Medion Signium 27 S1: One-minute review

I'm a big fan of all-in-one (AIO) PCs, so I was pretty eager to get my hands on the Medion Signium 27 S1. I've long been a big proponent of the idea that we need more budget options in the PC hardware market, and with the current pricing crisis surrounding PC components like RAM and GPUs, reasonably priced systems are more important than ever.

Unfortunately, my excitement to review the Signium 27 S1 may have been somewhat misplaced. This certainly isn't a bad AIO desktop, offering decent (if unspectacular) performance in a clean, compact design. But there are a few too many small flaws here that make it difficult for me to recommend it wholeheartedly; if you're looking for one of the best all-in-one computers, this probably isn't it, though I do still think it can fill a certain niche in the market.

For the uninitiated, Medion is a German electronics company that cut its teeth producing budget PCs and notebooks in the 2010s and was recently purchased by Lenovo (whose leadership appears content to let Medion keep doing what it was already doing). I've tested some of Medion's gaming laptops in the past, and while they rarely wow, they're typically pretty good in terms of value for money.

And to be fair, the Signium 27 S1 is indeed good value for money. Its design language (particularly of the bundled keyboard and mouse) is clearly meant to evoke the Apple iMac 24-inch M4, and if you're only looking to do basic everyday tasks on your PC, it can offer a similar experience to Apple's excellent AIO for a far lower price. But if you crave the high-end build quality of Apple hardware or want a PC that can handle more demanding workloads, this won't be the right one for you.

Medion Signium 27 S1: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting at $875 / £649 (around AU$1,250)
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

With a starting price of $875 / £649 (around AU$1,250), the Medion Signium 27 S1 is aggressively positioned in the all-in-one PC market, undercutting similar offerings from the likes of Lenovo and MSI.

There are a few different configurations available, which seem to vary greatly from region to region. My review unit uses an Intel Core 7 240H, while the cheapest configuration available uses the Core 5 210H. 1TB of storage comes as standard, which is very nice for the price, with 16GB of RAM in the lowest configuration and 32GB in my review model.

The closest comparison is the HP OmniStudio X, which costs $830 for the 27-inch 1080p configuration with an Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU. The HP AIO offers superior build quality and very marginally better performance, which makes it a more attractive option for US shoppers – but Medion wins in Europe and Australia, since that super-budget configuration of the OmniStudio X is only available in the US.

The only real problem with the Signium 27 S1 from a purchasing standpoint is availability. It's available exclusively through Aldi (yes, that Aldi) in the US and Australia, which means the prices above are pretty much just guidelines since Aldi retains the power to adjust the price on a per-store basis – though of course, you may well find one for cheaper. Fortunately for UK consumers, you can get it through Amazon or directly from Medion's website.

• Value: 4 / 5

Medion Signium 27 S1: Specs

Medion Signium 27 S1: design

• Sleek design with easy assembly
• Limited range of screen movement
• Solid port selection

Gone are the days when AIO PCs were chunky, ugly devices. Now even a budget all-in-one can look good – and the Medion Signium 27 S1 certainly does look good.

Things do begin to fall apart a little once you actually touch it, though. The three buttons on the underside of the display are unsatisfyingly spongey, and although the base is solid metal and feels fairly durable, the rest of the device (including the keyboard and mouse) is made of cheap-feeling plastic. The mount is also very limited, only allowing for a small range of tilt with no height or rotation adjustment.

Still, there are several redeeming features here. The whole thing is very easy to assemble and start using, and the port selection is good for a PC in this price range, with a USB-C and USB-A on the side of the unit for easy access plus another USB-C, three more USB-As, Ethernet, and HDMI inputs and outputs – meaning you can either connect a second display for productivity, or use the whole device as a dumb monitor for a different system.

The webcam is merely passable, providing 1080p recording with pretty washed-out colors. It'll work for Zoom meetings, but don't expect to look good. On the bright side, there's both a physical camera shutter and a kill switch (which is a little redundant) for privacy purposes.

The display is decent enough, more than capable of handling everyday office tasks, and built with nice slim bezels. With a resolution of 1080p, a 60Hz refresh rate, and decidedly average color reproduction, it's not great for gaming or watching movies. The maximum brightness is fine, but again, it could definitely be better. Unsurprisingly, this monitor doesn't support HDR.

The IPS panel used here has a good-quality anti-glare coating, which helps offset the lackluster brightness; I had no problems using it in a brightly-lit room in the middle of the day. Strangely, the display can actually be raised to a 73.5Hz refresh rate, but doing so immediately knocks the resolution down to a blurry 720p, so 60Hz is the effective maximum (as listed on the spec page for the Signium 27 S1).

Surprisingly, the Signium is upgradable, with the option to remove the back panel and swap out the RAM and SSD for higher-spec components should you so desire. My review unit wouldn't really benefit from this kind of bump in performance terms, but being able to add more storage is definitely a plus.

Lastly, the Signium 27 S1 comes bundled with a keyboard and mouse, both of which are clearly meant to evoke the aesthetic of Apple's Magic peripherals. They're absolutely nowhere close to Apple's hardware in terms of quality, immediately feeling cheap and tacky under the fingers.

They work, but they're undeniably very far from any of the best keyboards and best mice, especially the keyboard, so you'll most likely want to consider upgrading unless you have a high tolerance for poor-quality technology.

• Design: 3.5 / 5

Medion Signium 27 S1: Performance

• Good performance for basic workloads
• Ill-suited for gaming and creative tasks
• Sound quality is poor

Without beating around the bush, the performance on offer here is merely alright. If you want a svelte all-in-one desktop for basic office tasks like web browsing, word processing, and video calls, then it can get the job done very competently. It comes with Windows 11 as standard and the usual free trial of Microsoft 365.

I found that for my straightforward work, the Signium 27 S1 was very responsive and effective, giving me no noticeable slowdown or issues with productivity. Once I swapped out the mouse and keyboard for something more amenable to my tastes, I actually quite liked working on it.

But for more demanding tasks, like gaming or creative workloads, the Intel Core 7 240H falls short. You can squeeze a bit of casual gaming out of it by tweaking down the graphical settings and using resolution upscaling tools like AMD FSR or Intel XeSS, but don't expect to be playing Cyberpunk 2077 on this PC.

Creative tasks offer similarly lackluster performance. While the Signium is arguably capable of low- to mid-level 3D rendering, digital art, and video processing, it's really not ideal for that sort of work. While not part of our standard benchmarking suite for AIO PCs, I fired up Canva and Photoshop during my testing period and found that it really started to struggle once numerous layers were involved.

Finally, you'll want to get your hands on a decent headset or a set of the best computer speakers if you have any intention of playing audio via this PC. The integrated speakers are weak and tinny with poor noise cancelling, more or less hopeless for anything beyond very basic video playback.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Medion Signium 27 S1?

Buy the Medion Signium 27 S1 if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If my Medion Signium 27 S1 review has you considering other options, here are two other AIO PCs to consider...

How I tested the Medion Signium 27 S1

• Tested for one work week
• Used it for productivity and gaming
• Ran it through our standard benchmarking suite, plus some extra tests

I used the Medion Signium 27 S1 as my regular work system for one week, swapping it out for my everyday desktop at home and using it for the usual range of work I do for TechRadar: online research, video calls, and writing reviews like this one.

I also ran our usual selection of benchmark tests (which you can see in the Performance section of this review) as well as firing up some extra programs to do further testing, including Canva, Photoshop, and Cyberpunk 2077 (which ran very poorly, no surprise there).

I've been reviewing PC hardware for more than eight years, testing all kinds of products from desktop computers to individual peripherals. I put every bit of my industry experience into my review process, so you can trust that it's both accurate and impartial.

• First reviewed July 2026

• Microsoft has blocked Secure Boot updates on some devices
• There have been issues with some devices updating from the 2011 certificate to the latest 2023 certificate
• Some older devices or those not supported by their OEM may be restricted in downloading the latest Secure Boot certificates

Microsoft has blocked some Windows 11 PCs from installing Secure Boot updates due to known issues with certificate updates.

The company is currently rolling out an update for Secure Boot on devices using certificates issued in 2011, which are now expired. The new 2023 certificate is being applied through Windows Update, but issues on devices with faulty firmware have forced Microsoft to halt the rollout.

“Devices in this group are affected by a known issue. To reduce risk, Secure Boot certificate updates are temporarily paused while Microsoft and partners work toward a supported resolution,” Microsoft said.

Secure Boot issues

Secure Boot has long been a device-saving feature when it comes to removing malicious files, as it allows the device to verify and load only authentic software before booting to Windows. However if the device cannot receive certificate updates it can fall victim to threats at the boot-level before Windows is loaded.

Microsoft is currently working with manufacturers to issue a patch that will allow affected devices to install the new Secure Boot 2023 certificate, with HP issuing a BIOS update to allow the installation of the latest certificate.

What this means in practice is that some older devices, or devices that no longer receive updates via their Original Equipment Manufacturer (OEM), will not be able to apply Secure Boot and Boot Manager protections. Microsoft clarified that, “this results in a gradual reduction in long-term security—not an immediate risk or system failure. Continue to follow standard security practices, including staying current with Windows updates.”

So even if your device is blocked from installing the latest Secure Boot certificate, it will continue to work properly, other Windows updates will continue to work, and your Secure Boot version will continue to protect against known vulnerabilities. It’s just future vulnerabilities that users affected by this issue will need to be aware of.

Many users may not be aware of issues until they need to use Secure Boot, so the silver lining in Microsoft’s warning is that now is the perfect time to check if your Secure Boot is working properly.

How to check Secure Boot is up to date

To check if you are using the latest Secure Boot certificate, take the following steps:

• Open the Windows Security app using the search bar
• Navigate to the Device Security dashboard using the menu on the right hand side
• Look at the Secure Boot section, and check for the following messages:

1. "Secure Boot is on"

If you see this message, Secure Boot is likely working properly. However, this does not display your certificates’ current state. Microsoft has been rolling out an update to show if your Secure Boot is running on the latest certificate, so make sure your don't have any pending Windows updates.

2. “Devices in this group are affected by a known issue.”

Devices with this message will likely be able to install the latest certificates once a firmware update has been issued by your OEM. Check your OEM update channel for availability.

3. “Secure Boot is on, but your device does not support the automated Secure Boot certificate update due to hardware or firmware limitations.”

Devices with this message may no longer be supported by your OEM, or the OEM might no longer be able to provide the firmware updates needed. Microsoft recommends checking your OEM’s Secure Boot support page to confirm whether your device is out of support.

Via WindowsLatest

Microsoft has revealed plans to axe its low-cost Surface Go devices, marking the end of one of the more interesting (yet personally frustrating) parts of its hardware journey.

A report from Windows Central claims both the Surface Go and Surface Laptop Go devices are no longer being manufactured, with no successors or updates currently planned.

This makes them the latest Surface device to be sent for an early bath - but I for one won't be too sad, having been forced to use the Surface Laptop Go for some time.

Why I'm glad the Surface Laptop Go is gone

At its launch, the budget-friendly devices were pitched by Microsoft as ideal for large-scale deployments, such as schools or universities. But for larger businesses, they were also ideal for bulk handouts to workers, especially those on the go who might appreciate a light and compact device.

Here at TechRadar, we were intrigued when our parent company announced we would be getting a Surface Laptop Go as a personal work device - surely this portable and powerful machine would be ideal for us.

As a journalist and editor, I'm often dashing around the city heading to meetings, events, interviews and briefings, so I guess this sort of device might have been perfect for me - however it had a number of issues which made it anything but.

Chief among these was the battery life, which was advertised as being set up for a full working day, but was anything but. After around an hour's usage, the battery would inevitably always be draining fast - not ideal if you're reporting on a conference keynote, or running around a show floor looking to grab interviews.

The power of the device was another major hassle - it really struggled with anything more than a few browser windows, which obviously isn't ideal for someone like me who often has a whole host of tabs open for multiple sources of information, or social media feeds.

Opening up any more than a few programs would cause a frankly alarming amount of heat to start issuing from the vents on the back of the device, with the cooling fans emitting a sound similar to a jet engine taking off.

The low-resolution display was also a bit of a let-down, often failing to show any kind of brightness even on the highest setting, another major issue when juggling multiple programs or windows.

Finally, the lack of a back-lit keyboard was a real frustration - this might not obviously be the case for everyone, but have you ever tried to type in a dark theatre while reporting on a keynote or speech? It is...not ideal.

Microsoft hasn't finished its Surface line-up by any means - in fact, the company recently unveiled its latest Surface Laptop Pro devices a few weeks ago, and I've been road-testing one for the last few weeks, enjoying a device which actually performs and lasts a whole day.

So thanks for the memories, Surface Laptop Go (and Surface Go, I guess) - I won't miss you, but I appreciate your push to motivate me to always go for the higher-cost devices when it's something I rely upon every day.

Acer Aspire C24: One-minute review

The Aspire C24 is a minimalist AIO with a spec made for handling everyday workloads competently.

Its design is simple but pleasing. The stark white finish adds to the appeal, and is reminiscent of Apple’s iMac line. The materials don’t feel as premium as those used in such models, but they at least help to keep the weight down, which makes the Aspire C24 easy to set up and maneuver. And as far as AIO machines go, it takes up relatively little desk space, too.

Assembling the stand is a quick and easy process. Once built, the central pole provides some adjustments, although the maximum height it achieves is too short. There’s no tilt functionality, either — something the best all-in-one computer feature.

There aren’t too many ports on the Aspire C24, although I welcomed the inclusion of five USB ports, one of which is Type-C. An HDMI output, a network port, and a combo audio jack also feature, but it’s a shame there’s no SD card reader. The placement of the Aspire C24’s ports is a little inconvenient, too, requiring you to reach all the way behind the unit to make your connections.

The general performance of the Aspire C24 is quite good, handling light productivity tasks and 4K streaming well. The 1080p display is a little underwhelming for a screen this size, but at least there’s plenty of brightness, so you shouldn’t struggle in environments with suboptimal lighting.

However, owing to the absence of a dedicated GPU, gaming and creative performance is poor — even alongside machines with similar integrated graphics. You’ll also notice some humming during such workloads — and even during those of moderate intensity — but thankfully this isn’t distractingly loud.

The included mouse and keyboard are functional affairs. The latter is full-size, which means you get a number pad and other productivity-focused keys. It also has plenty of useful shortcuts on the F row. In contrast, the mouse is miniature and lacks side buttons, which makes it less useful for navigation. But while it can’t compete with the best mouse options, it still performs well enough for casual use.

These peripherals connect via a USB dongle, not Bluetooth. They also run on disposable batteries, so there’s no plug and play option (neither has any USB ports).

The Aspire C24 is hardly a budget machine, which means it doesn’t exactly have affordability on its side when compared to other AIOs. Given its performance limitations, it fails to match the value offered by the best in the sector.

Acer Aspire C24 review: Price & availability

• Starts from £999.99 (about $1,350 / AU$1,900)
• Available in the UK only
• Expensive compared to what alternatives offer

The Acer Aspire C24 starts from £999.99 (about $1,350 / AU$1,900) and is available now in the UK. Two models exist: both get the Intel Core Ultra 7 155U, but one gets 16GB of RAM and 1TB of storage, while the other gets 32GB of RAM and 2TB of storage.

For about the same price, you could have the excellent Lenovo Yoga AIO 27, a PC with a considerably larger and sharper display than the Aspire C24’s. Other performance-related specs are similar, as models get a range of Intel Core Ultra chips, but we were more impressed with its overall performance.

And if you already have a monitor and peripherals to hand, you’ll be hard pressed to find a better budget PC than the Apple Mac Mini (M4). This has oodles of power, and, if you don’t need the Windows environment, macOS is much slicker and easier to live with on the whole. All this makes it one of the best mini PCs around.

• Value: 3 / 5

Acer Aspire C24 review: Specs

Acer Aspire C24 review: design

• iMac-esque looks
• Light and compact
• Ports can be hard to access

All-in-one machines promise a full desktop machine in a neat package, and the Aspire C24 is no exception. The brilliant white finish echoes Apple’s iMac designs of yore, but it still looks crisp and modern in today’s market.

What’s more, the whole unit is pleasingly thin and light, even with the stand in place. However, the plastic materials of both the PC and stand don’t feel particularly expensive or solid; I wouldn’t be confident the Aspire C24 would remain intact after a light fall or a heavy knock.

I found it quite easy to assemble and affix the stand. There are just two screws for the pole-to-base attachment, and four for attaching the pole to the PC. All require a Phillips screwdriver (not included) and nothing more. The Aspire C24 is also compatible with VESA mounts, should you wish to use one of the best monitor stands instead.

The pole is small and slender, and features a small clip at the bottom for cable management purposes. While I appreciated this touch, you’ll struggle to fit more than a couple of leads inside. The base is a large square, but it’s pleasingly flat, so it isn’t too much of an imposition on your desk space.

Adjusting the height of the Aspire C24 easy; the smooth movement means only a small amount of force is required to slide the unit up and down. However, the maximum height falls short of expectations, potentially posing an ergonomic problem for those with a loftier head position. The display can rotate from side to side, but it can’t tilt in any direction, which is a small shame.

Packaged with the Aspire C24 are a keyboard and mouse. The former is a full size affair, which I always like to see when using a machine built for general use and productivity in mind. Much like the computer itself, it's light but not exactly premium-feeling.

The same can be said for the mouse. However, unlike the keyboard, it’s miniature in size. It also lacks side buttons, which is a disappointing omission, especially given how usable and practical the keyboard is. Both peripherals connect via a single USB dongle; neither support Bluetooth. Both run on disposable batteries, too, and neither feature a USB port.

There aren’t many ports on the Aspire C24, although most users will likely find the selection on offer sufficient. I’m sure they’d welcome the five USB-A ports, although it’s a mild shame there’s only one Type-C. You also get an HDMI out and a network port — both of which are increasingly rare sights on modern computers. A combo audio jack completes the set.

