Cooler Master also showcased their more premium MasterCase H500P at Computex 2017, showing a wealth of materials and crafting capability that are seldom seen in other cases. The H500P is set as a reimagining of Cooler Master's HAF series, purpose-built for high airflow. Compared to the HAF series it replaces, the H500P makes use of a trimmer profile. The polygonal frame and 200 mm RGB fans serve as a testament for the high airflow these cases are supposed to deliver, while the polygonal frame gives the case a high quality, 3D-printed exoskeleton look.

At Computex 2017, Thermaltake, the company which makes giantly oversized PC cases, took to the stage to continue doing what it does best. The Level 20 TItanium clearly is at the top of its class: a concept design chassis with a "don't touch me, don't photograph me" attitude which was nevertheless captured by intrepid reporters who like to live dangerously. This is a great looking case, and is sure to dominate any environment it finds itself in.

At5 Computex 2017, Sharkoon took the opportunity to set customer's eyes on their AM5 case, which features a modular front panel that can be swapped at will (provided you acquire the other options.) One of the most interesting characteristics of this case is that it will be sold in two options with differing materials for the side panels: one with an acrylic sheet, which is already a well-known material for those who want to gorge their eyes on their hardware; or with soundproof panels, which make sure not a whisper from your system's cooling can escape the confines of your case (at least from this particular side.)

Other characteristics are as usual, with a maximum 40 cm length for the graphics card, 16.7 cm for the CPU cooler, 20.5 cm for the power supply, support for 2x 140 mm fans on the front panel (pre-installed) or one of those 240 mm radiators; 1x 120 mm fan support on the back of the chassis; and up to 3x 120 mm fans or 2x 140 mm on the top of the case (we posit 280 mm AIOs can also be fit there).

Reeven may be a relatively little-known company, but I know for a fact they are one of the PC cooling companies offering one of the highest bang-for-buck ratio products in the Reeven Justice II (it's actually better than some AIOs; you should check the out.) The company makes use of a pretty distinct design language with their yellow-bladed fans (which they have recently built upon with the RGB Kiran.)

The coolers showcased by the company include the tower coolers Reeven Hans, a slim 120 mm cooler which includes a RGB Kiran fan and the Justice II, which builds upon the company's Justice while improving thermal characteristics. This is a high TDP design, black coated product, which looks gorgeous next to the yellow fans. The six heatpipe design helps this be one of the most effective tower air coolers in the market. Finally, the Ouranos Aero ends the scale on the tower coolers, being a 140 mm tower cooler (bigger than both the Hans and the Justice), and is especially designed for overclockers. The dual fan design ensures a greater airflow (and thus, higher heat dissipation capability.)

Two of the more unique mass-market designs on show on Computex 2017 have to be the Phanteks EVOLV Shift and Shift X SFF cases. These are the essence of a tower case (though they can also lie on their side like a roman citizen at dinner time, if you are so inclined.) These are aluminum and tempered-glass crafted cases, with a ridiculous 17 (W) x 27 (D) x 48 (H) cm footprint on the Shift. The Shift X is the taller solution of the two, with a 65 cm height. These little cases than could support water cooling and component placement in multiple orientations, and include an integrated RGB controller to boot.

The front I/O contains just two USB 3.0 ports, but it's the interior which shines. Phanteks managed to cram a lot into such a compact form-factor. Motherboards will have to be of the mini-ITX type, there's no way around that; however, there's also with support for 2x PCI slots, and the Shift X brings support for 2x internal 3.5" and 2x 2.5" drives (you can also mount 2.5" solutions on the 3.5" bays, mind you.) It also supports PS2 PSUs, while the smaller Shift has to cut one of the 3.5" bays, and only supports SFF PSUs. However, for their sizes, both Shifts support 3x 120 mm and 3x 140 mm fans on the front of the case, and 1x 120 mm, 1x 140 mm fans on the bottom. The EVOLV Shift will retail for $110, while the Shift X brings that number up to $160.

Cooler Master took to the stage on Computex 2017 showcasing its solutions for every gamer's needs, from the RGB-crazed one to the serious, twitch-shooter.

