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I'm at Computex 2026 LIVE — testing every Nvidia RTX Spark laptop and so much more on day two
The most significant Computex I've ever been to!
The best of Computex 2026
Our best of Computex 2026 round-up is live! There, we detail the 17 products that impressed us the most during our time at the convention.
From Nvidia’s biggest chip release in the last 20 years, Intel revolutionizing handheld gaming, mind-blowing monitors, and actual value-for-money laptops to take on the MacBook Neo, we’ve fallen in love with so much tech here in Taipei!
The Asus Xbox Ally X20 isn’t just another special edition handheld
We’ve already seen a ton of new handheld gaming PCs here at Computex 2026. Instead of going that route, Asus has decided to commemorate the 20th anniversary of its Republic of Gamers (ROG) subbrand with a special edition of the ROG Xbox Ally X.
Dubbed the ROG Xbox Ally X20, this new device uses (mostly) the same hardware as last year’s Xbox-themed handheld. You still get the powerful performance of AMD’s Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme chip, 24GB of RAM, and a 1TB SSD.
While not technically a new device, Asus has made some fundamental changes under the hood and has also given the handheld a regal makeover, with hints of gold throughout its design.
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ leaves the ROG Xbox Ally in the dust
Intel Arc G3 handhelds are the talk of the town here at Computex 2026, and I just got an early hands-on with the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+. In short, believe the hype — this is the next generation of gaming on the go, unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Of course, a lot of this comes from that new silicon, which copies a lot of Panther Lake’s homework, including that monster integrated GPU with XeSS 3 support to deliver some blistering frame rates (more on those later) while being much more power efficient than any AMD-filled handheld I’ve tested.
But the secret sauce here is MSI’s DNA — learning from previous Claws and dramatically upgrading the design, vastly improving airflow to keep it cool, bringing a gorgeous new display, tweaking the ergonomics and tactility of the vibration, and making it even easier to upgrade.
8 laptops confirmed to launch in the fall with RTX Spark
Nvidia's RTX Spark chip is already slated to appear in a bunch of laptops arriving this fall, including a new Surface Laptop from Microsoft. Following on from the laptops, expect to see it appearing in mini PCs and small form-factor from the likes of Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer and Gigabyte.
Powered by the new chip, these laptops are poised to deliver a thin-and-light form factor coupled with elite battery life and enough power for desktop-class AI development and heavy video editing. They'll also be pretty good when it comes to gaming, too.
The only question is what will the pricing be for these new machines?
A mesmerizing laptop
Laptops tend to look similar, which is why the Prestige 14 Flip AI+ Vincent van Gogh Edition stands out. Adorned with the troubled artist's work on the lid, it’s certainly a conversation starter. The fact that it’s built around a Prestige 14 Flip AI+ means you’re getting quite the workhorse here, too.
But what about the price? It’s the one question nobody can really answer, given how RAMageddon has put the whole computing market in flux.
To hazard a guess, given that the current Prestige sells for $1,299 and this is a more powerful special-edition machine, we bet it could be around $2,499. Of course, we'll have to wait and see what the actual price is.
MacBook Neo has competition from Dell
We just got to go hands-on with Dell's new XPS laptop line but one device in particular stood out: the new Dell XPS 13. Thin, light and affordable, you know where this is going. We have another MacBook Neo competitor in our midst.
The Dell XPS 13 does have a few nice extras you don't get on the Neo, like a backlit keyboard, a touchscreen and two full-featured USB-C 3.1 Gen 2 ports with one on each side. Stay tuned for our full hands-on but so far, I'm quite impressed.
Intel Arc G3 steps up against AMD
Intel Arc G3 and G3 Extreme are really bringing the heat with a monstrous integrated GPU and XeSS 3, seemingly delivering some of the best handheld gaming experiences you can get.
We've checked out the Acer Predator Atlas 8 and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ here at Computex already, and both have impressed us with their smooth performance.
This is a huge win for Intel, which has, up until now, played second fiddle to AMD and its near-dominance over the handheld space.
Could Microsoft be building the most exciting RTX Spark laptop?
Microsoft will be facing down the MacBook Pro with the Surface Laptop Ultra later this year, it's one of the first eight laptops to arrive with Nvidia's RTX Spark on board and it could be seriously impressive.
Microsoft claims this will be most powerful Surface it's ever built and there are a few specs we are already pretty confident about. For starters, it has a 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense Ultra display that can reportedly reach 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness. There's also a full set of ports, including HDMI, USB-C, USB-A, an SD card reader, and a headphone jack.
The Surface Laptop Ultra will also reportedly have “all-day” battery life and you can expect it to come in Platinum and Nightfall finishes.
MSI debuts 'Triple Mode' monitor
This right here is the MSI MPG OLED 322URDX36. It's the first 31.5-inch, 4K 360Hz gaming monitor on the market to feature the 'Triple Mode' configuration technology.
It lets gamers switch freely between 4K 360Hz, 2K 520Hz, and FHD 680Hz based on their preferences — meeting the specific performance demands of various game genres.
The monitor rocks a peak HDR brightness of 1,500 nits and integrates an AI Care Sensor that "leverages accurate human detection to provide real-time OLED panel protection without compromising user privacy." Whatever that means.
RTX Spark put to the test
We've had the opportunity to put Nvidia's RTX Spark to the test for video editing, gaming, and AI, and the results are... impressive. Now, the obvious caveat is that we don't know what these machines will cost once they arrive — but it should make Apple and its MacBook Pro a little more than nervous.
Here's what my colleague Jason had to say after he'd spent some time with Nvidia's new chip: "With Microsoft in tow, working in lockstep to rebuild Windows 11 for Nvidia's agentic vision for the future of computing, these are going to be some truly mighty notebooks that may very well revolutionize the Windows laptop and truly stand on their own as the future of computing."
- Read the full story: I just tested Nvidia RTX Spark laptops for video editing, gaming and AI — and the MacBook Pro is in trouble
Computex is still going strong
Hey, all! Our Computex 2026 coverage is going strong as we're on the ground in Taipei checking out the latest and greatest from the computing world. Keep it locked here four all of our live updates and hands-on impressions.
