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Computex

The MSI Mag Pano 1130R PZ series case with internal screen, lit up in blue

Computex has made me finally care about PC cases and it’s not just because of rig envy

by admin May 23, 2025

Screens, cases, collaborations. These were the three most prominent things I took note of at this year’s Computex. Okay, really, it’s screens first, then the other two, but still, I spent the last week looking at multiple excellent gaming rigs every single day, and it all made me realize my case is kind of boring.

First, let’s start with why exactly I’ve never really spent much time exploring the wonderful land of PC cases. Frankly, the idea of caring about the look of yet another part of my gaming setup feels like quite a lot of work.

I like a cute keyboard (looking at you, Ducky One 3 Matcha), but cases involve more work. You have to figure out if the parts you get actually fit, and swapping a case takes more effort than just grabbing a new peripheral.

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My PC tends to get tucked away under my desk so that I don’t need to find room higher up to store it, and putting in all this effort for a thing I can’t see feels a bit unnecessary.

I still get the glare of the RGB lighting on the front fans and find some joy in it, but my eyes are usually on the screen (and maybe the keyboard if it has particularly great lighting). However, I’ve come to the realisation that a good gaming PC is sort of like a gorgeous guitar. Maybe I’m a little more ready to boot the ‘ol thing up if it looks nice as it whirs up.

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(Image credit: Future)(Image credit: Future)

Half the reason I practice guitar is just to get the chance to hold it in my hands, and though I don’t plan on picking my rig up, swapping out that case for something a bit prettier might actually encourage me to do the cable management I’ve been holding off for some time.

Taking pride in hardware is a surefire way to ensure I don’t let it get dusty, and my current rig has picked up a layer at the back that I really should have cleaned last week.

Seeing all these builders and manufacturers showing off all their tech at Computex makes me realize what my rig could look like, as obvious as that may sound. It is, of course, a PC case seller’s job to, well, sell cases, and I’d like to think I’m a little less prone to marketing than I actually am.

Though the looks of these rigs may have melted my heart, it’s the potential utility of PC cases that made it grow three sizes.

There are two main cases from Computex that really changed my mind. The first is a Corsair Frame case with a built-in DAC/amp at the bottom.

This not only means the PC has a dedicated external sound card, but it also means I can plug in an instrument and record some music without having to dig out my audio interface, with all the wires and troubleshooting that comes with it.

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The Corsair Frame 4000D built-in DAC

A built-in DAC also saves space, as it means I don’t need some sort of table to pop my Focusrite 2i2 on. I think part of the reason I liked PCs in the first place is the Tetris-like game of stacking all those bits in, and the thought of slapping a DAC onto my case intrigues me for the same reason. Just think of the efficiency.

The second case that really got my attention is Noctua’s Antec collaboration chassis. Not only does it look lovely, with sleek black metal, walnut wood inlays, and dark brown grating, but it comes with a whole host of Noctua Fans that are said to “substantially reduce noise”.

Now, combining impressive looks with a genuine use case (get it?) and you have me. At least this way, I can tell myself I’ve picked up the more expensive case because it actually serves some sort of purpose.

Computex 2025

(Image credit: Jacob Ridley)

Catch up with Computex 2025: We’re stalking the halls of Taiwan’s biggest tech show once again to see what Nvidia, AMD, Intel, Asus, Gigabyte, MSI and more have to offer.

Okay, I definitely don’t need a Monster Hunter Wilds custom PC where the sword is an RTX 5070 Ti or a PC case that kind of looks like a coffee cup. However, it has got me thinking that maybe there’s a nicer way to display all that hardware I cram into my daily driver. Maybe tucking it away under a desk for its RGB fans to shine into nothing is a little bit of a waste, and maybe I should actually take some pride in my rig.

Or maybe I’m just a bit of a cheapskate when it comes to cases and really just need to get my head around the cost. Either way, Computex has turned my head, and I’ll be keeping an eye out for a good deal now.

