6 Hot PCs Ready To Hit The Market

Not Dead Yet

If there's a key message out of Computex 2016 in Taipei this week, it's this: The PC isn't dead. It's just changing. And of course, becoming less of an emphasis in the age of mobile devices. Gartner reports that the PC market is expected to total $122 billion this year, down a staggering amount from 2012, when the PC market reached $219 billion.

Bright spots can be found, though: The "ultramobile" premium segment is expected to grow in revenue this year, and the gaming PC market is highly profitable for manufacturers, Gartner said. Both of those trends are very much on display this week at the PC-focused Computex fair, and we've rounded up six of the major PC announcements, including the price and key specs of each device.

ASUS ZenBook 3

Achieving the killer combination of portability and power is the aim of this new laptop from ASUS. The ZenBook 3 measures 0.47 of an inch thick, thinner than the Apple MacBook (and just about everything else out there). It also weighs just 2 pounds -- there are some aerospace-grade aluminum materials at work here -- yet somehow ASUS has managed to get Intel's powerful Core i7 processor into the new ZenBook, as well as up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of SSD storage. On-the-go workers might also want to take note of the keyboard, which is full-size, backlit and features a key pitch that's identical to the average desktop keyboard, according to ASUS. The device starts at $999 but will run more for the higher-end, i7 model, and availability has not been disclosed.

ASUS Transformer 3 Pro

This mobile 2-in-1 (which comes with a backlit keyboard) is aimed at both "work and play" users, with similar specs to the ZenBook 3 -- an available Intel Core i7 processor, up to 1 TB of storage and up to 16 GB of RAM. The device, a competitor to the Microsoft Surface Pro series, comes with a 12.6-inch display with 2,880 x 1,920 resolution. The Transformer 3 Pro starts at $999, and availability hasn't been disclosed.

Digital Storm Aura

As mentioned, mobility isn't the only trend in PCs of the moment--gaming PCs are the other big opportunity. And thanks to Intel's new 10-core Extreme Edition i7 processor, Digital Storm has unveiled a new version of its Aura gaming PC. The all-in-one PC is anything but mobile -- it's got a 34-inch curved display with resolution of 3,440 x 1,440. Unsurprisingly, the new Aura is also far from cheap -- standard configurations run between $1,999 and $4,998.

Velocity Micro Raptor Z95

This new gaming PC also leverages Intel's new Extreme Edition i7 processor. The enthusiast-oriented computer also features the Nvidia GeForce GTX 108 for graphics, is built in an aluminum chassis, and starts at $2,079.

Dell Inspiron 5000 2-in-1

Getting back to the portable category, Dell introduced at Computex a compact new 13-inch version of the Inspiron 5000 2-in-1. The convertible laptop, which also comes in a 15-inch version, doesn't boast a lot of horsepower (the most powerful configuration is for an Intel Core m3 processor) but it does come with a 360-degree hinge similar to the popular Lenovo Yoga 900. The 15-inch version also aims to differentiate on style, with seven colors available. The 13-inch version starts at $499 and the 15-inch version starts at $549.

Dell Inspiron 7000 2-in-1

For users intrigued by the idea of a 360-degree, convertible laptop -- but who are looking for some power -- Dell also debuted three versions of the Inspiron 7000 2-in-1. Those are a 13-inch, 15-inch and 17-inch version ("the world's first 17-inch 2-in-1," in fact, according to Dell). In terms of power, the devices comes with options for Intel's sixth-generation Core i3, i5 and i7 processors, as well as up to 16 GB of RAM and up to 1 TB of SSD storage.

Price-wise, the 13-inch version starts at $749, while larger versions of the Inspiron 7000 start at $949 and $1,049, for the 15- and 17-inch versions, respectively. All three are available as of Wednesday.