Pro Gamers Group go big on performance-driven hardware at this year’s Computex
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Pro Gamers Group took center stage (literally) at this year's Computex event, positioned ideally in the center of Hall 2 with all the brand's latest and greatest innovations on display. While not everything at the organization’s showcase was brand new, they had a tonne of exciting new arrivals for gamers to get their hands on – including performance-tailored cases, newly designed fans, exciting keyboard prototypes, and an expansion into their ever-growing chair and desk ranges.
We spent a good couple of hours going round the booth, chatting to the experts, getting hands-on, and even having a beer to wash down what the brand had to offer. Here's the best of the bunch from Pro Gamers Group’s huge showcase.
HAVN's new BF 360
At the heart of the brand's showcase stood HAVN's new BF 360, the latest performance-tailored PC case for gamers. The new case features a bunch of fresh design features that aid in overall airflow and performance, while maintaining the best design and style features found in the brand's popular HS 420.
Speaking with Steven Levitt, Strategic Marketing Manager at Pro Gamers Group, it was clear the brand wanted to create something special with the BF 360, with the engineering team trialing what seemed like hundreds of variations for optimal cooling performance. The front panel, which now features a cool new stone design, went through over 50 variations before landing on the final design. It seemed like the oval rib design of the airflow holes took the most time to refine, as the brand wanted to ensure airflow was directed over the primary heat zones as effectively as possible.
Inside the case, Steven was quick to point out how the brand had optimized the angles of the case to better direct airflow over the core components, specifically the GPU. The air duct seems to be the biggest improvement in the BF 360, delivering air directly over the GPU thanks to its 135-degree angular design.
The main front and top panels use a magnetic style design with no screws for construction – resulting in an extremely intuitive experience that is great for beginners and enthusiasts alike. The case will also hit shelves with the brand's new H Series case fans which were also engineered with performance in mind, featuring a new wave design that increases airflow while reducing noise. While the fan's wave edge was the main difference here, the brand was quick to point out the guided design of the central portion of the fan, designed to better direct airflow with less resistance.
APNX unveils new LC1-D liquid cooler
While APNX also showcased a new glass case, the highlight had to be the new LC1-D liquid cooler. Like many brands at this year's event, the newest innovation here seemed to be the 4” IPS LCD screen they’ve added. The screen will now give users the option of displaying system vitals, images, or GIFs – all of which can be tweaked via the “Control Center App”.
The new cooler looks set to hit shelves in two primary colours – black and white – and will feature snap-fit connectors for a simplified installation process. A pure copper water block with a micro-channel design is said to maximize heat conductivity for a better cooling performance.
We played around with the brand’s app to see how easy it was to navigate – and thankfully, there were no issues. Changing the screen’s design was incredibly simple, as was adding new designs to the library of available options.
Ducky One X and new prototype
Ducky showcased its One X keyboard at this year's event, touted as the world's first rapid trigger keyboard with analog inductive switches. The keyboard will feature Ducky's QUACK mechanics+ design, featuring seven dampening layers for a unique, but increasingly popular, typing feel and sound.
The board will also feature a gasket-mount design, tri-mode connectivity, 85% high-density PBT double-shot keycaps, and a web-based software package for customization.
The highlight of the small Ducky booth, however, was the brand's Cushion 98 – a wireless mechanical keyboard that features a new innovative design for a lovely typing experience. Like other keyboards we saw at the event, the Cushion 98 will also feature a quick-latch top case for fast customization, alongside the brand's Shush hot-swappable silent switches.
We got hands-on with the Cushion 98, and while it felt pretty good to use, the Ducky rep was quick to point out that the showfloor models were only prototypes, so we could expect some refinements before their launch.
ThunderX3 launch new chairs and gaming desk
Alongside Noblechairs, ThunderX3 also unveiled a couple of new gaming chairs and a standing desk. For me, the highlight here was the new Flex PRO chair – a 19D chair engineered for comfort and adaptability.
I wasted no time in sitting in this thing, and it did not disappoint – easily one of the comfiest chairs I used at the event. I'm not totally sold on the whole “world's first 19D chair” marketing, but that took nothing away from the experience.
The chair will include an 8D self-adjusting headrest, backrest, and lumbar support, alongside 11D adjustability elsewhere to accommodate almost any body type. While many of the chair’s features can be found outside of the ThunderX3 range, I did enjoy the new 360-degree armrests, a nice feature for individuals who struggle to find comfort in less-functional alternatives.
Alongside this, the brand also launched the Lab-X gaming desk, a motorized standing desk with a height adjustment of 70-120 cm, respectively. The desk looks to deliver excellent modularity thanks to its DIY design – where addons can be added to the edge of the desk with relative ease. Additionally, users can install fans underneath a mesh section of the desk to aid in the cooling of their PC.
ThunderX3 also showcases its SOLO 360 gaming chair – a more cost-effective option for gamers on a budget. The chair didn't offer nearly as much functionality as the other chairs on display at the event – but that wasn't really the point here. The point was to display a comfortable chair that won’t break the bank, so features were thin here. That said, the 360-degree armrests made an appearance, as did a bunch of other adjustability.
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