Brief Overview
- Computex 2026 had major AI hardware reveals with new accelerators and edge chips.
- Vendors demonstrated real-world AI use cases and announced cross-industry partnerships.
- Laptops, servers, and developer tools launched or previewed with a strong AI computing focus.
Computex 2026 kicked off in Taipei on June 2, 2026, and the day 1 of the event showcased new products focused on AI-powered laptops, gaming handhelds, and budget-friendly devices.
This year, the event was themed AI Together. Major tech giants like Nvidia, Intel, AMD, Qualcomm, Dell, MSI, and Acer unveiled innovative hardware that will be available in stores later this year.
Let us take a look at the innovations showcased on the Computex 2026 Day 1.
NVIDIA’s RTX Spark
The biggest announcement was made by NVIDIA’s CEO Jensen Huang, who unveiled the RTX Spark. It is the first-ever consumer PC chip designed by the company for slim laptops and compact desktops.
This isn’t just another graphics card. It is a chip that combines a powerful Blackwell RTX GPU with a custom 20-core Grace CPU. The aim is to bring AI agents, gaming, and content creation together in one portable device.
Microsoft and Nvidia have partnered to build secure Windows support for on-device AI agents.
These laptops are expected to arrive in fall 2026. Companies like ASUS, Dell, HP, Lenovo, Microsoft Surface, and MSI confirmed it already.
Other than that, HP also stated it will bring RTX Spark to the HP OmniBook Ultra 16 and HP OmniBook X 14. As per the claims, the latter will be the world’s thinnest RTX Spark laptop.
Microsoft also revealed a Surface Laptop Ultra with a 15-inch mini-LED touchscreen reaching 2,000 nits of brightness. The company called it the most powerful Surface Laptop ever built.
Gaming Handhelds Get a Major Upgrade
Intel made a huge announcement and entered the handheld gaming space with its new Arc G3 and Arc G3 Extreme processors. These will be the company’s first chips that are specially optimised for handheld gaming devices.
The MSI Claw 8 EX AI+ is the first handheld that will feature the Arc G3 Extreme chip. It boasts an 8-inch 120Hz touchscreen, improved ergonomics with longer grips, better haptics, and an upgradeable SSD slot.
Acer Predator Atlas 8 will be another handheld to feature Arc G3, which will compete against the Steam Deck OLED and ROG Ally X.
The specifications include an 8-inch 120Hz display, dual-fan cooling, up to 24GB RAM, and battery options of 60Wh or 80Wh.
Budget Laptops Fight Back Against MacBook Neo
Recently, Apple launched the MacBook Neo, which significantly impacted the budget laptop market. Computex 2026 Day 1 saw strong responses with new laptops aimed at this segment.
Dell returned with the XPS 13, which was introduced as the slimmest and lightest XPS ever at just 12.7mm thick and 997 grams.
It features a 13.4-inch 2.5K touchscreen with a 120Hz refresh rate, a backlit keyboard, and up to 17 hours of streaming battery life. This is mainly targeted at students.
Qualcomm Snapdragon C is a new entry-level chip, which will power budget laptops to compete directly with MacBook Neo. The first Snapdragon C laptops from Acer, HP, and Lenovo are expected to arrive later this year.
AMD Brings Back a Legend
AMD surprised everyone at Computex 2026 by bringing back the Ryzen 7 5800X3D. It was launched as a 10th Anniversary Edition at a price lower than its original 2022 price.
For the budget gamers, this means an affordable AM4 platform option using cheaper DDR4 RAM instead of DDR5.
AI Everywhere
Day 1 of Computex 2026 showcased a lot of interesting devices for gamers and AI enthusiasts. It ranged from powerful and portable laptops to handheld gaming devices that compete directly with consoles.
Laptops powered by the RTX Spark are expected to arrive this fall, and could be Nvidia’s M1 moment for Windows, while the new handhelds make gaming truly portable.
The theme of the event is AI Together, which isn’t just marketing.
These products show AI becoming practical for everyday tasks like video editing, gaming optimisation, and autonomous assistants that work offline on your device.
FAQs
What were the biggest announcements on Day 1 of Computex 2026?
Day 1 was led by major AI and PC announcements, with NVIDIA headlining the show and ASUS highlighting new AI and gaming products for 2026.
What new products did ASUS reveal during Computex 2026?
ASUS showcased the ROG Edition 20, new ProArt PCs powered by NVIDIA RTX Spark, a new TUF Gaming 16, ExpertBook, and ExpertCenter devices, and other AI-focused systems.
How is AI changing personal computers in 2026?
AI is making PCs more capable with on-device AI, NPUs, faster productivity features, better privacy, and smarter tools for work, creativity, and gaming.
