Computex is the event to attend every year if you’re looking for the latest and hottest in the computing world. From svelte Ultrabooks to all the juiciest PC components, Computex 2019 is going to be a must-watch event for all of you computing enthusiasts out there. However, since so much happens at this event each year, it’s hard to know what you must keep an eye out for.
Lucky for you, we’ve put our tech and computing expertise to the test, and put together a guide to all of our Computex 2019 predictions. So, sit back, relax, and let’s dive into some educated speculation, informed by all the latest rumors and happenings in the computing industry.
Cut to the chase
- What is it? Only the biggest computing event of the year
- When is it? May 28 – June 1, 2019
AMD
At CES 2019, AMD announced its 7-nanometer (nm) Zen 2 architecture, which will be behind its Ryzen 3rd Generation, Threadripper 3rd Generation and even its upcoming Epyc processors for servers. AMD didn’t mention any specific processors at that event, however, opting instead to show off an 8-core, 16-thread processor. Still, rumors suggest we may get as many as 16 cores and 32 threads in a new Ryzen processor – we expect that beefy piece of silicon to make an appearance at Computex 2019 (assuming it’s real.)
Additionally, AMD is also in the business of manufacturing graphics cards. There has also been speculation that AMD Navi 10 graphics will show up at Computex 2019. This is a little less certain, as AMD’s next graphics cards have seen all kinds of rumors that point to an October release. It’s highly possible that AMD will show Navi off – it will be 7nm, too – but wait to release it until a later date. This would mirror what Team Red did with AMD Vega at CES 2017, as well as Zen 2 earlier this year.
No matter how you slice it, Computex 2019 is going to be massive for AMD. The underdog chip maker has risen to the top of the processor world, more than doubling Intel’s sales, so we expect a celebratory Computex.
Asus
Asus is without a doubt one of the biggest computing companies in the world. From gaming laptops to Ultrabooks; from motherboards to the best graphics cards, Asus does it all.
However, Asus kept a relatively low profile over the last few months, perhaps having unveiled a slew of Ultrabooks and gaming laptops at CES 2019. Still, we expect Asus to deliver the goods. Last year, Asus announced its ZenBook Pro 15, an unusual mobile workstation with a touchscreen built into its touchpad – something that’s been incorporated in many of its subsequent products.
We always expect Asus to deliver something unique and innovative, and we have no reason to expect anything different this time around. We might even get some hands-on time with the Asus ROG Mothership.
Gigabyte and Aorus
Gigabyte’s Aorus brand is behind some of the best gaming laptops and components on the market. Therefore, at Computex 2019, we could see them unleash anything from new motherboards to new gaming laptops.
For example, Gigabyte refreshed its Sabre gaming laptops with Intel Optane drives – the first gaming laptops to do so – at Computex 2018. At CES 2019, on the other hand, it unveiled the brand-new Aero 15 with Microsoft’s Azure AI for hardware performance optimization. All we know is that Gigabyte will be there. Beyond that, your guess is as good as ours.
Intel
Ever since AMD Ryzen first hit the market, Intel has been in a tough spot. It is still manufacturing some of the fastest processors in the world, like the Core i9-9900K. However, the value just isn’t there, which is why we think Intel is going to come out of the gate swinging at Computex 2019.
At Computex 2018, Intel made a huge show out of a 28-core, 56-thread monster of a processor, clocked at 5GHz. Unfortunately, we learned later that it was both a $2,999 Xeon chip, and it was overclocked. While that’s still impressive, we don’t think something like similar will be enough this time around.
Additionally, Intel has been making a lot of headlines over the last few years for pushing back its 10nm silicon. Cannon Lake was supposed to come out five years ago, after Skylake. Intel has announced both Sunny Cove and Ice Lake at CES 2019, so we expect these 10nm processors to take center stage. These 10nm processors need to take center stage.
Microsoft
Microsoft is going to be at Computex 2019, which shouldn’t come as a surprise. However, with Build 2019 already behind us, we’re uncertain about what the tech behemoth is going to reveal. We could see Microsoft show off Windows10 May 2019 Update, alongside new developments in its cloud computing sector. New Surface devices are also a possibility, but we wouldn’t hold our breath.
MSI
At CES 2019, MSI launched some impressive gaming laptops, including the new GS75 Stealth. We expect MSI to continue this trend at Computex 2019. Last year, it revealed the MSI GF63, a budget-minded gaming laptop. But, there were plenty of high-end products as well, like the MSI Trident A and the insane MSI Pro 24X all-in-one.
We’re not sure what MSI is planning, but PC gamers should pay attention as MSI consistently brings the most ostentatious PC hardware on the market. Computex 2019 will be no different.
Nvidia
We know Nvidia is going to be at Computex 2019, but we’re not sure what their focus is going to be. Team Green has been pumping out Turing graphics cards at a rapid pace since September 2018. With so many new consumer graphics cards at every price point, we think Nvidia’s Computex 2019 presence will focus on the professionals this time.
We’ve seen some rumors going around that Nvidia might reveal 7nm Ampere graphics cards. These graphics cards could be consumer models, but that would be a little too fast, considering Nvidia’s problems with sales earlier this year. Instead, Nvidia Ampere may end up becoming the follow-up to Nvidia Volta, powering the next line of workstation-class GPUs.
Or, Nvidia could spend Computex 2019 focusing on artificial intelligence (AI), like it did at GTC 2019.
What else?
Computex 2019 is still a few days away, and there might be more exciting rumors and leaks to follow. Unfortunately, Microsoft, HP, Dell and Samsung still aren’t on the list of exhibitors at the time of writing, but all of these manufacturers are Computex mainstays, so we have high hopes they’ll show up. One thing we’re sure about is all of these high profile companies will be there to show off some new hardware and software.
That’s not to mention all of the smaller manufacturers that will also be there. Lian Li will surely be delivering some beautiful PC cases, G.Skill will probably show off some new RGB memory sticks, and BenQ will show off some new monitors for professionals and gamers. There are more than 100 exhibitors this year, so get ready for a smorgasbord of new hardware.
Be sure to keep this page bookmarked until the conference begins, as we’ll update it with any new rumors and exhibitors. Not to mention all the news from the show floor.
Images Credit: TechRadar
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