At Computex 2024 in Taiwan, we’ve been wandering around the booths, looking at all the new products and PC components offered by various manufacturers. During our time here we headed over to the Gigabyte booth to look at the latest monitors and laptops, which seem to be a significant focus for Gigabyte this year. With massive developments in the monitor space from other major brands, we’re curious to see how they stand out compared to the competition.
Monitors aside, Gigabyte also showed off their new 16X and 17X laptops, along with a revitalised PROJECT STEALTH motherboard, competing with the ASUS BTF and PROJECT ZERO motherboards released earlier in 2024. As usual, with our Computex coverage, we’ll provide brief details on all the products and offer insight into our thoughts.
Gaming Monitors
Gigabyte MO34WQC2
The MO34WQC2 is a 34-inch QD-OLED display offering a 1440p resolution with a rated refresh rate and response time of 240Hz and 0.03ms, respectively. This monitor brings crisp visual fidelity and excellent brightness to the table while providing gamers with the speeds to win the next match. The MO34WQC2 is also VESA HDR certified, ensuring that colours are accurate and represented well in HDR content.
| Key Specs | Gigabyte MO34WQC2 |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 34″ |
| Max Resolution | 3440 x 1440 |
| Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
| Response Time | 0.03ms GtG |
| Colour Gamut | 99% DCI-P3 |
| Peak Brightness | 1000 nits |
| Contrast Ratio | 1500000:1 |
| Panel Type | QD-OLED |
| Display Inputs | 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 x USB Type-C (DP Alt mode) |
| Additional IO | 1 x USB Type-C (PD 18W) 2 x USB 3.2 Type-A Downstream 1 x USB 3.2 Type-B Upstream 1 x Earphone Jack 1 x Microphone Jack |
This monitor offers unique versatility features, allowing it to slide into an existing setup easily. The tactical switch, for example, is a dedicated physical button that can be used to switch resolutions, swapping to a 24-inch size, which can be helpful in specific gaming needs. This monitor also comes with a built-in KVM, a range of OLED care settings and additional gaming settings that can improve performance or visual quality.
Gigabyte AORUS FO32U2P
The AORUS FO32U2P is a 32-inch QD-OLED with a 4K resolution. This display is extremely fast, with a rated refresh rate and response time of 240Hz and 0.03ms, respectively. Like the MO34WQC2, the QD-OLED panel delivers uncompromising image quality and exceptional gaming performance, producing crisp and incredibly smooth visuals. With a contrast ratio of 1.5 million to 1, the AORUS FO32U2P accurately represents colours, making it a great pickup for those who produce colour-critical content.
| Key Specs | Gigabyte FO32U2P |
|---|---|
| Screen Size | 32″ |
| Max Resolution | 3840 x 2160 |
| Refresh Rate | 240Hz |
| Response Time | 0.03ms GtG |
| Colour Gamut | 99% DCI-P3 |
| Peak Brightness | 1000 nits |
| Contrast Ratio | 1500000:1 |
| Panel Type | QD-OLED |
| Display Inputs | 1 x Displayport 2.1 1 x DisplayPort 1.4 (out) 1 x mini DisplayPort 2.1 2 x HDMI 2.1 1 x USB Type-C (DP Alt mode) |
| Additional IO | 1 x USB Type-C (PD 65W) 2 x USB 3.2 Type-A Downstream 1 x USB 3.2 Type-B Upstream 1 x Earphone Jack 1 x Microphone Jack |
Gigabyte has also upped the ante regarding bandwidth, as this AORUS monitor uses the DisplayPort 2.1 UHBR20 standard, providing up to 80Gbps. This ensures a seamless experience with uninterrupted data flow. The FO32U2P offers a unique feature: it can daisy chain multiple video signals through a single cable. This allows you to plug in numerous monitors in a more organised setup.