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

Super Flower PSUs at Computex 2025, featuring the Leadex VIII Platinum

Gaming Gear

Super Flower shows off not one but two 3000W PSUs at Computex 2025

by admin May 23, 2025

Super Flower has hit Computex in full force this year, showing off a wide suite of new power supplies and other components for those present in Taiwan. As the OEM behind the success of EVGA’s acclaimed PSU line, Super Flower has been making a name for itself in the years following EVGA’s soft retirement. And while its new 3300W power supply is the clear star of the show, the rest of its offerings are nothing to sneeze at.

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Super Flower’s “Leadex” badge is where our coverage begins. (As is the case for many PC component makers, it’s unclear what, if any, differences exist between Super Flower’s Leadex, Combat, and Zillion badges.)

The Leadex PSUs are named for their Cybenetics PSU efficiency rating, with the Leadex Titanium leading the pack. Following in the footsteps of the Leadex Titanium 2800W, which launched for pre-order in March, the Titanium 1700W was seen at Computex this year. With a rare Cybenetics Titanium rating, the oversized PSU is ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 compliant.

Designed for high-end AI workflows, the PSU is currently aiming for a pilot run to arrive soon. And while the voltage of the 1700W model is a mystery, the 2800W unit requires 240V and ships with a “medical grade power cord”, making it likely that the 1700W variant will be similarly overkill.

The slightly more down-to-earth options are the Leadex VIII Platinum, the next generation of the standard Leadex line. The VIII Platinums are all fully-modular units with wattages ranging from 850W-1500W and lengths ranging from 150mm down to 125mm, close to the shortest high-end modular units on the market. All come with the Cybenetics Platinum rating, and will ship compatible with the new ATX 3.1 standard.

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The Leadex VIII Platinums also utilize an interesting Super Flower quirk with the company’s 9-pin universal “super connectors.” Beyond a motherboard ATX header and one 12V-2×6 header, the remaining ten power connectors are Super Flower’s proprietary 9-pin universal connectors. The company has been using the unique design for years — even spreading it to some EVGA models in the Western market, but the connections still seem shockingly new. No release date was placed on the Leadex VIII Platinum PSUs.

Rounding out the Leadex neck of the woods are the Leadex III Gold PSUs, a range of 80 Plus and Cybenetics Gold-certified units. Running from 750W to 1300W, the Leadex III Golds have mostly already hit the shelves, with the ATX 3.1-compatible models ready to ship by June. The Leadex III Gold Pro-A models, which can be seen in the above images, feature ARGB lights coming from the 9-pin headers.

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Super Flower’s new Combat badge, debuted in 2024, reaches down to include some more budget-minded models, but still has some pep in its step. The Combat II FP series is the newest wave from the company, with a 3000W crown. Yes, in addition to Super Flower’s 3300W monster that ranks as the largest PSU on the Computex floor, Super Flower announced the Combat II FP 3000W, a Cybenetics Platinum, ATX 3.1 and PCIe 5.1 ready beast. The oversized and overkill model can support multiple 12V-2×6 GPUs for server or enterprise loads and is expected to ship in Q2 2026, likely near the $1,000 mark.

The Combat II FP line also includes ATX units from 850W-1200W, all Cybenetics Platinum rated. The FP line’s fluid dynamic bearing fans claim an A+ noise rating from Cybenetics, the second-highest score from the Cybenetics labs. Coming with ATX 3.1 certification, the Combat II FP line will begin mass production in September.

Just below the FP power supplies is the Combat II FG, a Cybenetics Gold-rated line ranging from 750W to 1200W models. The same Lambda A+ noise rating applies to this line, as well as its ATX 3.1 readiness. The Gold series will begin mass production in November.

Finally, the Combat badge has some new SFX options to bring to market. The Combat SFP 850W and 1000W will bring the Platinum rating to SFX, with the Combat SFG 750W and 850W models in the Gold category. Both beginning mass production in August, the SFX models are otherwise stat-matched to the larger Combat II ATX models.

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Finally, Super Flower’s Zillion line is where the budget-minded PSUs come out. The Zillion line is still young, so offerings are light, but not to be ignored. The Zillion SFX Platinum is a Platinum-rated SFX power supply with ATX 3.1 readiness, arriving in 850W and 1000W flavors. With as much connectivity as can be crammed into the micro-sized form factor, the Zillion SFP models will be ready to ship in August, paving the way for the cheaper Combat SFX units.

