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Zotac Showcases Mini GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Video Cards
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Zotac Showcases Mini GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Video Cards

Zotac, well known for its small form factor PCs, motherboards, and graphics cards, is showcasing a pair GeForce GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards at Computex. What’s so special about a couple of GTX 1080 Ti GPUs? The company claimed that, at just 8.3 inches (4.5 inches shorter than the company’s GTX 1080 Ti AMP Extreme), these are the world’s smallest GTX 1080 Ti graphics cards. Not only is the GTX 1080 Ti ArcticStorm one of the world’s smallest, but it’s also one of the lightest water-cooled video cards as well.

Zotac did not offer information pertaining to clock speeds, however it’s interesting to note that both cards feature dual 8-pin power connectors, which is more than a reference-clocked 250W card would need. So it’s not outside the ream of possibility that Zotac ships these cards with a factory overclock of some kind, despite their small stature.

Zotac GeForce GTX 1080 Ti Mini Cards
  GTX 1080 Ti Mini GTX 1080 Ti ArcticStorm Mini
Boost Clock N/A N/A
Memory Clock N/A N/A
VRAM 11GB 11GB
TDP >250W? >250W?
Length 8.3″ 8.3″
Width Double Slot Double Slot
Cooler Type Open Air Open Loop Liquid

In terms of design the GTX 1080 Ti Mini is outfitted with a custom dual fan cooler with aluminum fins and copper heatpipes for increased cooling capacity. The GTX 1080 Ti ArcticStorm Mini features a full cover water block that is compatible with an open-loop water cooling system that uses standard G1/4 type fittings. Both cards include a solid metal backplate that adds structural strength to prevent the card from bending and twisting.

Finally, pricing and availability have not yet been announced.

Steven Lynch contributed to this report

FSP Demonstrates Hydro PTM+ 1200 W: a Liquid-Cooled PSU with RGB LEDs
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FSP Demonstrates Hydro PTM+ 1200 W: a Liquid-Cooled PSU with RGB LEDs

FSP has demonstrated an ATX power supply unit with liquid cooling at Computex. The manufacturer claims that liquid cooling ensures that the PSU stays quiet even under high loads, while its customizable RGB lighting adds style to PCs. Although PSUs with liquid cooling have been demonstrated at various industry trade shows in the past as prototypes, they have never made it to the mass market. By contrast, FSP’s unit is farther along and looks likely to make it to retail.

The FSP Hydro PTM+ PSU is rated for a 100 A maximum load and 1200 W power, in line with many air-cooled PSUs. The power supply comes in the ATX form-factor (since it looks like a commercial product and even carries the 80 Plus Platinum badge, it is also likely compliant with the ATX12V v2.31 as well as EPS12V standards) and is 220 mm long. The power supply has a modular design as well as a 140 mm fan, but unlike in the case of regular PSUs, this fan will not speed up under high loads because key components of the power supply are cooled using a waterblock plugged to a loop that also cools CPU or GPU. FSP tell us that due to liquid cooling, its PSU should remain quiet even under high loads.

Power Specifications ( Rated @ Unknown °C )
AC INPUT 100 – 240 VAC, 50 – 60 Hz
RAIL +3.3V +5V +12V +5Vsb -12V
MAX OUTPUT 24A 24A 100A 3A 0,3A
120W 1200W 15W 3.6W
TOTAL 1200W

The Hydro PTM+ PSU is compatible with various custom-built liquid cooling systems. In its booth at Computex the manufacturer demonstrated an open liquid-cooled PC running its PSU, but it says that the unit can be integrated into any computer with a custom LCS, except, perhaps, machines that have a cage for storage devices near the PSU. Based on the demo system created by a famous modder, as well as the PSU’s customizable RGB lighting, FSP plans to offer the Hydro PTM+ primarily to the modding community looking for ultimate style.

Liquid cooling is usually used to remove heat from overclocked CPUs and GPUs without excessive noise. Meanwhile, overheating PSU components may generally signal of low efficiency of the power supply itself (tougher components designed for higher loads wouldn’t overheat). Nonetheless, the 80 Plus Platinum badge is supposed to tell us that efficiency of the FSP Hydro PTM+ product is rather high (albeit, at unknown temperatures). It is noteworthy that along the highlights of its product FSP also mentions something called “power overclocking technology”. Based on what the company told us, once LCS is applied, it “enables” the PSU to “handle a 1400 W output”.

Technically, any PSU has a peak power output that is higher than the rated maximum output, but they can only work at peak for a short period of time. Apparently, FSP allows its PTM+ to run at 1400W for longer periods, which basically means that this is a 1400 W PSU rated for 1200 W that got its 80 Plus Platinum badge at 1200 W. How high its efficiency is at 1400 W is unknown.

