Best of Computex 2024: the WePC awards

Our top selections for the best products on display at the Taiwanese tech conference in 2024

Table of Contents Table of Contents

Computex, the annual tech-conference that takes place in Taipei, Taiwan, is one of the biggest events of the year when it comes to hardware. Our correspondents were promptly flown over to get the latest insights on the hottest products about to hit our shelves, and we’ve hand selected what we think are the ones most worthy of our ‘best in class’ award for their respective categories.

This year has seen a big focus on both AI tech and gaming handhelds, though there was still a nice breadth of products to keep us busy over each category. Read below for all our selections.

Best all-in one PC

The MSI Modern AM273Q AI series is an all-in-one PC design reminiscent of the Apple iMac: essentially a 27” 1400p screen with the internal components of the PC built into it, including an Intel Core Ultra processor (going up to an Intel Core Ultra 7 155U CPU) plus DDR5 RAM. It has Thunderbolt 4 and HDMI ports so you can just use it as a monitor should you wish to connect it to a conventional PC, plus an upgradable 2.5″ HDD/SSD, and card reader, making it a great general productivity device.

Eco-friendly design is also at the heart of this product: it’s constructed with Post-consumer Recycled plastic, comes in environmentally friendly packaging, and has several power saving functions that make it more energy efficient to use. As a result, it also wins a WePC sustainability award, alongside some other products we’ve discussed below.

Obviously whether or not this device will be worth a buy depends upon both its price and real-world performance, neither of which we know at this time, but based on the information we have we like the direction MSI are going.

Best AI software

AI generated imagery is obviously not a new phenomenon, however we’ve yet to see it implemented so well as with ASUS MuseTree. Obviously the use of AI in creative work is a hot-button issue, but its integration in creative workflows seems inevitable. MuseTree places this powerful tool within an intuitive user interface that makes creating and combining visuals a doddle.

Half of the creative interface is centred around an ‘Idea Map’ formed of keyphrases/prompts and associated AI-generated images, which you can drag and drop to merge together, forming a new image based on a blending of the two ‘concepts’. The other side of the application is the ‘Idea Canvas’ where you can sketch out your ideas with a pen tool, and then apply different AI-generated art styles or other images to your initial sketch. All the new imagery that’s created can then be saved in your Ideas Library.

Best desktop CPU

As expected, AMD showed off their new Ryzen 9000 series of desktop processors, which will initially include the Ryzen 5 9600X, Ryzen 7 9700X, Ryzen 9900X, and the flagship Ryzen 9 9950X. All told this was a pretty standard release, with no earth-shattering changes to the tech, however the imminence of the release (scheduled for July 2024) and how it should shake up the processor markets makes it noteworthy: Intel’s 15th gen is likely not coming until towards the end of the year.

These CPUs use the same AM5 socket as the previous range, which AMD have now committed to support until 2027: a nice contrast to Intel users who have had to buy new motherboards each gen. The 9000 series are based on Zen5 tech which is mostly just improvement tweaks on Zen4, rather than completely new tech: it uses the same I/O die but with new chiplets and an altered capacitor layout. 

These changes do however amount to notable performance improvements: “up to twice the data bandwidth, and up to twice the AI performance of the last gen” according to senior technical marketing manager Donny Woligroski. Performance benchmarking provided by AMD should always be taken with a pinch of salt, but they’re claiming the Ryzen 9 9950X will perform between 4%-23% faster in gaming, with a productivity increase of 7%-56%.

Best graphics card

In terms of brand new founder’s edition GPU, Computex 2024 unsurprisingly didn’t have a lot to offer, but the best graphics card we did see was a new AIB from ASUS, and boy howdy does it have some power.

The ROG Matrix GeForce RTX 4090 features the first ever use of a liquid metal compound on the GPU die. In conjunction with a ‘custom-engineered cold plate’, and 360mm radiator it can be pushed to a ridiculously high boost clock of 2700 MHz. Besides this you get the ASUS GPU Tweak III app to monitor thermal data and potential power anomalies.

We don’t know how much this card is going to cost, though we can safely assume it will be out of the reach of 99% of consumers; still – it’s an impressive development in pushing the envelope of graphics technology.

Best motherboard

We’re a fan of the back-connect motherboard concept, making for a more aesthetically pleasing and airflow efficient PC build, and the MSI Z790 Project Zero Plus aims to take this one step further.