Super Flower also showed off the currently-available Zillion DB and FB series. The non-modular DB series is Cybenetics Silver certified, arriving in up to 850W models, and still carries ATX 3.1 readiness as a new model. With its capacitors made in Taiwan rather than Japan like the rest of the Super Flower family, the DB comes in as the cheapest option shown — though it’s not on shelves in the West.

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Super Flower’s Zillion line also displayed a new case option in the Zillion Direct: an all-mesh-panel mid-tower ATX case. The case uses a patented adjustable slope for directing airflow from the front fans to the GPU intake, seeking to prioritize airflow above all else. The case also includes a GPU support bracket and four ARGB fans to match the built-in ARGB lights. Front panel I/O includes two USB 3.1 connections and one USB-C port, as well as power and reset buttons. The Direct is a nice take on the mesh-forward case design trends of 2025, and is currently available on Newegg for $129.99.

The Super Flower booth was a veritable tour de force for the OEM, which has so far failed to break into the U.S. market in a major way since its entry in 2020. With not one but two of the show’s 3000+ watt PSUs, a smattering of SFX units, and several of the 50 Cybenetics Titanium-rated PSUs to exist, Super Flower made a convincing argument at Computex this year. Be sure to click here for more of our exclusive coverage straight from the Computex 2025 show floor.

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Lian Li flexes new PSU with rotatable power outlet at Computex 2025

by admin May 23, 2025

Lian Li unveiled a novel new power supply series at Computex 2025, featuring a power outlet on a swivel, duplicate connectors on different sides of the unit, and a built-in USB hub on the back panel that can be swapped out for a fan controller.

These new power supplies, known as the RS series, will be available starting in Q3 2025. Pricing starts at $154.99 for the 1000W version, $159.99 for the same unit paired with a USB 2.0 hub, and $179.99 for the 1200W version that also comes with a USB 2.0 hub.

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The RS series’ design is all about improving the flexibility of traditional ATX power supplies. The lineup’s most definitive feature is its swiveling three-prong power outlet on the back. This outlet can be moved from the front side of the unit to the right, to improve compatibility with non-conventional installations.

In addition to this swiveling outlet, Lian Li has also mounted duplicate 24-pin ATX power connectors and primary 8-pin EPS power connectors on the front and left of the unit. Having the power connectors on the left side specifically can be beneficial in a traditional ATX case, where the power supply is mounted on the bottom with the fan facing downwards. Installing the 24-pin and EPS cables on the left side will provide better cable management, less cable clutter in the bottom PSU chamber, and better reach to the motherboard if cable length is a problem.

The front-mounted connectors are presumably designed for ITX enclosures, which can often have the PSU mounted in unorthodox areas — such as the front of the case, where a cable adapter is required to wire the PSU’s three-prong power outlet to the rear of the chassis. In these cases, again, having the 24-pin and 8-pin EPS in the front of the unit alongside the three-prong outlet can improve cable management and declutter the back portion of the unit where most of the cables will inevitably be installed.

These changes also make room for the RS series USB hub/fan controller hub mounting point on the back. Lian Li installed a mount below the rear CPU, PCIe, and SATA power connectors that can house either of the aforementioned hubs. The fan controller hub is a combo USB/fan controller hub that houses four additional USB 2.0 headers (for internal use), and six 4-pin fan connectors powered by an 8-pin connector (either SATA or PCIe). Lian Li also has a dedicated USB 2.0 hub with five USB headers for those who don’t need an extra fan controller. (This is the same hub that is combined with the more expensive 1000W unit and 1200W unit, mentioned previously.)

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May 23, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

Computex 2025 Day Three Wrap-Up: Optical SSDs and $50,000 Immersion-Cooled Systems

by admin May 22, 2025

We’re wrapping up our third day of Computex 2025 coverage, and it seems there’s no end to the fascinating hardware announced so far. There’s a lot of ground to cover for today, but also, be sure to see what’s previously been covered in our Day Zero, Day One, and Day Two stories and look at the Tom’s Hardware Computex 2025 hub.