FSP Hydro PTM+ 1200 W PSU at Glance
Connector type Modular
ATX 24 Pin 1
EPS 4+4 Pin 2
PCI-E 6+2 Pin 4
SATA many
Molex ?
Floppy ?
Fan 140 mm
Dimensions 220 x 150 x 86 mm

FSP is still finalizing design of the Hydro PTM+ 1200 W and consequently has not announced when it might be available. The company is looking at $700 as a possible price point for the PSU, but depending how the company positions the unit, that number may go up or down. Given how special the product is, FSP may try to sell it to enthusiasts who want maximum performance and minimal noise and on that market high price tags are common. Alternatively, FSP may try to address the ultra-high end segment of the mass market PSUs and in this case it will have to slash the price and explain the end user why a liquid-cooled power supply is considerably better than a regular one.

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Best Laptops: Q2 2017
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Best Laptops: Q2 2017

Every quarter we like to take a look at the market and offer a summary for a quick recommendation list of laptops. Although there were no new CPU or GPU launches of note that will immediately impact the Q2’17 laptop lineup, there have been quite a few announcements this week at Computex could lead to a shakeup in the next edition when those devices find their way to market.

As always, we’ll break the guide down into several segments to serve various markets, from low-cost, to mid-range, to high end.

Low-Cost Notebooks

First up is the entry-level devices, and although they may cost less than the rest, that doesn’t necessarily mean they will be short of features.

Chuwi LapBook 14.1

If you’re after a mid-size notebook at an affordable price, it’s hard to go wrong with the Chuwi LapBook 14.1. It offers a 1920×1080 IPS display, which is somewhat of a rare find in this segment of 1366×768 TN laptops. It’s based on Intel’s Apollo Lake Celeron N3450, which is four Atom Goldmont cores that can go up to 2.2 GHz. 4 GB of Dual-Channel RAM coupled with 64 GB of eMMC storage make this a surprisingly capable notebook for the price, and although it’s plastic, the material has a great texture to it. This is one of my favorite notebooks of 2017 so far, and it sells for $270 USD.

Chuwi LapBook 12.3

Another Chuwi may seem like favoritism, but this company has been releasing some very interesting PCs for price-sensitive buyers, and the LapBook 12.3 continues the trend of the 14.1 by offering a lot of bang for the buck. Obviously, the name gives away the hint that this is a smaller notebook, but the 12.3-inch display is actually the same 3:2 2736×1824 panel found in the Microsoft Surface Pro, so it offers an impressive 267 pixels-per-inch in this laptop chassis. Like the LapBook 14.1, it’s also powered by a quad-core Celeron N3450 with Intel Atom Goldmont CPU cores, but the LapBook 12.3 bumps the memory from 4 GB to 6GB, while keeping the same 64 GB of eMMC storage. It’s relatively light at 1.45 kg / 3.18 lbs, but heavier than a more expensive Ultrabook would be. This was announced in early April but Chuwi just started shipping it this week. As of this writing, it’s on for $319.99, which is 23% off the regular price which should be around the $400 range. It’s a bit of a bump up from the larger LapBook 14.1, but with a metal chassis and higher resolution display, looks like a nice device.

Chuwi LapBook 12.3

Ultrabooks

Sleek, thin, and capable, Ultrabooks have defined the laptop over the last several years. There have been significant increases to batter life, display quality, and build materials across several lines, and every company now offers at least one laptop in this category.

ASUS ZenBook UX330UA

ASUS has a reputation of offering more for less, and the UX330UA follows in that tradition. It features a brushed aluminum chassis packing a 13.3-inch 1920×1080 IPS display, and it weighs in at just 1.18 kg / 2.6 lbs, so it’s very portable. This is a Core i5-7200U model, with 8 GB of RAM and a 256 GB SSD. ASUS also offers a keyboard with an impressive 1.5 mm of travel, and a fingerprint reader for Windows Hello. ASUS is generally quickly onboard with new standards too, and the UX330 offers a USB-C port, although it’s a Gen 1 version.

HP Envy 13

HP has really been upping their game over the last several years, and the Envy 13 is a sleek looking aluminum laptop. It’s a 1920×1080 IPS display, powered by a Core i5-7200U with 8 GB of memory and a 256 GB SSD. HP rates it for up to 14 hours of battery life, so mobility shouldn’t be an issue for the 1.5 kg / 3.3 lb notebook. Somewhat annoyingly, HP’s engineers decided to have the display lift the rear of the notebook up for “comfortable typing” but this is generally not ideal, so that’s something to consider if you prefer your keyboards flat, and your laptops to sit solidly on a table. The HP Envy 13 also includes a USB-C port, which is Gen 1 only, but still, it’s there.

Dell XPS 13

Dell’s XPS 13 has aged well, and it still offers one of the slimmest bezels on any notebook. The latest version features Intel’s Kaby Lake processor, and if you opt for the Core i7, you get the Core i7-7560U with Iris Plus Graphics 640, but if you need to hit a lower budget, the Core i5-7200U should provide good performance as well. The base model still comes with just 4 GB of RAM, so the jump to the 8 GB / 256 GB model is likely the best target for entry if looking at the XPS 13. The highest end models come with a beautiful 3200×1800 QHD+ display, compared to the 1920×1080 panel on the base model, but the lower resolution is easier on the battery. The webcam is still in an awkward location on the bottom bezel of this notebook, thanks to the thin top bezel, so if you’re a heavy webcam user this may be enough to dissuade you from considering this otherwise excellent laptop.

