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Computex 2016 - Intel exec Navin Shenoy confirmed that Intel's 14nm 7th-gen Kaby Lake Core CPU will enter production later this quarter, with an eventual release in 2016.

"I'm excited to tell you that two new products will be coming from Intel later this year: Apollo Lake for the value and entry-level PC, 2-in-1 and tablet, and the 7th Generation Core, formally codenamed Kaby Lake, will be coming later this year. We have over 400 designs coming to market on the Seventh Gen Core, and you can expect lots of innovations from our OEM partners bringing this product to market," said Intel's General Manager of Intel's Client Computing Group Navin Shenoy said during Intel's Computex 2016 keynote.

With the seventh-generation Kaby Lake chip series, Intel has broken its tick-tock cadence for the first time in the last decade, opting instead for the new "process, architecture, optimization" model. Kaby Lake--and the new low-power, entry-level Apollo Lake--will use the same 14nm process node as Skylake and Broadwell-E, but will feature significant microarchitecture tweaks and optimizations. Intel also announced Kaby Lake will natively support USB 3.1 and Thunderbolt 3, with higher-end chips maxing out at 95W TDP.

Computex 2016 - Biostar reveals new Z170 Standard ATX and B150 Micro-ATX motherboards in its performance Racing lineup.

Biostar's new Racing Z170GT8 motherboard sports an LGA1151 socket for Intel's Z170 Skylake processors with support for up to 4x DDR4 3200MHz RAM modules. Video slots include 2x HDMI, a DVI-D, and a VGA port--no DisplayPort options seem present. Expansion slots include 4x PCI-E x16 3.0 slots, 3x PCI-E x1 3.0, a single M.2 slot capped at 32gb/s, and a U.2 slot capped at a similar 32Gb/s. As for peripheral slots and storage, the Z170GT8 rocks 7 USB 3.0 slots, a single USB Type-C port, 4x USB 2.0 ports, and 3x SATA Express at 16Gb/s. The board also supports Vivid LED DJ lighting options.

Biostar's Micro-ATX motherboard, the Racing B150GT3, is built on the B150 chipset with 4x DIMM lanes that support up to DDR4-2133 RAM. Expansion slots include 2x PCI-E x16 3.0, 2X PCI-E x1 3.0, and a single M.2 32GB/s slot for 3D NAND SSDs. A single DVI-D and HDMI port offer limited video output, and users have 6x SATA3 ports for storage. USB slots include 6x USB 3.0 and 6x USB 2.0 ports for peripherals. Like its bigger Z170 brother, the Racing B150GT3 supports LED color effects.

Computex 2016 -- TweakTown has learned that MSI's cylindrical Vortex G65 gaming PC is about to get a refresh that rocks a pair of NVIDIA's mobile Pascal video cards in SLI, suggesting that the 1080m and 1070m reveals are right around the corner.

When MSI debuted the Mac Pro-inspired Vortex G65 earlier this year, its high-end model rocked a powerful GTX 980 SLI configuration. Not 980m, but desktop class 980 MXM format GPUs. But as I perused MSI's booth at Computex today, I noticed something curious. When MSI first announced the system, the info card obviously said something to the effect of "NVIDIA GeForce GTX 900 series." This info card said "NVIDIA latest generation video card (SLI)."

When I asked an MSI representative on the show floor if they were planning an upgrade, he very heavily implied (along with a joke about non-disclosure agreements) that the demo model not hooked up to any monitors contained NVIDIA's mobile GeForce 1080 card in SLI, though it wasn't clear whether these would be the proper mobile variant or an MXM format like the 980 used in their prior model. I asked him if he'd be willing to open up the G65 and he politely declined.

Computex 2016 - Micron has just revealed a new 3D NAND-powered 2TB SSD duo aimed at supercharging workstations with high-performance, low-power consumption storage.

Micron's blazing-fast SSD duo consists of the cost-competitive Micro 1100 SATA and the high-end Micron 2100 PCIe NVMe solid state drives. The Micron 1100 SSD sports the industry's highest capacity TLC 3D NAND storage at 2TB that takes "power to the min and capacity to the max." The 1100 series SSD is specifically designed to supercharge general applications with ultra-fast speeds, providing instantaneous data access, program loads, and incredibly speedy boot times. To give you an idea how fast the Micron 1100 SSD is, it performs random operations up to 900 times faster than traditional HDDs and features low-power states to make it 98% more power efficient.

