Awesome Computers

A versatile and affordable gaming laptop. The Nitro 5 Spin has a 15″ 1080p touchscreen and a 360º hinge so you can set it up in various ways, including as a simple tablet. But unlike most hybrids it can run most modern games thanks to its GTX 1050 GPU. Drops 10/2017 for $999.

The HP Omen X laptop can be equipped with a Core i7-7820HK CPU, up to 32GB RAM and GTX 1070/1080 GPU that can all be overclocked. It also has tons of cooling and vents, a 1080p or 4K G-Sync display and a programmable backlit mechanical keyboard. Drops 11/2017 for $1200+.

Chase Cobb’s prototype handheld PC only has a Core i3 6300 U with Intel HD 520 integrated graphics (the same CPU in these laptops), but it’s good enough to play many modern games such as Overwatch and Rocket League, and handles Xbox One streaming really well.

TheSorryGirls show us how to make affordable and easily removable skins for your laptop, smartphone and more. The project involves printing a high resolution image on printable vinyl and sealing it with protective film.

The latest version of HP’s laptop-tablet hybrid has a 12.3″ 3000×2000 touchscreen, a stainless steel kickstand, two USB-C ports, a microSD ports and comes with a keyboard and digital pen. It can be maxed out with a dual-core Core i7 2.4GHz CPU, 16GB RAM and 1TB SSD.

Huawei’s new ultraportable laptop has a nearly bezel-less 13.3″ 2160×1440 display, loud and clear Dolby Atmos speakers, two USB-C ports, 7th gen Core i5/i7 CPU, 4GB/8GB RAM, 256GB/512GB storage and a spill-resistant keyboard. Drops soon for $1000-$1200.

Students at Carnegie Mellon University’s Future Interfaces Group proposed a computer interface that is meant to be projected or displayed on a desk. Aside from responding to touch, apps or windows can also latch onto or avoid objects to maintain visibility.

The Gaming Box is an external GPU case that’s pre-installed with a mini ITX GTX 1070. It also has HDMI, DisplayPort, DVI, and 3 USB 3 ports. It will work with computers that have a Thunderbolt 3 port, including the new MacBook Pros and the Intel NUC. Drops soon for $599.

Glitchcatcher. Artist Leonardo Ulian’s Technological Mandalas are large mandalas made of electronic components such as computer chips, capacitors and solder. You can see more of his work on his website and Instagram account.

The Area-51 PC retains its cool, cavernous and colossal chassis, but Alienware’s flagship PC can soon be maxed out with either AMD’s Threadripper or Intel’s Core X – CPUs that can handle intensive gaming, streaming and video processing at the same time.

Razer’s ultrabook now comes in two screen sizes: the original 12.5″ and a new 13.3″ screen with thin bezels. It also has a new second color scheme – dark gray with a non-glowing Razer logo on the lid and only a white backlight for its keyboard. It also works with the Razer Core.

A smartly designed aluminum case for DIY PC builders, designed by CRYORIG and built by Lian Li. The TAKU provides a home for a Mini-ITX motherboard and all of its components in a minimal, easy-to-upgrade enclosure that doubles as a monitor stand. (Thanks Ben!)

It looks like a small pachinko machine, but the Turing Tumble is actually an educational puzzle toy that mimics and demonstrates how computers think. It comes with a book filled with puzzles for everyone from beginners to seasoned software engineers.

At just 0.7″ thick and weighing only 4.9lb, the Zephyrus is the most portable laptop that can be equipped with NVIDIA’s flagship GeForce 1080 GPU. A massive front grill and a built-in stand that pops out when you open the laptop provides ample cooling. Drops 6/27/17.

ASUS’ new productivity machine weighs just under 4lb and is only 0.74″ thick. But it packs the latest Core i7 CPU, a GeForce GTX 1050 or 1050Ti GPU, a 1080p or 4K screen, up to 16GB of RAM, up to 1TB SSD and a 14h battery. Drops 7/2017 starting at $1299.

What could have been the Surface Pro 5 does away with the numbers. The new model has a more versatile hinge, up to 2.5x faster CPU, quieter cooling, and up to 13.5 hours of battery life. It’s compatible with the Surface Dial and the new Surface Pen is much more capable.

Gigabyte’s 15″ workhorse laptop. The Aero 15 has a nearly bezel-less 1080P/4K display (the exact same panels used in the Dell XPS 15) that’s been pre-calibrated to Pantone certifications, a 5GB GTX 1060 GPU, 10h battery life and user upgradeable RAM and SSDs.

Origin’s “entry level” gaming laptop is no slouch. The Eon 15-S comes with a 15.6″ 1080p matte display, a 4GB GTX 1050 Ti GPU, choices of dual-core i3, quad-core i5 or i7 CPUs, 8GB+ RAM, 120GB+ SSD and a 500GB+ HDD. And it comes with Origin’s free lifetime support.

The QcK Prism only features colorful RGB LED illumination, and has two different surfaces, cloth on one side for friction, and a smooth-gliding polymer on the other. The 12 LED zones can be programmed to display colors based on in-game events like low health or ammo.

The latest version of Razer’s 17″ laptop has a Core i7-7820HK CPU, 32GB RAM, dual SSDs in RAID 0, GTX 1080 GPU, low-profile mechanical keyboard, 100% Adobe RGB 4K touchscreen with G-Sync, THX-certified 3.5mm audio out and more.

Austin Evans takes a look at the GPD Pocket, a ridiculously compact laptop which runs Windows 10 or Linux on a system about the size of a sketch book. Its 7″ 1920×1200 touchscreen display looks great, but it would take some getting used to that teensy keyboard.

A PC chassis that cools CPUs and GPUs more than most solutions, and without using any moving parts – no fans, no pumps – or electricity. Calyos’ proprietary vapor cooling system uses capillary action to cycle its refrigerant through its gigantic radiators.

A limited edition of MSI’s small form-factor gaming PC, decked out in snowy white, packing an Intel Kaby Lake Core i7-7700 3.6 GHz CPU, and GeForce GTX 1070 graphics, making it powerful enough to run VR games. Front USB 3.1 and HDMI ports make VR setup a breeze.