Optical SSDs, Immersion-Cooled Workstations, Manjaro Linux Gaming Handhelds, 512GB G-Skill DDR5

Kioxia is determined to make optical SSDs more mainstream, and it was on hand at Computex to demonstrate the technology. Kioxia uses one of Kyocera’s Optinity PCIe cards, which delivers optical connectivity via PCIe 5.0. One of Kioxia’s CM7 Enterprise SSDs was attached to the Optinity PCIe card and was shown delivering identical performance to the same SSD using a traditional electrical connection.

While delivering the same performance as an existing solution isn’t by itself an impressive feat, what is remarkable is that Kioxia can offer this performance with optical cabling 30 meters in length (or greater). Kioxia also claims superior signal integrity that is more reliable in “challenging environments.”

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(Image credit: Future)

Heat is a boss-level enemy of high-performance PCs, and enthusiasts always look for new ways to improve cooling output. Enermax is no stranger to developing high-end components to deliver power and cool PC hardware, and its latest demo takes those efforts to the extreme. Witness the Cirrus Mk1, which uses two-phase liquid immersion cooling to efficiently transfer heat away from hardware components to an external heat exchanger.

The cooling system can handle up to 3,300 watts of power, and to demonstrate this capability, Enermax’s test system used an AMD Ryzen Threadripper 7960X processor and four GeForce RTX 5090 GPUs attached to a Gigabyte TRX50 AI-TOP motherboard. Powering everything (including the cooling system) were two Enermax Platimax II 2400 watt PSUs. The cooling Cirrus Mk1 alone costs $50,000 before you even think of adding hardware, so it’s definitely not for the average gaming enthusiast.

The market for handheld gaming PCs continues to explode, and the introduction of the Nintendo Switch 2 will likely further drive interest in the category. Zotac’s Zone 2 is the follow-up to last year’s Zone and features an AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370 (rather than the handheld gaming PC-centric Ryzen Z2 Extreme). The system features a 7-inch 1080p display with a 120 Hz refresh rate, up to 32GB of LPDDR5x, and a 1TB PCIe 4.0 SSD. The system runs Manjaro Linux with KDE Plasma 6 and, most certainly, Proton to provide the broadest compatibility with games.

(Image credit: Tom’s Hardware)

If you are looking for extreme performance or capacity regarding DDR5 memory, G.Skill has you covered. On the former front, the company showcased 2x 24GB DDR5 memory using SK hynix ICs, hitting a speed of 10,934 MT/s on an ASUS ROG Maximus Z890 APEX motherboard. Also on display was a 4x 64GB DDR5-7000 setup running on an ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero motherboard.

(Image credit: Future)

If you’d rather lean more into capacity than outright performance, it also loaded up eight 64GB R-DIMM DDR5-6600 CL42 modules for a total of 512GB with an ASUS Pro WS WRX90E-SAGE SE motherboard.

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May 22, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

Geometric Future highlights new PC cases, AIOs, and PSUs at Computex 2025

by admin May 21, 2025

The Tom’s Hardware team is on the ground at Computex 2025, and we dropped by the booth of modern and minimalist PC case manufacturer Geometric Future to check out its latest offerings. We’ve seen the company’s new premium full-tower PC case, the Model 9, which features a unique combination of aluminum, steel, and tempered glass. There’s also the new Model 3 MAX compact, designed for those looking for a smaller, more compact solution. Aside from that, there’s also the Eskimo series of AIO coolers and a new line of Power PSUs, available in both 14CM and 12CM models.

The new Model 9 PC case sits right in the middle of the Geometric Future booth, where its unique look catches the attention of anyone passing by. Instead of the usual rectangular profile we see with most cases, the Model 9 has all-rounded corners, with its tempered glass hugging the left and front panels. On the other hand, the top and right sides of the Model 9 have a full mesh cover, ensuring optimal airflow for your high-end build.

