Computex 2026 Awards: Nvidia’s First CPU Wins Best in Show

Computex 2026 handed out 15 awards from a show floor where Nvidia shipped its first CPU and Intel delivered its first chip built exclusively for gaming handhelds. The Nvidia RTX Spark, a 20-core Arm processor paired with a Blackwell GPU in a single package, took Best in Show. Intel’s Arc G3 Extreme, purpose-built for portable gaming PCs on Intel’s own 18A manufacturing process, took Best Component, powering handhelds Intel claims outperform AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme by up to 42 percent at the same power draw.

The first Arc G3 Extreme handheld launches June 23 at a reported $1,500. Nvidia’s platform ships this fall at an undisclosed price. Thirteen other categories filled out the rest, from a Dell laptop starting at $699 to a 27-inch gaming monitor running 5K at 165Hz, across a show floor where nearly every device carried a dedicated AI processing unit.

Nvidia’s First CPU Rewrites the Show

CEO Jensen Huang announced the RTX Spark during his Computex keynote at the Taipei Music Center, calling it “the first completely reengineered, reinvented line of PCs that has happened in 40 years.” The chip circulated under the codenames N1 and N1X for nearly a year before Nvidia’s official Computex GeForce announcement made it official, and the show handed it Best in Show. Confirmed OEM partners for fall systems include Dell, HP, Lenovo, Asus, MSI, Acer, Gigabyte, and Microsoft.

This reinvention of the computer is as big of a deal as the reinvention of the phone into what we now know as the smartphone.

Huang delivered that comparison from the Taipei Music Center stage. The platform’s core pitch is “agentic AI,” software that runs tasks autonomously on-device without routing queries to cloud servers, using the PC as a local inference engine.

RTX Spark’s Core Configuration

The chip is a two-die design. A Blackwell RTX GPU with 6,144 CUDA (Compute Unified Device Architecture, Nvidia’s parallel computing platform) cores occupies one chiplet, connected via NVLink C2C at 600 GB per second to a MediaTek-co-designed CPU chiplet with 20 Arm cores. It breaks into 10 Cortex-X925 performance cores and 10 Cortex-A725 efficiency cores, peaking at 4.1GHz. Configurations run to 128GB of unified LPDDR5X memory shared between the CPU and GPU at around 300 GB per second, with no separate memory pools for each side.

Nvidia rates the platform at 1 petaflop of FP4 AI compute, enough by the company’s own figures to run language models with up to 120 billion parameters on-device. Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X series (the prevailing Windows on Arm alternative) measures neural performance around 45 trillion operations per second. Apple’s M-series holds advantages in single-core CPU speed and memory bandwidth but lacks full CUDA compatibility, the standard for AI development tooling. Nvidia says the chip plays Indiana Jones and the Great Circle at 1440p and 100 fps inside a 14mm chassis while unplugged; no independent benchmarks exist for any device yet.

• 6,144 CUDA cores in the Blackwell GPU die
• 1 petaflop of FP4 AI compute, Nvidia’s figures
• 128GB maximum unified LPDDR5X memory
• 8 OEM partners confirmed for fall 2026 systems

RTX Spark systems won’t support discrete external GPUs. Nvidia also released a chip roadmap at the show, with successors planned for 2028 and 2030, covering laptops, desktops, and workstations.

Surface Laptop Ultra as the Opening Argument

The Microsoft Surface Laptop Ultra, the show’s Best Laptop winner, arrived hours after Huang’s keynote as the first confirmed flagship on Nvidia’s new platform. Surface product leader Andrew Hill called it “the most powerful thing we’ve ever made.” The 15-inch mini-LED PixelSense Ultra touchscreen reaches 2,000 nits of peak HDR brightness on a fully CNC-machined aluminum chassis under 18mm thick and under 2kg. The haptic touchpad is more than 30 percent larger than the previous generation, with hover-sensitive feedback integrated into the Windows 11 interface alongside standard click haptics.

Game compatibility depends on native Arm builds, Microsoft’s Prism emulator, and anti-cheat provider support, with League of Legends, Valorant, and Alan Wake 2 among confirmed titles. Microsoft has not announced pricing; independent industry estimates range from $3,000 to $7,000 depending on configuration. The device ships later in 2026.

