In a fresh development, the devices news as of late might make you think so, what with the most recent headlines about “collapsing” motherboard sales—as much as 37 percent for individual vendors. Is PC building cooked?
According to the latest update, among the biggest four Taiwanese firms hawking mainboards—Asus, Gigabyte, ASRock, and MSI—all have seen steep drops in sales compared to 2025. Asus shipped 15 million mobos in 2025, but has only 5 million in 2026 so far. All four firms have revised their projections for this year, with ASRock facing as much as a 37 percent decline, Asus around 33 percent, and Gigabyte and MSI just shy of 25 percent. A Digitimes report (h/t Tom’s Infrastructure) paints a grim picture.
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As part of the ongoing story, perhaps one that bodes ill for the future? On this week’s show, The Full Nerd crew and I dug into that thought, both from the perspective of what surprised us and what we expect for the future. Frankly, I wouldn’t have been surprised if the numbers were a full 50 to 60 percent lower, given the pain of memory and SSD prices right now. Perhaps in part because it’s not the news that’s lingered on my mind this past week. An disclosure that my colleagues didn’t even comment much on: the most recent draft of the PCIe 8.0 specification, which is slated for a full drop in 2028. But is this a reflection of a substantial decrease in PC building?
According to the latest update, and in better times, my mind likely wouldn’t lock in on an incremental milestone, especially since nothing’s set in stone yet. I like looking over these numbers, though:. In fairness, discussing a specification makes more sense when it appears in actual devices (e.g., a graphics card…or even a fresh motherboard).
As part of the ongoing story, i’m not thinking about that just yet. When will we see PCIe 8 in a motherboard?
In a fresh development, or I could also keep in mind the silver linings living within the forecasts of the future. Because as it stands currently, I could bite my fingers nervously, anticipating a partial collapse of PC building.
As part of the ongoing story, that may not relate to DIY PC building, but when have we enthusiasts ever followed technology’s progression only for what will land in our hands immediately? I sure haven’t—though sometimes it means an excruciating wait that never pans out. (I’m glad OLED didn’t turn out that way, even if it took 15 years to finally become an affordable consumer option.). So sure, the PCI-SIG consortium has explicitly stated that this advancement will aid use cases like data centers and AI, as well as quantum computing.
As part of the ongoing story, i’d love for more enthusiast conversations to include these tiny sparks of light and hope, where we geek out about technology just for sheer love of it. I want smaller, faster, cooler, and more efficient devices to look forward to, even if I don’t immediately benefit; the thought is lifting my spirits during these confusing and chaotic times.
According to the latest update, but you know, even if I’ll never be an astronaut, it’s special to watch a space shuttle arrival. At least, this is what I tell myself, so that it’s more bearable when I get itchy to build a fresh PC and know that it’s just not in the cards right now. Don’t get me wrong—application to daily life matters.
Industry observers note that i expected feisty takes on Lian Li’s fresh wood sit-stand desks (which also double as a dual-PC chassis), but the tone was surprisingly live-and-let-live…no matter your desk setup.(Mine is currently a mix of multiple PCs squeezed around my monitors. Is it messy? Perhaps. But I’ve left my floor PC days behind me and I’m not looking back.). In this episode of The Full Nerd, Adam Patrick Murray, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, and Will Smith discuss the decline in motherboard sales, our hopes for Steam Controller accessories, and thoughts on desk setups.
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According to the latest update, fSR 4 will soon come to older Radeon graphics cards.
The report highlights that a fresh GPU could be on the horizon, too.Less pleasant, though? An exploit that neuters BitLocker protection in Windows 11, among other things. Despite a quiet stretch, a couple of pleasant surprises rose to the surface—like AMD’s plans to drop FSR 4 for older Radeon graphics cards.
Industry observers note that (Woot.) Also, not to be outdone, The Full Nerd show will hit episode 400 at the end of this month. I’m biding my time to see what throwbacks will fluster Adam once more. Speaking of milestones—we’ve now reached one full year of this newsletter!
As part of the ongoing story, this newsletter is dedicated to the memory of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and executive editor of devices at PCWorld.
According to the latest update, since joining the team in 2016, she’s written about CPUs, Windows, PC building, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and much more—while also serving as PCWorld’s resident bargain hunter (#slickdeals). Currently her focus is on security, helping people understand how best to protect themselves online. Her work has previously appeared in PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine. A 15-year veteran of technology and video platform releases journalism, Alaina Yee covers a variety of topics for PCWorld.