Asus ROG’s GX500 wasn’t the only Ultrabook gaming laptop at CES this year. Gigabyte was also at the event with their Aorus X3 – a 13.3-inch gaming gear that sports an Intel Core i7 processor that weighs only 1.87kg.

The 13-3-inch display on the Auros X3 boasts a resolution of 2560 x 1440 pixels and of the LCD family. It will also have 8GB of RAM, which can be expanded to 16GB, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 870M (with GB of RAM) coupled with Intel HD Graphics 4600 and up to 512GB of SSD configured in RAID 0.

Of course there’s the usual connectivity features including Bluetooth v4.0, Wi-Fi ac, gigabit Ethernet, two USB 3.0 ports, a USB 2.0 port, HDMI and a mini Display port. The Auros X3 also packs an HD camera, a backlit keyboard with individual Macro keys and a 73.2Wh battery.

There’s also a “Plus” version that sports a higher resolution screen at 3200 x 1800 pixels. The Gigabyte Auros X3 will be available by Q3 2014 with a suggested retail price of $2099. If you’re up for a bigger screen, you might want to check out the Gigabyte Auros X7 which also sells for $2099 and was first introduced at CES 2014.

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7-inch tablets has long been under Android territory, and so far, droids have kept Windows 8 at bay just outside the 8-inch wall. But Toshiba has just broken some barriers and released a 7-inch tablet that’s running on Windows 8.1 – the Encore 7.

The tablet’s 7-inch display sports a resolution of 1024 x 600 pixels with a pixel density of 170ppi. Toshiba has packed the Encore 7 with an Intel Atom Z3735 chip with 1GB of RAM and a 1.33GHz quad-core processor. There’s 16GB of internal storage which most likely be expandable using a microSD card.

Toshiba hasn’t provided much information about the Encore 7, but we’ll probably hear more about this device in the weeks ahead. As for pricing, we expect the Encore 7 to have a price tag close to $200.

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Last month, Microsoft announced that it is expanding its list of hardware partners for Windows Phone and we’ve already seen two new handsets from LG and Prestigio. This week, the Redmond-based company has used Southeast Asia’s biggest tech event to showcase the products of its newest WP hardware partners.

The first devices are from Prestigio – the MultiPhone 8500 Duo and MultiPhone 8400 Duo. Both smartphones come with dual-SIM capabilities and comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 chipset with a 1.2GHz quad-core CPU, Adreno 305 GPU and 1GB of RAM.

The larger 5-inch 8500 Duo sports a 720p display, an 8MP rear camera with 1080p video recording and a 2MP snapper at the front. Meanwhile, the smaller 8400 Duo has a 4-inch WVGA IPS display and an 8MP+VGA camera setup. The 8500 Duo will retail for $230+ starting July while the 8400 duo will be available in August for around $120.

There’s also the Yezz Billy smartphone, which was apparently named after Microsoft’s founder – Bill Gates. It carries a 4.7-inch IPS 720p display, a quad-core processor and a 13MP camera. Yezz is planning to offer the Billy for around $312 and will be available in the coming weeks.

Lastly, there’s the Wistron Tiger – a 6.45-inch phablet that comes with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 800 chip housed in an all-metal body. The phone has a 1080p display as well as front-facing speakers. According to reps of Wistron, the Tiger is only a reference device so we’re not sure yet if it will be commercially available.

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Intel had a major announcement this week at Computex in Taiwan that immensely benefits the laptop, tablet and hybrid markets.

The chip maker introduced at the event its new-generation processors – the Core M CPUs. The new CPUs will be manufactured using a 14nm process. This means that the new processors will consume less power and will have a smaller foot print compared to the current generation Core processors.

But despite the smaller size, Intel promises that the upcoming Core processors will be more powerful and should offer consumers 20-40% improvement in performance. The reduced power consumption should also mean that the processors will produce less heat than current CPUs that will reduce the need to use fans for cooling.

Having said these, it should mean that we may soon have devices that have thinner profiles and should use less (if not completely eliminate the need to use) fans. During the event, Intel showcased a prototype unit called Llama Mountain that bears the new Core M processor.

The device is incredible thin at just 7.2mm and weighs only 1.47 pounds. And looks a lot like Asus’s Transformer T300 Chi, which was announced just a few days ago.

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Toshiba’s concept convertible that we saw at CES back in January has finally materialized in the form of the Kirabook L93, which the Japanese company unveiled this week at Computex in Taipei.

The Kirabook L93 is basically another iteration of the Lenovo Yoga design but with an additional two modes. Aside from the typical laptop, tablet, display and tent modes, the L93 has a display mode where the keyboard is detached and an inclined tablet mode that’s something pen users might love.

Toshiba has equipped the Kirabook L93 with an Intel Core i5 Haswell processor, 128GB SSD and 8GB of RAM.

The L93 is packing a 13-inch touchscreen display with a resolution of 250 x 1440 pixels and full island style keyboard. Obviously, this keyboard will have a power supply of its own but Toshiba hasn’t disclosed how it would connect to the main unit and how it will be charged.

There’s no trackpad available on the device, but there will be small left and right click buttons at the lower portion of the keyboard. The cursor is moved using a joystick placed at the middle of the keyboard.

The device is now available in Japan for $2600 but there’s no word yet when the laptop will reach other markets. Nonetheless, we’ll keep our eyes and ears open for more news about the L93.

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Aside from its typical gaming machines and motherboards, Asus’s Republic of Gamers (ROG) also debuted new gaming accessories that help give users the most immersive experience during each game.

The first product is the ROG Swift PG278Q monitor. At 27-inches diagonal, the ROG Swift offers incredibly high quality display with a WQHD resolution (2560 x 1440 pixels) which is can support Nvidia’s G-sync technology that provides smooth and crisp images.

The monitor is able to synchronize with the machine’s GPU to render graphics quickly and smoothly. It has a refresh rate of 144Hz and a response time of just 1ms. There’s also a dedicated Turbo key that lets users choose which refresh rate to use in one click, eliminating the need to manually adjust the monitor’s on-screen display settings.

Accompanying the ROG Swift is the GK2000 gaming keyboard and Gladius gaming mouse. The GK2000 features mechanical Cherry MX red switches, customizable keys, built-in anti-ghosting technology which ensures accuracy and responsiveness.

Meanwhile, the ROG Gladius gaming mouse which features smooth-touch material that’s very comfortable to a user’s hand. The mouse also comes with a DPI switch, programmable buttons and side-mounted switches.

The Gladius has a 6400dpi optical sensor that’s capable of tracking up to 200 inches per second and 50G acceleration. The mouse also has an exclusive socket design that lets users adjust their ideal click resistance as well as a removable cable design that makes it easy to pack the device during transport.

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