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More than that, the Model 9 has enough space to accommodate one 420 mm radiator, two 360 mm radiators, a 140 mm radiator, and three 140 mm fans. That amount of cooling should be more than enough to let you push even the most advanced CPUs and GPUs to their limit without being stopped by thermal limits.

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We also saw the Model 3 MAX compact, which is a mid-tower PC case. This sits between the larger Model 4 King Arthur and the smaller Model 2 The Ark, giving enthusiasts a case that doesn’t take up much space on their desks but still has enough capacity to accommodate larger components (like GPUs) and robust cooling. Aside from that, it comes in different hues, like the usual black and white, plus brighter yellow and green options, allowing you to step away from the bland colors offered by most PC case makers.

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Geometric Future’s latest iterations on the Eskimo AIO cooler are on display at the booth, as well. We saw three 420mm AIO coolers — the Eskimo Ultra 40, Eskimo Pro 42W, and Eskimo Plus 42 — and the Eskimo Pro 36B. These large water-cooling solutions are perfect for helping your CPU to keep cool while keeping fan noise to a minimum. The company even has the new Noah six-in-one hub, which features three USB-A and a USB-C port, plus a 3.5 mm microphone and another 3.5 mm headphone jack.

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Last, but not least, the company has two new PSU models on show — the Power 14CM and Power 12CM. These fully modular PSUs come in three different color ways, and the two sizes mean they’re designed to fit as many cases as possible. Unfortunately, we don’t have information on their capacities and efficiency ratings. So, we’ll have to wait until we can get our hands on them to see how they stack up against the best PSUs you can buy today.

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May 21, 2025 0 comments

Phison's 113.6 GB/s Apex RAID demo at Computex

Product Reviews

Phison’s Apex RAID demo showed us blistering 113 GB/s speeds in Computex demo

by admin May 21, 2025

Phison has been showcasing its data storage innovations at Computex 2025. Of particular interest, we attended a partner demo where the firm utilized 32 of its latest and greatest PCIe Gen5 SSDs in a RAID setup. During the demo, we saw CrystalDiskMark report data transfer rates as high as 113.6 GB/s for reads, and 104.6 GB/s for writes.

(Image credit: Future)

The PS5028 for AI Workstation Live Demo

This demonstration of extraordinary speed was enabled by a powerful modern workstation PC and a mix of cutting-edge storage components. Specifically, Phison utilized an AMD Ryzen Threadripper Pro 7978WX CPU, installed on an Asus Pro WS WRX90E-Sage SE motherboard, as the foundation of the system.

The storage subsystem consisted of 32 of Phison’s potent new E28 Gen5 SSDs installed across a trio of Apex Storage X16 Gen5 add-in cards. All these components were installed in a sweet-looking be quiet! chassis, as you can see.

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Phison’s new E28 Gen5 SSD rubs shoulders with the best in consumer mid-2025 PC land. A single E28 Gen5 in a modern PC will be able to deliver data transfer speeds of up to 14.8 GB/s reads and 14.0 GB/s writes. The Phison E28 Gen5 is being marketed as “the weapon of choice for serious gaming and productivity,” so it is definitely targeting consumers. Its controller features a quad-CPU architecture, is fabbed on TSMC’s 6nm node, and supports up to 32 TB.

(Image credit: Future)

Here we had 32 of Phison’s new E28 Gen5 SSDs; however, each Apex Storage X16 Gen5 add-in card can fit 16 M.2 SSDs (there’s a clue in the name), so two would have sufficed for a 32x SSD demo. We guess three cards were installed for optimal performance, load balancing, or another nuance of the Threadripper-powered Windows system.

The storage performance in this setup seems remarkable. Witnessed data transfer rates as high as 113.6 GB/s for reads, and 104.6 GB/s for writes might seem amazing. However, it was confirmed by a Phison rep that the Windows kernel was actually holding back performance.

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Apex Storage’s new X16 Gen5 add-in card features the PM584 Microchip switch that has 84 lanes, claimed to support the full 16 M.2 at full bandwidth. We were told each X16 Gen5 card also has a limit of 128TB of addressable storage, at this time (that would require using 32x 4TB drives).