On to keyboards first, we have the Cooler Master Masterkeys PRO L RGB, which manages to fit both Cherry MX switches and a full RGB solution that can radiate 16.7 million colors. There's also on-the-fly macros and profile support, with the Fn key getting a whole lot of love. All in a sleek, minimalistic design, if you ignore the screaming LEDs. The Masterkeys PRO S is essentially the same, but lacking the number pad. The Masterkeys S, on the other hand, eschews the RGB lighting, lacks profile support and on-the-fly switching, and also ditches the number pad. The minimalistic design is somewhat destroyed by the bright, screaming, angry red WASD keys, but there's no denying you'll be hard-pressed to confuse them with other, non life-saving movement keys.

Tesoro showed off RGB LED-equipped variants of its three popular gaming mice. The new Sagitta Spectrum, Sharur Spectrum, and Ascalon Spectrum (pictured in that order), feature RGB LED-lit lighting elements towards the base, scroll-wheel, and the company logo on the top. The Sagitta Spectrum features a 5,000 "true" DPI sensor, with 130 instructions per second (IPS), and 30G acceleration. The Sharur Spectrum is characterized by an LED diffuser towards its base, which lights up your mouse mat. It features a 4,000 DPI sensor. Finally, there's the Ascalon Spectrum, with its RTS-optimized design with a fixed thumb-rest, featuring a 6,400 true DPI sensor.

Tesoro showed off the second-edition of its Gram series gaming keyboard, the Gram SE Spectrum. This keyboard differs from its predecessor in taking advantage of Tesoro's in-house Optical switches, while the older Gram uses mechanical switches. Its electronics offer full NKRO (n-key rollover), letting you make any number of simultaneous key presses, and having them all register. An optical switch uses laser light obstruction to register a key-press, and is extremely accurate compared to electrical switches. It also offers higher lifespan than both membrane and mechanical (electrical) switches. Like the original, the Gram SE Spectrum features full RGB LED lighting, with a 16.7 million-color palette.

AMD recently cut the price of its current flagship desktop processor Ryzen 7 1800X from its USD $499 launch price to $469. At the time, it left prices of the Ryzen 7 1700 and Ryzen 7 1700X untouched. It looks like the two received small price-cuts as well. The Ryzen 7 1700X is now priced at $349 in leading online stores, down from its launch price of $399. The Ryzen 7 1700 (non-X), on the other hand, is now selling for $319, down from its launch price of $329. The two cuts may seem minor, but could help AMD turn up the heat against Intel's Core i7-7700K and its upcoming "Kaby Lake-X" Core i7-7740X and i5-7640X.

Based on the 14 nm "Summit Ridge" silicon, the Ryzen 7 1700 and 1700X are eight-core processors. The 1700 ships with clock speeds of 3.00 GHz, with 3.70 GHz boost, while the 1700X ships with higher 3.40 GHz clocks, with 3.80 GHz boost, and XFR, which adds a further 200 MHz to the boost clock. The Ryzen 7 1700 includes an AMD Wraith Spire RGB cooling solution, while the 1700X lacks a stock cooling solution.Update 03/06: AMD reached out to us and commented that this is not an official price-change. It could be implemented by local retailers or distributors.

Ballistix has announced the DDR4 version of their Tactical Tracer memory modules, with the new memory type allowing for the usual DDR4 speeds, starting at 2,666 MHz. Since these share the same brains as the non-RGB tactical modules the company already distributes, one can expect timings (CAS latencies of 15 and 16), speeds and voltages (starting at 1.20V) to be in-line with previous offerings. These include the usual tactical Tracer specs, including XMP profiles, a black PCB, and customizable heat spreaders. The RGB lighting allows users to tailor the look of their memory according to their chosen rig color scheme, while offering at-a-glance temperature control (blue is cool, red is not.) All RGB features are controlled through yet another RGB controller software: in this case, the Ballistix M.O.D. (Memory Overview Display) software.