I was slightly disappointed by the lack of an SD card reader, but my biggest gripe is that, save for the underside USB-A port, all ports are hard to access. They’re at the back of the unit, near the center, which means you won’t be able to connect devices while seated. The previous generation of the Aspire C24 had its ports located on the side, which is more convenient — and it featured an SD card reader.

• Design: 4 / 5

Acer Aspire C24 review: Performance

• Reasonable general performance
• Bright but unrefined display
• Terrible graphical performance

The general performance of the Aspire C24 is quite good, handling light productivity and 4K video streaming quite well. It can, however, get a little flummoxed by multiple browser tabs and other multitasking scenarios, responding with momentary freezes. Fortunately, these aren’t frequent enough to disrupt the overall experience, but given my review unit was equipped with an Intel Core Ultra 7 and 16GB of RAM, I was expecting more composure.

Given the lack of a dedicated GPU, it’s no surprise that the Aspire C24 can’t handle gaming very well. However, even on the lowest graphical preset, Cyberpunk 2077 was beset by rough visuals and an appalling frame rate. This surprised me, as I’ve tested other devices with similar CPUs and integrated graphics to the Aspire C24, and they’ve managed to run this title in a playable — if not pretty — state.

During these sessions, the Aspire C24 emitted a distinctive hum that wasn’t particularly shrill or loud, but was certainly noticeable. It was also a little disappointing that this humming occurred even when conducting workloads of moderate intensity.

The display is a mixed affair. It’s very bright, which means content is visible no matter the viewing angle or particular lighting conditions of your environment. However, the 1080p resolution is lackluster, rendering noticeably jagged lines in parts of the UI, which isn’t something you’d expect from a modern monitor.

The bundled keyboard is great for productivity purposes, given the full-size layout and plethora of useful shortcuts on the F row. Typing is comfortable thanks to the light and well-spaced keys, although as expected, there’s a distinct lack of dampening compared to the best keyboards around.

Less practical is the mouse, owing to its small size and lack of buttons, which hamper usability somewhat. Thankfully, it’s responsive and it tracks well, while the clicks are perfectly sufficient.

• Performance: 3 / 5

Should you buy the Acer Aspire C24?

Buy the Acer Aspire C24...

Don't buy it if...

Acer Aspire C24: Also consider

If the Acer Aspire C24 doesn't sound like it's enough for your purposes, consider these alternatives instead:

How I tested the Acer Aspire C24

• Tested for a couple of days
• Used for multiple tasks and ran benchmarks
• PC reviewing experience

I tested the Aspire C24 for a few days, during which time I used it for a variety of tasks, from light productivity and general browsing to streaming video and gaming. I also ran our series of benchmark tests, designed to assess all the different aspects of PC performance.

I’ve reviewed many PCs and other computing devices, from laptops and tablets to desktop PCs.

• First reviewed March 2026

After attempting a major branding overhaul of several of its major PC lines last year, Dell appears to have reversed course and is reviving the XPS brand at CES 2026.

"We're getting back to our roots with a renewed focus on consumer and gaming," Dell Technologies vice chairman and chief operating officer, Jeff Clarke, said in a statement. "XPS is back, better than ever."

Among the first devices to sport the restored moniker are the new Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16, as well as the return of the Dell XPS 13, which will come later this year.

More than just a name: Dell's redesign of the XPS is a welcome change

The new lineup is thoroughly redesigned, with a focus on premium materials, interfaces, and mobility. The new devices are sporting CNC aluminum and Gorilla Glass in their construction, along with a unibody base with structural side walls integrated into the body to boost rigidity and durability.

And, if only to really drive the point home for consumers, the XPS logo is moving to the front lid of the device for the first time, replacing the Dell logo that's marked Dell PC and laptops for many years.

The new Dell XPS design makes a number of changes that I've been hoping for since the launch of the Dell 13 Plus a few years back.

The ‘virtual’ function keys—effectively a touchbar with small backlit labels—used over the past few generations of the XPS 13, XPS 14, and XPS 16, as well as last year’s 14 Premium and 16 Premium, have been replaced by physical keys.

What's more, the touchpad isn’t hidden on the glassy chin of the laptop’s key deck as with earlier models, as the new XPS sports subtle lines around the touchpad, letting you know where it is.

Dell XPS 14 &XPS 16 Specs

The new Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 models will use Intel Core Ultra 300 series processors with Intel Arc integrated graphics featuring 12 Xe cores, and will no longer have options for discrete graphics. That said, Dell claims the new XPS models get more than 50% faster graphics versus the previous generation. There is also a redesigned thermal system to improve airflow in the thinner chassis to help keep the systems cooler and quieter.

Both models are very thin, measuring in at just 14.6mm thick, and the XPS 14 weighs in at about three pounds, while the XPS 16 weighs about 3.6 pounds, according to Dell. For the displays, there will be options for tandem OLED panels or 2K LCDs.

Perhaps most importantly, Dell claims up to 27 hours of use, or more than 40 hours of local video playback on a charge. If true, this would put the XPS ahead of even most ARM-based Qualcomm Snapdragon X laptops and MacBooks on the market.

Initial configurations go on sale in the US on Jan 6, starting at $2,049.99 for the XPS 14 and $2,199.99 for the XPS 16, with additional configurations and global availability to come. The Dell XPS 13 will launch later this year.

I know, I know – keyboard shortcuts are hard to remember, and most of them are so niche they're not even worth trying to waste memory on.

But some are incredibly useful, and I've put together this list of the shortcuts I actually use day-to-day for work, browsing, and gaming.

You may already know some of them – but I'm willing to bet you'll learn at least one new trick from this article that'll save you time and Windows-fueled headaches.

I put all of them in one quick-lookup table directly below, but if you want more in-depth explanations, use cases, and bonus shortcuts, read on.

These are the 10+ Windows 11 keyboard shortcuts I can't live without…

1. Windows + .

Windows + . is an incredibly handy little timesaver that not many users know about.

If you've ever Googled 'skull emoji,' tried to find an ASCII face like '( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°),' or realized you need the link you copied to your clipboard an hour ago, this shortcut, which opens the 'Emojis and more' table for you.

It's also invaluable for those who need to use special symbols like Em dashes (—), arrows (→), and various currencies ($ or £).

Windows + V will take you straight to your clipboard history, where you can see past text you've copied with Ctrl + C, and even recent screenshots you've taken. Clipboard history is disabled by default, but Windows + V will still get you there to enable it.

2. Windows + Shift + S

If I had a dime for every time I used Windows + Shift + S, I could buy Microsoft and get rid of Copilot.

Windows + Shift + S is far better than using PrtScn for screenshots because you can choose to grab either a rectangular area of your choosing, just the active window, your entire screen (taskbar and all), or even a freeform shape.

You can also use the toolbar at the top of Windows + Shift + S to switch to screen recording, a color picker that returns Hex, RGB, or HSL values, or a text grabber that allows you to quickly copy words from images or stubborn PDFs.

Plus, once you take a screenshot, you can paste it straight into chats or image-editing software with Ctrl + V.

Screenshots taken this way will be saved to the 'Screenshots' folder by default (not Downloads!)

3. Windows + Alt + Arrow keys

If you ever need to divide your screen up into halves or quadrants – so that you can read an article on the left side of your screen and take notes on the right half, for example – you can use Windows + Alt + Arrow keys for quick cycling between them.

4. Windows + Shift + Arrow keys

This one is for the multi-display users in the audience. If you kitted your setup with two or more of the best monitors, Windows + Shift + Arrow keys is a lifesaver.

You can quickly throw a full-screen video from your left monitor to your right one without having to exit full screen, drag the video over to the other monitor, then re-enter full screen.

It's also great for productivity, allowing you to quickly move spreadsheets or documents to your second monitor.

And for gamers, if a game starts on the wrong monitor you can move it to the correct one (though sometimes this will mess with the game's display resolution).

Plus, it comes in handy when Task Manager opens behind an unresponsive app and you can't access it otherwise.

5. Alt + Tab

Most of you with skin in the Windows game will be very familiar with Alt + Tab. It's a tried and true time-saver, letting you quickly flip through open windows without having to click around.

But it's so useful that I had to include it in this list just in case someone isn't already using it – if this shortcut were to disappear I might genuinely consider switching to Linux.

You can also use Windows + Tab to see all your open windows across multiple desktops, and it's better than Alt + Tab in some cases (for example when you want to look through your open windows without constantly holding down Alt).

6. Windows + Alt + G

If you want to capture highlights of your gameplay, share funny moments with friends, or have a replay to confirm your suspicions of a cheating enemy, Windows + Alt + G is the way to go.

You'll have to enable it before you can use it though, so be sure to open Xbox Game Bar with Windows + G (you do not need to own an Xbox), click the gear icon in the top nav bar to head to settings, then click Widgets and enable 'Record in the background while I'm playing a game.'

Once enabled, Windows + Alt + G will create a clip of the past 30 seconds of gameplay and save it to your Captures folder (in Videos).

You can also choose whether it records solely game audio, or desktop audio as well (which will capture mic inputs from Discord, for example). You can also use Windows + Alt + R to start an ongoing screen recording.

7. Ctrl + Arrow keys

Ctrl + Arrow keys is great for quickly navigating text. It jumps your cursor to the start or end of a word, and can be used in combination with Shift (Ctrl + Shift + Arrow keys) to highlight entire words or lines of text at a time.

It's perfect for grabbing certain sections of text to copy and paste or delete without using your mouse or Ctrl + A, which highlights all of the text on a page or in a text input field.

If you want to highlight text letter by letter, or line by line, use Shift + Arrow keys.

8. Ctrl + F

I've saved my friends countless hours with this one. If you're searching for a name, a date, or even just a certain letter in a document or web page, Ctrl + F will do the searching for you.

After using Ctrl + F to bring up the search field, simply type in whatever you're searching for and use the arrow keys to the right of the search bar to jump directly to the text you want.

It also tells you how many times a certain word, number, or phrase appears on the page, which is useful if you're writing a paper so you can see when it's time to sub in a synonym. I just used Ctrl + F to see that this is the first time I used the word 'paper' in this article (it just jumped to two).

9. Ctrl + R

Ctrl + R refreshes the browser tab you're currently on, which is great for getting fresh results on limited-time sales events, live-blog pages, and YouTube recommendations, among other things.

10. Ctrl + Shift + T

Ctrl + Shift + T will open recently-closed tabs on browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Edge, Opera.

This is a huge time-saver if you close a tab only to realize you need to look at it again, or if you accidentally close the entire browser and need to get your tabs back.

It reopens tabs in the order they were closed, so if you need multiple tabs open again just use Ctrl + Shift + T multiple times.

Got a favorite Windows 11 shortcut of your own? Let me know in the comments below!

Lenovo Yoga AIO 27: One-minute review

The Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 might make me a convert to the all-in-one PC, thanks to its sleek and ergonomic build, vibrant screen, and solid performance. The fact that it can be used as an external monitor is not only the cherry on top, but a point in favor of it being considered among the best all-in-one computers out there.

Of course, the lack of modularity, as with any all-in-one, can frustrate those who are used to digging into cases and upgrading parts, but as far as a hassle-free package, this is one of the best computers you're going to find on the market.

That said, even outside of its form factor, there are a few issues, such as the 'just okay' sound quality and a confusing array of configurations.

I will admit that if you go on the Lenovo website or Best Buy in the US (where my review unit can be purchased), you won’t be quite as confused as me. But UK and Australia shoppers will have some very different configurations available to you.

Whatever configuration you go with though, they're all more than enough to satisfy your general computing and productivity needs, so if you’re in the market for an all-in-one PC, the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 is a very easy recommendation.

Lenovo Yoga AIO 27: Price & availability

• How much does it cost? Starting at $979.99 / £1,020.00 / AU$1,149.00
• When is it available? Available now
• Where can you get it? Available in the US, UK, and Australia

Thanks in part to the continuing relevance of the Apple iMac and its current iteration, the Apple iMac 24-inch M4, every brand has some kind of sleek, attractive all-in-One computer on offer. And like the iMac, the hardware seems eerily similar to what you would get from a powerful Ultrabook or Macbook.

As such, AIO models like the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 are generally reasonably priced. The Yoga AIO 27 starts at $979.99 / £1,020.00 / AU$1,149.00, while the iMac M4 has a more expensive starting price of $1,299 / £1,299 / AU$1,999, plus it has a smaller 24-inch screen. On top of that, Apple’s upgrades, whether for RAM or hard drive space, come at a premium.

Another good benchmark as far as price goes is the HP OmniStudio X 31.5. Its lowest configuration is actually cheaper at $830.99 (about £620 / AU$1,270) for an Intel Core Ultra 5 CPU, 16GB RAM, and 256GB SSD, as well as a 1080p 27-inch screen.

It’s worth noting that there are some serious variations between what’s available in the US, UK, and Australia. The UK and Australia both have customizations (more on that below), unlike the US, with Australia actually offering discrete graphics.

So, Australians, at least, can probably game with this AIO, though everyone else will need to temper their expectations.

• Value: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Yoga AIO 27: Specs

• Soldered RAM
• Configurations can vary widely by region

The offerings from Lenovo on the Yoga AIO 27 (specifically the 27IAH10 model) is pretty straightforward, however, there’s a lot of variance between territories.

In the US, you have two models available directly through Lenovo. The base configuration comes with a Intel Core Ultra 5 125H, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD.

The more expensive model is the same, but with a more powerful Intel Core Ultra 7 255H CPU and 1GB SSD. Best Buy offers a different model that’s similar to the more robust one, but without the touchscreen, which is what was reviewed here.

In the UK, you can choose CPUs including an even more powerful Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, between 512GB and a 1TB SSD, and you can choose between touch and non-touch screens. You are locked into 32GB of RAM.

Australia only allows you to choose the size of the hard drive, but is more powerful since it has that Intel Core Ultra 9 285H, 32GB of RAM, and actual discrete graphics in the form of the NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4050 GPU.

Regardless of what you choose (or have available to you), the RAM is soldered in, unfortunately.

As mentioned earlier, you are able to choose between a touch and non-touch screen, though the resolution (1440p), refresh rate (120Hz), and basically everything else about it is the same.

You can also choose whether you get an IR-enabled webcam or not for a nominal upgrade. Otherwise, everything on the exterior including the color called Luna Grey is the same regardless of model.

• Specs: 3.5 / 5

Lenovo Yoga AIO 27: design

• Sleek, attractive look with good ergonomics
• Good ergonomics
• Great looking screen that can be used with other computers

I remember when I first started seeing Windows all-in-one computers start to pop (long before I was a writer) and they were not pretty. The word I would probably use is egalitarian. So it was a bit of a surprise when I got the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 in all its Ultrabook glory.

Yes, in my opinion, this AIO is basically what you get when you take a Lenovo Yoga laptop and turn it into an all-in-one. It’s sleek, comes in a very attractive colorway called Luna Grey, and has a gorgeous screen (more on that later).

In fact, it’s so nice looking, I had to double check that it didn’t have an aluminum case. Instead, it’s made of 30% ocean-bound plastic – pretty cool for those worried about the environment. The box it comes in is also fairly sustainable as it’s all paper or cardboard.

Back to the computer, it has some good ergonomics. First, it has a round base that can pivot in either direction 90 degrees, while the screen itself can pivot and additional 45 degrees to each side. Its tilt is up 10 degrees and down 5, which I do wish was a little more. And it has a lift of 70mm. It’s pretty easy to adjust the screen to your liking.

Speaking of the 27-inch screen, its resolution is decent at 1440p, much higher than I'm used to seeing on AIOs. But what’s more impressive are its other aspects. It has a solid refresh rate of 120Hz, supports HDR (though Lenovo doesn’t specify to what degree), and has quite wide color coverage and accuracy.

In our benchmarks, it had a sRGB rating of 116.5% and DCI-P3 of 82.6%, meaning it’s great for colors but not as good for contrast. It does have an accuracy of Delta>0.21.

Other design details include two three watt tweeters and two five watt tweeters to support Dolby Atmos, dual microphones, and a five megapixel camera.

Some models have IR capabilities like the one reviewed and some do not, a feature useful for Windows Hello that unlocks the computer when you log in instead of having to type in a password or use a fingerprint reader.

If that’s worrisome, don’t worry. Among the buttons on the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 is an e-privacy shutter.

There’s also a power button, an OSD button for controlling screen settings, and a switch button as you can actually use the screen as a standalone screen for another computer or use just the computer part with an external screen.

That means that there are two HDMI ports, one out and one in. The port selection in general is pretty robust and also includes three USB-A and two USB-C ports along with an Ethernet and an aux jack. Some of them are on the back of the stand, while some of them are on the side.

Lastly, the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 comes with its own matching keyboard and mouse. They’re both wireless and work fine, but if you’re particular about your accessories, you might want to upgrade to one of the best keyboards and best mice, especially the mouse, as it doesn’t have any side buttons.

That said, I didn't have any issues with them during general use or even spending a bit of time working on them.

• Design: 4.5 / 5

Lenovo Yoga AIO 27: Performance

• Good performance for most work
• Using it as a monitor for another PC is seamless
• Sound quality is OK

I threw around the Ultrabook label earlier for the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27, and I mean it. The PC comes with the same CPU, integrated graphics, and RAM configurations that you would find on one of the best laptops that wasn't specifically for gaming.

In terms of day-to-day use, that means you can easily have a bunch of tabs open and do just about any productivity work you could think of. It can handle some creative work, such as photo editing, but is a bit underpowered for editing video or 3D design. That is, unless you like long rendering times.

It can do light gaming, but won’t be able to handle the latest AAA titles unless you can get your hands on a model with a discrete Nvidia GPU, which is currently limited to Australia.

Really, I find this best for having a large, pretty screen to do regular productivity work and maybe some streaming.

I’m more impressed by the fact that I can use the screen as a monitor for another computer. That 1440p resolution can be limiting if you have a souped up gaming laptop, but it does allow some device consolidation if you like to have one computer for productivity and one for gaming. Regardless, using it as an external monitor is pretty seamless.

While it’s nice that the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 can support Dolby Atmos, the sound quality is decent but not great. It’s a bit mid-heavy and doesn’t quite have the clarity that having the best computer speakers would.