Gigabyte AORUS FO27Q3
The AORUS FO27Q3 offers a similar design to its 32-inch counterpart, the FO32U2P, but decreases the resolution to 1440p and offers a whopping 360Hz refresh instead of 240Hz. The FO27Q3 has a QD-OLED panel, a built-in KVM and tactical features, and a DisplayHDR certification demonstrating its capability when HDR is switched on.
The 360Hz refresh rate is particularly impressive, but you’ll be limited to the capability of your graphics card, so mileage will vary in certain titles. The AORUS FO27Q3 is a solid monitor and will be a slightly cheaper option than the FO32U2P due to the lower resolution.
Gigabyte M27Q ICE
The Gigabyte M27Q monitor has been around for a while and was the world’s first KVM display. Gigabyte has revitalised the M27Q, but instead of using a black chassis, this display is white; hence, ‘ICE’ was added to the end of the name. Gigabyte’s ICE products and components are gorgeous, and because white monitors are such a rarity, the M27Q is a unique offering that very few manufacturers provide.
Gigabyte hasn’t shared many details on the specs front, but we imagine the M27Q ICE will be similar to its black counterpart with an IPS panel, a 170Hz refresh rate, and a 0.5ms response time. For those looking to build a white-themed setup, the M27Q ICE is a surefire pickup.
Gaming Laptops
AORUS 16X/17X
The AORUS 16X and 17X gaming laptops are super-slim, high-performance systems designed to be taken on the go. The AORUS 17X is the most powerful of the two, launching with a Core i9-14900HX CPU and RTX 4090 laptop GPU, designed to bring the most frames and quickest render times across various games and applications. While the 16X offers slightly weaker specs in comparison, equipped with an RTX 4070 instead of an RTX 4090, it still serves as a solid unit for portable gaming and light workstation applications.
The rest of the specs are similar across both models, apart from the screen size and WiFi support. The AORUS 16X uses WiFi 7 and a 16-inch screen rated at 165Hz. The AORUS 17X, however, uses WiFi 6E and has a 17.3-inch screen rated at 240Hz. Both laptops support up to 64GB of RAM with SO-DIMM expansion slots and have four USB ports across the left and right sides.
| Key Specs | Gigabyte AORUS 16X/17X |
|---|---|
| Processor | Intel Core i9-14900HX |
| Graphics Card | NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4070 Laptop GPU |
| Memory | 32GB DDR5 RAM |
| Storage | 2 x 1TB PCI-E Gen4 M.2 SSD |
| USB Ports | 1 x Thunderbolt 4 1 x USB 3.2 Gen2 Type-C 2x USB 3.2 Gen2 |
| Additional IO | 1 x HDMI 2.1 1 X Micro SD 1 x Audio Jack 17X: 1 x Mini DP 1.4 |
| Display | 16X: 16″ QHD (2560 x 1600) 165Hz 17X: 17.3 QHD (2560 x 1440) 240Hz |
| Networking | 16X: WiFi 7 17X: WiFi 6E 1Gb LAN |
| Operating System | Windows 11 |
| Battery Life | 99Whr |
PROJECT STEALTH Revival
Gigabyte B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE
PROJECT STEALTH is Gigabyte’s branding for the reverse connector design. With the launch of ASUS BTF and MSI PROJECT ZERO earlier in 2024, Gigabyte has seemingly decided to revive its PROJECT STEALTH components. The most significant benefit to these new boards is that they use the back connector design, where all the power connectors and headers have been shifted to the rear of the PCB, resulting in better cable management and a cleaner look.
The B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE is particularly tempting because it is one of the world’s first genuinely white motherboards, which also uses a white PCB. Gigabyte hasn’t provided a mass of detail on the specs, but from a glance, the board looks to be using the new standard for WiFi, where the antennas click in instead of being screwed in. The B650E AORUS STEALTH ICE also comes with 2.5 Gigabit LAN, four USB 2.0 ports, a smattering of USB 3.2 Gen1 and Gen2 ports, and a USB Type-C port. Pricing on this model is expected to be between $299 and $329, which is a pretty reasonable ask considering the feature set and design.