HP Spectre x360

HP’s design team created a very stunning notebook in the Spectre x360, and it’s certainly not form over function. The 13.3-inch display is 1920×1080, and it’s fitted into a narrow bezel giving it an edge-to-edge screen. The dark ash and copper color scheme on the aluminum is very striking, and it’s powered by the usual Ultrabook components in the Kaby Lake U series, with up to 16 GB of DDR4 and 256 GB or 512 GB SSD options. It’s also a 2-in-1, offering a flip-around display to function as a touch device. For those that want a larger laptop in the same Ultrabook form factor, HP also offers this as a 15.6-inch model with a UHD display and GeForce 940MX graphics. The larger model is 2.0 kg / 4.41 lbs, compared to just 1.31 kg / 2.89 lbs of the smaller 13-inch model, but both are very nice looking notebooks.

Razer Blade Stealth

At just 12.5-inches of display, the Razer Blade Stealth offers less display than most of the other Ultrabooks, and the larger bezels mean that it’s not a lot smaller either, but Razer’s Ultrabook certainly offers some great features for a reasonable price. Razer offers both a FHD Core i5 model with a 128 GB SSD for $899 USD, or a Core i7 model with an optional UHD display and 512 GB or 1 TB of SSD storage. The UHD display is 100% Adobe RGB, which isn’t ideal since there’s no color management available, but the pixel density makes it incredibly sharp. Razer still brings its gaming roots to the table too, with an individually lit RGB keyboard, offering almost limitless combinations of color, and external graphics support, in case you want to dock this using the Thunderbolt 3 port and add a desktop graphics card. It’s a very nice, light laptop, with the Razer traditional CNC aluminum chassis.

Microsoft Surface Laptop

Although this hasn’t quite shipped yet (as of this writing), it is available for pre-order now and will ship on June 15th. Microsoft’s Surface brand has some significant advantages over much of the competition, including individually calibrated 3:2 displays, which make them much better for content creation. The Surface Laptop also has an Alcantara keyboard cover, which should offer an interesting feel to the typing experience. There is a Core i5-7200U model, or you can opt for the Core i7-7660U with Intel Iris Plus Graphics 640 with 64 MB of eDRAM and 48 Execution Units on the GPU, up from the standard 24 Execution Units of the generic U series. The display is the same size as the Surface Book, at 13.5-inches, but the resolution drops a bit to 2256×1504, compared to the 3000×2000 of the Surface Book. The lower resolution is likely partially to keep costs down, and also to keep battery life in check. The Surface Laptop weighs in at 1.25 kg / 2.76 lbs, and will be the first laptop shipping with Windows 10 S. This will be a more restrictive version of Windows 10, only allowing Windows Store apps to be installed, but Surface Laptop buyers will be able to unlock Windows 10 Pro for free for the first year. The Surface Laptop will be available in four colors, starting at $999 for the Core i5/4GB/128GB model, and up to $2199 for the Core i7/16GB/512GB version.

15.6-inch Laptops

We’ve already mentioned the HP Spectre x360, since it has a 15.6-inch version, but for some people they need a bit larger computer, with a true quad-core CPU and possibly discreet graphics. The larger notebooks have the room for the additional cooling required for the 45-Watt quad-core processors.

Dell XPS 15

Dell took the winning formula with the XPS 13 and applied it to their larger XPS 15, and the result is a great looking laptop, which has a 15.6-inch display in a smaller than normal chassis. The latest XPS 15 9560 offers quad-core Kaby Lake CPUs, along with the latest NVIDIA GTX 1050 graphics, which is a big jump in performance over what’s available in any Ultrabook. You can get a UHD display with 100% of the Adobe RGB gamut as well, although the battery life takes a big hit with that many pixels, so the base 1920×1080 offering may be better suited to those that need a bit more time away from the power outlet. The keyboard and trackpad are both excellent, just like the XPS 13, and it features the same styling cues. The XPS 15 starts at $999.

Apple MacBook Pro 15

Apple has kept the same Retina display resolution for the newest generation MacBook Pro, but improved the color gamut to cover the P3 color space instead of just sRGB. They’ve slimmed the 15-inch model down a lot, making it only four pounds, and they’ve embraced the next generation of IO with USB-C and Thunderbolt 3. Unfortunately, they’ve completely abandoned the USB-A ports though, so be prepared grab USB-C versions of any peripherals you may need.

The 15-inch MacBook launched with Skylake quad-core CPUs, and feature an AMD Polaris GPU that can drive up to six displays, or, two of the new 5K displays that were announced as well, in addition to the laptop panel. Combined with the low profile and weight, and the latest generation MacBook Pro packs a lot of performance into relatively little space.

Apple has moved to the butterfly switch keyboard on this model as well, and they’ve added a touch bar instead of the function keys. Not everyone has loved the latest MacBook Pros, but if you’re after a new macOS device, these are the best offerings right now.