The motherboard is compatible with the latest in low-profile socketable RAM known as ‘CAMM2’ which lies flat against the motherboard, allowing for more space for other components like sideways coolers. Besides this the CAMM2 memory also benefits from a superior connection to the processor and higher bandwidth capacity, meaning faster speeds and lower latencies (plus better stability).

Best Monitor

There were a few fine looking displays on offer at Computex 2024, but none so fine as the Acer Predator X32 X3. Acer hasn’t been a big player in the premium OLED gaming monitor market, however this offering looks to be a strong contender, coming with a 31.5-inch 4K display with a 240Hz max refresh rate, that can switch to a 1080p resolution capable of a ridiculous 480Hz refresh rate: ideal for the consumer that wants to play both immersive 4K games without losing their competitive edge in fast-paced online shooters 

This is not the only dual-mode monitor out there, MSI also released the MPG 321CUPF but this is limited to 4K at 160Hz, and 1080p at 320Hz, so Acer takes the crown for having the fastest display of its kind, and we’re looking forward to getting our hands on it to review.

Best storage solution

The XPG Adata Project NeonStorm PCIe Gen5 M.2 SSD is probably the most outlandish design we’ve seen for a Solid State Drive, and we love it. This shiny gold bit of kit has an in-built water cooling system, composed of an alloy tube surrounded by a water cooled-casing, complete with two radiator fans.

It’s likely to be a pretty niche product, but if SSD throttling is a concern for you then this looks to be an excellent buy. The people at XPG/Adata say that storage size will go up to 8TB we can expect it to hit the shelves next year.

Best gaming & creator laptop

The ROG Zephyrus G16 is a product that ASUS have been putting out for years now, but has been consistently tweaked and redesigned with each iteration. Its smaller sibling, the G14, regularly features as our best 14-inch gaming laptop of the year, and the complete redesign of both in Q1 2024 saw them further bridge the gap between gaming laptops and slick productivity devices, with their sleek new chassis, improved keyboard, and top-quality speakers. They also were some of the first laptops to come equipped with Intel Core Ultra processors.

These newer versions come with all the features introduced into the early 2024 models, but with the newer AMD Ryzen AI 300 Series processors (which should be more powerful in both conventional processing and AI workloads) plus WiFi 7 support. It also supports the new SD Express 7.0 standard for exceedingly fast SD card performance. All of this makes it a true contender for a Windows-based MacBook alternative you can actually game on!

Best mobile & AI processor

The mobile processor space has never been so competitive, and this can only be good for the consumer. ARM’s Qualcomm series has stirred up the industry with its challenger architecture, though Intel and AMD aren’t going to go down without a fight and their architecture still arguably has greater compatibility with Windows.

At Computex 2024 both Intel and AMD showed off new AI-focused mobile processors, with a focus on power efficiency, but it was the AMD Ryzen AI 300 chips that pipped Intel’s Lunar Lake offerings to the post, due to the higher maximum TOPS (Tera Operations per Second) its chipset was capable of, which is the standard measure of AII processing: specifically 50 compared to the 48 on the NPU of Lunar Lake. This is only a general guideline for how these chipsets will perform in real-world scenarios of course, and it may be that the different design of both chips gives them an edge in different scenarios over the other. Based on what we do currently know though, AMD’s offering wins out in terms of Computex launches.

Best new handheld

In an event with a large representation of handheld gaming devices, the Zotac Zone was the new kid on the block. Up until now the company has been best known for making graphics cards, but this new offering looks very interesting. 

It has a 120Hz AMOLED, which compares favourably to the 90Hz OLED in the Steam Deck, 16GB of DDR5 RAM (the same as the Steam Deck but lower than the max 24GB in the ROG Ally X) and a starting storage size of 512GB, though this can be expanded after purchase. The Ryzen 7 8840U APU chipset is considerably more powerful than that in the AMD Custom APU 0405 in the Steam Deck, and probably about on par with the Z1 Extreme of the ROG Ally X At an asking price of $799 it matches the ROG Ally X but is substantially higher than the $649 Steam Deck.

Concerns over the lack of VRR aside (we’ll have to see how much difference this makes when we test the thing), the Zotac Zone could be a big challenger in the handheld space.

Best updated handheld

We’ve seen a couple of updated handhelds at Computex 2024, including the MSI Claw 8 AI Plus with its upgraded Lunar Lake CPU and slightly larger screen size. The stand-out model for us however was the ASUS ROG Ally X, which now comes with twice the battery size, twice the storage, and a few other smaller improvements to improve the overall gameplay experience.