Intel Challenges AMD’s Handheld Grip

Since Valve’s Steam Deck arrived in early 2022, every major Windows gaming handheld has run AMD silicon. The ROG Ally, Lenovo Legion Go, and the MSI Claw series all relied on AMD’s Ryzen Z1 and Z2 families. Intel made earlier handheld attempts with the original MSI Claw (Meteor Lake) and follow-on Lunar Lake models, both using laptop chips adapted for the form factor with underwhelming results. The Arc G3 Extreme is Intel’s first processor designed specifically for gaming handhelds rather than derived from existing laptop silicon.

Arc G3 Extreme Against the Ryzen Z2 Extreme

Intel unveiled the Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme on May 28, five days before Computex opened in Taipei, per Intel’s official Arc G-Series announcement. Both chips are built on the Panther Lake architecture and Intel’s 18A process node, making them the first Intel chips designed specifically for gaming handhelds. The G3 Extreme packs 14 CPU cores (2 performance, 8 efficiency, 4 low-power) and a 12-core Xe3 GPU, the Arc B390, clocked at 2.3GHz.

Intel claims 42 percent better performance over AMD’s Ryzen Z2 Extreme at the same 35-watt power draw, based on internal testing. The chip ships with XeSS 3 (Xe Super Sampling, Intel’s AI upscaling and multi-frame generation suite). Endurance Gaming mode caps frame rates and adjusts power dynamically; in Intel’s own testing with Forza Horizon 6, it stretched battery life from under 3 hours to nearly 6 hours on one charge. Driver maturity, sustained thermal behavior inside thin handheld shells, and real-world game compatibility all remain untested outside the show floor.

MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ Sets the Price

The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+, one of the first handhelds running Intel’s new chip, won Best Gaming Handheld. Per MSI’s official product announcement, it launches June 23 with an 8-inch 120Hz VRR panel at 1920×1200, 32GB of LPDDR5X-8533 memory, a user-upgradeable 1TB M.2 2280 SSD, and an 80Wh battery. Reports from the show floor put the starting price around $1,500; a Best Buy listing for the 32GB/1TB configuration appeared at $1,699 before being taken down. Intel Fellow Tom Petersen described the pricing outlook as “crazy,” attributing it to high memory costs and Intel’s 18A manufacturing expense.

On the show floor the device ran Hogwarts Legacy at 1920×1200 with XeSS Performance mode at medium settings; stutters appeared during asset loading and increased further at ultra quality with ray tracing enabled. The Asus ROG Xbox Ally X20 won Best Gaming Device on a different set of priorities: an OLED panel at 1,400 nits of HDR brightness, drift-resistant Gulikit TMR thumbsticks, a redesigned D-pad, and bundled smart glasses that project gameplay on a virtual 171-inch display. The broader handheld ecosystem anchors the sub-$900 tier through the Lenovo Legion Go and existing ROG Ally variants, a price range Intel’s first-generation devices don’t yet reach.

The Dell XPS 13 at $699

Dell’s new XPS 13 won Best Value on a $699 starting price, dropping to $599 for students. Dell describes it as “a completely different take” on the line, built thin and light with entry-level specs and a design the company says looks worth three times its price, aimed at the MacBook Neo’s entry tier.

That price undercuts the cheapest confirmed Nvidia-platform laptop by roughly $2,300 on industry estimates, and the MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ by $800. Dell has published sparse specification detail; the XPS 13’s proposition centers on chassis design, brand reputation, and price. The line had spent years at the premium end of the laptop market, and the return to an accessible price point was a story of its own at the show.

Asus and Corsair Claim the Peripheral Top Spots

The five peripheral award categories split between Asus and Corsair, with BenQ taking the accessories slot. Prices ran from $259 for a gaming mouse to $699 for a keyboard, putting both squarely in gaming laptop territory for input hardware.

