for individual choice and expression as more towers fill out the MasterCase, MasterCase Pro and flagship MasterCase Maker lines.
A full range of sizes has now appeared as well as new outlooks for simplicity and expression. On top of the modular frame, a growing ecosystem of swappable MasterAccessories and MakerMade Accessories can be used to customise the exterior and adjust the interior layout. The second version of Cooler Master’s innovation platform, MasterConcept 2.0, has made strides towards a completely modular case that has no defined form or function other than that created by its user.
The MasterBox line, a trimmer case featuring internal expandability and layout flexibility, has also expanded with a mini-tower and new mid-tower colors and outlooks.