• Performance: 4.5 / 5

Should you buy the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27?

Buy the Lenovo Yoga AIO 27 if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

If my Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 review has you considering other options, here are two other AiO PCs to consider...

How I tested the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27

• Tested for a couple weeks
• Used it for productivity, streaming, gaming
• Tried out its various features

I used the Lenovo Yoga AiO 27 for a couple weeks, mainly for productivity, and I also used it for some streaming and tried to do some light gaming as well, not to mention tested its various features.

I’ve spent the last few years reviewing tech gear for gaming and otherwise, where I’ve gotten a feel for what to look for and how to put a piece of kit through its paces to see whether it’s worth the recommendation.

• First reviewed November 2025

• Teenage Engineering has produced a new PC case
• The Computer-2 is a sequel to the Computer-1, but it's free
• It's made of plastic rather than aluminum, and unfortunately out of stock right now

Thinking of building a new computer? What if I told you that you could get the PC case for free - you probably wouldn't believe me, would you? Well, you can - with a couple of notable caveats, but this is still fundamentally a freebie.

The Verge reports that Teenage Engineering (more typically associated with nifty audio hardware) now has a sequel to its Computer-1 PC case. Can you guess what it's called? Yep: the Computer-2 case - in a stunning stroke of creativity.

The key difference is that, unlike the original case, which cost $ 149 in the US, the follow-up is free. Another notable change is that instead of aluminum, it's made of plastic, which is obviously a cost-saving measure.

In fact, it's a single sheet of semi-transparent plastic that folds into a PC chassis (using hinges and snap hooks). There are no screws needed, and the motherboard can simply be pushed and clicked into place, Teenage Engineering informs us.

It must be a (small) mini-ITX motherboard, mind, as this is a small form-factor (SFF) case for a compact PC build. It can fit an SFX power supply and a dual-slot graphics card (7 inches is the maximum length for the discrete GPU).

As well as the sheet of plastic that forms the chassis itself, you get the bits and pieces to go with it in terms of various power cables, fasteners, feet for the case to stand on, and so forth.

Analysis: What about those catches?

Okay, so coming back to the cost being a – literally – round figure of nothing - how on earth can this PC case be provided for free? Well, it can't, and Teenage Engineering is charging for the shipping to cover sending out the Computer-2 as you might guess (and likely a bit of that is to cover the cost of production). Of course, that's fair enough - it does mean you are getting the components themselves for free.

The other catch is that Computer-2 is already marked as sold out on the official website; you can only click to receive a notification when stock is back in. You can still examine the instructions, though, to get a better understanding of what construction involves, and exactly what you'll get.

By all accounts, the Computer-1 is a great case for a small PC build - and this new plastic take on the formula looks equally cool, especially given the price here (or lack of it). Anecdotally, I've seen a report of the shipping costing $16 (in the US) if you're wondering exactly what you might end up paying (when it's back in stock).

As for mulling over buying a cheap case in general, you can get some great products at the budget end of the market. Just be careful around airflow issues - especially if it's a gaming PC that you're building - and be sure to consult reviews to ensure you're not picking up a dud (and also our best PC cases buying guide will come in handy).

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• Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost

Whether you're looking for a cheap new laptop for work or a high-end gaming laptop, Dell has some great options right now. The official Dell Store has launched a site-wide event dubbed 'Tech Days' sale that currently offers up to $500 off a range of Inspiron, XPS, and Alienware laptops.

As TechRadar's deals editor, I've been busy today combing through all of the discounts to find my favorites. Generally speaking, the deals here are of similar quality to those from the Presidents' Day sale a few weeks ago, but they're still very much worth your time, as we generally don't see that many good laptop deals in late February.

A few highlights include this incredibly cheap Inspiron for just $299 (was $449), which is an absolute steal for a machine with a Ryzen 5 chipset, this mid-range Inspiron 16 for $699 (was $899), and this Dell XPS 13 with an OLED for $1,399 *was $1,799) - quite possibly the best XPS deal you'll find anywhere right now.

Today's sale also features Black Friday-level deals on high-end Alienware gaming laptops. Dell is likely clearing out stock on these excellent machines to make room for the next generation of RTX 5000 series laptops, so don't hesitate to snap up a clearance deal before they start to vanish.

Today's best laptop deals at Dell

Microsoft’s Surface Pro 10 and Surface Laptop 7 Copilot+ PCs are finally launching, and, as it turns out, they are some of the most repairable laptops on the market.

According to a new breakdown of the laptops thanks to iFixit, they praised how easily technicians can service them. Shahram Mokhtari from the official YouTube channel walks through the process of detaching each component, including the motherboard, to demonstrate how straightforward it is to remove and repair them.

Under the case of each device are several labels and QR codes that feature a wrench symbol above them. Microsoft calls the labels ‘Wayfinder Markings,’ and they inform you how what kind of screws you need and how many of them to secure components in that area. Meanwhile, the QR codes bring you to Microsoft’s official service guides page for easy instructions.

The ease of parts removal has been greatly improved, which is especially a boon for laptops. For instance, batteries in the Surface Laptop can now be removed by simply removing the bottom feet and back cover, compared to older models that required nearly every other component to be taken out first. This was especially egregious when the battery was the only serviceable part of the laptop. SSD cards are also simple to take out. Unfortunately, memory is soldered to the motherboard, making it difficult for the average user to detach and replace.

The Surface Pro is just as easy to work on, with the SSD replaceable without disassembly, and removing the display is much simpler than other tablets. However, due to the adhesive securing the screen, replacing other components like the battery can be a bit more challenging.

The Surface Pro and Surface Laptop each receive a repairability score of 8 out of 10, a massive improvement compared to Microsoft’s disastrous scoring back in 2017, when iFixit gave the original Surface Laptop a zero out of ten score for repairability. It seems that after that, Microsoft was determined to turn over a new leaf, even partnering with iFixit in 2021 to start selling Surface repair tools.

Meanwhile, MacBooks and Chromebooks are among the worst laptops for repairability, according to a report called Failing the Fix, which was compiled by the Public Interest Research Group (PIRG), a consumer advocacy organization in the U.S. Sounds like Apple and Google should be taking a page from Microsoft’s book and overhaul their own PCs to be far more user friendly. 

You might also like

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Microsoft is looking to set new standards for PC hardware specs, as the tech giant is apparently planning to set a 16GB RAM requirement for any AI PCs.

This comes from a TrendForce market research report (reported on by TechPowerUp), with the reason most likely being to push AI PCs – PCs that use built-in AI acceleration for several AI features native to Windows 11 23H2. 

This is especially true of Copilot, an AI chatbot that automates and generates work. Microsoft has been pushing this feature especially hard, including a dedicated Copilot key on Windows keyboards similar to the Windows key. 

Copilot and Microsoft’s other AI tools will require certain hardware requirements for local acceleration, with the first being the NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that’s used for dedicated processing and the second being memory. Hence why Microsoft needs AI PCs to have at least 16GB of RAM at a minimum for both native and cloud-based Copilot features to function.

16GB should be the standard going forward

There are plenty of other Copilot announcements like the dedicated Copilot key, the Copilot Pro subscription service that adds additional AI tools such as ChatGPT Plus, as well as a feature currently being tested that would tailor Copilot’s chat responses based on previous chats by saving them. 

And though the aforementioned reveals have been on the controversial side, the 16GB of RAM requirement for all Windows AI PCs is easily one of the best announcements related to Copilot and Windows AI in general. 

In fact, 16GB should be a RAM standard for any Windows laptops and desktops going forward. With the rising costs of laptops that started during the pandemic and haven’t shown any sign of slowing down, it’s honestly unbelievable that any PC could be released with 8GB or even an abysmal 4GB of RAM.

Hopefully, not only will AI laptops and desktops see a baseline of 16GB in 2024 and beyond (with commercial PCs seeing 32GB or even 64GB standards), but this requirement will spread to non-AI PCs in general.  As manufacturers see customers expect computers to have such a standard, the shift could very likely happen.

Fingers crossed that this reported initiative from Microsoft will be the kick the PC industry needs to stop releasing machines with such low RAM, as it directly harms the performance of said machines.

You might also like

• Microsoft tests feature for Copilot AI that remembers your past chats
• Windows 11 update makes Copilot AI better
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Black Friday and Cyber Monday PC deals are now over, but many retailers are running extended Cyber Monday sales, so you might not have missed out.

You can still find Cyber Monday deals on virtually every type of tech right now, and that includes desktop PCs, so we've compiled all the discounts we could find that are still live on the best computers money can buy and listed them here for your browsing convenience.

Whether you're looking for one of the best gaming PCs, the best all-in-one computers, or the best business computers, we've got you covered. Big retailers like Amazon and Best Buy in the US, and Currys in the UK, are keeping the deals rolling, but this might be your last chance this year to nab some of these cut-price PCs.

Depending on what kind of PC you’re looking for, some of the latest models can get a bit pricey. So, scroll down for the best Cyber Monday PC deals we've found that remain live... for now.

Cyber Monday PC deals - quick links (US)

• Amazon: excellent for cheap mice, keyboards, headsets, and games
• Best Buy: consistently good pre-built PCs
• Walmart: a great selection of desktop PCs from big brands
• Newegg: excellent for processors, RAM, SSDs, and other components
• Dell: really good sales for all budgets on laptops and PCs with up to $400 off
• HP: great for pre-built desktops

Cyber Monday PC deals - quick links UK

• Amazon: the best place for cheap desktop PC deals
• Currys: very competitive pre-built PCs
• Box: Cyber Monday desktop deals now live
• Newegg: great prices on desktop gaming PCs
• eBuyer: another great vendor for picking up components and pre-built PCs

Best Cyber Monday PC deals in the UK

Microsoft has begun informing Windows 10 and Windows 11 users about an automatic overhaul to the new-and-improved Outlook app. The built-in Mail and Calendar applications have made managing emails and planning upcoming events pretty easy since 2015 - but they’ll soon be gone, swallowed up by Outlook to place all those tools under one desktop icon.

Windows users can try out the new version of Outlook by enabling the toggle button in the top-right corner of the Windows Mail app. As it stands, Outlook lets you import all your settings from the Mail app directly, so the switch shouldn’t be too painful for users looking to embrace the new tool.

Windows Latest notes that in an exclusive document, currently available only to Microsoft 365 business users, Microsoft confirms the beginning of a mandatory migration process slated for later this year.

From August 2023, Microsoft will automatically migrate Mail and Calendar app users to the new Outlook. You’ll be able to opt-out and cling to your beloved apps for a little while by turning off a toggle in the top right corner of the app, but don’t expect Microsoft to let you keep them forever.

The document also reveals that commencing next year, all Windows 11 devices will come pre-installed with Outlook for Windows. You can still download Windows Mail and Calendar from the Microsoft Store onto your new device if you wish - at least, until the end of 2024.

The move signals a shift in Microsoft’s Windows mentality, with an apparent growing desire to consolidate the software users have access to and (hopefully) streamline the OS’s user experience. Could this be a sign of things to come in Windows 12?

CCleaner is almost 20 years old, and you will likely have heard of it, even if you’ve never used it. It’s been a geeky stalwart and is a mature, battle-worn tool that’s now more useful than ever. Whether you used to use it, or you’ve not heard of it before, now is a great time to check out this does-it-all PC optimization tool – especially the Professional version – and not only because you can use it for a full year for just $1* with our special offer.

CCleaner is your one-stop-shop for all computer maintenance and privacy protection. If you’ve an old computer, its Performance Optimizer feature can quickly identify all manner of modern issues that are likely to be slowing it down. CCleaner goes about this in a clever way – it will identify apps and processes that are slowing your PC down, and sets them to sleep while not in use to free up resources, and the moment they are needed again CCleaner activates them. The end result is a PC that gets the most out of your hardware and OS, without taking anything away.

CCleaner can also ensure that a computer new or old can keep running with top performance, thanks to its smart monitoring discreetly keeping an eye on the bloated and redundant files left by poorly updated and uninstalled apps and registry settings. 

CCleaner apps & features

The first point of contact for CCleaner is the one-click health check. This scans your computer and gives it an instant summary in layman’s terms, which can be as simple as saying, “Your PC feels under the weather” while simultaneously offering a single-click fix to, “Make it better.” If fully automated fixing makes you nervous, you can adjust every fix to a granular degree.

The check is separated into four main sections: Privacy, Space, Speed and Security. Privacy can remove Cookies, History and Temporary files across all of your browsers at once. This ensures that nobody can access your web browsing history. CCleaner can also delete any 'trackers' on your system. Trackers are used to monitor things like your surfing history, how long you spent on each site and even your shopping history! And for convenience, you can nominate your favourite sites that you trust and CCleaner will leave your history for those alone.

The Space feature will locate and remove ‘Temporary Application’ and ‘Temporary System’ files that have been orphaned and now clog-up your hard drive(s). The Security tab will tell you which apps and programs you have installed that need updating to make you less vulnerable to crashes and exploits in older software versions. The Speed tab will help you identify programs that are making your computer boot slowly.

Custom Clean is the granular version of Health Check and remains the core tool that CCleaner is renowned for. It analyses and cleans all of your Windows and Windows all of your applications to either a pre-set, or a highly configurable degree. You can also set these configurations to be your default, one-click, Health Check cleaner. The chances are you’ll be surprised at which innocuous or trusted apps have been secretly stealing eating up your storage space.

Smooth running, and all the latest drivers

One of the most popular tools is Performance Optimiser which runs continuously in the background. This will help improve your PC’s all-round performance, speed-up its start time, help boost the battery life of laptops and generally give you more control over your PC. It does this by identifying unnecessary background programs, putting them into sleep mode and then, automatically, restarting them only when required. If you think there’s not much to worry about here, CCleaner will surely shock you with the number of redundant tasks running!

Another useful tool is the Driver Updater. This identifies every required driver on your system and then offers to update them, individually or all at once, with trusted genuine files. Should anything go wrong – CCleaner can safely roll-back any issues. If you’re still nervous (CCleaner knows how pernickety drivers can be) the program prompts you to set a System Restore Point... just in case. If you’ve not gone through all of your computer’s components in recent times, this alone will save you time – you needn’t locate, download and click through all those installer packages, CCleaner does it all in one click!

Clean out the junk

Next up is the legendary Registry Cleaner. This automatically scans for all kinds of junk in the Windows Registry and safely removes it (while checking you’ve backed everything up first).

The Tools section provides access to the Uninstaller, which removes the parts of programs that Windows doesn’t. While the Software Updater feature automatically identifies, locates and downloads trusted versions of all the latest updates to all your out-of-date programs. That alone can be a massive time-saver, and makes sure your system is fully up to date.

A Disk Analyser tool can provide insight regarding what type of files are taking up room on each of your disks. Meanwhile, a Duplicate File Finder can be a great help for both saving space and organising media libraries. System Restore points can also be managed and, if you’re disposing of a hard disk, you can securely wipe a drive from here too.

Discover more about what CCleaner can do for you HERE.

Special offer for TechRadar readers – get a full year of CCleaner for just $1*

Whether you’re focused on performance, privacy, reliability or storage, CCleaner can now fix a multitude of issues and monitor everything in the background to keep everything healthy as you go on. The best news is that TechRadar is currently running an exclusive promotion where you can get a years’ access to all of the above features for just $1!* So, whether you want to give a quick fix to your old PC, speed up your daily workhorse or simply keep a new one from slowing down, check out this offer from CCleaner now!

*Terms & conditions at the link above. This offer expires on 23/09/24

Every single modern business has one thing in common – they can all be undone by a single cyber security incident. Whether that’s a crippling ransomware attack or a major leak of customer data, no company can realistically hope to thrive in the 21st century without robust defenses.

Traditionally, a defensive perimeter could be placed around the office, with company firewalls, strict device usage policies, and on-site IT support doing much of the heavy lifting to protect both the business and each employee. That arrangement relied on the fact that most employees worked from a centralized location, using computers and accessories that rarely left the office. This approach to cyber security is quickly becoming archaic, largely due to two major developments over the past few years.

The first is the mass shift to remote work. Far from being a temporary, makeshift solution for keeping businesses afloat during a pandemic, the remote work experiment has created a new working paradigm, one in which the employee has a much greater say in how and where they work. The footprints of most businesses have dispersed as a result, with many employees now operating outside of the company firewall, whether that be at home, in a cafe, or on public transport. Of course, some businesses will have had the agility to roll out specific employee laptops to maintain a homogenous cyber security strategy, but many others will have done so haphazardly with whatever kit they had available, or relied on bring your own device (BYOD) policies to plug the gaps.

This would have simply been a logistical problem, if it were not for the second major development of the past few years – an evolution of cyber crime. Hackers are constantly looking for new ways to exploit their victims, and just as businesses begin to get to grips with one tactic, another surfaces. Whether that’s through the emergence of new approaches like ransomware, or iterating on tried and tested techniques like phishing, cyber attacks are becoming more sophisticated and easier to carry out.

Separately, these two developments would pose a challenge for any business, but combined they have the potential to create a cyber security nightmare – one that requires a new approach, and new equipment.

Reducing our over-reliance on software

Humans remain the biggest challenge for any business devising a cyber security strategy.

According to Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, around 82% of system breaches involved the exploitation of a human agent, typically by tricking them into performing an action that leaves their company at risk.

Employees don’t even have to succumb to phishing attacks to expose their company to hackers. Simply using a work device for personal use, whether that’s shopping online or using social media, can put business data at risk. It’s possible to clamp down on this sort of behavior with work policies, of course, but it’s a trend that is somewhat inevitable.

Businesses are well aware of this ‘human’ problem and, in the sudden rush to secure employees as they dispersed beyond the company firewall, many began to pile layers upon layers of security software upon employee devices. While this may have provided a quick and easy way to generally improve security, it’s a heavy-handed approach that creates an over-reliance on software, potentially exposing businesses to further risk.

Not only is software inherently vulnerable to skilled hackers or those exploiting bugs or flaws, but multiple layers can also be a significant cause of frustration among employees. In fact, a recent research from Harvard Business Review found that, during a 10 day study, 67% of employees admitted to violating one or more company cyber security policies, precisely because these software layers prevented them from getting on with their jobs.