For an additional $100 on top of the asking price for the older version (bringing the MSSRP up to $799), we think this is well worth it.

Best unique case design

Fractal are one of our favourite case designers and the Fractal Mood mini is a new vertical and slimline design, created to fit unobtrusively into the aesthetics of a modern homme. This is a lightweight design is surrounded by fabric and topped by an included 180mm fan that sucks air up through the case and expels it through the top. It can fit up to a 325mm graphics card, which expels air out through the side mesh. The surrounding cover can be easily removed to allow for all-round access to the case’s internals.

You can expect to see this hit the shelves in June and we’re excited to get one for ourselves and put it through its paces.

Best budget case

Montech had a good few cases on offer including the King 65 PRO (a more affordable version of the 95 Pro) and the Sky 3, with its pretty unique design of a downswept front section with two in-built 80mm fans blowing upwards into the case. We look forward to learning more about these cases, however the one that drew our attention the most was the 64-Montech XR, which is as classic a case design as can be, purely because it looks to be a decent quality, nice looking case for an asking price of a mere $64!

The mesh variant comes with three front-mounted 120mm fans and one on the back, with the non-mesh having a glass front panel with two 120mm fans towards the front of the reverse side (i.e. on the right) and again one 120mm on the back. The rose-gold non-mesh in particular looks to be very nice, though apparently this will be released slightly later than the other colors.

Best productivity gadget

The ASUS AirVision M1 wearable display is essentially an enhanced pair of wearable glasses, more compact than a VR headset and more easily worn in public, that allows you to create and view multiple virtual screens that you can rearrange at will. These screens can be linked to a device and pinned in place so that they stay static, even when you move your head.

Each eye lens has a 1920 x 1080 Micro OLED display, with reportedly up to ‘1100 nits brightness and a 95% DCI-P3 color gamut’. You get 57° of vertical viewing angle and 60% transmittance. A multi-function touchpad is built into the left side of the frame which allows you to start/top video, arrange your various windows, and toggle other settings.

On top of all this, the AirVision M1 has a very low 2 watts of energy consumption, and ships in plastic-free packaging. 

Best aesthetics

We’re not a shallow bunch here at WePC, so aesthetics often come far below performance and functionality in terms of how we rate a product, that being said, the new Corsair Custom Lab looks absolutely sumptuous. 

Corsair put out a whole host of different computer tech, including most peripherals you can think of, and the Custom Lab lets you design in minute detail the aesthetics of each of these (from the mouse side buttons to individual keycaps) so you can have a truly unique looking gaming setup

The selection of peripherals is currently limited to the Corsair M75 Wireless mouse, K65 Plus Wireless keyboard, and an MM300 mouse pad, however more options are ‘coming soon.’

Best custom case design

Each year Computex treats us to a great array of weird and wacky custom cases, from beer-cooled to bubble tea setups, and lots of thematic designs. This year it was the glorious ED-209 PC case for RandomDesign, designed to promote the new RoboCop: Rogue City game that caught our eye. What can I say, I like Robocop. 

Stefan Ulrich, the man behind RandomDesign, used 3D printing on different materials along with resin casting and sculpting techniques to make this fantastic design. Sadly this isn’t available to buy as a consumer product, but if you’ve got enough money, perhaps the man himself would make you one. I’d buy that for a dollar!

Sustainability Awards

Sustainability was a big focus for several products at Computex 2024, which is great to see, particularly given the looming energy demands of expanding AI data centres and the questions that poses for future energy production.

We’ve already mentioned two winners of the WePC Sustainability award this year, the MSI Modern AM273Q AI all-in-one PC and the ASUS AirVision M1 wearable display, both listed above, however the product line which caught our attention the most was the T-Force ECO RAM from Teamgroup.

As far as PC components go, RAM is the one most likely to be swapped out and disposed of, so it makes sense to ensure it’s constructed as environmentally consciously as possible. Of the two Teamgroup products, the T-FORCE DELTA RGB ECO DDR5 is made from 80% recycled aluminium and 100% Post-Consumer Recycled (PCR) plastics. Additionally the company produce a storage solution: the TEAMGROUP PD20 ECO Mini External SSD (up to 4TB of storage with speeds up to 1,000 MB/s), which is constructed from 75% PCR plastics.