TweakTown's CES 2026 Top Picks - The Best Hardware, Gaming Gear, and AI

When it comes to the arrival of enthusiast and PC gaming-related hardware for desktops and laptops, this year's CES felt a lot more processor-focused compared to last year's new GPU architecture announcements. Naturally, as AI played a big role this year, its impact on the current memory and storage markets felt like an underlying theme at this year's Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.

But there was still a lot of cool PC tech and hardware on display, from new displays to new storage technologies, Corsair's Stream Deck-powered gaming keyboard, and a unique holographic animated AI character that sits on your desk from Razer. Plus, with the announcement of Intel's impressive new Panther Lake processors for mobile devices, we also saw a range of exciting new laptops that tap into the new hardware, featuring outstanding designs and capabilities.

So, without further ado, here's TweakTown's Best PC Tech of CES 2026 - presented in no particular order.

The MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z is a beast of a GPU

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Although we didn't get any brand-new gaming GPU announcements at CES 2026, understandable given the current DRAM situation, MSI still brought along the world's most powerful PC gaming graphics card. And that's the return of a classic, with the new MSI GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z also drawing up to 1000W over two 16-pin connectors in its world's first Extreme mode.

Even the default OC mode is an 800W profile, so MSI recommended a PSU of at least 1300W with dual 16-pin PCIe connectors. And with power protection built into the design, the custom PCB and AIO cooler with 360mm radiator required some serious engineering to optimize thermal performance. Throw in a full copper, full cover coldplate that covers all components, MSI told us that the GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z is also one of the coolest GPUs in its entire line-up. The GPU is set to arrive in February 2026 and will be limited to 1300 units.

Intel's new 'Panther Lake' CPUs and impressive Core Ultra Series 3 devices

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The biggest new consumer-focused processor announcement at the show was Intel's unveiling of its latest mobile Panther Lake-powered Core Ultra Series 3 processors. Built using the company's advanced Intel 18A process node, these new APUs are focused on delivering CPU, GPU, and NPU (AI) performance, while offering battery life of around 27 hours.

The flagship Intel Core Ultra X9 388H features 16 CPU cores, 12 Xe3 GPU cores, and 50 TOPS NPU, which it says delivers up to 60% faster multi-threaded and 77% faster gaming performance. And we also got hands-on with a wide range of impressive new Panther Lake laptops at the show, including the MSI Prestige 16 Flip AI+, Thunderobot's new ZERO Air gaming laptop, and Dell's new XPS 16 and XPS 14.

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G-SYNC Pulsar displays from ASUS and MSI showcase the future of esports monitors

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NVIDIA's new G-Sync Pulsar technology, which has finally debuted in new ASUS and MSI displays at CES 2026, is an impressive bit of tech focused on increasing motion clarity. Essentially, it takes a 360 Hz refresh rate and, when enabled, makes it feel like you're gaming on a 1000 Hz monitor.

It's groundbreaking stuff, and with that level of motion clarity, moving objects and even text that previously looked blurry become crisp and clear. During our time at the show, we got to see and experience G-Sync Pulsar playing Overwatch 2 on two sets of displays, with the tech enabled and off. The effect is achieved using specialized hardware and variable backlight strobing, effectively quadrupling motion clarity. It's a game-changer for pro-level gaming and even playing strategy games (we also saw a demo running Ubisoft's Anno), and we expect these new displays to be highly sought after.

Razer's Project AVA is an animated AI avatar that sits on your desk

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Using an AI platform like GPT or Gemini can feel like having a little assistant there ready to help, and with the next evolution of this being digital humans, Razer has jumped straight into the future with Razer Project Ava - an animated holographic AI assistant and companion that sits on your desk. With its own HD camera and the ability to see what's on your screen (Project Ava connects to your PC or laptop), Ava can comment on their surroundings or even offer tips based on the game you're currently playing.

One of the most impressive features of Project Ava is that you can choose from some preset characters, which all have their own backstory, plus the ability to customize your own. Razer even plans to work with game developers to bring characters from known IP to the platform. Really, though, having a fully animated AI holographic companion on your desk that you call on is what makes Project Ava unique. And it's on track for a 2026 release.

Corsair's new GALLEON 100 SD keyboard with built-in Stream Deck

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There are plenty of new premium keyboards at CES 2026 that we would gladly have given an award to based on their design, feel, and hardware, but Corsair's new GALLEON 100SD was something else, and very special. It's a full-sized premium gaming keyboard with 8K polling and competitive gaming features like FlashTap, but it's also a full-sized keyboard with an Elgato Stream Deck.

