All of the big names in motherboards and graphics cards are present, as are the smaller ones?not to mention the obscure and the start-ups. Also visible everywhere is the presence of these companies' chip suppliers, including larger North American semiconductor firms like Intel, AMD, ATI, and NVIDIA. A line of Asian women dressed up as ATI's Ruby snakes between the convention center halls on motorcycles while a competing pack of NVIDIA-themed pixies hands out leaflets beckoning showgoers to a partner's booth. It's unintentional comedy gold, and it's also the best place on earth to see the latest in computer hardware.

TechReport