The customizable heat spreaders don't stop on the RGB lighting options, though; actually, Ballistix is offering a removable module for the heat-spreaders that users can customize by 3D printing substitute parts. The company is providing the 3D printer design files on its website, though you should be able to build upon them with your own. This is one of the most interesting features of these modules, though I wager we'll see a much higher 3D printing penetration once those little machines that can get their pricing further reduced (make no mistake - 3D printing is one of the most promising consumer technologies. Pricing information is currently unavailable, though Ballistix said the Tactical Tracer DDR4 RGB modules will be available in Q3 - with a limited lifetime warranty to boot.

MSI showed off three of its premium-segment socket LGA2066 motherboards, the X299 Gaming Pro Carbon, X299 Gaming M7, X299 SLI Plus, and X299 Tomahawk. All four boards are based on a common PCB, with subtle variations to the designs of the PCH/VRM heatsinks, I/O shroud, and PCB paintjobs, besides some included accessories. Kudos to MSI engineers for minimizing R&D costs, let's just hope that these boards are priced within 10 percent of each other.

The board draws power from 24-pin ATX, 8-pin EPS, and 4-pin ATX (on some of the higher-end models). A 9-phase VRM conditions power for the CPU. Eight DDR4 DIMM slots, and four PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots are wired to the CPU. Three 32 Gb/s M.2 and one 32 Gb/s U.2 are common across all boards. Also common here is the Audio Boost IV onboard audio solution, with a 120 dBA SNR CODEC, audio-grade capacitors, and OPAMP. Some of the models feature just the one GbE interface driven by i219-V controller, some feature two; and some of the higher-end models such as the Gaming M7 and Gaming Pro Carbon even feature Killer 802.11ac+BT4.1 WLAN cards. The higher-end boards also feature a bigger spread of RGB LEDs. Pricing-wise, one can expect the X299 SLI Plus to be the cheapest, followed by the X299 Tomahawk, X299 Gaming Pro Carbon, and the X299 Gaming M7. We wonder why.

Swiftech today released the Apogee Drive 2 CPU water-block with integrated pump, which now comes with support for AMD socket AM4. A successor to the second-generation Apogee HD pump-block, the Apogee Drive 2 features increased surface area for heat dissipation to the coolant, and features a higher flow MCP35X integrated-pump, with hydraulic bearings. The G1/4 inlet and exhausts can turn within a 90° angle. The Swiftech logo ornament on top of the block features an RGB lighting element (simple 3-color). Besides AM4, the Apogee Drive 2 supports LGA2011(v3), LGA115x, LGA1366, and LGA775, besides other AMD sockets, such as AM3(+) and FM2(+). Available now, it is priced at US $138.95.

MSI is set to make a debut of their top-tier, latest-generation graphics card under the Lightning branding, the GTX 1080 Ti Lightning Z, at this year's Computex. The new Lightning Z makes use of three TorX 2.0 (the same the company uses on its TWIN FROZR VI cooling solutions) fans, though the tripled configuration is set to use the TriFrozr moniker. This generation of the Lightning line of graphics cards sheds its iconic yellow streaks, however, in favor a RGB-capable LED lighting which supports MSI's own Mystic Light. This graphics card also makes use of MSI's Military Class 4 components.

The next MSI graphics card, however, promises to be the most interesting product. Even though MSI's Gaming X lines of graphics cards and Twin Frozr VI coolers are already well-known, those are not the highlights of the 1080 Ti Gaming X the company will be presenting at Computex. Rather, it's its adoption of a USB Type-C connector that's worth talking. This is something that is long overdue, with some monitors already offering this choice of interface, which promises to be the end-all be-all of display protocols, since it can leverage DisplayPort, Thunderbolt and HDMI. Let's see if this move by MSI sets off a trend. We suppose it will, considering how the industry works

ENERMAX introduces NEOChanger, the world's leading RGB pump reservoir combo. NEOChanger is ENERMAX's 1st DIY liquid cooling product, featuring incredible RGB LED lighting that is designed to be controlled via either RGB-sync-ready motherboards or the included 3-in-1 remote control, which enables users to create their personalized lighting themes. Furthermore, NEOChagner incorporates the digital pump speed meter for users to easily identify the real-time speed in use and make adjustment via the remote control.

Compatible with RGB-sync-enabled motherboards with 4 pin header(s), NEOChanger allows its RGB lighting to be synchronized and controlled by motherboard's lighting control software or app, for users to customize their own favorite lighting styles. Moreover, NEOChanger also includes a remote control for users to choose and adjust RGB colors and lighting effects, which is the best solution for those who use standard motherboards without the RGB-sync support.