For modern businesses, there is an alternative. New innovations in technology have made it far easier for businesses to apply additional safeguards at the hardware layer, helping them to reduce their reliance on software and easing the burden placed on employees.

Intel vPro®, An Intel Evo® Design™ based PCs offered by HP are built from the ground up with security in mind, offering hardware protections against threats that older designs simply never considered. One such protection is hardware-based virtualization that allows an employee machine to run multiple virtualized environments for different applications while keeping them isolated from each other and any threats they might encounter, such as malware or credential theft.

For example, using a system like the HP Elite Dragonfly G3 with Intel vPro, it’s possible for a laptop to run Microsoft or SAP business apps inside one virtual machine, with another running a web browser or other personal apps. This is something that would be difficult to achieve using software alone – advanced hardware is needed to deliver these similarly advanced protections.

Importantly, these defenses are engaged without any employee input, and can allow your business to do away with unnecessary layers of security, especially as robust security technology like biometric security can be integrated into the employee’s device and used in conjunction with virtualization. These robust security features run without any effort from the user, delivering fast performance so that they can focus on their own roles without interruption inside or outside the company firewall.

The changing nature of security

Modern businesses are not only looking for ways to address today’s security challenges, but also future-proof their systems against emerging threats. This hardware-level approach to security is one of the most effective ways for your organization to achieve this.

Hackers are no longer just in the business of data theft. They are now deploying sophisticated attacks against operating systems, system memory, and even the software responsible for powering hardware, known as firmware, signaling a dramatic shift towards targets that are beyond the reach of most cyber security software. This is particularly problematic, given that most employees are now operating outside of the company firewall, and may even be beyond the reach of IT support.

Intel® has worked with partners such as HP to create a new breed of laptop and desktop that is hardened against these emerging threats. Intel vPro, An Intel Evo Design based laptops feature a range of security features that ward against attacks at the system level, preventing third-party tampering, stopping malware from gaining hold of system resources and allowing IT teams to remotely manage employees’ machines, ensuring that systems remain up to date no matter where workers are based.

Having so many devices being transported and used in a variety of locations also creates the inevitable risk of loss or theft. Intel and HP have worked to address this through a tool known as Total Memory Encryption, which encrypts all memory by default and prevents criminals from accessing data on stolen devices, even if components are separated from the machine itself. With PCs like these, loss and theft remain inconvenient rather than potentially catastrophic for your whole business.

These types of defensive capabilities are becoming critical for businesses hoping to stay safe in the modern world. By investing in advanced PCs like those from HP with Intel vPro, An Intel Evo Design, your business can retain that sense of flexibility and freedom offered by hybrid working, while still benefiting from the sort of cyber security you would traditionally only find in private, isolated environments. By employing these devices, you can counter the cyber threats of today while putting your business in the best position to face the future.

Intel technologies may require enabled hardware, software or service activation. No product or component can be absolutely secure. Your costs and results may vary.

@Intel Corp. Intel, the Intel logo, Intel vPro® and other Intel marks are trademarks of Intel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other names and brands may be claimed as the property of others.

Cyber Monday 2024 is almost over, and while some savings may hold out for another day or two, I wouldn't wait around to see if they do - you can expect most of these deals to disappear very soon.

Major retailers like Amazon, Best Buy, Walmart, Currys, and more have burned through most of their best Cyber Monday deals, but we're still seeing some impressive discounts on gaming PCs, Apple computers, and professional workstations.

For example, the Asus ROG G22CH is still on sale for Cyber Monday at Newegg for just $1,199.99, down from $1,499.99 - a $300 savings - but only for the next 8 hours from the time of updating! In the UK, you can snag the Corsair ONE i500 for £3,999.98 on Amazon, an incredible £700 off its usual price of £4,699.99.

Both of these PCs earned their way onto our list of the best gaming PCs you can trust to run your favorite titles, so I'm not just throwing any old deal with a "Cyber Monday " tag on it your way; these are quality prebuilt PCs with components that TechRadar has tested and put our seal of approval on.

• Stay on top of the latest sales with our Cyber Monday deals live blog

These discounts won’t last much longer, so now is the time to act if you’re looking to upgrade your PC setup or grab a deal before the holidays!

Today's best PC deals in the US

• Amazon: thousands of deals on PCs and peripherals for play and productivity
• Best Buy: awesome deals on desktops, all-in-ones, and peripherals
• Walmart: great discounts on everything your new PC setup needs
• Newegg: excellent for processors, RAM, SSDs, and other components
• Dell: discounts up to $600 on Dell's Inspiron and XPS lineups
• HP: $900 off the HP Omen 45L
• Lenovo: save an additional 5% off all purchases at Lenovo.com with this Lenovo Black Friday voucher code

Today's best PC deals in the UK

• Amazon: the best overall place for desktop PC deals
• Currys: very competitive pre-built PCs
• Dell: save up to £350 on XPS and Inspiron PCs
• Newegg: great prices on gaming PCs and parts
• eBuyer: solid choice for gaming PCs, budget workstations, and all-in-ones
• CyberPowerPC: excellent prebuilt gaming PCs
• Lenovo: extra 5% off sitewide with this Lenovo Black Friday voucher code

Cyber Monday PC deals: FAQs

Why trust TechRadar this Cyber Monday

We've covered Black Friday and Cyber Monday for over decade here at TechRadar and we've learned when all the best sales start and how to uncover all of the top deals. We also monitor sales throughout the year and track the lowest prices of dozens of the most popular products as so we know a bargain when we see it.

When it comes to desktop PCs, we've tested nearly 2,000. Apart from actually using the PC as you would day to day for productivity, gaming, and media enjoyment, we also run a number of test and benchmarks to gather raw data and compare it with other systems. Our Computing team is made up of experts in the field who have been building, dismantling, and upgrading PCs for decades.

Combined, we'll bring you the best Cyber Monday deals on all the top-rated and well-reviewed products available to buy right now so you come away with some excellent tech at a great price.

If you’re in the market for a new PC, there’s a bewildering array of choices stretching across the entire landscape of computers. From large-cased behemoths to tiny little boxes, there are myriad options, but most PCs are effectively just that – boxes. Maybe with a glass side panel chucked on so you can see what’s inside that PC case.

Not everyone wants some kind of chunky – more often than not – black box sitting in their home, maybe in the study, or indeed more prominently perhaps in, say, the lounge, because it looks ugly. And that’s before you equip that box with everything else necessary to actually use it – peripherals (mouse and keyboard at the minimum), plus a monitor screen for the display output. Add in all the snaking cables running between those, and you get an even less easy-on-the-eyes PC setup. Not to mention forking out more for those extras, of course.

This is where the all-in-one PC comes in as a great choice for those who want a more streamlined machine. All-in-one literally means what it says: that the entire PC is one unit with everything needed to work inside. And that basically means an all-in-one looks like a monitor, just with a somewhat thicker section behind the screen which houses all the components required for a PC (motherboard, processor, graphics, system memory and storage drive).

The great thing about an all-in-one is because it just looks like another display, it can fit pretty much anywhere in your house. Have just a tiny desk in the corner of the living room? It’ll perch there no problems. Maybe you want to stick it on a kitchen counter? Or in the glorified broom cupboard you’ve dubbed a home office? No problems. Limited space is simply not an issue, and the great thing is, much like a laptop, you can easily move an all-in-one around the house for various use cases and scenarios as and when is needed.

Think of an all-in-one as a seriously flexible PC, then, and if this is the kind of computer that floats your boat, where should you start looking for one? Well, we’re going to recommend a specific model next, mainly because it offers many strong suits that we’ll dive into and discuss in detail. Plus it also currently benefits from a price reduction at Currys, meaning you can not only have your computing cake and eat it, but at a cheaper price to boot.

Acer Aspire C24: all-in-one heaven

The model we’re highlighting here is the Acer Aspire C24 at Currys, which comes with a bundled mouse and keyboard supplied (they are wireless, so there’s no cable clutter from these, and you can have them wherever you want thanks to the lack of cords).

So, why is this such a great buy? For starters, it’s an all-in-one which is well-loved by Currys Experts, with the retailer literally awarding the Aspire C24 with an ‘Our Experts Love’ badge, the accolade pinned on favourite products which are very much tried-and-tested, and proven to be excellent. That’s got to give you a robust base level of confidence in the Acer PC.

Furthermore, the Acer Aspire C24 packs powerful hardware, yet remains extremely svelte, and looks plain great to be honest.

With the internal components, you get an Intel Core i5 processor (12th-generation with 10-cores and integrated Iris Xe Graphics), backed by 16GB of system RAM, which is plenty for your everyday daily computing needs (and maybe even a touch of light gaming). You also have 512GB of fast PCIe SSD storage on-hand here, too.

As for the display, that’s a 23.8-inch model with a Full HD resolution. It’s an IPS panel which means the colours are great, and don’t fade when you’re away off to the side of the screen (maybe viewing at an angle, which can happen especially when, for example, the family might be gathered around watching a film).

Speaking of streaming movies, or TV shows, whatever your favourite genre, the Aspire C24 won’t disappoint when it comes to presentation and image quality. For any more prolonged viewing sessions, the further good news is technology incorporated into the panel includes flickerless and Acer ComfyView to fend off eye strain. There’s also a blue light filter to keep you away from any of the negative effects associated with exposure to that (particularly late at night, for those students who like to stream into the early hours perhaps).

The actual PC looks great, too, with a slimline design and very thin bezels surrounding the display, meaning you’re essentially looking at an ‘all-screen’ device here. The Acer Aspire C24 won an iF Design Award for 2022, further underlining its credentials in the looks department (though you can see that for yourself in the accompanying images here).

Another worthwhile feature to note is there’s a high-quality 5-megapixel webcam to facilitate sharp images for your video calls to friends, or perhaps video conferencing for work. And naturally, those who you’re chatting with are going to look top-notch on the Aspire C24’s gorgeous screen. (Note: for more paranoid types not keen on webcams, and perhaps concerned about hackers, rest assured there’s a physical privacy shutter here – simply slide it across, and you can be sure no one’s watching anything via the camera).

Feeling tempted to buy the Acer Aspire C24 at this point? We don’t blame you, and this all-in-one has (at the time of writing) had its price cut as we mentioned earlier, making the PC even more of a bargain. Instead of retailing at £699, the C24 can now be had for £589, which is a seriously good value proposition. And for those who might prefer an all-in-one with a bigger screen, don’t forget there’s a 27-inch model also sold by Currys, which as you might guess is the Acer Aspire C27.

To begin with, it is essential to understand that all-in-one (AIO) computers are typically considered desktop computers. However, they differ from the rest of the desktop PCs, such as tower, mini or stick PCs, in terms of several factors; portability, affordability, design, and performance to name a few. 

An AIO computer sports everything that is necessary as a desktop component. So, you’re getting a processor, memory, video card, monitor, and speakers – all in the same device. It even comes with an excellent webcam. On the other hand, all other types of desktop computers mentioned above are machines that host just the processing unit of a computer. They consist of a processor, memory, and a graphics card among other internal parts. Hence, they need to be paired with a monitor, speakers, keyboard, and mouse. 

Both AIO and non-AIO desktop PCs have their fair share of pros and cons. In this guide, we attempt to draw a comparison between regular AIO computers and all other kinds of desktop PCs. We have categorized the discussion below into sections on price, design, and performance. 

All-in-one computer vs desktop PC: price

• Desktop PCs offer more flexibility in terms of purchasing additional components
• AIO computers are far more expensive to repair

The flexibility that comes with purchasing a desktop PC makes it more affordable than an AiO computer. This means that you can easily upgrade your desktop PC with a recently released CPU or GPU instead of investing in a new machine. However, in the case of an AIO computer, you don’t have much of a choice. Since AIOs come as a complete package that a brand has already put together, there is little flexibility offered in terms of customization and upgrades. Therefore, you’d have to replace the machine as a whole when the components inside get obsolete. 

Desktop PCs are also more affordable to repair. Overall, it would cost far less to open up a desktop and fix the component that’s causing the issue. In the case of AIO computers, repairs can end up being fairly pricey as they’re harder to tinker with if they even allow for the issue to be fixed.

• Winner: Desktop PC

All-in-one computer vs desktop PC: design

• AIO computers feature better form factor and take up less space
• You don’t need any additional shopping with an AIO
• Desktop PCs are extremely hard to move but easily configurable and repairable

An AIO packs everything in a small body and doesn’t take as much real estate on your desk as a desktop PC does. Not only is the latter considerably bigger in itself, but all its various components take additional space too. You may end up finding a relatively slim and low-profile desktop, but you would still need ample space for all other accessories. 

Closely related to the point mentioned above is the form factor of an AIO computer. An AIO computer beats a desktop PC by a mile. Its body is slimmer and much more appealing than that of a desktop. This isn’t to say that desktop PCs are unpleasant in terms of looks. In fact, the modern ones come equipped with attractive RGB lighting that enhances their overall aesthetic. But if form factor means a lot to you, definitely go for an AIO. 

An AIO computer also takes away the burden of additional shopping. Since you’re getting everything in a single package, you’re not required to spend your time and energy looking up and buying accompanying accessories. This can be particularly helpful if you’re someone who has limited knowledge in this area and wishes to upgrade without delving too deep into research. Whether or not that’s true for you, feel free to check out our guides on the best computer speakers, mice, keyboards, and monitors for some additional help. 

Even though AIO computers aren’t exactly what many would call portable, especially compared to laptops, they’re still capable of being moved far more easily than other desktop PCs. Moving a desktop PC, if you ever need to, would be a hassle. Collecting its various peripherals, gathering all of its wires and cables, and managing the weight of it all isn’t easy. Hence, they heavily limit you to your workspace, way more than an AiO computer does. 

There are areas where other desktop PCs shine too. First of all, they offer an easily configurable design. As previously mentioned, it’s very simple to open a desktop and tweak the components inside. This can come in handy when you’re in the mood to upgrade. You can simply replace a specific part with the newest, most recent version of it. 

Whereas, with most AIOs, you’re pretty much stuck with the same body and configuration. You likely won’t have the flexibility to upgrade to newer components that are best suited to your needs. This could also result in problems when any of the features on your AIO gets outdated. 

The fact that an AIO computer is also much more difficult to repair is closely linked to the point above. In a desktop PC, there are several quick fixes that even a layman with little technical knowledge can manage. These include replacing a specific component, cleaning the fan, etc. An AIO, on the other hand, is quite difficult to open. In some cases, it doesn’t even allow the user to tinker with its inside parts. And when it does, its hardware is often extremely unreachable. 

The hardware inside an AIO is often soldered so well that it doesn’t allow tweaking. Moreover, opening up AIO computers is considered to go against the warranty in some cases. Repairs end up being a huge hassle, and the user has no option but to send the entire device to a technician. This doesn’t only cost the user significant money but also deprives them of a PC for a considerable amount of time, causing inconvenience. This also means that if there’s an issue with your display or the speakers inside, you’ll also have to send the whole thing out for repair.

• Winner: Tie

All in one computer vs desktop PC: performance

• Processing power depends on your device’s model
• AIOs are easier to set up and often offer brilliant displays with touch control

Performance-wise, both AIOs and other kinds of desktop PCs can be powerful or not depending on their model. For instance, most Windows-powered AIOs are not quite powerful in terms of graphics. This is due to the fact that they feature integrated graphics cards, instead of dedicated ones. These include Intel or AMD graphics, which tend to perform not as well as Nvidia’s RTX cards that you’ll find in more robust desktop computers and gaming PCs.

On the other hand, some Apple AIOs feature an extremely powerful processor chip, the M1, which is excellent for graphics-intensive tasks such as video editing, 3D graphic design, and photo editing. Hence, ultimately, the performance of a machine depends on the processing power and graphics of the model that you’re opting for. 

If your work requires using memory-intensive software or if you’re into hardcore gaming, an AIO computer with integrated graphics may be underwhelming for you. Even if you manage to run intense software on it, it may result in thermal throttling because of the lack of ventilation.

• Winner: Tie, depending on what you need

All in one computer vs desktop PC: upgradability

• Desktops are easier to upgrade
• Most AIO do not give you the option to upgrade their internals

AIO computers are also harder to upgrade as compared to desktop PCs. As mentioned already, desktop PCs are simple to open up, hence resulting in easier upgrades. Technology is constantly advancing and with newer versions being released every few months, you would likely want to get rid of obsolete components. This could include a speedier processor or an improved graphics card, among other things. 

In the case of an AIO, even if you invest in a system that offers the latest features and specs, they will, too, eventually start slowing down in a few years. Desktop PCs are incredibly simple to open up and tweak. You can simply take a graphics card out and install another. AIOs are more difficult to open up, and in most cases, they don’t allow the user to open them up at all. 

AIO computers are preferred over other desktop PCs in terms of how easy they are to set up, however. Offering a plug-and-play option, an AIO computer is practically ready to be used out of the box. In the case of a desktop PC, you’re supposed to pair a number of peripherals and manage several cables before you can use it.

AIO computers now offer quite advanced screen technology. Modern AIOs come equipped with premium displays offering rich colors and sharp picture quality. Often, they also sport touch control and pen support. This makes the device an excellent option for all your art and design-related needs.

• Winner: Tie

All-in-one computer vs desktop PC: Which one should you go for?

It’s a close competition between the two with desktop PCs winning by a slight margin. While there’s a tie in terms of design and performance, desktop PC aces in the price category. 

All in all, it ultimately depends on your workflow. If you have a very light workflow that involves MS Office and light browsing, then an AIO computer with integrated graphics may be sufficient for you. It would be able to manage your workload without heating up, and you wouldn’t feel the need to upgrade to the latest processor every few months. 

However, if your lifestyle involves playing intense games or your work requires you to use, for instance, professional video-editing software, then investing in either an Apple AIO or a desktop PC with dedicated graphics makes much more sense. It’s also easily configurable and simple to repair. 

Memory for your PC could soon get a fair bit cheaper according to an analyst firm, which has just revised its predictions to suggest heavier drops in the price tags of RAM sticks.

