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COMPUTEX is always packed with product launches, flashy booth displays, and enough hardware to make any PC enthusiast’s head spin. This year, however, one of the most memorable experiences for me wasn’t inside the exhibition halls at all. Instead, it was MSI’s 40th Anniversary Exhibition, held at Warehouse 5 of Taipei’s Songshan Cultural and Creative Park.
Here’s a quick highlight reel of the location.
As someone who has followed MSI’s journey through countless motherboards, graphics cards, gaming laptops, and more recently AI-powered technologies, I was curious to see how the company would celebrate four decades in the industry. What I found was more than just a showcase of products. It was a walk through MSI’s history, present, and future all under one roof.
The experience began with what MSI calls the Pilot Portal. Before visitors even reached the main exhibition floor, they were greeted by three large immersive screens surrounding the entrance.
A short presentation condensed MSI’s 40-year journey into a fast-paced visual experience, highlighting major milestones, iconic products, and the company’s evolution from a motherboard manufacturer into one of the most recognizable names in gaming and high-performance computing.
From there, I stepped into the MSI 40-Year Milestone zone, which was easily one of the highlights of the exhibition. Seeing some of MSI’s earliest hardware up close was a reminder of how much the PC industry has changed over the decades. It also had the unintended side effect of making me feel very old.
The display featured classic motherboards dating back to the company’s early years, including products from the 286 era and some of the overclocking-focused boards that helped establish MSI’s reputation among enthusiasts. I’m ashamed to say, some of the hardware on display were a first for me to see too!
What really caught my attention was the contrast between those early products and MSI’s latest award-winning hardware. On one side were pieces of computing history. On the other stood the GeForce RTX 5090 32G LIGHTNING Z, a recipient of the COMPUTEX 2026 Best Choice Golden Award. You can have a look at this bad boy in our COMPUTEX video (the first one).
It was a visual representation of how far both MSI and the industry have come.
Moving deeper into the exhibition, I found myself in the Design & Manufactory section. This area focused on the behind-the-scenes work that goes into creating MSI products. Visitors could learn more about the company’s design philosophy, manufacturing processes, and testing procedures. While manufacturing exhibits don’t always sound exciting on paper, it was interesting to see how much emphasis MSI places on quality control throughout the entire production cycle.
It’s not cool or flashy, but it does offer an inside look at what goes on before your hardware finally gets shipped to stores and into your hands.
The Partnership Limited Edition zone was arguably one of the most crowded sections of the exhibition, and it wasn’t difficult to see why. MSI showcased several collaborations with popular entertainment franchises, blending gaming hardware with beloved characters and themes.
The debut of the Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End collaboration drew significant attention.
The hardware featured a thermal-reactive magic circle that changed appearance when temperatures reached 40 degrees Celsius, creating a unique visual effect. No Zoltraak animation sadly. Alongside it were collaborations inspired by Evangelion, Monster Hunter, and even Toy Story. As someone who appreciates both gaming hardware and pop culture collectibles, this section felt like a dream display for enthusiasts.
Next came the Business & Productivity area, which demonstrated that MSI’s ambitions extend far beyond gaming. The company showcased laptops, desktop systems, monitors, and accessories designed for professionals, creators, and educational environments. While gaming products often steal the spotlight, it was refreshing to see practical solutions aimed at productivity and workplace efficiency.
Of course, no MSI event (and this 40th anniversary showcase was no different) would be complete without gaming, and the Esports Arena delivered exactly what visitors would expect. This section was buzzing with activity throughout the day, with attendees trying out the latest games and competing on MSI hardware.
One of the biggest attractions was the opportunity to get hands-on with Resident Evil Requiem and Sonic Racing: CrossWorlds. Watching visitors queue up to experience upcoming titles while others battled it out on MSI Claw handheld systems created the kind of energetic atmosphere that defines gaming exhibitions.
I didn’t linger long here (because the place was filling up fast) so I never did get to go hands-on with the hardware despite having the games themselves.
Perhaps the most forward-looking section of the exhibition was the AI Lab. Artificial intelligence was a dominant theme throughout COMPUTEX 2026, and MSI clearly wanted to demonstrate its growing role within that space.
The display featured AI-powered laptops, desktop systems, enterprise solutions, high-performance servers, and even smart EV charging technologies.
One product that stood out was Lucky Claw, an AI assistant platform designed to simplify access to AI-powered tools and agents. The concept of making AI more approachable for everyday users was a recurring theme throughout the showcase.
The final display featured MSI’s limited-edition anniversary products, including the impressive Titan 18 HX Dragon Edition Draco Epic. Positioned as a celebration of MSI’s achievements and a symbol of its future ambitions, it provided a fitting conclusion to the exhibition.
As I made my way toward the end of the 40th anniversary exhibition, I arrived at the 40th Anniversary Area, which served as the grand finale. Here, visitors could redeem rewards, purchase exclusive merchandise, and take commemorative photos.
If you’ve completed stamping the passport that you got at the entrance, you get one free lucky dip chance.
I won one of the Lucky bobbleheads! The rest were from the white giftbag that MSI handed out to invited press.
The merchandise store was especially popular, offering a range of MSI-branded products alongside exclusive anniversary collectibles. One item generating plenty of interest was the Lucky Football Blind Box series, which encouraged visitors to collect hidden character variants.
Walking out of the venue, I couldn’t help but feel that MSI had achieved something few technology companies manage to do successfully. Rather than simply celebrating products, the exhibition told a story. It connected decades of innovation, highlighted the people and technologies that shaped the company’s success, and offered a glimpse into where MSI sees itself heading next.
For longtime fans, it was a nostalgic journey through some of the brand’s most memorable hardware. For newcomers, it was an opportunity to understand how MSI evolved into one of the industry’s biggest names. Either way, the exhibition served as a fitting celebration of 40 years of innovation and a strong statement about the company’s ambitions for the AI-driven future.
In case you guys wanted to see it for yourself, I also recorded a walkthrough of the whole event with an Insta360 X5 camera. Make sure to change the resolution to 8K for the highest visual quality.
Enjoy!
Salehuddin Husin, EIC
Sal's been in the industry since the early 2000s. He's written for a ton of gaming and tech publications including Playworks, Hardwarezone, HWM and GameAxis. Recently, Sal served as a juror for the Indie Game Awards at Taipei Game Show 2020. A geek and hardcore gamer, Sal will play everything, on any platform.
