10 big CES reveals that PC enthusiasts need to know about
An ominous Spectre hung over CES 2018’s PC announcements, as the industry grapples with how to protect against devastating CPU exploits that melt down security on damned near every computer on the planet. But put all that aside for now: 2017 was one of the best years for PC hardware ever, and at CES 2018, the PC kept the pedal firmly planted to the metal.
Intel and AMD joined forces on a powerful chip. Nvidia pushed gaming displays way past the limits of what we’ve seen so far. Next-gen routers and VR headsets made their debut. Heck, Asus used an optical illusion to make multi-monitor setups even more immersive!
Let’s dig into the 10 big CES reveals that PC enthusiasts need to know about, starting with a doozy.
1. INTEL <3 AMD
Hell’s frozen over. Pigs are flying. Intel and AMD are working together on a chip.
Okay, okay, we’ve known this collaboration was coming . But at CES 2018, Intel pulled the full curtain back on five Intel Core processors shipping with Radeon Vega graphics on board (see page XX). You’ll find both Core i5 and Core i7 CPUs represented in the “Kaby Lake-G” lineup, as well as differing Vega configurations. But getting down to brass tacks—hit that link for full details—Intel expects the chips with slower Radeon graphics to beat in gaming performance. That translates to decent 1080p gaming performance with Medium graphics settings, roughly. And Intel says, a GPU that demands few compromises at 1080p resolution.
