MSI has unveiled some of the PC components that it will be showing at Computex 2017 in Taipei, Taiwan next week. Building on its strong reputation among gamers, the company is set to field some new motherboards and graphics cards with top-tier performance in mind.
Leading the charge is the MSI Z270 Godlike Gaming motherboard, which the firm bills as the best component of its type that the company has ever produced. It has been outfitted with cutting-edge LAN technologies, which should ensure the best possible experience during online play.
Gamers can connect other PCs and notebooks to their system via Ethernet to take advantage of networking specialist Killer’s advanced bandwidth management system to yield low latency. Consoles and mobile devices can also be connected via Killer Wi-Fi.
The Z270 also packs Audio Boost 4 Xtreme technology, which uses an ESS digital-to-analog converter and two dedicated audio processors to offer the ability to use headphones and a set of speakers at the same time.
Meanwhile, the MSI X370 Gaming M7 motherboard has been designed to offer superior stability when it matters the most, especially for users who want to overclock their hardware. It also takes advantage of the latest fast storage standards, like U.2, Twin Turbo M.2 with a patented M.2 shield, USB 3.1 Gen 2, and front USB Type-C to provide the fastest possible speeds for any data transfer operation.
In terms of graphics cards, MSI is preparing to showcase the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z, which is said to combine groundbreaking new technology with tried-and-tested features like a TriFrozr cooler, a TORX 2.0 fan, Mystic Light LED effects, and Military Class 4 components.
Finally, there’s the GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Gaming X 11G, which combines graphics powered by Pascal with MSI’s TwinFrozr VI thermal design, providing excellent visuals with peak performance and power efficiency. The card supports USB Type-C, for interfacing that’s as flexible as possible.
These products and more will be on show at MSI’s Computex booth between May 30 and June 3.
The absolutely absurd idea of putting a touchscreen display on a mouse isn't exactly new. Turtle Beach already did it with its Command Series MC7, which features a 2.25-inch control screen. But apparently, even that wasn't ridiculous enough for Arctic Fox Technologies. Its new Super Mouse looks like someone took the chunky old Atari ST mouse, slapped a touchscreen and scroll wheel on it, and called it an upgrade.
The result is a rather unusual-looking mouse that is now on Kickstarter, starting at $199. And as ridiculous as it looks, some of its features are genuinely intriguing.
Apple is less than a day away from launching its highly anticipated OLED MacBook Pro with a touch-sensitive screen. But it appears that the upgrade is going to cost a pretty penny. According to a report by Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly eyeing a starting price of $2,899 for the 14-inch MacBook Pro, while the 16-inch version could start at $3,399 in the US.
"At $2,899, the 14-inch model would mark the highest starting price for a new MacBook Pro model, surpassing the $2,799 Apple charged for a 17-inch version introduced in 2006," says the report. The report claims that Apple is targeting a minimum price hike of $400 for its upcoming redesigned 14-inch and 16-inch MacBook Pro models.
I've spent a good amount of time digging into the spec sheet of the new M6 MacBook Pro (14-inch), and for all intents and purposes, this is a classic Apple "chip and connectivity" refresh. It's not a full redesign. The chassis, Liquid Retina XDR panel, speakers, ports, and battery, all of them carry over unchanged.
However, the M6 brings more cores, stronger on-device AI, higher memory bandwidth on the larger configs, and modern wireless. Here’s the practical rundown of what actually improved, and whether those gains are worth your money.