The Micron 2100 SSD is the company's first PCIe NVMe SSD, and unlocks a "new dimension of storage with lower latency and unbridled performance for demanding workloads." The Micron 2100's NVMe form factor significantly broadens data bandwidth, with up to four times the bandwidth of SATA SSDs, ultimately reducing data lag and bottlenecks for high-end gaming. The NVMe protocol enables the 2100 to deliver a staggering 1900X faster reads than everyday HDDs.

Computex 2016 - ASUS showed off a very cool modular PC design at Computex today that allows the user to customize all kinds of things while keeping their setup tidy in the process.

Interestingly, it lets you choose between different IO panels; SSD bays work like NAS bays in that you can easily insert the SSD (almost like a Nintendo cartridge for you 80s/90s kids), and there's not much in the way of cables as the design utilizes a special server-style PSU.

ASUS says it wants to make this a new form factor. To that end, it will attempt to open source what it needs to in order to let other vendors follow suit.

Microsoft is keen on selling as many current-gen Xbox One consoles as it can, signaling a major Xbox hardware revision announcements at E3 2016.

The Xbox One's price tag has been slashed to $299 (again), and a huge portion of the console bundles have been slashed by $50. Redmond says this is a "temporary" reduction, but retailers are matching the price, hinting its a new permanent drop for the Xbox One. With this move, Microsoft is giving us a resoundingly clear signal: new Xbox hardware is coming, and Microsoft knows no one will buy current-gen hardware once the new Xbox consoles are announced.

Reports indicate Microsoft is working on a powerful 4K-ready Xbox Scorpio that's 1.5 times powerful than Sony's new PlayStation 4K model, and 4 times as powerful as the current Xbox One. Microsoft will also unveil the Xbox Mini at E3 2016, 40% smaller console with possible 4K video playback. We'll also see two Xbox streaming devices--a Chromecast-like Xbox stick, and a Shield TV-like set-top box that will likely stream games from Xbox Ones or Windows 10 PCs.

Computex 2016 - After revealing the $199 VR-ready Radeon RX 480 and the Summit Ridge Zen silicon at Computex, AMD revealed its latest 7th-generation Bristol Ridge and Stony Ridge APUs with massive improvements in CPU and GPU performance and power efficiency.

AMD's new 7th-generation APU lineup is a medley of processors separated in performance tiers across two product families: Bristol Ridge for higher-end gaming and performance, and Stony Ridge for everyday and entry-level use. The APUs range from the lower-end 2.8GHz A6-9210 to the performance-grade 3.7GHz 7th-gen FX 9830P. AMD boasts that Bristol Ridge's premiere FX chips are 56% faster than previous gens, with the entry-level A6 series 51% faster than past generations. The Bristol Ridge APUs are also beating Intel's mobile chips: According to AMD, the new FX-9800P is 50% faster than Intel's i7 6500U processor.

The lineup puts emphasis power efficiency and performance, which is exactly what users need in laptops. AMD's new 7th generation APUs leverage four Excavator cores and eight Radeon Graphics Core Next Cores, with integrated GPUs ranging from Radeon R2 to Radeon R7 graphics. The A10, A12, and FX series support performance gaming features like FreeSync and pairing up with discrete desktop video cards with Dual Graphics, whereas EyeFinity and Framerate Target Control are reserved for the top two models. The FX series also sports DirectX 12 and Vulkan with multi-adapter support.

Computex 2016 - AMD's Computex press conference saw Team Read announce its new roadmap built on Polaris FinFET technology, culminating in the new $199 VR-ready Radeon RX 480, the 7th generation APU line, and a beefy update on Zen.

It's been a bit since AMD's last Zen update, but the next-gen Summit Ridge processor was revealed on stage by Dr. Lisa Su, along with a host of new specifications and details on Zen's different configurations. "We are in the early stages, but the product looks really really good. Zen is delivering 40% more IPC than our previous generations," said AMD President and CEO Dr. Lisa Su. "This product is 8 cores, 16 threads, it is FinFET technology, and it is integrated as part of our new AM4 desktop platform. Zen is a new high-performance CPU that scales across multiple market segments, and we're working very hard on our server version of Zen, which is also going very well."