If you are interested in the Apex Storage X16 Gen5 card, we were told that it ships in 30 days and will cost $3,995 without any storage onboard.

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May 21, 2025 0 comments

Product Reviews

AMD unveils Radeon RX 9060 XT at Computex 2025

by admin May 21, 2025

AMD has unveiled its 9060 XT GPU at Computex 2025. The midrange GPU will be the clear competitor to Nvidia’s 5060 Ti and goes toe-to-toe with it on almost every spec. Built on AMD’s 4-nanometer RDNA 4 silicon, the 9060 XT will pack 32 compute units, along with 64 dedicated AI accelerators and 32 ray-tracing cores.

AMD

Notably, the RX 9060 XT will ship in 8GB and 16GB GDDR6 versions, whereas Nvidia’s RTX 5060 Ti uses faster 28 Gb/s GDDR7, delivering roughly 40 percent more bandwidth (448 GB/s vs. approximately 322 GB/s) on the same 128-bit bus. We’ll have to wait for some side-by-side performance comparisons before drawing any strong conclusions from those specs.

AMD has listed the 9060 XT’s boost clock at speeds up to 3.13 GHz. The GPU boasts 821 TOPS for AI workloads and will draw a modest 150 to 182 watts from the board. The card will connect via PCIe 5.0 x16 and supports the now-standard DisplayPort 2.1a and HDMI 2.1b. Based on these initial specs, the 9060 XT should be a solid entry for games running at 1080p and a decent option for those at 1440p. Those wishing to play at 4K should still opt for the Radeon RX 9070 or 9070 XT.

Pricing and exact release timelines have not yet been announced.

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May 21, 2025 0 comments

Gaming Gear

MSI brings AMD-based AMD gaming handheld, updated mid-range gaming laptops to Computex

by admin May 20, 2025

MSI brought its first gaming handheld with an AMD chip inside, the Claw A8 BZ2EM, to Computex. The company also used Taipei tradeshow to launch the latest versions of its Crosshair and Cyborg laptops.

MSI’s previous gaming handhelds, like its Claw 8 AI+, used Intel’s Core Ultra processors — the only mainstream gaming company to do so. It doesn’t seem that MSI is abandoning Intel, but is now making systems with chips from both partners.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

MSI Claw A8 BZ2EM

Processor

AMD Ryzen Z2 Extreme

Graphics

AMD Radeon (integrated)

Display

8-inch, 1920- x 1200, 120 Hz, VRR, IPS-level

RAM

Up to 24GB LPDDR5x-8000

Storage

1x NVMe M.2 2280 SSD

Battery

80 WHr

Wireless

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Beyond using AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme chip, the Claw A8 will have other new features. The system, which is very green, has an Xbox-style controller layout, placing the right thumbstick below the A/B/X/Y buttons. MSI is using Hall Effect joysticks, which should help prevent stick drift. The Claw A8 also has Hall Effect sensors in the LT and RT triggers.

The company has rounded the corners and put in bigger grips, which should increase comfort over previous Claw systems.

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The option for up to 24GB of RAM is impressive (especially fast LPDDR5x-8000 memory), but MSI hasn’t said anything about what configurations will go to which markets, so we’ll see how systems launch with that much memory. Asus used 24GB of memory in the ROG Ally X, one of the best PC Gaming Handhelds, which benefitted because the CPU and GPU share memory.

(Image credit: MSI)

The 80 WHr battery on the Claw is also identical in capacity to the Ally X, which lasted far longer than the original ROG Ally with a smaller 40 WHr battery.

The top of the system features plenty of ports, including a headphone jack, microSD card reader, two USB 4 Type-C ports, as well as a volume rocker and a power button with a built-in fingerprint reader. While the microSD card reader is expected at this point, MSI is also using a standard M.2 2280 SSD, so in theory you could easily crack the system open and replace it with a standard-sized M.2 drive.

MSI has refreshed its MSI Center software to be accessible via Xbox Game Bar. This should take up less space and allow for extra customization, but it’s still building on top of Windows 11, which hasn’t proven to be the most intuitive operating system for gaming handhelds.