MSI expanded its Gaming series CPU cooler family with the new, larger, Core Frozr XL CPU cooler. This tower-type air cooler features a simple aluminium fin-stack heatsink covered by an ABS plastic shroud, and two 120 mm fans in push-pull configuration. The cooler features a nickel-plated copper base, from which eight 6 mm-thick nickel-plated copper heat pipes pass, conveying heat to the aluminium fin-stack. MSI innovated in giving the cooler motherboard clearance on two fronts - the heatsink itself is off-center, so it adds clearance to the topmost expansion slot on the motherboard.

Further, the fan can be elevated slightly, to add clearance to the memory slots or large VRM heatsinks. The fin-stack is capped off by a detachable cooler shroud, with an MSI Gaming dragon logo that's lit by RGB LED, controllable using MSI Mystic Light RGB software. The included fans feature 4-pin PWM inputs, fluid-dynamic bearings, spin between 500 to 1,500 RPM, pushing 19.79 to 71.27 CFM of air, with a noise output ranging between 17.2 and 33.6 dBA. The cooler supports all modern CPU socket types, including AM4, AM3(+), FM2(+), LGA2011(v3), LGA115x, LGA1366, and LGA775. Measuring 150.4 mm x 170.0 mm x 129.8 mm (WxHxD), the cooler weighs about 1,295 g. It is designed for thermal loads of up to 250W. The company didn't reveal pricing or availability information.

Raijintek today introduced the Aura 12 RGB case fans. These 120 mm fans are characterized by RGB LED lighting projected onto the impeller by an LED diffuser running along the bore of the frame. The RGB LED setup can produce up to 256 colors, which can be configured using the included control module. This module can also set lighting modes.

The impeller of the Raijintek Aura 12 RGB features a variable angle fan-blade design that is said to improve airflow. The fan features hydraulic bearing. The fan takes in input from the control module over a proprietary 6-pin connector, and spins at speeds of up to 1,200 RPM, with up to 39.8 CFM airflow, and a maximum noise output of 24.8 dBA. The frame features rubber padding along the mount holes to absorb vibration. The fan is also available in packs of three, sold as the Aura 12 RGB-3. This package includes a control module with three outputs. The company didn't reveal pricing.

ASUS today introduced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) STRIX X370-F Gaming motherboard, positioned below its flagship ROG Crosshair VI Hero, but above its Prime X370-Pro upper mid-range motherboard. Based on the AMD X370 chipset, and ready for socket AM4 Ryzen processors, the board is characterized by its RGB LED lighting chops. The VRM and chipset heatsinks feature RGB LEDs with diffusers, the board is peppered with status LEDs, and features RGB LED headers. The included ASUS Aura Sync RGB lets you orchestrate your LED setup.

Built in the ATX form-factor, the STRIX X370-F Gaming draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors. A 10-phase VRM conditions power for the AM4 SoC, which is wired to four reinforced DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 64 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and two reinforced PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slots (electrical x8/x8 with both populated), with NVIDIA SLI support. The third x16 slot is electrical x4 and wired to the chipset. Three other x1 slots make for the rest of the expansion.

Reeven, which has done some of the best price/performance air coolers in the market, has done the unthinkable: they've abandoned their yellow fan-blade design in favor of a RGB solution. Their Kiran RGB series ups their offerings in this field to five different products. Reeven is apparently (and smartly) covering all its bases with a product for every consumer, so let's hope this is just that and not a departure from their bold aesthetics choice.

The Kiran RGB LED fans sport eleven blades, in a design reminiscing of their Coldwing series. The Kiran RGB LED fits standard 120mm fan mounts, with its rounded frame and impeller blades made in a translucent white so as to diffuse the RGB LED lighting across the surface. The RGB LED Kiran fans will most likely be available with PWM and non-PWM options, and Reeven has stated that the price for each fan is set at $16.99 USD, which should place it as a sleeve-bearing fan. Expect more details to be revealed at Computex 2017, Reeven will have a presence to showcase its latest products.

