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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Republic of Gamers’ GX500, G20 and GR8 are definitely great gaming products especially if you’re looking to get your game on immediately after you unbox the machine. But if you’re planning on building your own gaming rig, ROG is also offering top-of-the-line components like motherboards and graphics cards.

At Computex 2014, ROG also announced three new motherboards – the ROG Maximus VII Formula, ROG Maximus VII Impact and ROG Crossblade Ranger; as well as a water-cooled graphics card – the ROG Ares III.

The Maximus VII Formula is the successor of the Maximus VI formula that was released last year and is the company’s flagship Z97-based ATX gaming board. It sports ROG’s Supreme FX technology for improved audio that delivers best0in-calss 120dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) audio output. It also boasts Sonic SenseAMP technology that automatically detects headphone impedance and adjusts the voltage going to the headphones to maximize its capabilities.

ROG Maximus VII Formula

Moreover, the Maximus VII Formula comes with hardware-level Sonic SoundStage technology that applies the best settings for popular game genres. Connectivity-wise the M7 Formula is equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, a compact connectivity module for delivering the latest wireless technologies, and mini PCI express and M.2 slots. ROG also announced three new motherboards during the event – the ROG Maximus VII Formula, ROG Maximus VII Impact and ROG Crossblade Ranger; as well as a water-cooled graphics card – the ROG Ares III.

The Maximus VII Formula is the successor of the Maximus VI formula that was released last year and is the company’s flagship Z97-based ATX gaming board. It sports ROG’s Supreme FX technology for improved audio that delivers best0in-calss 120dB signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) audio output. It also boasts Sonic SenseAMP technology that automatically detects headphone impedance and adjusts the voltage going to the headphones to maximize its capabilities.

ROG Maximus VII Formula

Moreover, the Maximus VII Formula comes with hardware-level Sonic SoundStage technology that applies the best settings for popular game genres. Connectivity-wise the M7 Formula is equipped with Wi-Fi 802.11ac, Bluetooth 4.0, a compact connectivity module for delivering the latest wireless technologies, and mini PCI express and M.2 slots.

Now for those looking for a more compact rig, the ROG Maximus VII Impact can be a good choice as a motherboard. The board is based on the mini-ITX platform that’s perfect for smaller spaces.

ROG Maximus VII Impact

 The M7 Impact comes with Impact Power II, a specially-engineered full scale power card for improved performance and other nifty features such as SupremeFX II, mPCIe Combo IV and Impact Cool Hub that allows it to deliver exceptional performance albeit its small footprint.

ROG Crossblade Ranger

AMD fans will also be delighted with ROG, especially when it announced the Crossblade Ranger gaming motherboard. The Crossblade is the company’s first FM2+ gaming board that’s packed with ROG’s core game-boosting features including SupremeFX Audio with SenseAmp and Sonic Studio technology, which are also present in the Maximus VII Formula.

ROG Ares III

And finally, there’s the limited edition ROG Ares III gaming graphics card. The chip is sporting an AMD Radeon Hawaii XT GPU which is based on the AMD Radeon R9 295x. The card supports up to 8GB of GDDR5 memory and is water-cooled in order to deliver improved heat management.

Only 500 Ares III units will be produced, with each unit bearing its own number to reflect its collectible status.

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Asus’ Republic of Gamers brand of simply known as ROG has always been a major part of Computex. Last year, the brand released several products including the Maximus VI Formula motherboard, the Poseidon Graphics card and a couple of Tytan laptops.

This year, the company announced even more products, which includes a 4K gaming laptop, two Steam machines, several motherboards and a number of gaming PC accessories.

Leading the charge of announcements is the GX500. The laptop is based on the Asus NX500 laptop and packs a 15.6-inch 4K IPS display that can show 100 percent of the NTSC colour gamut. It also comes with Asus’s VisualMaster technology, an Intel Core i7 CPU and an Nvidia GeForce 860M graphics chip.

The laptop has a very thin profile at just 0.75 inches thin and weighs just 4.9 pounds, making it one of the slimmest gaming laptops in the market rivalling that of Razer’s Blade, Maingear’s Pulse 17 and MSI’s GS70.

Thanks to its Nvidia graphics card, the GX500 boasts cool and nifty features that would make any gamer happy including automatic game optimization, ShadowPlay and the ability to automatically record segments of a game so users can later share them on their social networks. It also has Nvidia’s Battery Boost technology that maximizes the laptops 6-cell battery.

The ASUS ROG GX500 is set to ship sometime in Q3 2014 for a little less than $2000.

Also on ROG’s menu at Computex are the ROG G20 gaming desktop and the ROG GR8 console gaming PC. The ROG G20 sports an Intel Core i7 processor with an Nvidia GeForce GTX 780 graphics that is housed in a 12.5-liter case, making it an ideal solution for those with big gaming needs but have small spaces.

The G20’s ventilation system takes advantage of natural convection in order to cool the entire machine. The computer’s case uses a thermal design with a hidden airflow tunnel that accounts for the G20’s efficient heat management and low operating noise. ROG and Asus has also made the gaming desktop extremely power efficient which only consumes 20W in Eco Energy mode.

ROG GR8 (Left) and ROG G20 (Right)

Design-wise the computer’s case sports a sophisticated design, Mayan stencilling and customizable lighting effects that shows up to 8 million colours across three different zones. Moreover the G20 also comes equipped with Asus’s Aegis application that helps users monitor system performance through a very gamer-friendly interface.

Then there’s the ROG GR8 console gaming PC which will support SteamOS. The machine will be powered by an Intel Core i7 processor coupled with Nvidia’s GeForce GTX 750Ti GPU. It will also have SupremeFX audio output, support for UHD graphics and Gigabit Ethernet networking.

ROG has also baked in a built-in Miracast receiver and WiDi 3.5 that allows the GR8 to mirror and stream content from supported Android smartphones and tablets as well as Windows 8.1 devices.

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The idea of having a massive device to lug around the whole house isn’t exactly new in the tech space. Last year, we saw HP’s Envy Rove 20 Tabletop PC and its 20-inch display that you can carry with you when you move from one room to another. This week, three devices bearing the same description were unveiled in Computex.

On one end there’s the 20-inch Asus AIO PC that’s meant for families. The device features built-in gesture controls and runs on Windows 8. It has 4GB of RAM and sports an Intel Core i5 processor complemented with Nvidia’s GeForce 820M graphics presented in the 20-inch touchscreen IPS display with a resolution of 1600 x 900 pixels.

The AIO weighs around 3.2kg and comes with an adjustable hinge at the back so you can recline it to your liking and a fold-out handle in case you want to transfer it to another room and you don’t want any fingerprints on the display.

Then there’s Dell with its Inspiron 20 (3000 series) which comes with a 19.5-inch HD display and is powered by Intel’s Bay Trail processors. As an entry-level AIO, the Inspiron 20 sports 2GB or 4GB of RAM and 500GB of storage.

Unlike the Asus AIO, Dell is giving it prospective consumers a choice between a touchscreen display and a normal display (there will be a $100 price difference). But just like the Asus product, the Inspiron 20 will also have a hinge that allows it to lay flat on a table.

The Inspiron 20 comes with an integrated subwoofer and packs its own battery which (according to Dell) can last up to 6 hours when the device is unplugged from a power source.

The Dell Inspiron 20 (3000 series) is already available in select countries and will start at $350 ($450 for the touchscreen version). As for the Asus AIO, the Taiwanese PC maker has yet to determine when it will launch the device but we’ll keep everyone posted as soon as Asus gives an availability date.

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