MSI hasn’t announced pricing or a release date for the Claw A8.

Gaming Laptops

Like Acer and Asus, MSI brought its mid-range gaming notebooks to Computex, upgrading them to Nvidia’s new RTX 5060 and the RTX 5070.

(Image credit: MSI)

The new Crosshairs will come in 16, 17, and 18-inch sizes. Confusingly enough, using the 18-inchers as examples, the Intel models are styled Crosshair 18 HX AI, while the AMD versions are Crosshair A18HX. So AI means Intel Core Ultra 200 HX chips here, while the A-series systems use AMD Ryzen 8000.

Swipe to scroll horizontallyHeader Cell – Column 0

MSI Crosshair 18HX AI

MSI Crosshair A18 HXX

MSI Crosshair 16/17 HX AI

MSI Crosshair A16/A17 HX

CPU

Intel Core Ultra 200 HX

AMD Ryzen 8000

Intel Core Ultra 200 HX

AMD Ryzen 8000

GPU

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070/5060 “and below”

RAM

DDR5-6400 (2 slots, max 96GB)

DDR5-5200 (2 slots, max 96GB)

DDR5-6400 (2 slots, max 96GB)

DDR5-5200 (2 slots, max 96GB)

Storage

1x PCIe Gen 4 x 4 and 1x PCIe Gen 5 x 4

2x PCIe Gen 4 x 4

Display

18-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240 Hz, IPS-level

16 or 17-inch, 2560 x 1600, 240 Hz, IPS-level

Battery

90 WHr

Webcam

720p

Wireless

Wi-Fi 6E, Bluetooth 5.3

Other than that, the systems have a ton of commonalities. They all use Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 or RTX 5060 GPUs “and below” (whether that means an upcoming RTX 5050 or older generation chips remains to be seen) and go up to 115W on the GPU and 170W on the CPU. All of the systems have 90 WHr batteries, Wi-Fi 6E, and 2560 x 1600, 240 Hz screens.

MSI only sent along configurations for the Crosshair 18HX AI, which will start at $1,699 at Costco and features a Core Ultra 9 275HX, Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. For $2,049, you’ll be able to get 64GB of RAM.

MSI hasn’t detailed full specifications, so while we know Intel will have slightly faster RAM, we don’t know how much RAM many of these systems will ship with. We do know that they have a MUX switch on the motherboard, new crosshair logos on the hinge and touchpad, and, on the 18-inchers, a 24-zone RGB keyboard. MSI didn’t provide pricing or release information for these systems.

(Image credit: MSI)

There’s also a refresh to the Cyborg line, which comes in 15 and 17-inch sizes. These systems use translucent plastic on the edges but still have a metal lid. The Cyborg 15 and Cyborg 17 will use Intel Core 200H chips and RTX 5060, 5070, “and below” graphics cards, while the Cyborg A15 AI and A17 AI (yes, here AI stands for AMD), will opt for Ryzen 200 series processors.

The 15-inch screens come in either 1080p at 144 Hz or 1440p at 165 Hz. if you opt for 17 inches, MSI has gone for a 1080p/144 Hz screen or a 1440p, 240 Hz option.

Again, we only have partial pricing here, and no availability. The Cyborg A15 AI will start at $1,149 at Costco with a Ryzen 7 260, RTX 5050 (which we were surprised to see in a sheet sent to press), 16GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage. For $1,399 at Best Buy, you can go up to a Ryzen 9 270 and RTX 5060. The 17-inch AMD model will be $1,549 at Costco with the Ryzen 9 270, RTX 5060, 32GB of RAM, and 1TB of storage.

MSI’s other Computex announcements include some productivity laptops, including a new Stealth A16 AI+ and Prestige 16 AI+ notebook that further MSI’s partnership with AMG Motorsport. Additionally, there’s a new Prestige 13 AI+ “Ukiyuo-e Edition,” a limited edition showcasing “The Great Wave off Kanagawa” that will be individually crafted by artists.

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May 20, 2025 0 comments