Our top 15 AI and PC award winners: The Shortcut Computex 2025 Awards
We went to Computex in Taipei to see the future tomorrow's tech innovations
Computex 2025, hosted in Taipei, is 12 hours in the future from NYC, but given the AI, gaming, and computing announcements, it feels years ahead of where we are now. Kevin Lee and I got to see the latest developments in person, from the newest AMD and Nvidia graphics cards, to the latest ultra-thin laptops, to next-gen gaming devices and accessories that make the Nintendo Switch 2 feel dated.
That’s what Computex is all about for us. It’s a preview of tomorrow’s technology innovations in the heart of where many of your devices are made.
Here are the 15 cutting-edge tech products that caught our eye while in Taipei.
🌟 1. Best in Show
AMD RX 9060 XT graphics card
A graphics card with 16GB of VRAM for $349 in this economy!? It seems impossible, but that’s exactly what the AMD RX 9060 XT is. What’s more, AMD promises to deliver better performance than the Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti, which rings up at a significantly higher $429, if you’re lucky.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: Great 1440p gaming, and potentially 4K-capable, graphics card for $349
🎮 2. Best Gaming Device
MSI Claw A8 gaming handheld
The MSI Claw A8 is the first next-generation PC gaming handheld we’ve been able to play with, and it delivers the higher performance we’ve been waiting for. It runs more challenging games like Kunitsu-Gami: Path of the Goddess (50-60fps) and Spider-Man 2 (35fps) with playable frame rates. We were even able to play Final Fantasy XVI at medium settings (instead of low) at 45fps. The handheld also feels improved as a whole with a more comfortable blocky design and fun, bright colors.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: This first next-gen gaming handheld delivers higher frame rates and can play more challenging games.
3. Best Gaming Accessory
Asus ROG Falcata gaming keyboard
The Asus ROG Falcata is a gaming keyboard that does it all. It’s compact with a 75% layout, wireless, so you can use it anywhere, and splits apart for a more ergonomic user experience. You also use the keyboard half with WASD keys if you only have room for a smaller PC gaming setup on your desk. Oh, and you can program its magnetic hall-effect key switches to actuate with a full key press or a gentle tap that only pushes down the key by 0.1mm.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: This isn’t the first compact wireless gaming keyboard, but its split-apart design makes it more versatile for PC gamers.
4. Best ultrabook
Tecno Megabook S14 Air Ultrabook
This is the first time we’ve been able to go hands-on with Tecno’s Megabook S14, the lightest 14-inch OLED laptop on the market. While just 899g (31.7oz), this ultrabook packs in a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite or Intel 15th gen chip, 16 hours of battery life, and plenty of AI features, including an offline transcription tool and personal GPT. I also loved that this thin-and-light laptop includes THREE USB-C ports, two on the left side and one on the right side, a configuration usually reserved for more expensive Pro laptops.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: Can decide between an Air and a Pro laptop? Tecno’s Megabook S14 strikes the perfect balance between heavyweight specs and a lightweight design.
5. Best Design
MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition Ultrabook
Everyone’s MacBook Pro looks exactly the same. That’s why MSI’s AI+ laptop stood out to us so much at Computex 2025. It packs the specs of the MSI Prestige 13 AI+ with a handcrafted design featuring The Great Wave off Kanagawa.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: Art meets state-of-the-art. The MSI Prestige 13 AI+ Ukiyo-e Edition Ultrabook blends the latest technology with traditional art for the most unique-looking laptop that none of your friends have.
6. Best Component
Nvidia RTX 5060 graphics card
The $299 Nvidia RTX 5060 is poised to be the best value graphics card for 1080p gaming. It has all the graphical horsepower to play the latest PC games – Avowed, Cyberpunk 2077, Doom: The Dark Ages, Hogwarts Legacy, and Marvel Rivals – all at 1080p 60fps with DLSS 4 upscaling (no Multi-Frame Generation necessary). It also features all of Nvidia’s latest tech: new Ray Tracing and Tensor cores, DLSS 4’s new efficient transformer model and Multi-Frame Generation, Nvidia Reflex 2, 4:2:2 video encoding with 9th-generation NVENC, and DisplayPort 2.1 video out.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: While our RTX 5060 review is pending, Nvidia’s latest GPU is shaping up to be a thoroughly modern graphics card that can get your games running at 120-200fps with DLSS 4 Multi-Frame Generation.
7. Best Laptop
Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 gaming laptop
The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 is the world’s most powerful 14-inch gaming laptop that comes equipped with up to an Nvidia RTX 5080. That’s a step up in GPU power compared to the Nvidia RTX 5070-powered Razer Blade 14 and Acer Predator Triton 14 AI. This gaming laptop also features a top-tier AMD Ryzen AI 9 HX 370, 32GB of RAM, and 2TB of SSD storage, making it a fully loaded monster. The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 also looks like a better-rounded laptop with a subtle silver chassis and sharp LED accent lighting.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: The Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 packs more graphical power than any other 14-inch gaming laptop in its class, with an Nvidia RTX 5080.
8. Best laptop value
Gigabyte A16 Pro gaming laptop
The Gigabyte A16 Pro might be Gigabyte’s entry-level gaming laptop, but you can outfit it with up to an Nvidia RTX 5070. Most other laptop brands would force you to buy up to a higher-tier gaming laptop like the Asus ROG Strix/Scar, MSI Stealth, Alienware Aurora, etc. The Gigabyte A16 Pro also featured higher-end Windforce Infinity EX cooling, which is usually exclusive to Gigabyte’s premium Aorus gaming hardware. This is another reason why we love that you can level up the Gigabyte A16 Pro into a top gaming laptop at a lower price.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: Gigabyte A16 Pro is an entry-level gaming laptop you can spec up to Nvidia RTX 5070 graphics without the typical high-end barrier to entry.
