Tech giants including Samsung and Tencent sank in Asian trade on Tuesday, tracking a sell-off in their US rivals and dragging most regional markets lower.

While investors welcomed news that the US Senate had finally passed controversial tax reforms, the deal must still be reconciled with a House bill, while the probe into alleged Russian meddling in last year's election continues to dog Donald Trump.

The Dow closed at a record high on Wall Street but the Nasdaq tumbled more than one percent as dealers shifted out of the tech sector, which has enjoyed a healthy rally through the year, and into financial firms.

"The high-tech sell-off has worsened overall sentiment," said Toshihiko Matsuno, chief strategist at SMBC Friend Securities.