WTF?! Computex 2024 has been all about AI PCs, but that conversation has almost exclusively focused on laptops so far, with desktops still further out on the horizon. MSI used the event to showcase a high-end desktop AI PC slated for release later this year that might include upcoming Intel and Nvidia hardware. However, its most unique feature is a massive touchscreen on the front of the chassis.

The MEG Vision X AI is one of several products MSI presented at Computex this year. The company lists all the features typically associated with AI PCs when describing the gaming tower, but the vertical 1080p touchscreen on its case is likely the real standout feature.

Positioned on the front of the tower, the display functions as a second screen in portrait mode, allowing users to move any window to it. The PC operates the screen using Intel integrated graphics, freeing up the dedicated graphics card to focus on the main display.

Aside from typical second-screen use, the touchscreen provides quick access to critical system functions through MSI's software. It can display diagnostics, start favorite apps through shortcuts, control voltages, set fan speed, and more. Additionally, the 10-point touch functionality extends to normal Windows use, allowing it to control videos or browser windows.

True to its name, the MEG Vision X AI will also include onboard generative AI features similar to those in the recently unveiled AI PC laptops running on Qualcomm Snapdragon X, Intel Lunar Lake, or AMD Strix Point processors. On-device software from MSI will add chatbot, image generation, and gaming optimization functionality without relying on the cloud, and the PC will employ all of Copilot's NPU-powered features.

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However, the company hasn't fully revealed what hardware is under the hood, leading to speculation that it might use yet-to-be-released next-generation chips when it launches in the fourth quarter of 2024. MSI told Tom's Hardware that the Vision X AI will feature the "latest" Intel and Nvidia parts upon release.

Intel is expected to unveil and release Arrow Lake desktop CPUs later this year with full support for Copilot and other generative AI workloads. Meanwhile, Nvidia's RTX 50 graphics cards might emerge in late 2024 or early 2025. Nvidia claims that AI runs far better on its GPUs than on NPUs and recently introduced an AI assistant with performance optimization functionality similar to MSI's.

Image credit: Tom's Hardware