TrendForce tells us that the DRAM market is witnessing Korean manufacturers dropping prices to stoke demand from customers in the midst of oversupply, and these reduced prices are going to lead to considerably cheaper memory modules going forward.

While TrendForce had previously estimated a fall in pricing for consumer RAM sticks to the tune of 8% to 13% in Q3, that has been revised to a predicted quarterly decline of at least 13%, or maybe up to 18% – which is almost a fifth cheaper.

That’s quite a hefty drop down, and it’s a trend which is apparently set to continue into Q4, the analyst firm observes, where a further 3% to 8% drop is forecast (again, more than the original prediction which was for pricing to only fall at 5% at the most, and in the best-case scenario, price tags would remain the same in Q4).

Beyond that, TrendForce believes that the “possibility of sustained decline cannot be ruled out”, meaning we could see further downward movement as 2023 rolls around.

Analysis: Play a waiting game for RAM, if you can

The upshot of all this is that if you’re thinking of buying new RAM, it might be worth waiting longer for some decent further price reductions – particularly if it’s more expensive system memory, or larger capacity modules, that you’ve got your eye on.

The caveat here is that while this is very likely the case for DDR4 memory, at least if the analyst firm is correct – and all the signs point that way – price tags for the newest standard, DDR5 RAM, may not come down to the same extent.

That said, as DDR5 matures it’ll become less expensive (and more performant) anyway, so it’s worth holding off for a while yet purely on that basis. As you may recall, DDR5 has already witnessed some big price drops in the last couple of months, and there’s no reason to believe that won’t continue.

So, if you’re mulling a RAM upgrade, our advice is to try to stay strong and hold out a bit longer. And even those building a new PC might want to play a waiting game, not just for slightly cheaper RAM prices, but likely some fair old drops with GPU pricing which are likely in the cards (so to speak) right now. Indeed, with Ryzen 7000 and Raptor Lake CPUs, as well as next-gen graphics cards all coming soon, it’s surely a good time to be patient, anyway.

Via Tom’s Hardware

HP Chromebase All-in-One 22: Two-minute review

The HP Chromebase All-in-One 22 is helping usher all-in-one PCs into the mainstream market, and it’s about damn time. Even now, most AIO PCs on the market are pricey and tend to target professionals who need a minimalist yet powerful solution for their demanding computing workloads. 

That isn’t to say that there aren’t all-in-one computers on the market that are affordable enough to the general public. But, you also have to dig deep to find them, as the likes of the iMac (24-inch, 2021) and the HP Envy 34 All-in-One tend to outshine them all.

Also, anything under $800 / £800 tends to feel slightly underpowered, especially when running a full-fledged operating system like Windows 11.

The HP Chromebase All-in-One 22 fixes all that by using similar specs, but utilizing the lightweight Chrome OS instead. Bridging the gap between the popular (and usually affordable) Chromebooks and the minimalist appeal of AIOs, it offers a snappier performance than its Windows 11 counterparts – not to mention, an attractive design – while keeping its price within easy reach of most consumers.

Among its many notable features are its 21.5-inch touchscreen display with portrait mode, a 2,592 × 1,944-resolution webcam with impressive noise reduction, a two-step privacy cover, and a pair of 5W speakers with plenty of volume. 

There are some compromises here – unsurprising considering its price – but there excellent premium features as well, namely its beautiful compact design and its browser multitasking prowess. Finally, users whose daily needs largely involve browsing, streaming, and sending emails now have a budget-realistic AIO option.

If you're looking for an all-in-one for everyone in your household, your work-from-home setup, or the matriculating member of your family, the HP Chromebase All-in-One 22 is a tough contender to beat.

HP Chromebase All-in-One 22: Price and availability

• Several configurations on offer
• Limited availability in the UK

How budget-friendly is the HP Chromebase All-in-One 22 exactly? At the moment, it’s available in several configurations in the US, starting at $629 / £629. This base configuration comes with an Intel Pentium 6405U, Intel UHD graphics, and 8GB of memory as well as 128GB SSD. While that might sound a little underpowered, remember that it’s also running a lightweight operating system that doesn’t need robust specs. 

If you do need something more robust, the most kitted-out configuration – the same configuration that was sent to TechRadar for testing – will give you an Intel Core i3-10110U, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and the same integrated graphics for $699 / £699.

Unfortunately, consumers in the Australia would have to wait to get their hands on an HP Chromebase as it’s currently unavailable in the region. It's also currently unavailable in the HP UK store, but you should be able to find some configurations available at some UK online retailers. On the bright side, the UK HP store suggests that it will soon become available.

Value: 4 / 5

HP Chromebase All-in-One 22: Design and features

• Beautiful, premium design
• Thoughtful design details

HP doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to the HP Chromebase All-in-One 22’s design. This is meant to be a space-saving, minimalist, and appealing all-in-one, and it succeeds in that regard with its 21.5-inch display, compact conical stand that stores all the innards, ports, and speakers, and beautiful white finish that makes it look pricier than it is. 

The display size might not be ideal for power users and multi-taskers, but it’s certainly enough for this computer’s target market. Plus, its touch capability is beautifully responsive, something you’d expect from pricier models.

There’s also a decent port selection that’s more than enough for the average user. Not that you’d be needing peripherals as it does come with its own Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, both of which get the job done. 

The keyboard is comfortable to type on, despite lacking some keys, including media keys (apart from the volume buttons). The mouse could be better – there’s a little more resistance on its buttons than we’d like – but it also does what it’s supposed to do. Users who aren’t very particular with their peripherals will be satisfied.

There are thoughtful design features as well, some of which even the iMac 24-inch doesn’t have, namely the pivot-capable display that will let you switch from landscape to portrait mode with just, quite literally, a finger. 

There aren’t any swivel or horizontal adjustments here, but if you require that vertical space to read news articles, work on your book, or help the kids with their essays, you’ll appreciate the fact that portrait mode is on hand and just a push of a finger away. There’s also some up and down tilt for more comfortable viewing.

Another thoughtful design feature is its webcam’s privacy shutter, which allows you to block any video feed and turn the mic off completely when not in use. 

Having this feature prevents hackers and other malicious people on the Internet from using your webcam and mic to spy on you, or worse.

Design: 4.5 / 5

HP Chromebase All-in-One 22: Performance

• Browser performance is ace
• Speakers loud but not the best sounding

The Chrome OS doesn’t need powerful specs to run smoothly, so it isn’t surprising that when paired with an Intel Core i3-10110U and 16GB of memory, it runs snappier than ever. The HP Chromebase All-in-One 22 scores high in the Kraken JavaScript benchmark test, giving us a lofty 895.3ms, and a decent 134.5 in the Jetstream 2 test.

It proves that in practice as well. On test, we often have it run 20 or more tabs at the same time, several of which have Google Docs Editors suite pages and online publications open, as well as shopping sites and streaming services, and it handles those without signs of a slowdown. This is an all-in-one made for demanding browser needs and multitasking.

Meanwhile, the built-in 5W stereo speakers, which again are housed in the stand, are good as well. They aren’t as crisp and detailed as the speakers you’d find on pricier all-in-ones, but they get pretty loud with decent bass response to fill a room… or at least a small- to medium-sized one. 

Fair warning, however: pump that volume up to 100%, and they’ll sound as if tiny little ice picks are stabbing at your eardrums. So, best keep that volume under 90%.

Performance: 4 / 5

HP Chromebase All-in-One 22: Webcam and mic

• Excellent noise reduction
• Crisp and clear mic

If you plan on using the webcam and mic for work meetings and video calls with loved ones, you’ll be happy to know that you’re getting a decently high 2,592 × 1,944 resolution here. It’s not the most detailed webcam we’ve used, and there’s not a lot of contrast or dynamic range. However, it excels in noise reduction, keeping that luminance and chromatic noise well-controlled even in low lighting.

The mic is also great, although it comes with its own compromise. Your voice will come out crisp and clear, but as will any background noise since there isn’t any noise rejection – not surprising since this isn’t a premium all-in-one PC.

Webcam: 4 / 5

Should I buy the HP Chromebase All-in-One 22?

Buy it if…

Don’t buy it if…

Also consider

HP Chromebase All-in-One 22: Report card

How we test

We pride ourselves on our independence and our rigorous review-testing process, offering up long-term attention to the products we review and making sure our reviews are updated and maintained - regardless of when a device was released, if you can still buy it, it's on our radar.

Read more about how we test

Choosing the best PC case for your build can be trickier than it looks at first glance. For newcomers to PC building, the sheer variety of sizes, styles, and features can feel overwhelming.

Do you go with a tried-and-true mid-tower, opt for the expansive real estate of a full tower, or lean toward a compact chassis that saves on desk space? The answer often depends on what kind of system you’re building, how much hardware you plan to install, and, of course, your budget.

To make the process easier, I’ve put together a list of our favorite cases based on hands-on testing and real-world use from members of the TechRadar team.

It’s worth mentioning that I’m currently in the process of revamping this buying guide with fresh recommendations from my testing lab, where I'll be doing more extensive analysis of the latest cases to hit the market. That said, the products featured here are still excellent choices that I can recommend with confidence. My personal favorite is the Hyte Y70 Touch, which earned a rare 5-star score thanks to its premium design, spacious layout, and innovative diagnostics display.

It does come at a higher price, though, which is why we also highlight budget-friendly alternatives such as the Fractal Design Meshify-C and the Asus Prime AP201—both available for under $100.

At TechRadar, we’ve reviewed thousands of computing products over the past 15 years, so we know what makes a case worth your money. Whether you’re planning your very first build or upgrading an existing machine, these recommendations are a solid starting point. And if you’re going all-in on a new rig, don’t forget to check out our companion guides on the best graphics cards, best processors, and best SSDs to pair with your new case.

Best PC case in 2025: Quick List

The best PC cases in 2025

Below you'll find my picks for the best PC cases of 2025, broken down by category, so you can find the right PC case for your needs and budget.

The best PC case overall

PC cases don’t come much more cutting edge than this one. The Hyte Y70 Touch has a cut-away design on one of its front corners that features a 4K interactive touchscreen, on which you can display system information, live backgrounds, and quick access widgets to launch programs.

Running on Hyte’s Nexus software, the touchscreen acts as a second Windows display for your PC; meaning it provides practical functionality, rather than just a gimmicky visual aesthetic. And once the software is up and running, configuring this gorgeous display is an intuitive affair that rewards you with time-saving substance to add to that style.

This premium case comes with a spacious interior as well, boasting room for up to 10 case fans, and three radiators. Its dual-chamber design conveniently allows for plenty of air circulation too, giving you a helping hand when it comes to keeping everything cool. Plus, the glass panels on either side of the touchscreen display are ideal for showing off your GPU as well.

It won’t come as any surprise that the biggest drawback with this remarkable mid-tower case is the hefty asking price. As impressive (and useful) as that 4K touchscreen panel is, you could argue that it’s an unnecessary extravagance, making it harder to justify the price point.

However, it’s hard to fault the case itself. Standing out from the crowd from a mile off, the Hyte Y70 Touch is going to turn heads, and then some. Packed with neat, quality-of-life features, all wrapped up with a 4K touchscreen bow, this is the PC case for you, if your budget can stretch to it.

Read the full Hyte Y70 Touch review

The best mid-tower PC case

It is extremely rare to see any PC case that even vaguely resembles the Fractal Design Meshify-C. Given that the front of the case is entirely made of a mesh material sectioned off into an array of polygonal shapes, the Meshify-C has a unique style – without compromising on function.

With two fans pre-installed, cooling is (forgive us) a breeze, even if the Meshify-C is held back by a number of obstacles, like the difficulty in removing the PSU dust filter and the front USB 3.0 cable being frustratingly short, making it difficult to plug into your motherboard.

The best small tower case

The Asus Prime AP201 is one of our favorite cases for microATX builds thanks to its tool-free access, 360-degree airflow, and surprisingly large capacity. It also helps aid in cable management thanks to the 32mm gap on the motherboard tray to help keep cables tucked away.

It can support both MicroATX and Mini-ITX motherboards, up to a 180mm power supply, and up to a 338mm long graphics card, so it can even hold an RTX 4090 Founders Edition (though definitely look into a GPU bracket, since one isn't included with this case). You can also fit in a 360mm AIO cooler, though only just barely.

Getting everything situated in the case is going to be a challenge given its size (no small tower case will be easy to configure with modern hardware), but the AP201 manages to make the process as relatively painless as possible thanks to a number of clever design choices, like mounting the PSU at the front of the case with an extension cable running to the back.

If there's a drawback, it would be the lack of a glass side panel option for those who want to show off the interior of their builds, but for those who want a PC that blends in rather than stands out, this just might be exactly what you want.

All in all, the Asus Prime AP201 is the ideal small tower case for anyone looking for a high-performance build with a smaller footprint. It might take time for some to fit everything they need inside, but if you're up to the challenge, this case will serve you well for a long time to come.

To save money on Asus products, check out our Asus promo codes.

The best DIY case

If your idea of building your own custom PC involves doing it yourself as much as possible, the Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack may be one of the most satisfying PC cases there is. This flatpack PC case puts you in mind of a certain Scandinavian furniture emporium, although luckily the instructions here are much more helpful.

Assembling the Cooler Master Qube 500 is a relatively straightforward and enjoyable process, thanks to the detailed instructions provided by Cooler Master’s YouTube Channel, which are clear and easy to follow.

The completed product offers excellent ventilation, and compact storage for all the essentials. Integrated carry handles on the top mean that repositioning the case is nice and easy, and you won’t struggle to find a handhold when lugging it around.

On the downside, this case is on the smaller side, so you’ll want to check that its dimensions can accommodate all the chosen innards for your build. In addition, the compact design restricts front fan placement, which could be an issue, depending on the type of PC you’re looking to put together.

That said, the Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack still manages to feel like a breath of fresh air. It’s the perfect choice for DIY enthusiasts, or first time builders eager to learn the ropes. It has a unique and colorful design options, a budget-friendly price tag, and the overall package makes it one of the best PC cases you can buy.

Read the full Cooler Master Qube 500 Flatpack review

The best PC case for a living room PC

When you first look at the Phanteks Evolv Shift 2, it looks more like a sound bar than one of the best PC cases, but this helps it vanish into any living area or studio setup.

It’s flexible to the point that it looks natural placed under a TV as it does on a desk, next to one of the best gaming monitors or best TVs. It may only be compatible with a Mini-ITX motherboard, but the Phanteks Evolv Shift 2 offers tons of space for components and liquid cooling loops.

If this case is a little small for your preference, you can get the larger Phanteks Evolv X for more room on the inside for a bigger GPU and other components.

The best PC cube case

The Antec Cube is without a doubt the best PC case for you Razer fans out there. While Razer hasn’t made its own desktop PC (not yet, anyway), you can build a Mini-ITX gaming PC, pretending it’s a Razer product.

You see, Antec partnered with Razer to bring its signature green-infused flare to the Cube, a small form-factor chassis. Complete with a deceptively high amount of space for future expansion, the Antec Cube is also compact enough to travel with.

The best PC case: FAQs

If you're looking to do a new PC build, finding the right PC case is essential, but it is also going to be determined by the components you plan on including in the PC. If you're going big on components, you're likely going to need at least a mid-tower case, but if you're keeping things within a tight budget, a mini-ATX case will likely be better.

Today's best deals

HP Envy 34: Two minute review

The HP Envy 34 all-in-one PC is arguably one of our favorite all-in-one computers we've ever used. And with it offering more performance and features than just about any competing PC in its class, honestly, it's not even close.

We're going to shake things up a bit and lead with what this computer lacks, just to get it out of the way so we can talk about everything we love about it. 

Aesthetically, the Envy 34 isn't much to look at. It doesn't have the pop of color you'll get with a new iMac (24-inch, M1), and it's easy to walk past the Envy 34 in an office and not give it a second glance. It's that kind of computer, at least at a distance.

It's also running an 11th-gen Intel processor, rather than a new Alder Lake chip. Alder Lake chips run very hot, so this might not be a bad thing in an all-in-one where cooling is an issue though. 

The GPU is a mobile chip though, but this is also probably unavoidable given that this is an all-in-one and not a desktop tower with a more robust cooling solutions with multiple fans.

And ultimately, the biggest issue you'll find is that the highest-spec model of the Envy 34 is pretty expensive, but that's a given if you go for a higher-specced anything.

All that said, from the spectacular design to the crispness of its display; its features, upgradability, and functionality; its relative affordability; and above all, it's performance, the HP Envy 34 is phenomenal in nearly every way that matters. 

We'll even say that it's better than an iMac, especially for creatives who aren't locked into Apple's sprawling ecosystem. If you're looking for the best all-in-one computer and aren't just looking for a budget, general use PC, this is the one you should put at the top of your list and see if its competitors can beat it. We doubt they will.

HP Envy 34: Price and availability

• How much does it cost? Starting at $1,999 / £1,999 / about AU$2,800
• When is it out? Available now in the US and UK. Not availability in Australia right now
• Price as reviewed? Review configuration MSRP $2,349/£2,499/about AU$3,380

The HP Envy 34 all-in-one PC is available now in the US and UK, starting at $1,999 and £1,999, respectively. It is not available in Australia at this time, but we have reached out to HP for a possible release date in Australia and will update this review if and when we hear back from the company. Wherever you buy, check out the HP promo codes out there to see how you could save more.

The starting configuration in the US and UK are the same, with an 11th-Gen Intel i5-11400, an Nvidia GTX 1650 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 512GB SSD for $1,999 / £1,999.

The configuration sent to TechRadar for review features an 11th-Gen Intel i7-11700 CPU, an Nvidia RTX 3060 GPU, 16GB RAM, and 1TB SSD. This configuration is priced at $2,349 / £2,499. The top-level spec features an 11th-Gen Intel i9-11900, an Nvidia RTX 3080, 32GB RAM, and 1TB SSD for $3,429 / £3,499.

Compare this to the 24-inch iMac, which has a starting price of $1,299 / £1,249 / AU$1,899 and comes with an Apple M1 chip with a 7-core GPU, 8GB RAM, and 256GB SSD storage. 