9. Best Software
Virtual Stream Deck software
Elgato’s Stream Decks are fantastic, and now its Virtual Stream Deck (VSD lets you add virtualized buttons to your desktop, applications, games, and more. This new software-only Stream Deck enables you to summon a grid of programmable buttons anywhere on your desktop with a simple mouse click or hotkey.
Now, VSD, ironically, requires hardware to work with either a physical Stream Deck or a compatible Corsair peripheral, like the new Corsair Scimitar. But both these devices are only $150 investments and VSD helps dramatically increase the usefulness of either device by letting you call up customizable control anywhere as you use your PC or Mac. We especially loved how VSD turns each of the Corsair Simitar’s MMO buttons into nine virtual buttons, which are easy to recognize at a glance vs remembering which shortcuts are programmed to each button.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: Elgato’s Virtual Stream Deck makes real Stream Decks and Corsair’s gaming peripherals even more helpful by giving you almost unlimited programmable virtual buttons you can summon anywhere on your Mac and PC desktop. Unlimited shortcuts!
10. Best Throwback
Silverstone FLP02 PC case
Wow, that looks like an ancient PC case – wait! That’s an Nvidia RTX 5090 inside! That’s the exact idea behind the Silverstone FLP02 PC case. You can build a sleeper gaming PC with this case, and its late 80s design is just plain fun. This case also has a fully working LCD display and turbo button, though they both function as a fan controller. The Silverstone FLP02 also makes practical use of its 5.25-inch bay drives, as they also act as hotswap bays for storage. The best touch of all has to be the key lock that prevents the power button from being flipped accidentally.Â
🔑 Why it’s a winner: The Silverstone FLP02 PC case is proudly beige on the outside and thoroughly modern on the inside.
11. Best Innovation
Asus Super TN Panel gaming monitor
Asus may have announced the world's fastest 610Hz gaming monitor, but what really makes the Asus ROG Strix Ace XG248QSG stand out is its Super TN panel. This evolution of the Twisted Nematic display technology fixes all the mediocre colour accuracy and low brightness issues of high-speed monitors. Asus claims its Super TN panel is 370 nits bright and delivers 90% DCI-P3 coverage, and in person, it looks dramatically brighter and more vibrant than a traditional TN display. The Super TN panel also offers wider viewing angles than a regular TN monitor. I hope Asus rolls out this technology to all its TN panels, as it could repair the reputation of an entire category of gaming monitors.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: Tired of dark and dull TN gaming monitors? Asus’ new Super TN panel for gaming monitors looks bright and vibrant with wide-viewing angles too.
12. Best Gaming Chair
Asus ROG Courser gaming chair
Gaming chairs are great for lying back and relaxing, but almost none of them support your back or arms while you’re fully reclined. The Asus ROG Courser gaming chair fixes that with its Dynamic Synchronized Reclining system, which provides you with constant back support, no matter if you’re sitting upright at 90°, fully reclined at 155°, or anywhere in between. You can also pull down the magnetic headrest and spin the armrests around so your head and arms are well supported as you lie back and play mobile games. The Asus ROG Courser also features integrated RGBs, which you can power with an attached powerbank (sold separately) or by plugging it into USB power.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: The Asus ROG Courser gaming chair gives you impressive back, head, and arm support at any reclining angle.
13. Best monitor
MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 gaming monitor
The MSI MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 aims to make OLED burn-in a non-issue with an AI-powered camera that turns off the screen whenever you walk away. The screen also slightly shifts pixels every 16 hours to help keep the display refreshed. The monitor itself also features a 3rd-gen QD-OLED panel featuring a 500Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time. It’s also vibrant, reproducing 99% of the DCI-P3 color gamut, plus certifications for VESA ClearMR 21000 and DisplayHDR True Black 500.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: The MPG 271QR QD-OLED X50 may make burn-in a thing of the past with AI-detection that turns off the screen while you’re away.
🤖 14. Best AI
Gigabyte GiMate AI assistant
The Gigabyte GiMate is the most helpful AI assistant we’ve seen for a PC, and a local LLM entirely powers it – so you don’t have to worry about online privacy. You can simply talk to it to engage different power modes, speed up fans, change screen brightness, and make other quick settings changes on Gigabyte’s laptops. You can also dive into GiMate’s settings to fine-tune the different PC profile modes. Gigabyte GiMate also helps automatically optimize your PC’s clock speed, cooling, and voice enhancement for web calls. It can also watch your back literally and activate a privacy screen when it notices someone is screen peeping.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: The most helpful, fully local AI assistant we’ve seen on a PC.
15. Best Concept
MSI Panther Lake next-gen laptop
Intel Panther Lake will not arrive until next year at the earliest, but that didn’t stop MSI from showing off its next-generation laptop chassis. They’re thinner, sleeker, and more sophisticated. Rather than just being silver-painted gaming laptops from MSI, this new chassis has been built out as a thin Ultrabook from the ground up, and we can’t wait to see them in action at CES 2026.
🔑 Why it’s a winner: MSI has shown off an impressive lineup of next-generation Panther Lake laptops that are thin, sleek, and extremely clean-looking. This is the mainstream laptop I’ve been waiting years for MSI to create.