PC cooling and peripherals innovator CRYORIG announces their collaboration project with NZXT, the software controlled RGB LED H7 Quad Lumi will be releasing this June. The H7 Quad Lumi is based on CRYORIG's award winning H7, the H7 Quad Lumi features a total of four 6 mm high-end copper heatpipes, NZXT CAM Powered Lumi Lighting System as well as a new QF120 1.600 RPM LED fan. Co-developed with NZXT, CRYORIG has managed to add a built-in RGB LED controller directly into the H7 Quad Lumi. Running on NZXT's CAM, the H7 Quad Lumi can independently control the logo and base lighting of the heatsink through CAM software and smartphone app.

Acer, a global leader in computer monitors, today announced the U.S. availability of the Acer ProDesigner BM320, a large 32- inch monitor producing brilliant 4K UHD (3840x2160@60Hz) visuals with professional-grade color. "We're pleased to offer this cutting-edge monitor primed to meet the high demands of graphic designers, film and video producers, animators and others who require optimum color precision and image quality," said Ronald Lau, director - stationary computing.

Outfitted with the Acer ColorPlus technology suite, the Acer ProDesigner BM320 ensures consistent color output in addition to sharper and clearer visuals. These technologies include built-in 100 percent Adobe RGB and 100 percent sRGB coverage for storing, producing and presenting a wide and accurate range of hues required for color matching across applications and print output. Providing the ability to adjust hue and saturation, 6-axis color adjustment lets professionals obtain the exact shade they prefer. In addition, super sharpness technology optimizes the quality of even low resolution images by slightly enhancing the edges.

Deepcool has announced a new line of CPU coolers which partake in the current RGB LED craze so as to induce crazed disco-dancing from whoever puts eyes on your glorious rig. there are apparently no differences in cooling performance from Deepcool's previously-released Captain EX, apart from the RGB lighting. The lighting on Deepcool's Captain EX RGB can be controlled through software available in some motherboard manufacturer's systems, such as ASUS' Aura, or through an included wired controller. Where these coolers deviate from the norm is that they not only include RGB lighting integrated onto the waterblocks, they also come bundled with an additional LED strip for your case.

The Deepcool Captain EX RGB comes in in 120 mm or 240 mm sized radiators, with one or two fans according to the model. They are compatible with all modern processors from AMD (including AM4) and Intel (including LGA2011-v3 and LGA1151), with both parts being rated for the same 150 W TDP. Tubing length comes in at 310~315 mm, and the fans are rated for 500 RPM at the lowest end (±200 RPM) to 1800 RPM on max speed (±10% RPM). The noise profile oscillates between a 17.6 dBA minimum and a 31.3 dBA maximum. The Captain 120EX RGB and the Captain 240EX RGB from Deepcool will be available starting next month for $99.99 and $129.99, respectively.

I'll turn the table on its head with this article, and start by its ending: if you are one of those users willing to spend $629 on a motherboard that carries all the bells and whistles and then some, the ROG Maximus IX Extreme is probably the product for you. And the opposite is also true. This is as premium a Z270-chipset motherboard gets, I'd wager. The integrated monoblock - which covers the CPU, VRM, and M.2 slot - was designed in collaboration with Bitspower, and features embedded temperature and flow-rate sensors as well as a built-in leak detector. It joins the usual staple of Z270 features: DDR4 support up to 4,133MHz, dual PCIe 3.0 x16 slots for SLI and CrossFireX, Thunderbolt 3, USB 3.1 Type-A/C, and the aforementioned M.2 socket, which is Intel Optane-ready.

The monoblock, IO cover, logo, and RGB headers feature RGB lighting effects such as breathing, strobing, pulsing, music effect, rainbowy, and... more. The RGB lighting can even be set to change color to reflect CPU temperature and load. Even the 3.5mm audio connectors are LED-illuminated. A sparkly Christmas tree finds itself floating through my mind, for some totally unrelated reason. ASUS' exclusive (well, "exclusive-ish") features make their way to this premium motherboard, such as the pre-mounted I/O shield, strengthened SafeSlot PCI Express slots, SafeDIMM memory slots, and a copper-plated PCB edge. Asus' Extreme Engine Digi+ is composed of NexFET MOSFETs, MicroFine alloy chokes, Digi+ PWM controller, and 10K black metallic capacitors. The Maximus IX Extreme also features 12 fan headers throughout its PCB are, as well as additional temperature and flowrate sensors for anyone who wishes to use two distinct cooling loops.