While the Envy 34 is $700 / £750 more expensive, its base configuration comes with double both the RAM and SSD storage. It also comes with a discrete GPU with its own dedicated video memory and an ultrawide 5120 x 2160p display with 500 nits max brightness and 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut. 

Meanwhile, the fully-specced iMac will set you back $2,499/£2,449/AU$3,699, and that comes with an M1 with an 8-core GPU, 16GB RAM and 2TB SSD storage. The configuration we reviewed has half the storage capacity, the same amount of RAM, an RTX 3060 with dedicated VRAM, and an ultrawide display, making it by far the better value for creatives, especially when you take into account the upgradable storage and memory and more than double the number of ports as the iMac, including an SD Card reader. 

• Value: 5/5

HP Envy 34: Design

• Display doesn't swivel
• Excellent number and placement of ports
• Moveable 16MP webcam

While the HP Envy 34 isn't flashy at all it is a veritable Swiss Army Knife when it comes to functionality.

The PC comes in a single color, Turbo Silver, and comes with a thin, wireless full-sized keyboard and wireless mouse. These are generally decent enough to use, and while the keys have a bit too shallow a profile for our liking, anyone coming from Mac will be right at home. They are incredibly responsive for wireless devices though, and we have yet to experience a drop in connectivity with either the mouse or the keyboard after prolonged use.

The height-adjustable, 34-inch, 5K 21:9 display is simply gorgeous to look at. With 500 nits of brightness, anti-reflective coating, and 98% coverage of the DCI-P3 gamut, you're going to be hard-pressed to find a creative all-in-one display at this size, resolution, and color fidelity for this price. While height adjustable, the display doesn't swivel, unfortunately.

Ports on an all-in-one PC can be a pain to access, and that is still the case for some of the ports on the Envy 34, particularly the ports on the back. But this is greatly negated by the Envy 34 putting two USB Type-A and one USB Type-C ports on the computer's stand within easy reach of the user. 

Better still, the stand also has a media memory card reader, so popping in an SD card full of photos takes as much time as it takes you to sit down in front of it. 

• Design: 4/5

HP Envy 34: Features

• Upgradeable RAM and storage
• 15W Wireless charging built into the base of the stand
• Moveable webcam with physical privacy shutter 

The HP Envy 34 is as feature-filled as any all-in-one we've seen. 

The two integrated 2W Bang & Olufsen speakers aren't going to compete with the best soundbars any time soon, but they still offer decent sound for integrated speakers. If you're an audio professional hoping to use this for audio mixing work, though, you're definitely better off with headphones or external speakers. Otherwise, they are perfectly fine for everyone else who isn't an audiophile.

Many all-in-ones feature some degree of upgradability, but others don't; particularly the Apple iMac. The Envy 34 is upgradable to 128GB RAM and 4TB M.2 SSD storage, meaning that there is more than enough expandability for creatives processing heavy-duty multimedia content.

Then there's the 15W wireless charger built into the base of the Envy 34's stand. Is this really a necessary feature for an all-in-one PC? Of course not. Is it finnicky sometimes? Yes. Is it a fantastic thing to have on your work PC anyway? Absolutely.

And now the webcam. This isn't your standard 720p or even 1080p webcam, but a 16MP IR webcam, which offers incredibly sharp resolution for video recording. It is compatible with Windows Hello, making logging in as easy as sitting down in front of the computer. 

What's more, it's moveable and has a magnetic base that attaches to all sides of the display, so you can use it in any number of ways that you couldn't with a standard, integrated webcam. This does mean that you use up a USB port in the process, but with so many ports, you can afford it. 

Best of all, there is a physical, sliding privacy shutter on the webcam with diagonal-stripe pattern to clearly see when your camera shutter is in use. Not enough manufacturers do this, so we love to see it with the HP Envy 34.

• Features: 4/5

HP Envy 34: Performance

• 11th-Gen Intel Processor
• Up to RTX 3080 GPU with Nvidia Studio drivers
• GPU performance is underpowered

The HP Envy 34 features up to an Intel Core i9-11900 S-series chip, so even though it is a last-gen Intel processor, it is a full, 65W desktop-class processor. This provides some powerful performance in an all-in-one form factor, expecially when paired with an RTX 3080 GPU.

The main issue with the performance of the Envy 34 that we reviewed is that its GPU is a mobile chip, so it is underpowered for a "desktop." This means you are not going to get full desktop-class performance out of it that you might expect just looking at the specs. We can't imagine how you could without all but melting the PC, though, so this isn't surprising. Just understand that even though this is a desktop PC it doesn't mean it's coming with a GPU on par with the best graphics cards. That simply won't be the case.

The processor is also a last-gen Intel chip, so the ones just before Intel jumped in the Alder Lake and soaked everyone with its 12th-gen's phenomenal performance. You're missing out on that performance here, and in terms of CPU scores, even the 12th-gen Intel mobile CPUs nearly lap the desktop 11th-gen processor in the Envy 34.

But those chips lap nearly everyone, and they run so hot that it would honestly be impossible to operate them safely without throttling their performance in an all-in-one PC. The 11th-gen Intel chips in the Envy 34 are probably the right compromise here. 

They still provide excellent performance, going toe-to-toe with the 24-inch iMac in Geekbench and Cinebench R23, and the Envy 34 really pulls away when handling creative workloads like photo and video editing.

The Envy 34 scored an 871 in PugetBench Photoshop, compared to the iMac's 649. While encoding a 4K video into 30fps 1080p video, the Envy 34 accomplished the job significantly faster than the latest iMac, encoding 37 frames a second compared to the iMac's 24.5 frames per second.

This might not be the best gaming PC around, but for creative professionals, you now have a serious alternative to the iMac, and if you can afford the premium for the Envy 34, this is absolutely the all-in-one you should be looking at.

• Performance: 4/5

Should I buy an HP Envy 34?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

Also consider

• First reviewed July 2022

Intel’s Raptor Lake flagship has been spotted again, with another engineering sample (ES) chip floating around out there which has been benchmarked, and is shown running with considerably faster clock speeds than the last sample CPU we saw.

VideoCardz flagged up this one, spotting it on Twitter, although it originates from the Chiphell forums over in China, a regular source of hardware leakage which has provided accurate rumors in the past – but we’d still say it’s territory that should be treated with a bit more caution than normal.

At any rate, the purported Core i9-13900K spotted is an ES3 chip (meaning a later revision than early ES1 and ES2 sample CPUs) that was benchmarked in CPU-Z.

What we’re shown is a processor which can boost to 5.5GHz (on a single core) and 5.3GHz (across multiple cores – these are the performance cores, not efficiency ones, of course). The chip achieved a single-thread score of 800, and multi-thread result of 15,000.

The leaker also has an ES1 sample (obtained on the Chinese black market, we’re told), for which a photo and screenshots were provided (we didn’t get the ES3 results screen grabbed, sadly), and that runs somewhat slower as you’d expect, with scores of 600 and 13,000 for single and multi-thread respectively. The ES1 only boosts to 4.5GHz, but again, as an earlier sample, that’s par for the course – clock speeds can often be way off the mark with this kind of pre-release chip.

As we mentioned at the outset, we recently saw spillage around a Core i9-13900K ES processor running with a slower 3.8GHz (all-core) boost speed, which suggested promising levels of multi-core performance compared to the existing 12900K (not surprisingly, as the Raptor Lake flagship is set to double the number of efficiency cores on-board, no less).

Analysis: A closely fought battle for next-gen CPUs?

At this stage, we can’t read much into benchmark results for obvious reasons, and CPU-Z is hardly the first pick for a sterling performance metric anyway; although it does at least give us something of a ballpark idea. More telling are the clock speeds recorded here, with the Core i9-13900K sample already reaching 5.5GHz boost, and the finished product will presumably be quicker than this.

At 5.5GHz, the Raptor Lake flagship is already level pegging with the Core i9-12900KS (special edition of the 12900K flagship), which also boosts to 5.5GHz by default out of the box (remember that overclocking can push these unlocked ‘K’ CPUs harder than this).

Rumor has it that the 13900K could reach up to around 5.8GHz for its final boost speed, and it’s looking like that could be a realistic piece of speculation (some rumors have even suggested 6GHz of late, but we’d be wary around expecting Intel to be able to drive that hard with the 13th-gen flagship).

Overall, this points to Raptor Lake’s performance looking like a promising step up from Alder Lake – which has already impressed us – and for gamers, we shouldn’t forget about the cache boost which is going to be served up by 13th-gen silicon, either.

Should AMD be worried by Raptor Lake? Well, yes and no – while Intel’s next-gen CPU performance certainly looks strong from these rumors, particularly from a gaming angle, Zen 4 is shaping up to be something pretty special as well, from what we’ve seen.

In some ways, the battle of the next-gen CPUs is becoming quite the race to push clock speeds, with Zen 4 processors also seriously ramping up frequencies. AMD already demonstrated a pre-release Ryzen 9 7950X (16-core flagship) hitting 5.5GHz boost (with no overclocking), and that’s across multiple cores, not just a single core. And again, this isn’t the finished product yet…

In short, both generations are looking highly promising, and ultimately we can hope that’ll mean the big winners later this year will be the consumers. Ryzen 7000 CPUs might be out as soon as September or early October, with Raptor Lake also rumored to be looking at an October launch – so not only might performance be a closely fought battle, but release timing could be very tightly pitched, too. Exciting times in store…

When it comes to choosing online security, picking a plan with a wide range of security features might normally mean that the price bar rises up. The good news is that you won't have to invest the big bucks to have top-notch protection with Trend Micro's latest price cut.

Usually costing $89.95 for a one-year subscription, Trend Micro Maximum Security now comes with a 44% discount dropping to just $49.95 for a full protection of up to five devices at once. 

But that's not all. TechRadar readers now have the chance to lower this already bargain offer with a further 10% off by simply adding the exclusive discount code techradar at the checkout. With a total saving of about $45, one year of protection for up to five smartphones and PCs falls right down below the $45-mark.

The Maximum Security package comes with an array of security features and tools to protect your devices from viruses, ransomware, online scams and malicious websites while providing you with the extra security of Trend Micro's Password Manager software. 

For more details about this tempting offer and a closer look to all the features included with the Trend Micro Maximum Security plan, keep scrolling below.

Exclusive Trend Micro Maximum Security deal:

How good is Trend Micro Maximum Security?

When it comes to selecting the best antivirus and online security software, Trend Micro may not be the first name you think of - despite having a 30-year history in the cybersecurity game!

But in industry-leading lab testing, it's right up there with the most watertight services around. Take the most recent real-world testing, for example, from trusted testing lab AV-Comparatives. Trend Micro demonstrated a 100% record on both PC and mobile.

While over at AV-Test, the results were similarly impressive. On Windows 10, Mac and Android, Trend Micro scored the maximum 6 out of 6 for protection, performance and usability.

Trend Micro Maximum Security features

Covering up to five devices with a single subscriptin - your choice of Windows, Mac, Android, iOS and Chromebook - here's a sample of the features you get with the Trend Micro Maximum Security suite:

Laptop security: full protection for your Windows, Mac and Chromebook device against ransomware, viruses, and dangerous websites.

Mobile security: prevent malicious apps, ransomware, unprotected Wi-Fi, and dangerous websites from infecting both your Android and iOS smartphone.

Password Manager: say goodbye to vulnerable passwords and keylogging malware, measuring password strength and keeping these secure.

Anti-scam tool: enhanced protection against internet or email scams, and from fraudulent websites attempting to steal your financial and personal data when shopping and banking online.

Performance optimization: helps you to identify and fix common problems with your system that may be slowing down your devices.

• Discover all of today's best internet security suites with our guide

DDR5 RAM has technically been available on mainstream computing platforms since the release of Alder Lake and the Z690 chipset, though most PC gamers and building enthusiasts were put off buying early because of astronomical prices. Luckily, the cost of DDR5 RAM is rapidly dropping, falling by 20% in just four weeks.

As reported by VideoCardz (with reports from ComputerBase), DDR5-4800 memory is now available for under €5 per gigabyte (around $5 / £4 / AU$7.50), a huge improvement from the €15 per gigabyte (around $16 / £13 / AU$22) average we were seeing at the end of 2021. 

In practical buying terms, this means that where a standard 32GB kit of DDR5-4800 memory was priced at €470 ($500 / £400 / AU$700) at the end of 2021, it will now set you back a more reasonable €154 ($165 / £131 / AU$230).

For transparency, the study lists 200 different DDR5 kits, though It goes without saying that given the initial report was in Euros, and prices may not reflect other regions with complete accuracy, but we are seeing a similar fall in DDR5 prices across the wider market. 

Supply was expected to improve in the second half of 2022 which was expected to have a positive impact on prices, so this news is coming a tad earlier than anticipated but it'll be especially welcome for anyone planning to build their first PC or upgrade their current system in the coming months.

Nvidia is planning to announce its next generation of graphics cards in the coming months, including the likes of the GeForce RTX 4070 and GeForce RTX 4080, and Intel already has motherboards that support DDR5 on the market thanks to the launch of its Alder Lake series of processors. 

AMD isn't far behind with its Zen 4 Ryzen 7000 series, which will require an AM5 socket platform motherboard, though there is concern that AMD hasn't confirmed DDR4 support alongside DDR5.

Still, if you were planning for a full next-gen upgrade, chances are you could achieve this by the time Lovelace hits the market...if you're quick enough to snap up a new GPU in the inevitable rush.

Analysis: Cheap-ER doesn't mean 'cheap'

All of these next-gen releases do present a problem though – you might need to upgrade most of your existing system to support them. It's a small, but frustrating circle: If you want to use DDR5 RAM, you'll need a new motherboard, and to use that new motherboard you'll need to upgrade your processor.

DDR5 becoming more affordable should certainly take the edge off, but it's still not ideal for folks who just want to keep their system relatively up to date, especially with the rumors that AM5 might not support the current DDR4 generation of memory for AMD fans.

To rub a bit more salt into those wounds is the current state of DDR4 prices. It was widely believed that as DDR5 starts to gain more notoriety and market share that the previous generation of memory would start to see a significant reduction in price...only we haven't seen any indication of this yet.

If you're not in a hurry to be an early adopter of next-gen tech then be reassured that DDR4 will still be relevant and capable for a few years – after all, it took around three years for DDR4 to overtake its predecessor, and processors don't need to be updated as frequently as you'd think.

Knowing how to disable Windows services is an extremely handy yet surprisingly easy task all Windows computer users should know. 

Although Windows 10 and Windows 11 are incredibly efficient operating systems, they can still experience performance slowdown. One way to make sure that your PC delivers its best performance, especially when tackling vital but demanding tasks, is by disabling all the Windows 10 services that aren’t essential. 

Windows services are small tasks and programs a PC runs, usually in the background, to ensure that all the other tools, applications and software run smoothly. That includes everything from basic ones like spooling print jobs to a printer to the more complex ones like monitoring various sensors on your display.

A lot of these services are essential to your day to day. Others, however, aren’t, which means they’re utilizing vital resources that your computer should be allocating to more important tasks. That’s where disabling Windows services comes in handy, and we’ll show you exactly how to do it.

Why should I disable Windows services?

The more applications and programs taking up space and using your PC’s resources, the less likely it’s able to perform at its best. But, some of the Windows services your PC is running aren’t essential, which means they can be disabled without interruptions to its day-to-day operations. 

When you disable some of these non-essential services, you’re essentially freeing up the RAM, CPU, cache space and other system resources they’re utilizing. Your PC can then use those resources on tasks that are more crucial or demanding, which allows it to improve its performance.

There are different ways for your PC to stay at its peak performance, but disabling Windows services are among the easiest ones you can do. So, whenever it starts to struggle running applications, lag or even boot up slower, this is one of the things you can try first.

On top of that, disabling a Windows service can also help you troubleshoot an issue or a problem that your PC is experiencing. 

What Windows services can you disable?

While it is easy to disable a service, you should ensure that what you’re disabling isn’t something important. Otherwise, it’ll just cause issues. 

This isn’t a one-list-fits-all kind of thing, however.  The Windows services you can safely disable without disrupting your PC’s operations or preventing you from doing vital tasks largely depends on you and your typical day-to-day needs. There are services that an office manager or an administrative assistant can disable that a photographer or a video editor must not. Similarly, a remote worker who does all their work online probably won’t be needing Windows 10 services that might be vital to a family’s home computer.

A good example is the Print Spooler service. Someone who relies mostly on digital documents and doesn’t regularly print from their PC can disable it. On the other hand, someone who does print often or on a daily basis will need this service enabled and running.

Before you disable a service, find out first what it actually does. How you can do that is by clicking on the particular service you’re looking to disable in the Services window and reading its description. That should give you a better idea of what it does and what happens if you disable it.

How can I disable a Windows service?

To disable a Windows service is easy. Just follow these simple steps below:

1. Press Win + R to open the Windows Run Dialog.

2. In the text bar, type services.msc then press OK. This should bring up the Services window.

3. In the Services window, you can scroll through the different services to figure out which ones are safe to disable or simply look for the one you want your PC to stop running.

4. Right-click on the service you want disabled, and select Properties. A smaller window should pop-up.

5. Click Stop under Service status.

6. Select Disbled in the drop-down menu for Startup type.

7. Click Apply then OK.

Gigabyte announced a partnership with Maingear to develop Project Stealth, a computer assembly kit meant to make PC building more hassle-free.

Project Stealth combines the technologies of Gigabyte and Maingear to tackle the difficulties in building PCs with the assembly kit composed of three products: the Z690 Aorus Elite Stealth motherboard, RTX 3070 Gaming OC Stealth graphics card, and Aorus C300G Stealth case.

The kit works by shifting all motherboard connectors – like ATX power, CPU power, fans, USB, audio, front panel, etc. – to the back, which opposes the current layout of having them in the front of the motherboard.

According to Gigabyte, the assembly kit will be particularly helpful for those who have trouble with general cable management, inserting USB, audio, PSU connectors, and front panel headers due to the standard location of the motherboard connector.