Dr. Su also discussed Zen's integrated future across multiple platforms, including high-performance APUs and embedded markets: "As we bring the high-performance CPU to life, we're also going to integrate Zen with our high-performance graphics in our next-generation APUs. So after Bristol Ridge, you will see integrated APUs with Zen and our GPU architectures. And you'll also see Zen across a number of embedded markets. The power of Zen's grounds-up design allows us to scale it across performance segments as well as low-power markets."

Computex 2016 - Asrock's first new board revealed today is a little modest, offering strong features at a mid-range price. The Fatal1ty X99 Pro Gaming 17 board, though, aims to offer more for a higher price, particularly if you're a streamer.

Like its cousin the X99 Taichi, the Fatal1ty features a 12 phase power design, support for dual ultra M.2, dual USB 3.1, dual band 802.11ac Wi-Fi, and a water pump header. What makes it stand apart is the included XSplit 3-month license and Creative SoundBlaster Cinema3 Audio card, both of which are great for streaming Overwatch or whatever else you might fancy.

Also featured is a "key master and Fatal1ty mouse port." We're not too clear on what these mean yet, but we'll let you know should we hear more.

Computex 2016 - While I'm sitting in the Westin hotel for the AMD press conference where we're expecting the price of their next-gen GPU to be revealed, The Wall Street Journal has published an article claiming that the new Polaris-based card will be priced at $199.

The new Radeon RX 480 is built on the 14nm node, with all Polaris-based products ready for VR gaming in a big way, with HTC and Oculus confirming these new cards will be a great deal for VR gamers who don't want to spend an insane amount of money.

There's so much more I want to say, but we're under NDA from AMD for everything else for a little while yet - so you'll have to wait for more information on the Radeon RX 480... for now.

Computex 2016 - AMD is set to reveal their new Polaris GPU technology at Computex, and you can catch the livestream right here.

AMD is set to reveal its new 14nm Polaris technology lineup at Computex, as well as the future of its APU technology.

We're expecting to see new low-cost Radeon R9 400 series video cards and much more, so don't miss it!

While writing up a bunch of Computex 2016 coverage, I noticed a report over at Tech in Asia about 8K video being streamed over a 5G network. Now remember that the 8K resolution is a retina-busting 7680x4320... yeah, and it's being streamed over a damn 5G network, which doesn't really exist right now.

Japanese telco Docomo has said that it has started testing live streaming 8K video over a 5G network, without any problems at all. Docomo added that it's the first time that 8K video has ever been live streamed over a 5G network, which is quite the achievement.

Docomo teamed with Nokia on the 8K streaming over the 5G network, with the company saying a statement: "In the trial, 8K video of 48 Gbps - a bit rate four times greater than 4K video and 32 times [greater] than full HD - was compressed [...] and successfully transmitted without delay". 5G will usher in up to 10Gbps, but it all depends on countless factors between the telecommunications industry, governments, and the smartphone manufacturers. 5G could be here by 2020, completely bypassing the 40-50Mbps speeds that we get from 4G.

Computex 2016 - Two new performance-grade mechanical keyboards join G.Skill's Ripjaws product fleet, sporting Cherry MX Red, Blue and Brown switches.

First up is the Ripjaws KM570 MX, which G.Skill describes as the "ideal option for anyone who's looking for their first Cherry MX keyboard." The KM570 MX sports Cherry MX key switches in red, blue or brown flavors, full N-key rollover, 100% anti-ghosting, Windows key lock, and a default polling rate of 1000Hz. The KM570 MX apparently doesn't need to be optimized with software, with lighting customization and macros included within the keyboard's storage. Although not RGB, the KM570 comes with seven different lighting effect presets and allows users to customize effects for each individual key.

Next up is the Ripjaws KM770 RGB MX keyboard that's specifically made for seasoned gamers. This model is a direct successor to G.Skill's popular KM780 RGB, sporting multiple revisions over the original keyboard. With similar features like a brushed aluminum top-plate construction, the KM770 RGB has been streamlined to size up with standard keyboards, and rocks Cherry MX Red, Blue or Brown switches. Thanks to new cable grooves, the mouse cable holder on the KM770 RGB now tucks neatly underneath the keyboard for tidy cable management.

Computex 2016 - The very spirit of Computex is all about showing today's technology pushed to incredible new limits, and G.Skill served up some mind-boggling awesomeness with its TridentZ DDR4 RAM demo.