ASUS today introduced the Republic of Gamers (ROG) STRIX H270I socket LGA1151 motherboard in the mini-ITX form-factor. The board offers most of the feature-set of its more expensive sibling, the STRIX Z270I, minus some of its CPU overclocking features, and should hence be perfect for SFF gaming PC builders who don't intend to overclock their CPUs. It is based on a different PCB from its Z270-based sibling. The board draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the CPU using a simple 7-phase VRM (compared to the 9-phase setup on the STRIX Z270I). The CPU is wired to two DDR4 DIMM slots, supporting up to 32 GB of dual-channel DDR4 memory; and the board's lone expansion slot, a PCI-Express 3.0 x16.

Storage connectivity includes two M.2 slots (stacked on top of each other), one which has 32 Gb/s PCIe-only wiring with NVMe support, and another with 32 Gb/s PCIe plus SATA 6 Gb/s wiring; and four SATA 6 Gb/s ports. Networking is another interesting mix, with two 1 GbE interfaces, one driven by an Intel i219V controller, and the other by a Realtek RTL8111H; and a WLAN card with 802.11ac WLAN and Bluetooth 4.1, driven by an Intel-made controller. Audio is care of ASUS SupremeFX solution, which combines a Realtek ALC1220 (120 dBA SNR) CODEC with two headphones amplifier circuits, audio-grade capacitors, and ground-layer isolation. The board also features an RGB LED lighting element in addition to RGB LED headers, driven by its Aura Sync RGB software. The company didn't reveal pricing.

MSI today introduced its entry-level gaming-grade socket AM4 motherboard, the A320M Gaming Pro. This board is based on the same exact PCB as the A320M Grenade, but tops it up with slightly more premium black capacitors, a pitch-black PCB (compared to brown on the A320M Grenade) and MSI's signature dragon red color scheme for some of the slots and connectors. The board could be priced slightly above the A320M Grenade. The feature-set of the two boards, however, appears to be identical.

Built in the narrow micro-ATX form-factor, the A320M Gaming Pro draws power from a combination of 24-pin ATX and 8-pin EPS power connectors, and conditions it for the SoC using a 6-phase VRM. Expansion slots include one reinforce PCI-Express 3.0 x16 slot, and two PCIe gen 2.0 x1. Storage connectivity includes four SATA 6 Gb/s ports, and one 32 Gb/s M.2 slot. USB connectivity includes six 5 Gb/s USB 3.0 ports. 6-channel HD audio (Realtek ALC887 controller) and gigabit Ethernet (Realtek RTL8111H controller) make for the rest of it. The board features red LED illumination and RGB LED headers, which can be controlled using the Mystic Light app. Expect a sub-$80 price.

If you've ever wondered if you could get even more bling for your wrist area, and an RGB-crazed playground for your hairless rodent of choice, you need not look any further. SteelSeries has just announced availability of their QcK Prism mouse mat, which offers a psychedelic 360º of RGB illumination. All of this is powered by USB, but we do have an abundance of those on the back of our rigs (and in some of our monitors as well.)

This is achieved by a total of 12 separate, RGB-lighted zones, which integrate a 356.71 x 292.4 mm area (with 8.68 mm height.) The mouse sports a dual-sided, reversible design, with premium micro-textured cloth on one side (for added friction) and a hard polymer surface for faster gliding movements on the other. Users can just flip the side they want on top, laying it over the RGB-illuminated base to play with the surface resistance type that they prefer. It is also controllable via the SteelSeries Engine software and supports SteelSeries GameSense which will allow the QcK Prism to react to in-game events such as low ammo, health, kills, cooldown timers and more. Interestingly, SteelSeries pits its QcK directly against Razer's Firefly (I really like the "intuitive cable placement" selling point.) The SteelSeries QcK will be available to light your world for $59.99, or a murderous 75€.