• ROG Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 ($259), Best Gaming Mouse: 65,000 DPI optical sensor, 8,000Hz polling rate, gold-plated transparent shell, 100 million-click-rated optical microswitches, Gorilla Glass feet
• ROG Azoth Extreme Edition 20 ($699), Best Gaming Keyboard: 75-percent layout, metal and carbon fiber build, adjustable typing resistance, 1,600-hour wireless battery, 8,000Hz polling
• Corsair HS35 v3, Best Gaming Headset: T-shaped USB dongle fits USB-A or USB-C without an adapter, floating headband, 50mm drivers with Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio
• Corsair Warthog, Best PC Case: industrial-military design, angled feet as carry handles, guarded switches, rear I/O toggle light
• BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2, Best PC Accessory: desk illumination plus monitor backlight combined, research-backed color temperature and brightness tuning

The ROG Harpe II and Azoth Extreme

Built for competitive play, the Harpe II Extreme Edition 20 carries a 65,000 DPI optical sensor and 8,000Hz polling rate in a chassis mixing transparent material with gold plating, using Gorilla Glass feet for low-friction glide. The 100 million-click-rated optical microswitches put a durability claim in a testable number. At $259, it prices wireless at the same level wired pro mice have historically occupied.

The Azoth Extreme Edition 20 is harder to categorize. A 75-percent-layout mechanical keyboard built on a heavy metal frame with carbon fiber accents, featuring an adjustable typing resistance mechanism that lets the user tune the keyboard’s feel for different tasks without buying a second board. A 1,600-hour wireless battery, 8,000Hz polling, and browser-based tuning software at $699 puts it at the cost of an entry gaming laptop, aimed at an enthusiast willing to spend as much on a keyboard as on portable hardware.

Corsair HS35 v3 and the BenQ ScreenBar Halo 2

The HS35 v3’s standout feature is one physical piece: a T-shaped USB transmitter that plugs into USB-A for desktop use and USB-C for a gaming handheld, with no adapter swap needed. Corsair rebuilt the headband as a floating design to cut weight and upgraded the 50mm drivers for Dolby Atmos Spatial Audio. In a crowded wireless mid-range, the dongle format is the differentiator.

BenQ’s ScreenBar Halo 2 won Best PC Accessory on the engineering behind its lighting. The company put documented research into conditions that reduce eye strain and improve concentration, and the bar illuminates both the desk surface and the space behind the monitor for ambient backlight. The Corsair Warthog rounds out the hardware awards with a military-industrial design: angled feet that double as carry handles, metal bollards guarding each button against accidental presses, and a rear toggle light illuminating the I/O panel so owners can see USB and video ports without aiming a phone at the back of the machine.

Displays and Desktops Push Where Chips Couldn’t

The 5K Monitor and the Ultrawide Upgrade

Gigabyte’s Aorus Elite FM275K16P won Best Gaming Monitor with a 27-inch panel that switches between three modes: 5K at 165Hz, 4K at 220Hz, and QHD at 330Hz. An AI feature lets players clip a screen region (a minimap, a health bar) and reposition it independently; a second AI system adjusts crosshair color in real time when the reticle blends with the background surface in-game.

The Alienware AW3426DW, Best Ultrawide Gaming Monitor, uses a QD-OLED (quantum dot organic light-emitting diode) panel built on a Penta Tandem sub-pixel structure with an RGB stripe arrangement, cutting the text fringing that has been a consistent complaint on earlier ultrawide OLED panels. Refresh rate climbs to 280Hz from 240Hz on the previous model, and Alienware added a less reflective panel coating.

GPU Design and the AI Desktop

Gigabyte’s Aorus GeForce RTX 50 Infinity Series won Best GPU for its housing: a retro-futuristic shell that routes power cables out the rear connector to clean up the case interior, with addressable RGB throughout. The Blackwell silicon inside reached retail in January 2025; the broader partner-card landscape from the show, competing on cooling and aesthetics around the same architecture, runs through the GeForce showcase rundown. Nvidia also confirmed at the show that DLSS 4.5 Ray Reconstruction (Deep Learning Super Sampling, Nvidia’s AI upscaling and frame-generation suite) arrives in August as a free update to existing RTX owners.

The Best Gaming Desktop went to MSI for building a holographic AI companion into a consumer tower’s front panel. Lucky, MSI’s dragon mascot, appears as a hologram-like projection that responds to voice queries, with the AI Holostage panel open to hosting other AI assistants beyond the default character. Lucky is the most literal form AI took in a case at the show, a character you can see and talk to on the machine’s face.

Nvidia’s platform ships this fall at an undisclosed price, and the spec claims made on the show floor in Taipei wait for real hardware in real hands.