Meanwhile, Maingear is also offering its own product, the Stealth Gaming PC, which will feature the Project Stealth motherboard cable management. Each PC will be hand-built and come with DDR5 memory and high-speed PCI-E Gen 4 NVMe storage.

 Analysis: The future of PC building

It’s no secret that PC building is a very technical and precise process that requires knowledge of PC component placement as well as how to connect cables for each component to the motherboard. 

And just as Gigabyte pointed out, because the motherboard connectors tend to be in the front, this makes the process that much more difficult since computer cables can be very difficult to work with.

The products that Gigabyte and Maingear are providing are two ingenious ways to make the PC building process much easier. And if this ends up being successful, it could set a precedent for other tech companies to offer similar services.

• Touring Maingear: the hypercar auto shop of gaming PC builders

New reports suggest that Intel may be pushing manufacturers to only support DDR5 memory with 700 series motherboards, which are expected to release later this year alongside Intel’s 13th gen Raptor Lake processors.

If these rumors, which were first reported on by TechPowerUp, are correct, then this could be a blow to people who were hoping to build a budget PC, as DDR5 RAM prices are still incredibly high.

Intel’s Raptor Lake processors will ship in Q3 of 2022 with support for both DDR5 and the older DDR4 RAM. With DDR5 being both expensive and quite hard to get hold of, including DDR4 support should make the upgrade easier for a lot of people.

If you have a current-gen series 600 motherboard, you’ll be able to switch to the 13th generation Raptor Lake processors when they launch and still use your DDR4 RAM after a BIOS update.

This will make upgrading to Raptor Lake processors a lot more affordable for many people, as they’ll only have to buy the new processor. However, if you’re building or buying a PC from scratch, and want to use the new 700 series motherboards, then it looks like you may have to also buy new DDR5 RAM, and that could seriously jack up the price.

Why?

While the push to only support DDR5 RAM on new motherboards may seem counterintuitive – as DDR4 support is one of key features of Raptor Lake for upgraders – there is some logic to this move (assuming this isn’t just a rumor, of course).

DDR5 offers a lot of benefits over DDR4, including vastly increased speeds, so any PC that uses DDR5 is going to perform much better. By going DDR5-only for 700 series motherboards, manufacturers will be able to concentrate on getting the absolute best performance out of the new memory, and pushing speeds higher than ever.

This could also help the adoption of DDR5 when it comes more readily available. With AMD Zen 4 CPUs also expected to launch later this year, and which are also said to support DDR5, the new RAM has a chance of becoming more mainstream. However, there’s quite a big issue it needs to overcome…

Analysis: Bad news for budget PCs

The move to DDR5 RAM is certainly welcome for people who want the best possible speeds, and are happy to pay for it. However, this may cause an issue for people who were hoping to build or buy a budget PC, as DDR5 remains very expensive.

Coupled with higher than normal component prices due to the global chip shortage, this could make the days of budget gaming PCs numbered.

Hopefully, DDR5 prices will start dropping. It may take a while, but if and when they hit DDR4 prices, mainstream adoption will likely dramatically increase.

Until then, if you’re looking to build or buy a budget PC, you may have to stick with previous generation parts for now. The fact that Raptor Lake will support DDR4 and can be used in older motherboards for 12th generation Alder Lake is also welcome, and a nice example of Intel following its rival AMD’s lead, as AMD CPUs are often backward compatible with previous-generation motherboards, taking the financial sting out of upgrading.

Not everyone wants, needs or can afford cutting-edge high-end PCs, so we really hope that this new push doesn’t spell the end for budget alternatives.

• These are the best PCs of 2022

Via PC Gamer

NZXT has announced that its iconic H1 PC case is being relaunched as the H1 V2, offering a built-in power supply, AIO CPU cooler and riser cable within a compact design that can free up precious space on your desk or floor.

The H1 V2 will go on sale on Feb 21 for $399.99 / €399.99 / AU$599.99 (roughly £340) on the NZXT website and is available in either white or black to match other products within the monochromatic NZXT family. 

While this feels pricey for a PC case, it's certainly not unheard of as specialized cases can cost a pretty penny, and it's worth noting that you're also getting a 750W Gold rated SFX power supply, Gen 4 PCIe Riser cable and an AIO CPU cooler included for that price. 

It's also worth considering that this will take most of the frustrations out of building into an unusually-shaped case, negating the need to carefully look up dimensions for a CPU cooler, as well as the lack of market variety currently available for small-form-factor power supplies. Better yet, this new version of the H1 is slightly larger to offer improved airflow and allows the installation of most of the best graphics cards on the market despite that compact size.

The H1 V2 still retains most of the stylings that made it so desirable when it first launched back in 2017, with a compact 'tower' style build that many have compared to the Xbox Series X console. That version had to be recalled due to issues with the PCIe riser cable, but its absence was sorely felt by those who appreciated its unique design and compact size.

To put your mind at ease, NZXT addressed this within the official launch press release, stating: "We have reworked the original riser design from the H1 and learned a great deal from the original case and listened to community feedback. The H1 features a custom-designed PCB and we worked closely with a new vendor, using a more rigorous QA process to make sure each H1 upholds high quality and safety standards."

Opinion: full tower cases are old news

If you've been present in the PC gaming or building scene for a while, then you're likely familiar with hulking full-sized ATX cases. These used to be more prevalent back in the early 2010's as people prioritized space for expansion and airflow, as well as just being the favored style of the time.

Fast forward to the last few years though, and you'll notice that PC cases are getting smaller and more modular, allowing enthusiasts to create compact builds without having to sacrifice thermals or performance. Motherboards and power supplies are getting smaller to accommodate modern demands too, leaving full-tower PC cases looking a little dated.

They still have their place of course – it's easier to build custom water-cooling loops into a larger case, but even mid-sized towers are capable of that kind of modding. As Covid has pushed more of us into working from home, space is becoming a precious commodity.

I'm willing to bet that more brands are going to start releasing small-form-factor cases to appeal to this new market that wants to cram the full power of a PC into a discreet build, especially one that can accommodate a full-sized GeForce RTX 3090 and suitable power supply to run it. 

• The best gaming PCs

Ghostwire: Tokyo is set to come out in a little over a month, and the developer has just released the system requirements for the PC version of the game. 

The system requirements are listed on the Ghostwire: Tokyo Steam page, and they're incredibly easy-going for a game that's only coming out on PS5 and PC. The game only has an Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or Radeon RX 5500 XT listed as its minimum specs, and lists the 9-year-old Intel Core i7-4770K as its minimum CPU option. 

The only high barrier to entry for most modern gaming PCs is going to be the memory requirements. The developer is recommending a minimum of 12GB of RAM to run the game, and a recommended 16GB of RAM. The store page doesn't say what resolution or graphics options these configurations will be good for, but it's a lot more reassuring than something like Dying Light 2 trying to recommend users spring for an RTX 3080 for 1080p. 

When Ghostwire: Tokyo comes out on March 25, you can bet we'll be going hands-on with the PC version of the game to see how well the developer handled the port, just like we did with Dying Light 2.

Here are the full system requirements and recommended specs for Ghostwire: Tokyo.

Minimum:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-4770K or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• RAM: 12GB
• GPU: Nvidia GeForce GTX 1060 or AMD Radeon RX 5500 XT
• Storage: 20GB
• SSD Recommended

Recommended:

• CPU: Intel Core i7-6700 or AMD Ryzen 5 2600
• RAM: 16GB
• GPU Nvidia GeForce GTX 1080 or AMD Radeon RX 5600 XT
• Storage: 20GB SSD

Analysis: a relieving PC port, maybe?

One of the things that has been bothering me a lot about the latest AAA games to hit the PC lately is that system requirements are extremely high, in a time when it's never been harder to get your hands on a graphics card. 

With Ghostwire: Tokyo, though, you should be able to get by with a GTX 1060, and that's still the most popular graphics card out there. Just by virtue of making this PC game easier to run, Tango Gameworks instantly expands its potential player base. And it's not even like this isn't a next-gen game. 

Ghostwire Tokyo is being exclusively released on PS5, so the developers didn't even really need to consider last-generation hardware on the console side. 

I can't wait to get my hands on this game to see how well it runs, whether it's on the older GPUs listed on the store page, or seeing what it takes to run the game maxed out at 4K with the maximum graphics. And if Ghostwire: Tokyo is anything like The Evil Within and its sequel, it's going to be a gruesomely beautiful game. Hopefully the framerate doesn't add to the fear. 

Via KitGuru

The curse of being a PC gamer who loves building and upgrading your computer is that you’re obsessively keeping an eye on the latest components and thinking about how to cram them in your rig.

It doesn’t matter if your gaming PC is incredibly powerful already, booting Windows 11 in seconds and playing any modern game with ease. There’s always going to be something that’ll come out that’s better than what you’ve currently got, which can make your PC that little bit faster.

While we’d all love to constantly upgrade our machines like an ever-evolving RGB-lit Frankenstein’s monster, as we all know, the real world sucks, and there are certain realities that can kill this dream: money and hardware.

While upgrading your PC is certainly cheaper than buying or building an entirely new one, it can still be an expensive endeavor, especially when swapping out certain components. Your budget, then, can limit your upgrading ambitions.

Then there’s the hardware. After a while some of your essential components will become outdated, and unable to support the latest technology, which limits what you can upgrade. This means making upgrades to core components, such as the motherboard and CPU, that can be far more expensive and time consuming.

Aging mobo blues

This is the position I’ve found myself in. My main gaming rig remains an absolute beast and I have absolutely no issue with its performance. But… I am also a sucker for new hardware. I have several SSDs installed, two speedy M.2 PCIe 3.0 drives, one for Windows 11 and intensive apps, and the other for game installs.

I also have a larger SATA III SSD for storing files, lighter apps and generally anything that doesn’t need super-speedy file transfer speeds, due to SATA III being a lot slower than PCIe 3.0.

This setup has worked pretty well for a while, with Windows 11 loading in a few seconds, and games generally starting up quickly as well.

However, as is always the way with PC gaming, there’s a few annoying quirks, and also room for improvement.

For some reason, both Steam and the Xbox Game Pass on PC no longer let me install games on the M.2 SSD. It’s a particularly frustrating state of affairs, and I’ve tried a few things to fix it. It seems like the only option would be to format the drive, but the problem there is that other apps, such as Ubisoft Connect and Epic Games Store, have no issue with it. Formatting it would mean having to redownload a lot of games.

Another issue is that at 1TB, it’s starting to fill up. My options, then, are to install games on the slower drive (no thanks) or start filling up my boot drive with games (eew).

Or… I could install a new drive.

Obviously, that’s the route I decided to take. However, this is where the hardware limitations I spoke about earlier come into play.

I’d been eying up the speeds of the new breed of PCIe4 M.2 SSDs that promising incredibly high speeds of 7,000MB/s. These drives are transforming the way many people play – and design – games. The PS5 has been built around having a speedy SSD of that quality, and an increasing number of games are now being designed with those kinds of speeds in mind.

However, my rig has the Intel Core i9-9900K, a fine 9th generation processor, but it is limited to PCIe 3.0. A quick benchmark of my current gaming M.2 drive gives me speeds of 3,402MB/s read and 3,319MB/s write. Sure, that’s not bad, and it’s much faster than any SATA III drive would be (they top out at around 600MB/s – see why I wouldn’t want to install a game on that?), but it could be faster.

Of course, with my current hardware setup, PCIe 4.0 drives are out of the question, unless I upgrade both my CPU and motherboard. That’s not just an expensive upgrade, but an absolute pain as well. At that point it’s almost worth just buying a new PC.

So, was I out of luck? Actually, no. Western Digital have a rather unique product that could help solve my issues…

The power of RAID

Enter the WD_Black AN1500 SSD add-in card. Looking a bit like a slim graphics card with no video outputs, the AN1500 pops into an empty PCIe slot, and promises speeds close to that of a PCIe 4.0 SSD.

How does it do this? Well, within the metal chassis of the AN1500 are two WD SN730 NVMe SSDs set up in RAID 0 with an enterprise-grade controller. Unlike some types of RAID configurations where several drives are used together as backups, RAID 0 is all about speed.

Essentially, the AN1500 uses RAID 0 and two SSDs to split data into blocks (also known as ‘stripes’). These stripes can then be simultaneously written and read to the SSDs, drastically speeding up the performance of the drive.

This is how the AN1500 offers much faster drive speeds, but there are drawbacks, primarily with price. The AN1500 comes with two SSDs, but it's treated as a single drive in Windows.

That obviously adds to the price compared to a single large SSD, and the AN1500 is definitely an expensive addition. However, it’s still cheaper than replacing the CPU and motherboard of a PC.

The WD_Black AN1500 SSD has been out for a while now, but I’ve been intrigued by it for a while. Using RAID 0 for performance isn’t new, but the WD_Black AN1500 SSD is preconfigured for ease of use. As with other WD_Black devices, it’s got a cool-looking metal chassis, and it packs RGB as well. What’s not to love?

Installing it is also very easy. I love M.2 drives, but they are often located in difficult places to reach on the motherboard – sometimes even on the rear side. This can make installing them tricky if the motherboard is already in the PC case.

PCIe slots are much easier to reach, though due the GPU I have installed, the Nvidia RTX 3090, being SO HUGE, there was still a bit of fiddling about. The WD_Black AN1500 SSD has a PCIe 3.0 x8 interface, so you need to make sure you don’t put it into a PCIe 3.0 x4 slot, which some motherboards have. If you do, the SSD will still work, but performance is impacted.

With the slick design and RGB lighting, it looks  great installed alongside the GPU, and when I powered up my PC I ran a quick benchmark to see how it performed. The results were impressive, with read speeds of 6,154MB/s - twice that of my other SSD, and a write speed of 4,441MB/s.

I also wanted to try out a game on it, so I moved Far Cry 6 over. On the older SSD, it took 1:03.97 (one minute, three seconds) to load the game and get to the main screen (skipping the opening cinematic).

On the new drive, it took just 58 seconds to load. Not a huge difference, and loading into the actual save game took around the same time, 10 seconds. But in a large open-world game, the WD_Black AN1500’s faster speeds allowed for faster texture streaming, which led to less pop-in of surfaces and textures when traversing the world.

It’s still early days with the drive, but already I’m impressed. I’m looking forward to trying out more games on it, and so far it feels like it’s given my PC a new lease of life.

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The best Corsair PC cases are known for their solid build quality, elegant design, and efficient airflow – as well as the spectacular smart iCue RGB lighting on some of them. 

That makes one of these PC cases an excellent choice for most PC and gaming PC builders and those looking to upgrade from their run-of-the-mill setup.

Corsair PC cases do tend to have that same sleek, classic cuboid shape, which means that if you want one that’s more unique or funky looking, you’ll have to look elsewhere. Otherwise, the best Corsair PC cases cover all types, sizes, price points and even colors, so whatever you’re looking for, you’re likely to find one that’s perfect for you below.

A tempered glass case is just the ticket for showing off your high-end internals and RGB lighting, but you also want something that’s affordable, spacious, and has great airflow. 

The Corsair iCUE 4000X ticks off all of those and then some with its brilliant cable management,  iCUE Lighting Node CORE and CORSAIR iCUE software support, and a design that makes it effortless to upgrade later on. 

There’s so much space in this mid-tower ATX case you’ll be able to achieve optimum cooling and more than enough storage space for all your games and large files. And, of course, that elegant, minimalist design that comes in either black or white means you’re keeping things classy in your setup.

Just because it’s under $100/£100 doesn’t mean that you’re getting bargain-basement quality. In fact, the Corsair Carbide 275R is just the opposite with its clean and sophisticated aesthetic, edge-to-edge tempered glass side panel, and a whole lot of space for a powerful gaming PC. 

More specifically, you’ll be able to fit up to two 3.5-inch HDDs, four 2.5-inch SSDs, up six cooling fans (or 360mm, 240mm and 120mm radiators), and a dedicated cable routing compartment while still having enough space leftover for maximum airflow. The front panel is solid rather than glass so you won’t be able to showcase your RGB lighting up front, but that’s exactly what makes this appealing for the right users, especially those who want their gaming PC in their work set up.

At more than $200/£200, the premium Crystal Series 680X might not seem like it's for the budget-minded. After all, at that price, you’d be able to upgrade something crucial inside your gaming PC. 

Still, it’s worth it if you’re willing to save or have the money for the 680X, thanks to its two chambers that allow you to separate your components whichever way you want and Corsair’s Lighting Node Pro which turns it into a smart RGB case that syncs up all your iCue RGB lighting. There’s also a whole lot of room, which makes it perfect for those who want to go all out on components, with space for up to 8x 120mm, 7x 140mm fans or up to 4 radiators to keep all those innards nice and chill.

For a proper, full-tower setup, look no further than the towering Corsair iCUE 7000X – an appropriate choice for PC builders who continually upgrade and expand their gaming PC. There’s not just enough room here for up to 12x 120mm or 7x 140mm cooling fans or up to three 360mm radiators, and up to nine storage drives. There’s enough room to fit all that and still make it easy for users to tinker in there, especially with its tool-free setup and swing-out tempered glass side panels. 

There’s even a hidden compartment for cable management so that everything comes out neat and attractive. However, for all that, it isn’t surprising that the price tag is steep. Luckily, it’s more than worth it, especially with Corsair’s Commander Core XT smart controller thrown in.

Those with a smaller gaming desk space should go for the Corsair Crystal Series 280X whose small form factor is just perfect for more compact setups. Don’t judge this PC case by its small, albeit adorable, cover, however. 

There’s still more than enough room for most people - specifically, up to six 120mm cooling fans or three radiators and up to two 3.5-inch drives and three 2.5-inch drives. It even has a dual-chamber set up so you can organize those innards the way you want. And, it’s feature-rich as well, with Corsair’s Lighting Node Pro digital RGB lighting controller and dust filters included.

• Want something portable? These are the best gaming laptops

Dell upgraded its Alienware Aurora gaming PC series in time for the 25th anniversary – as well as Black Friday deals hunting – which not only means better specs but also a brand new design. The Aurora R13 and Aurora Ryzen Edition R14 will be the first desktops in the series released with a redesigned look.

