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Antonio G. Di Benedetto

Antonio G. Di Benedetto

Reviewer, Laptops

Reviewer, Laptops

    More From Antonio G. Di Benedetto

    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    The Steam Machine wasn’t at CES, but accessory makers are getting ready.

    There were a couple Steam Machine mockups at Jsaux’s CES booth, but they were just shells showing off the company’s cheesy looking stickers. The front display concept wasn’t there.

    Jsaux seems thirsty to build a Steam Machine accessory ecosystem like it did with the Steam Deck, where it found success, but the real ideas will require actual hardware.

    1/4Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
    The coolest laptops we saw at CES 2026The coolest laptops we saw at CES 2026
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Did Asus just make a sleeper gaming laptop with a monster iGPU?

    AMD’s Strix Halo is a big, pricey chip with the best integrated graphics we’ve ever seen. The Asus TUF is the brand’s budget-friendly gaming line. So how “affordable” will Asus’s new TUF Gaming A14 laptop with Strix Halo be? We don’t know yet, because Asus hasn’t finalized pricing. But I look forward to testing this TUF.

    <em>Strix Halo in-hand.</em>
    <em>Decently thin for a TUF.</em>
    1/7
    Strix Halo in-hand.
    Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
    Richard Lawler
    Richard Lawler
    Asus ROG Zephyrus Duo, take two.

    But this time, it’s added extra space that could make its two-screen laptop setup worthwhile. Here’s Antonio with a closer look at the new Duo.

    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Here’s a closer look at Asus’s Wi-Fi 8 concept router that looks like a d20.

    The Wi-Fi 8 spec isn’t finalized, but Asus is showing a ROG NeoCore concept router at CES. Buying a router based on an unfinished reference design spec sounds risky, but I do hope this d20-like styling sets a trend.

    The clear spider-like version you see here is Asus’s Wi-Fi 8 test model. A rep told me the NeoCore internalizes the antennas, which are the edges of the polyhedron. Neat.

    <em>The Asus ROG NeoCore with its test unit behind it.</em>
    <em>Asus reps did not let me roll for initiative.</em>
    1/9
    The Asus ROG NeoCore with its test unit behind it.
    Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    I’m pleased to inform you that HP’s computer-in-a-keyboard doesn’t suck to type on.

    The HP Eliteboard G1a plays a bit off the old Commodore 64 formula of a desktop computer built into a keyboard, but for office use in 2026. While I feel it’s a charming and quirky idea, I was prepared to hate the typing feel of this latticeless membrane keyboard.

    After trying it briefly? It’s serviceable.

    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Antonio G. Di Benedetto
    Epomaker’s new mechanical keyboard has an ambidextrous number pad.

    Dear numpad diehards, here’s a keyboard we can both enjoy. The Epomaker RT98 is a wireless mechanical keyboard featuring a repositionable number pad. You can move it to right or lefthanded positions by unscrewing the keyboard’s base plate. There’s also a detachable retro TV-style LCD. Because why not?

    Pricing isn’t available yet, but it should launch soon on Kickstarter.

    <em>The Epomaker RT98 (center).</em>
    <em>The little retro-inspired screen shows settings, and users can upload animated GIFs to loop on it.</em>
    <em>The LCD connects via magnetic pogo pins, so you can remove it. But an Epomaker rep said it doesn’t have other accessories to put there yet.</em>
    <em>To move the number pad you’ll have to unscrew the bottom base plate.</em>
    1/4
    The Epomaker RT98 (center).
    Photo: Antonio G. Di Benedetto / The Verge