Reviewers tested the updated GEEKOM A9 Max Mini-PC powered by AMD's Ryzen AI 9 HX 470 processor, though single-channel RAM still throttles the integrated Radeon 890M graphics. AMD also introduced the Strix Halo developer platform featuring the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 chip, positioning it as a direct rival to NVIDIA's DGX Spark and Apple's Mac Mini. AIO liquid coolers from CPS PCCOOLER and Xastra bring high-resolution LCD panels and retro ARGB matrix lighting to the thermal market, while the AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE continues to draw attention in 1440p gaming benchmarks. The roundup also covers the Epomaker TH80 V2 mechanical keyboard and a GIGABYTE X870E board featuring genuine wood accents, rounding out a week of desktop and workstation hardware testing.
Computers: GEEKOM A9 Max (2026 Update) Review, Ryzen AI Halo Review: AMD's DGX Spark And Mac Mini Challenger Tested, AMD Ryzen AI Halo review: AMD builds a DGX Spark of its own
Cooling: CPS PCCOOLER GT360 ARGB & DT360 ARGB High Performance AIO CPU Coolers Review, Xastra ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK Liquid CPU Cooler Review
Graphics Cards: AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Video Card Review
Input: Epomaker TH80 V2 Review
Motherboards: GIGABYTE X870E Aero X3D Dark Wood Review - A woody goody
Computers:
TechPowerUp: GEEKOM A9 Max (2026 Update) Review
The GEEKOM A9 Max 2026 updates last year's impressive Mini-PC with AMD's refreshed Ryzen AI 9 HX 470, while maintaining the same compact metal chassis and port selection. Unfortunately, it ships with single-channel memory, which limits the performance of the Radeon 890M GPU.
HotHardware: Ryzen AI Halo Review: AMD's DGX Spark And Mac Mini Challenger Tested
After giving the world an initial glimpse of the system back at CES 2026, a few weeks ago at Computex, AMD CEO Lisa Su launched the AMD Ryzen AI Halo developer platform. There was mounting pressure on the company to produce an AI-focused mini workstation like that of NVIDIA's DGX Spark with its Grace Blackwell GB10 processor, and it turned out AMD had what it felt was the right hardware all along. Dubbed Strix Halo, the Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor has all the CPU and GPU compute power needed and an ample pool of high-bandwidth LPDDR5x memory.
Ryzen AI Halo Review: AMD's DGX Spark And Mac Mini Challenger Tested
Tom's Hardware: AMD Ryzen AI Halo review: AMD builds a DGX Spark of its own
If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em
Cooling:
NikKTech: CPS PCCOOLER GT360 ARGB & DT360 ARGB High Performance AIO CPU Coolers Review
A pair of display‑driven 360mm coolers that push hard on performance and polish, the GT360 ARGB and DT360 ARGB show just how far CPS PCCOOLER has come. Strong thermals, ARGB lighting, clever LCD integration and surprisingly tempting price tags make both units stand out.
CPS PCCOOLER GT360 ARGB & DT360 ARGB High Performance AIO CPU Coolers Review
ThinkComputers.org: Xastra ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK Liquid CPU Cooler Review
Recently, we have seen an explosion in the number of AIOs that feature high-resolution LCD displays on their pump housings. It's now commonplace to see offerings of large screens, curved screens, and more replacing LED lighting accents and plain pump housings altogether. Xastra has taken a bit of a different approach with their ASTRA LZ360 ARGB. This AIO eschews modern, high-resolution imagery for a retro, low-resolution kick of nostalgia via ARGB LED matrix displays on the pump housing and fan bodies. This design language sets the ASTRA LZ360 ARGB out from the pack.
Xastra ASTRA LZ360 ARGB BK Liquid CPU Cooler Review | ThinkComputers.org
Graphics Cards:
The FPS Review: AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Video Card Review
AMD Radeon RX 9070 GRE Review with AVG FPS, 1% Lows tested, in 13 games, at 1440p Native Resolution, FSR Upscaling, and Ray Tracing, with several comparisons.
Input:
APH Networks: Epomaker TH80 V2 Review
Have you ever heard of the quarter life crisis marathon? For those of you who are not familiar, there seems to be a phenomenon where people in their late 20s or early 30s start running marathons as an antidote for their quarter life crisis. This seems to be a healthy outlet for those combating whatever issues may be in their life. Why am I talking about this? Apparently, I have hit my quarter life crisis a bit early and have begun my running journey. Why am I doing this? Could it be the fear of career stagnation? Yes, it absolutely is, and I will not even deny that. For me, it is about being able to grow in areas I can control. Working on my personal fitness has started out to be a fun and challenging journey with a lot of excitement ahead. I have friends in my community encouraging me and pushing me to go further. It is really nice having the comradery surrounding me to help me grow. I honestly believe it would be so hard to keep going without the support I have, as I find myself feeling discouraged if I am not seeing immediate progress. The reminders to be patient and the constant push to do more than I thought I could do is exactly what I need to grow. I am continuously growing my discipline to continue on this journey, just like how Epomaker continues to remain disciplined in further developing their keyboards with the TH80 V2. Will this keyboard show the progress for all of Epomaker’s efforts? Keep reading to find out!
Motherboards:
TweakTown: GIGABYTE X870E Aero X3D Dark Wood Review - A woody goody
Glorious wooden highlights, strong performance, and excellent connectivity options make this a board that's very hard to beat in its price range.