For those who know the versatile Stream Deck well, this combination opens the door to almost limitless possibilities for creating custom buttons and app controls. And as it's a part of the keyboard, there's also the option to create or utilize per-game community profiles. The GALLEON 100 SD also includes a dynamic 5-inch color display for system and app info, as well as the currently playing music track.

MSI showcases the world's first 5K Mini-LED gaming monitor

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Although we've begun to see a few 5K displays appear, offering pixel density that reaches retina-level clarity, none of them are really gaming monitors, as you need more than resolution when playing PC games. In addition to a high 144+ Hz refresh rate, there's also low response times and support for VRR tech, which is expected at a minimum.

The new MSI MPG 271KRAW16, which the company says is the world's first 5K Mini-LED gaming monitor, is a 5K 27-inch display that can deliver 165 Hz at that resolution, with support for 2K or 1080p at 330 Hz. The Mini-LED backlight includes 2,304 zones alongside Quantum Dot technology. The color accuracy is also impressive, as it doubles as a creator-focused display with 98% DCI-P3 support and a VESA DisplayHDR 1400 certification.

ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo is a laptop that's basically a portable dual-screen desktop PC

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The new ASUS ROG Zephyrus Duo (2026) is more of a portable dual-screen gaming PC than a typical gaming laptop, featuring dual 3K 16-inch OLED displays with a 120 Hz refresh rate, ROG Nebula HDR, and VESA DisplayHDR True Black 1000 support. It's also powered by Intel's new Panther-Lake-powered Core Ultra Series 3 CPUs, with discrete graphics support right up to the GeForce RTX 5090 laptop GPU.

The dual-screen setup makes sense for creators, streamers, and gamers who want that but might not have dedicated space or need this level of capability on the road. And with the efficiency of Panther Lake, it's a mobile device that can offer all-day productivity. There's a standard laptop mode included, so you don't need to use both screens - there's a single-screen mode. Plus, you've also got the option to run one or both displays in Portrait mode, making the new Zephyrus Duo very cool.

MSI's new MPG AI1600TS PCIE5 power supply prevents cables from melting or overheating

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MSI's new GPU Safeguard+ introduces a brand-new world-first technology that adds real-time protection and monitoring for modern GPUs using the newer 16-pin power connectors. In fact, even if you were to pair the new MPG Ai1600TS PCIE5 power supply with MSI's latest flagship 1000W GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z, concerns over cables overheating and melting become a thing of the past. With its dual 12V-2x6 connectors, every pin is monitored, alongside power delivery, and when there's a slight deviation from safety limits, the PSU will cut power to the GPU.

This is all handled by dedicated hardware on the PSU. The flagship MPG Ai1600TS PCIE5 PSU also includes software integration, so you'll get a visual warning so you can save and close what you're doing, or even shut down the PC. The MPG Ai1600TS PCIE5 is Titanium-rated for efficiency and noise, and is built with server-grade components. Basically, it's the PSU to get if you're after peace of mind RTX 5090 performance. The good news is that this technology is coming to more MSI PSUs as well as ADATA's impressive new XPG CyberCore III.

New OLED displays from ASUS and MSI with RGB Stripe Technology

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At CES 2026, we saw the arrival of new gaming displays sporting new 5th-generation QD-OLED panels. These new panels offer a notable improvement thanks to the RGB Stripe sub-pixel layout, which reorganizes sub-pixels and leverages Tandem OLED to reduce color fringing. This enhances text clarity alongside opening the door to deeper black levels, which is apparently possible for OLED.

The new ASUS PG27UCWM is a 27-inch 5th-generation QD-OLED that can switch between 4K at 240 Hz and 1080p at 480 Hz. The new MSI MPG 341CQR X36 is another standout, presenting a stunning 34-inch 3440 x 1440p image with a 360 Hz refresh rate. Both displays feature a custom layer designed to absorb light bleed-through, enhancing the depth of blacks, making them fantastic for gaming, creativity, and productivity.

Phison's DRAM-less PCIe Gen5 SSD controller is an efficiency and performance winner

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Phison's SSD controllers can be found in some of the fastest off-the-shelf Gen5 SSDs on the market, and with the company's new PS5037-E37T Gen5 SSD controller at CES, that trend is set to continue in 2026. What makes this controller impressive is that it's power efficient, delivers up to 14.7 GB/s of read speeds, and features a DRAM-less design.

That last bit is important because in the current memory and DRAM crisis, DRAM-less SSDs will quickly become the go-to option for mainstream users and enthusiasts alike. That said, with the PS5037-E37T Gen5 SSD controller drawing only 2.3W, we expect it to be a game-changer for gaming laptops, handhelds, and SFF gaming PCs.