September 17, 2024, 7:59 am | Read time: 4 minutes

One of the largest computer trade fairs in the world is currently taking place in Taipei, Taiwan – the home of semiconductor technology. Numerous industry giants are showcasing their latest developments here, which are also exciting for gamers.

Asus ROG Ally X

The Asus Ally is a handheld console that impressed TECHBOOK with its high performance and practical features in a test. Following in Valve’s footsteps with the Steam Deck OLED, the company is unveiling a new version of the console with numerous improvements. The Ally X comes with twice as big a battery (a huge 80 watt hours!), twice as much storage (1 TB), and twice as much RAM as its predecessor. The RAM is also faster (7500 megatransfers per second; MT/s), contributing to slightly higher performance – even if the rest of the hardware, including AMD’s Z1 Extreme, remains unchanged.

The console has been updated to include two USB-C ports, although it no longer features Asus’ proprietary connection for the external XG Mobile graphics dock. However, as the Ally X supports USB 4, it is still possible to connect external graphics cards for even more gaming performance. Asus has made the case slightly thicker and heavier. However, improved ergonomics and redesigned buttons should make the console easier to hold. The joysticks can be easily replaced in the X – for example, with Hall Effect models.

Asus has also addressed the biggest criticism of the original Ally. The position of the microSD card reader at the bottom edge of the Ally – directly in the hot air outlet – caused many owners to experience failures. Although Asus has extended the warranty for defective card slots to two years, it has never admitted to a production error or launched a recall campaign. Consequently, the company is facing significant backlash on social media and has already issued an apology. In the Ally X, the problem was solved by moving the card reader to the top edge.

AMD presents new processors

AMD presented the first processors of the Zen 5 generation at Computex 2024. The new chips continue to use the now three-year-old AM5 socket, which AMD intends to support until 2027. The following models will be launched in July 2024:

• Ryzen 5 9600X: 16 cores / 32 threads, up to 5.7 GHz boost frequency, 80 MB cache
• Ryzen 7 9700X: 12 cores / 24 threads, up to 5.6 GHz boost frequency, 76 MB cache
• Ryzen 9 9900X: 8 cores / 16 threads, up to 5.5 GHz boost frequency, 40 MB cache
• Ryzen 9 9950X: 6 cores / 12 threads, up to 5.4 GHz boost frequency, 38 MB cache

According to AMD, the Ryzen 9 9950X is “the world’s most powerful desktop processor for consumers.” The new Zen 5 architecture alone delivers 16 percent higher IPC performance (instructions per clock cycle) than the previous generation. Independent tests have reportedly demonstrated that the chip outperforms Intel’s flagship CPU, the i9-14900K, by several percentage points.

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Unexpectedly, AMD has also introduced two new chips for the older AM4 socket in order to extend the platform’s lifespan. The two CPUs will also be released in July 2024:

• Ryzen 9 5900XT: 16 cores / 32 threads, up to 4.8 GHz boost frequency, 72 MB cache
• Ryzen 7 5800XT: 8 cores / 16 threads, up to 4.8 GHz boost frequency, 36 MB cache

AMD also presented its laptop processors for AI applications at Computex 2024. The chips of the “Ryzen AI 300” series are renamed Ryzen 9 chips with up to 12 cores / 24 threads, 5.1 GHz boost frequency, 36 MB cache, and an integrated Radeon 890M graphics unit. The processors are capable of powering laptops with Microsoft’s new Copilot+.

Intel announces AI chips for fall

Intel has also prepared for Copilot+ and provided more information on the new Lunar Lake laptop processors at Computex 2024, which are due to be released in the fall. The architecture has been completely redesigned, featuring a significantly larger AI accelerator. Nevertheless, CPU performance has not been neglected. Up to 14 percent more performance with the same clock frequency and 60 percent more battery life compared to the previous generation are said to be possible.

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New handheld console from MSI

It has only been a few months since MSI launched its Claw handheld console onto the market. However, Intel-based devices cannot keep up with the competition. This is why MSI has already announced the successor Claw 8 AI Plus at Computex 2024. The manufacturer continues to rely on Intel – but on the brand new Lunar Lake chips, which promise significantly more performance. True to its name, the original Claw’s 7-inch screen has been upgraded to a larger 8-inch panel. Like the Ally X, the new console also has an 80-watt-hour battery.

The German original of this article was published in June 2024.