Another Computex has ended, and as usual I have to write about the best products that I have seen there, or the products that managed to impress me enough. Since these products weren’t so many, and to make this article also standout, I will also include our best moments there!
Computex 2024 had nothing new to show except for CPU paper launches by AMD and Intel. Qualcomm had already announced its new CPU line before Computex. On top of that, we didn’t even get a clue about the upcoming GPUs since it seems these will be announced in Q4.
FSP HQs Visit
We have several good friends at FSP Technology, so I couldn’t say no when they invited us to visit their HQs, where I could meet with engineers and R&D personnel. I had the chance to check on how they check PSU performance and also look at their hemi-anechoic chamber and the relevant testing procedure, which is identical to the one that Cybenetics uses.
Corsair Ditches 80 PLUS in its new SF850 and SF1000 PSUs
In the PSU field, Corsair’s new PSUs, the SF850 and SF1000, are highly promising, not only because of their high performance but mostly because they initiate a new era where 80 PLUS is no longer an option. After dominating the market for so many years, 80 PLUS starts to fade away, with Corsair being the first to abandon it in favor of Cybenetics.
Super Flower’s 2800W Monster
Continuing with PSUs, the Super Flower Leadex with 2800W max power looked impressive, and so did Cooler Master’s 1100W (at 230V) passively cooled unit, designed by CM’s team. For quite some time now, Cooler Master has had its own PSU team to create its own platforms.
The only problem with these SF’s PSU is that nobody will ever use a 2800W or stronger desktop PSU to make an AI workstation. Server PSUs are more convenient and powerful for that purpose.
Cooler Master’s Crazy Warranty
As for Cooler Master, the new warranty policy for its high-end PSUs is silly since it is crazy long, at 15 years. If they continue this warranty race, in the end, all brands and manufacturers will go out of business, or the warranty schemes will be so tough that, for even the slightest reason, the warranty will be voided. You buy a new car, a new phone, or a new graphics card, and the warranty is way lower than that, so it is crazy to see such long warranty periods in a part where its life is highly dependent on the quality of the power grid!
Enermax Liqtech XTR 360 handles a >900W CPU!
There are some CPUs where air-cooling is a no-go, including the Intel Xeon w9-3495X, which consumes more than 900W of power under stress. Seeing the Enermax Liqtech XTR 360 handling this CPU without sweating during a Cinebench benchmark session was impressive. I asked if we could also try Prime95, but this was out of the question! The same cooler also handles an AMD Threadripper CPU at the same benchmark and with over 900W power draw without a problem.
Noctua’s NH-D15 G2 Cooler costs a TON of Money
Noctua released, at last, the successor of the NH-D15 cooler, but the price is way too high, at 150 dollars/euros. Noctua’s products are of extra-high quality, offer high performance, and are also well known for their high prices, but in this new cooler, the bar is set even higher. This will let down many users, who expected a price similar to the previous model, but as Noctua states, the development cost was too high to build such a good product. The production is in Taiwan and not in China, where the production cost is lower.
XPG’s NIA Gaming Handheld Console
We went to the Nangang Exhibition Center one day before Computex started to get our media passes. Out of pure luck, I bumped into Luca, XPG’s product director. He happened to have the first working prototype of a gaming handheld console on him, which promises to keep the cost down while offering tons of fans to users who need gaming on the go. NIA will be an open project, meaning that XPG will provide the 3D files of its chassis so users can modify them along with the PCB’s pinout for even heavier modifications. If you add to all the above the affordable price, which is promised to be as close to 500 dollars as it gets, then the NIA handheld console looks highly interesting.
be quiet! New Chassis & Fans
The Light Base chassis line includes the following members:
- Light Base 600 DX (ARGB, no fans)
- Light Base 600 LX (ARGB, Light Wings LX fans)
- Light Base 900 DX (ARGB, no fans)
- Light Base 900 FX (ARGB, Light Wings fans)
These highly versatile chassis feature a ton of RGB lighting, and they are offered with and without fans to meet your specific demands. With a quick look, it seems that be quiet! has a very strong product in its hands, and I look forward to reviewing these cases to learn more about their usability and performance.
In addition to the new cases, be quiet! also released the Light Wings fans, which I will evaluate shortly.
Cooler Master’s Flight Simulator (with Motion)
Not many may have noticed that, but I did since I am deeply into flying. Cooler Master had an advanced flight simulator set-up featuring SFX-100 motion in its booth. High-end manufacturers sourced the yoke, pedals, and throttle parts, and the motion worked well in the short period that I tried this system. CM sells this complete system to interested customers. Still, the price is sky-high, so I advise you to better build one on your own if you are interested in a motion-capable flight simulator. Especially the cockpit might be sturdy, but it is way too expensive at 3000 dollars that CM’s PR told me it costs.
Cooler Master’s 57″ Curved Monitor (GP57ZS) is Stunning & Pricey
Besides the flight simulator, CM also had an impressive 57″ dual-4K monitor to show that it didn’t use an OLED but a VA panel. Given that the similar-spec Acer monitor, the Predator Z57, will be sold for 2000 dollars, I don’t believe CM will sell it much higher.
Cooler Master’s Cryo Phone Charger
Everyone has experienced how hot our mobile phones can get if you try to charge them under non-optimal conditions. This is where CM’s new product comes to save the day. The Cryo Phone Cooler Mag most likely uses a Peltier system to cool down your phone while charging it wirelessly. This is a smart gadget for all of us living in crazy-hot countries, like Cyprus, for example.
Colorful’s AI Cartoon Transformation & Meow Chassis
AI was everywhere in this year’s Computex, and one of the most attractive uses was transforming you into a cartoon character. Eri tried it out, of course. I didn’t because I feel like a cartoon most of the time, anyway!
It is not a secret that we love cats, so why not have a chassis case to show that? I need to find a way to buy this Segotep chassis shown in Colorful’s booth.
The Car-Wheel PC
I noticed this impressive project in Colorful’s booth. The creator of this project had a vivid fantasy and great skill!
