While hyping up its couch keyboard, Framework CEO Nirav Patel showed images of how people use its computers in the living room. It gave me a Leo DiCaprio moment as I noticed a photo from my time testing Bazzite on the Framework Desktop. How about a photo credit, Nirav?
After promoting Johny Srouji, I expect Apple to continue focusing on what makes its recent Macs so great: the chips.
Intel is announcing its new Arc Pro B70 “Big Battlemage” desktop GPU with 32GB of VRAM and up to 32 Xe2 cores. It costs $949 for an Intel reference design, while partner designed cards will vary in price. There’s also a B65 Pro with 20 Xe2 cores, but it’s only made by partners.
Check out the full specs below. Gaming-focused versions of these cards sure would sound swell.
The Asus NUC 16 and Dell Pro Desktop for Windows 365, both arriving in Q3 2026, are the latest “Cloud PCs” from Microsoft, following the Windows 365 Link from 2024. They’re designed for businesses accessing Windows from the cloud with added security features like a “small, locked-down operating system” called Windows CPC.
[Windows Experience Blog]
Here it is next to the Framework Desktop and Corsair’s AI Workstation 300, each of which are plenty small on their own (4.5 liters)! Nvidia’s Spark, already on sale, might be slightly smaller? I saw one earlier but don’t have it to compare. AMD’s Halo is coming Q2 2026, no price yet.
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.
Alienware’s flagship desktop finally ditched proprietary parts last year (no more Dell-specific motherboards) and welcomed AMD’s flagship Ryzen X3D desktop chips in November. Now it’s getting the latest AMD chip too — just know the new 9850X3D is only a tad faster than the 9800X3D (AMD says roughly 7 percent uplift).
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Hyper first announced its HyperSpace Trackpad Pro back in January, and it’s now taking orders via crowdfunding. The haptic trackpad offers an Apple Magic Trackpad-like experience for Windows users, with native software customization. It now costs $149.99 ($20 more than its initial estimation) and deliveries are expected in March 2026 , though there are discounts for early backers.
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Maingear is making 50 limited edition Doom PCs that look metal af. The $2,999 Hurt Me Plenty, $3,999 Ultra-Violence, and $5,999 Nightmare models are a collaboration with case maker HAVN. Inside each is a TRYX 360 Panorama SE liquid cooler playing clips of classic Doom on its wraparound LCD. 🤘🏻
The Framework Desktop’s awesome $19 carry handle is just now going on sale, as is the Framework Laptop 12’s $59 stylus, and both systems are “wrapping up” preorders. You can find cheaper USI 2.0 stylii, but these aren’t just color-matched: you can remove and replace their batteries. Other Framework updates here.
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Antonio didn’t have a problem with noise in our review: “The fan often goes whisper-quiet [...] you’ll hear it spin up for some short stretches, but it quickly quiets back down until you’re doing something more intensive.”
But Noctua says these two free files can reduce sound another five decibels.
Today I learned about comparesffpc.com, which effortlessly lets you compare small-form-factor cases on a virtual 3D desk, in your browser, using this impressive public dataset. It isn’t the only comparo tool, but it’s the cleanest and easiest I’ve used yet. (I’m thinking about swapping my Ncase, any desk-friendly recommends?)
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Small form factor PCs are nothing new, but this is a refreshing take.
This box isn’t anywhere near as customizably cool as the Framework Desktop, and it’s not even that much cheaper! (It’s the same $1,599 for 64GB or $1,999 for an LLM-friendly 128GB, save that Corsair throws in a 1TB SSD and Windows.)
But I guess the new Corsair AI Workstation 300 does come prebuilt, and you aren’t limited to just two front ports: you get two USB-A, one C, full-size SD and audio right out of the box.
There’s an art to building a small-form-factor PC. When my recent upgrade doubled my CPU power draw, I had to choose: buy a bigger case to accommodate a more powerful cooler, or cut a hole in the side of my old one.
I chose the coward’s route. But today I found the FFS PC subreddit, where the case boundaries are merely a suggestion, and CPU coolers, GPUs, and power supplies protrude in all directions. Perfect.
AMD SVP and GM of computing and graphics Jack Huynh shared that the company will hold a press conference livestream at the trade show in Taipei, Taiwan on Wednesday, May 21st at 11AM local time (Tuesday, May 20th, 11PM EST). Huynh says AMD will “unveil groundbreaking AI advancements” that redefine gaming, PCs, and professional workloads.
HP’s EliteStudio 8 has a function every all-in-one PC needs: it doubles as a display for your laptop with keyboard, video, and mouse (KVM) switch.
Otherwise, it’s a pretty humdrum Intel Arrow Lake desktop. Though, in addition to continuing as a monitor once outdated, its webcam can photograph your background and modify it with generative AI. Time to add a bunch of Funko Pops and Gunpla to my virtual background.
I guess people are pretty interested in Framework’s new Strix Halo desktop, Strix Point 13-inch (it’s translucent!) and 12-inch convertible laptop, because I’ve never been put on hold to visit a dang website before.
My colleagues who are veterans of the PS5 restock wars tell me this is normal. Y’all are really out here waiting in line online?
The RTX 5090 fits in an Ncase M1, with a few caveats.
Called the Asus NUC 14 Pro AI Plus, it’s basically the NUC 14 Pro AI in a translucent case. That color E Ink display on top is customizable, as Good e-Reader calls out. Asus says users “can generate AI images” on the display using a built-in app.
We’ve asked Asus for more info on its availability.