Not content with achieving the world's first 5GHz DDR4 overclock, or holding the top seven RAM speed records, G.Skill decided to drop even more jaws by showing off an insane demo rig with 128GB of TridentZ DDR4 RAM. G.Skill packed in 8x 16GB DDR4 3466MHz TridentZ RAM modules onto a MSI X99A Godlike Gaming Carbon motherboard fastened with Intel's new Core i7 6950X powerhouse CPU to show us the things dreams are made of.

G.Skill's 16GB TridentZ DDR4-3466 RAM was put in a quad-channel configuration to hit its targeted speeds, with CAS timings clocked at 16-16-16-36. The hardware-maker revealed its TridentZ DDR4-3466 RAM last week.

Computex 2016 - During our first day at Computex, we've spotted some seriously cool hardware, but one of our world exclusives is that Intel will be releasing their next-gen Skylake-E processors onto a new motherboard, with more pins than ever before.

Right now the HEDT processors slot into an LGA 2011 motherboard, but the next-gen chips will be slotting into LGA 3647 socket. This is an interesting tidbit, as it means there'll be new motherboards next year when Skylake-E launches, with 1636 more pins. The socket itself is absolutely huge, especially when compared to the already large LGA 2011 socket, and positively massive compared to the current LGA 1151 in the mainstream market.

Computex 2016 - OCZ didn't have too much to show off at Computex 2016, but what they did have was impressive. OCZ was displaying their RD400 series SSD, which is a PCIe-based SSD on the NVMe 1.1b standard and M.2 form factor.

Remember that Toshiba acquired OCZ in 2014, and now we have the super-fast OCZ RD400 series SSD which is capable of a huge 2.6GB/sec in sequential reads, and 1.6GB/sec sequential writes.

OCZ's RD400 series drive comes in 128GB, 256GB, 512GB and even 1TB.

Computex 2016 -- Do you enjoy premium RAM? Would you like an extra dose of premium in your premium RAM? Corsair is granting your wish at Computex, debuting Dominator Platinum Special Edition DDR4 RAM with an extra touch of class, and a limited supply of kits.

We were pretty dazzled by Corsair's Vengeance LED kits, but the new Dominator Platinum Special Edition takes their already-premium DDR4 and ups the ante a bit by adding a pair of unique finishes. The DDR4 modules class up your rig with new "Blackout" brushed aluminum and Chrome finishes.

A Corsair representative at Computex also told us these kits will be limited to quantities of 500 when they launch in Q3 2016.

Computex 2016 - EVGA didn't just show off their custom GeForce GTX 1070 and GTX 1080 cards at Computex 2016, they also had their DG-87 gaming PC on show and what a beast it is.

EVGA's DG-87 PC is powered by the EVGA X99 Classified, 4 x EVGA GeForce GTX 980 Ti QRG video cards which are all watercooled, the CPU is watercooled by the EVGA QRC CPU cooler, while the entire system is powered by the EVGA 1600W T2 PSU. To get the 4-way GTX 980 Ti cards working, EVGA used their 4-way Pro SLI Bridge V2, with the entire system looking absolutely beautiful.

On the side of the system is an awesome reflective panel, where we have an LED read out and I/O. It looks ridiculous in person, and really catches you eye.

Computex 2016 -- Corsair debuted some slick new Vengeance DDR4 RAM in Taipei this week featuring LED lighting, ample overclocking headroom, and cherry-picked Samsung ICs. I'm not normally so enamored with RAM, but these are something special. I mean look at them!

Corsair's Vengeance LED series is capable of speeds up to 4300MHz using X99 or X100 motherboards, which distinguishes these as Corsair's fastest kit ever thanks to specially selected Samsung ICs. The kits support XMP 2.0, some aggressive looking heat spreaders, and will light up your case in customizable red or white colors that breathe while in use.

The Vengeance LED series launches Q3 2016. Stay tuned to more TweakTown coverage of Computex 2016, featuring maximum LED lighting.

Computex 2016 - Digital Storm has just unveiled its amazing new Aura, a 34-inch all-in-one gaming PC that somehow manages to cram inside the next-gen Intel Core i7-6950X and NVIDIA's new GeForce GTX 1080 video card.

Digital Storm COO, Harjit Chana explains: "We're excited to announce the Aura, it's unlike anything we've offered. You can now truly have an immersive gaming experience in a slim AIO form factor".

With an innovative internal design, Digital Storm says that the Aura is easy to access and upgrade, with the video card, RAM, storage, process and motherboard all based from off-the-shelf components that can be "replaced or upgraded by users".