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Feast your eyes on the 5 best desktops of CES 2018

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Dan Baker/Digital Trends
Laptops and mobile gadgets of all kinds might be stealing the show at CES 2018, but there have also been some strong and delightfully unusual showings from desktop manufacturers. While they might not be as eye-catching as a pair of augmented reality glasses, these desktops are decked out with the latest hardware and impressive lighting rigs. Here they are, they best desktops of CES 2018.

Origin Millennium

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Dan Baker/Digital Trends

The 2018 Origin Millennium just might be the desktop to beat this year. We got to spend some quality time with it and really put it through its paces. This is a precision-engineered machine that is every bit as impressive inside as it is outside. Running an eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8700K, 16GB of RAM, two Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti graphics cards, the Millennium obliterated our benchmarks. Plus, all that hardware resides in a custom-made chassis with two smoky tempered-glass doors.

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Asus ROG Strix GL12

Asus
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A new entry in Asus’ strong lineup of Republic of Gamers-branded desktops, the ROG Strix GL12 features the latest hardware and a slick black exterior. The chassis features Asus’ proprietary Aura lighting system that’s capable of reproducing 16 million colors. Internally, the Strix features an unlocked eighth-generation i7-8700K processor, with a factory overclock of 4.7GHz. It will be available with graphics options including the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti.

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MSI Trident 3 Arctic

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The first of two impressive MSI desktops shown off at CES 2018, the Trident 3 Arctic bucks the trend of black-and-red styling and instead embraces a refreshing snowy white aesthetic. The whole PC is packed into a tiny set-top-box-style case that wouldn’t look out of place on your desk or in your living room. The compact Trident 3 Arctic features the latest eighth-generation Intel Core processors, and up to an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card.

MSI Infinite X

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A more traditional gaming rig than the Trident 3, the MSI Infinite X offers high-end hardware and promises unparalleled performance. The Infinite X features an unlocked eighth-generation Intel Core i7-8700K, 16GB of RAM, an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080Ti graphics card and a Silent Storm Cooling 3 Pro cooling system.

Digital Storm Project Spark

Digital Storm Project Spark
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In the mood for something a little different? The Digital Storm Project Spark has you covered. This is an ultra-compact gaming desktop with an unbelievable amount of power packed into its tiny chassis. Featuring a brand-new 5-by-7-inch motherboard from ASrock, the Project Spark is just 12 inches tall. Despite its size, Digital Storm managed to pack it to the gills with powerful hardware. It can be outfitted with an eighth-generation Intel Core i7 processor, Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 graphics card, up to 32GB of RAM, and even has room for up to three M.2 NVMe SSDs and one SATA SSD. At base specs, it will start at $1,300.

Maingear F131

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The Maingear F131 takes what a gaming desktop can be to its logical extreme. This thing is a custom-built, fine-tuned engine of destruction. Housed inside a custom chassis, the Maingear F131 is only as wide as it absolutely needs to be in order to fit the cooling setup inside. The cooling setup itself is something else. Custom-colored coolant flows through nickel-plated and crystal-clear PETG tubing, giving the Maingear F131 a unique look. It can be outfitted with an Intel Skylake-X 18-core processor, and just in case you want to go all out, you can cram two Nvidia Titan XP graphics cards in there. The Maingear F131 is highly customizable and starts around $4,775 for the “superstock” version.

Update: Added Maingear F131.

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Jayce Wagner
Jayce Wagner
Former Digital Trends Contributor
A staff writer for the Computing section, Jayce covers a little bit of everything -- hardware, gaming, and occasionally VR.
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