This new design features 50% more internal chassis space than previous editions of each model, while seeing an overall 5% increase in graphics performance. There’s also an optional scratch-resistant and EMI shielded clear side panel that will become available globally.

Both the Aurora R13 and Aurora Ryzen Edition R14 are out now, with the former at a starting price of $1,479.99 and the latter priced at $1,249.99. They’re also both available in Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon colors. 

It’s too soon to say for sure whether the new models will be included in the flood of Dell Black Friday deals over the next few weeks, but given past experience, we’re expecting to see even better prices on these newly redesigned desktops than the ones we’re seeing now. They’re definitely going to be some of the most sought after Black Friday PC gaming deals we’ll see, if so.

Analysis: What’s inside the chassis?

The Alienware Aurora Ryzen Edition R14 includes up to AMD Ryzen 9 processors, as well as the best graphics cards available, up to either the AMD Radeon RX 6900XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. It also includes DDR4 XMP RAM (up to 128GB 3600Mhz), and 4TB NVMe M.2 PCIe SSD Support (with 2TB Boot and 2TB Storage).

The Aurora R13 is the more powerful model and includes up to 12th-Generation Intel Core i9 processors. Like the Ryzen Edition R14, the R13 comes with graphics cards up to either the AMD Radeon RX 6900XT or NVIDIA GeForce RTX 3090. It also features DDR5 RAM (up to 128GB 3600Mhz or 64GB 4400Mhz), and PCI-Express 5.0 support.

Both models come with two 120mm fans and can be equipped with up to two more, with the R13 model also featuring a liquid cooling option.

Pre-built dedicated gaming PCs are always a good choice for gamers who want something future-proofed immediately, with options to customize parts in the future. These PCs are also solid options for those suffering from the ongoing GPU and CPU shortages, with great specs all around.

Once you begin to add on extras, however, those starting prices can get a little steep. But there are sure to be some Black Friday computer deals this year, and we anticipate that Cyber Monday will also have some great sales.

After spending weeks coming up with a list of PC components, waiting anxiously for them to go on sale, and getting them delivered to your door, it’s time. You’ve got a phillips head screwdriver in hand, and you’re ready to go.

For the purposes of our PC building guide, we’ve used the following parts as an example of how to build a complete computer. These components are also exactly what you need to construct an modest – if a little last generation – gaming PC. 

Quick steps for how to build a PC

• Assess what you need your PC for (gaming, content creation, streaming etc) and ensure that required components are compatible with each other.
• Check you have all required tools and a clean work surface
• Start the build, following each step from mounting your motherboard to connecting case accessories and fans.
• Switch on the PC to make sure it works and launches into BIOS
• Install the operating system of your choice

Tools and Requirements

• A philips head screwdriver (though a set of screwdrivers is preferable)
• A clean work surface
• A monitor, mouse and keyboard to complete the setup
• A USB flash drive with at least 8GB of storage
• Zip ties and an anti-static wrist wrap (optional)

Step by step guide

Alienware’s Aurora desktop gaming PC has been redesigned to celebrate the gaming brand’s 25th anniversary.

Yes, Alienware really has been around since the days when Quake was released (1996), and to celebrate, the Aurora – the firm’s gaming PC which was first introduced a little more recently, in 2004 – has been graced with an (optional) transparent panel on one side that lets you see through and admire the innards of the mid-tower case.

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Accompanying this window to the internals is more customizable lighting, as the PC now has eight lighting zones (twice as many), to make the view inside prettier now that you can actually see in there.

The shape of the case has been changed somewhat, so it’s now curvier, and angled upwards – plus it has that optional see-through panel – but it still keeps the same basic design themes as the existing Aurora. It also still comes in white and black color options (or Lunar Light and Dark Side of the Moon, as Alienware bills them).

Another big design change comes not with the external appearance, but with the internal layout and what Alienware describes as a new ‘open air’ design.

Essentially, we are talking about better airflow (and neater cable management), with improvements in thermal performance therein. Alienware reckons that the revamped Aurora has 50% more space inside to allow for more room to breathe, without increasing the actual chassis size by much. Cooling is facilitated by up to four 120mm fans, and the base configurations of the Aurora will have two of these, with higher-end models upping the ante (with liquid cooling options also).

There’s a claimed noise reduction, too, with the new Aurora managing to be 16% quieter than the old model when idling (and 15% less noisy when overclocked).

A final design touch worth noting is that there’s now an optional (magnetically-attached) cover that slips over the rear of the case to hide all those ports and cables, for a smarter appearance around back.

Analysis: Alder Lake inside, maybe – plus thoughts on that redesign

While Alienware waxed enthusiastic at great length concerning the new case design, nothing about the actual spec of the next-gen Aurora was mentioned. The smart money is on Alder Lake processors, though, given that these are imminent from Intel (and theoretically will be here in just a few weeks). If running with Intel’s 12th-gen CPUs, then we can expect DDR5 RAM too (just like the Predator gaming PC which Acer just revealed – it seems like the time is ripe for Alder Lake-toting machines to be announced).

As for the new design, it’s a definite improvement in our books. We still aren’t fully sold on the overall aesthetic of the Aurora, even with this new incarnation, but it certainly looks a step up from the current model, which is, well, okay, but we’ve always felt it’s a little yawn-inducing. (Although we’re aware that others have a different take on that, finding the existing Aurora stylish and unique, which is fair enough; it’s certainly the latter). As ever, appearance is a subjective thing, but we feel this new design is a positive development for sure.

The transparent side panel is a plus point to be in the mix as an option, although that said, hardly an innovation, as gaming PCs have had these forever. It’s the apparent steps forward with thermal performance that’ll really count, of course, and if the new Aurora does indeed have Alder Lake chips, it’ll be very interesting to see how that cooling works in tandem with Intel’s purportedly promising 12th-gen silicon.

• These are the best graphics cards of 2021

Samsung has announced that it has started mass producing what it claims is the ‘industry’s smallest’ 14-nanometer (nm) DDR5 DRAM, offering drastically improved speeds over the previous generation DDR4 RAM (which is what most of our PCs are currently using).

By utilising the pretty awesome sounding extreme ultraviolet (EUV) technology, Samsung has increased the number of EUV layers in its DDR5 chips, allowing them to be smaller, but with a higher density.

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This looks set to bring a range of exciting possibilities. For a start, Samsung says its 14nm DDR5 DRAM will be able to hit speeds of 7.2 gigabits per second (Gbps), which is over twice the speed of DDR4, which peaks at 3.2Gbps.

By being smaller and denser, power consumption could be cut by up to 20%, and Samsung also hopes this will improve overall wafer productivity – essentially meaning it should be able to create more usable chips using this process – particularly important whilst we’re in a midst of a global chip shortage.

In Samsung’s announcement, Jooyoung Lee, Senior Vice President and Head of DRAM Product & Technology at Samsung Electronics, explains that “multi-layer EUV… has enabled extreme miniaturization at 14nm — a feat not possible with the conventional argon fluoride (ArF) process.”

So, Samsung is making RAM that’s drastically faster, more power efficient and should hopefully be in plentiful supply? Sign us up.

When can I shove it in my PC?

For anyone keen to upgrade their PC with Samsung’s new memory, how soon will they be able to? Sadly, it may be a while. In Samsung’s announcement, the company doesn’t give any consumer release dates.

Instead, Lee talks about how this new memory is helping Samsung to address “the need for greater performance and capacity in the data-driven world of 5G, AI and the metaverse.” So, this memory looks like it will be aimed – primarily at least – at data center, supercomputer and servers.

However, we’d love to see this come in some form to consumer RAM as well.

We are starting to see DDR5 RAM hitting the shelves, however, so that RAM upgrade may not be too far off. However, you’ll need to make sure you have a CPU and motherboard that support the new memory – Intel’s Alder Lake processors will be the first to do so, and we hope to see them before the end of 2021.

Of course, with any brand-new technology, it may be worth holding off for a while. DDR5 RAM will initially be very expensive (plus there’s the expense of buying new processors and motherboards to factor in), and by waiting a while you should see prices drop as more options come to market.

It’ll also allow new advancements – such as Samsung’s 14nm process – to arrive, hopefully offering noticeably improved performance over the first wave of products.

When you’re keen to upgrade, having to wait may be hard, but in this case it could really be worth it.

• We show you how to build a PC

Currys PC World has added a PC builder to its website which aims to help those who wish to put together their own computer do so with a minimum of fuss, complete with guidance on choosing suitably compatible components.

You’ll find the system bundle builder here if you want to take it for a spin, with the key components of the PC broken down into eight areas: Case, CPU, motherboard, graphics card, cooling, power supply, RAM, and storage.

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Building a computer is simply a matter of browsing through those categories, with the expected filters to help you focus your search for certain brands, for example. Available options are presented to you first, meaning components which are in stock, and those compatible with the rest of your build. If you click on something marked as incompatible, the website will tell you why this is the case.

You don’t have to go in order, and can hop around putting together your build, and the configurator will still let you know if, for example, you start with picking your power supply – unlikely, perhaps, but you never know – and then subsequently want a graphics card which requires much more wattage than your PSU can handle (which is increasingly something to watch these days with power-hungry cards).

Analysis: Currying favor with novice PC builders

We’ve played with more than a few PC builders in our time, and we were pleasantly impressed with this effort from Currys PC World. It keeps things simple and works well enough, on the whole, although the panel on the right showing the various components can necessitate a fair bit of scrolling (but it does provide a tiny thumbnail of each piece of hardware in question, and some key specs, which could be useful). Also, another niggle is that we’d expect to be able to directly switch a component by clicking it in the top menu (as opposed to having to mess around removing the current selection from the build list below that).

However, the builder is certainly great for beginners in terms of keeping things clear on the compatibility front. When it comes to graphics cards, to take an example, that means not just ensuring that the GPU you pick is paired with a sufficiently beefy power supply, but also that the length of the card will fit in the PC case you’ve picked.

Discounts are clearly marked on the various components, too, so you can see any good savings which can be had at a glance, which again very much gets the thumbs-up.

Probably the biggest issue with this PC builder currently is simply the availability of some components, with Currys PC World hardly having any graphics cards up for grabs – and literally no Nvidia models. (We know GPU stock is problematic right now for everyone, but still, the shelves are almost empty here).

• Check out all the best laptops around

Desktop PCs are dead, or at least dying. This is a claim that, rather ironically, won’t die in itself, and we’ve regularly been hearing these kind of assertions throughout the last decade or so. Every now and then another article or opinion piece will surface tolling the bell for the humble desktop.

So we thought we’d re-examine the picture as of 2021, and consider what kind of health the desktop PC market is in right now. Are there any signs that these trusty machines are finally being pushed towards extinction and are perhaps in danger of dying, as many pundits have claimed in recent history?

The short answer remains a curt ‘no’, but the longer answer and in-depth discussion follows.

Fresh growth

Any evaluation of the state of the desktop PC arena needs to look at the latest sales figures, and the market is booming right now – it’s pretty much on fire, in fact. This year and last have seen a big uptick in overall PC sales, and while a lot of buyers have been picking up new laptops, desktop computers have been gathering serious momentum as well.

Indeed, in the most recent figures we’ve reported on from IDC, the analyst firm found that in Q2 of 2021, “elevated demand for PCs combined with shortages that greatly impacted the supply of notebooks led to desktop growth outpacing that of notebooks during the quarter”.

Gartner, too, observed that in the second quarter of 2021, it was a global trend that “desktop PCs saw stronger growth than mobile PCs [laptops]”, and the likes of Dell witnessed desktop computers secure “particularly strong growth”, actually in excess of 40% better than Q2 last year (compared to single-digit growth for laptops).

Of course, this current desktop PC surge is in part down to the aforementioned component shortages interfering with laptop supplies, but the fact remains that sales are strong. The other glaringly obvious caveat, though, is the pandemic spiking hardware sales in general as many more folks work from home, requiring new devices (or upgrades) to do so.

While there’s impressive growth currently, then, there are unprecedented reasons for it. Still, this sales spike is very much larger-than-life right now, and with a good deal of folks likely to continue working from home in the future, or shifting to a model of hybrid working (remaining remote working to some extent), this demand is not likely to go away. That said, IDC does observe that the growth surge is trailing off somewhat, and there are some early indications of “consumer demand slowing down as people shift spending priorities after nearly a year of aggressive PC buying”.

At any rate, pandemic-fueled sales aside, looking to recent times before coronavirus hit, IDC reported that over the course of 2019, PC shipments grew by 2.7%, ending a run of seven years of market contraction. The analyst firm said in a press release: “This year [2019] was a clear sign that PC demand is still there despite the continued insurgence of emerging form factors and the demand for mobile computing.”

So there you have it. Given these figures, the desktop PC most certainly isn’t dead or dying, even if you roll back the sales charts to pre-pandemic times.

Chutes and ladders

Of course, while the PC industry might be in good health in recent times, this wasn’t always the case historically. All that talk of the PC dying didn’t come from nowhere, naturally.

If you cast your eyes back over the past decade, there have been times when PC sales were wobblier, rather up and down, or even seriously shaky. There’s a good reason for this, though: namely that as time has progressed, PCs have made considerable progress on the life expectancy front.

As hardware components, primarily processors, have become more powerful over the years, they’ve rather outpaced software and games. Meaning that as time marches on, any given chip is good and can run most things just fine for an increasingly longer duration. This, in turn, means folks don’t need to upgrade their PC as often, which obviously has a dampening effect on sales.

Crucially, though, the impact of this can only be felt so much, because there is still a steady enough flow of demand and upgrading activity. And for that matter, as we’ve seen in recent times, an entire reversal of the situation with a turnaround in demand, even before the pandemic.

There are a number of good reasons why desktop PCs have been, and remain, a wanted computing commodity, so let’s explore those points next.

Why are desktop PCs sticking around like glue?

In any debate about the staying power of the PC, one of the central thrusts of an argument that these desktop beasts won’t be dying off anytime soon will inevitably be the necessity for these kind of machines to handle certain heavyweight tasks.

If you’re into, say, video editing, or 3D rendering, the PC offers unrivalled performance that you just can’t get from a laptop (or any portable device). This is simply a matter of size and form factor, temperatures and cooling. There’s no way a giant top-tier graphics card can fit into a notebook, or more to the point, for multiple powerful and power-hungry components to be kept cool without a big airy case and some seriously sizeable fans (or indeed a labyrinthine liquid cooling system).

Power users looking to tackle heavyweight computing tasks and run multiple demanding apps will always need the beefiest PC going, and that’s a desktop, possibly with a multi-monitor setup to boot.

Much the same is true for gamers. Sure, you can get some impressively powerful gaming laptops these days, but if you want the speediest rig, offering the fastest frame rates – not to mention a big 4K (or ultra-wide) screen – it’s the same deal with the components, cooling and space offered by a big old PC case. You’ll need that for enthusiast-level overclocking, too.

Another compelling consideration is that desktop PCs simply offer much more bang for your buck. With a laptop, you’re paying for the privilege of the manufacturer packing smaller components into that slim chassis. Desktop PCs are just a straight-up better value proposition, and you can see this by looking at the spec of any laptop, and getting the same components in a desktop, then comparing the price (although exorbitant cutting-edge desktop GPU price tags are making any gap closer than it normally is, right now, but that situation shouldn’t last with any luck).

Of course, with a desktop PC you also get the flexibility to be able to choose exactly which components you want, and not just pick from a short list of a few options (if any). And if you’re buying standalone pieces of hardware to build your own PC, that works out even cheaper – not something you can do with a notebook, obviously. Customization options are endless with a desktop machine.

Not only that, but the versatility of the desktop is an obvious plus point when it comes to upgrading. If your graphics card starts to feel behind the times playing the latest games, simply swap it out for a newer model. That can give your PC a whole new lease of life for several years. Similarly, if a component goes wrong in a desktop computer, it’s (generally speaking) relatively easy to switch it out for a replacement part.

With laptops, when it comes to upgrades or repairs, you’re very often left in the lurch. Many portables don’t offer any realistic way to perform either of these feats, at least not yourself, with components all being soldered directly onto the motherboard. Some notebooks allow for upgrading the system RAM or storage, but that’s about as good as it gets usually. Otherwise, in the case of faults, you’re looking at an expensive third-party repair, or buying an entirely new device; the latter can sometimes make more financial sense than the former, sadly.

Are desktop PCs dead?

For all the above reasons, and looking at the current climate of PC sales – or even pre-pandemic shipment levels – the answer seems pretty clearly to be no, desktops aren’t dead, dying, or even sickly for that matter.

As we move forward into the future, it’ll likely be the case that the desktop PC once again flirts with troughs in terms of sales, and the kind of ups-and-downs or wobbly patches we’ve seen over the past decade. However, while sales may dwindle, they won’t die.

The desktop PC is just too important for those who really need a seriously powerful machine to meet their needs – content creators, professionals whose computing time directly translates to money, and gamers who need the kind of power on tap to have a crack at 4K all-bells-and-whistles or high refresh rate gaming. Not to mention people who want to build their own rigs, and have full control over the spec of their PC, and the potential to upgrade (or repair) it going forward. In short, the ability to get the most for their money.

In the longer-term future, the situation around desktops could eventually change, most likely due to a continued shift to a cloud-based PC, or ‘PC as a Service’ model, where users may be able to tap into all the power they need remotely, and ‘stream’ their desktop (like game streaming, and speaking of which, Shadow already offers a complete cloud PC solution). There could be other issues around that transition, though, in terms of control, privacy and security, not to mention shifting demands to your net connection, and the internet infrastructure required to make all this work widely and slickly.

For now, though, and certainly for the foreseeable future, the desktop PC remains in good health. It’s not going anywhere, anytime soon.

• Check out all the best desktop PCs we've tested

If you've been holding out to get some killer Prime Day deals and upgrade your PC storage, boy are you in for a treat. This year's event has served up some absolutely scorching deals on the best SSDs on the market and every single one of them is a worthy upgrade to your machine. 

As we enter the second day the deals are still rolling, too. When Prime Day ends, so too do the discounts, so this really is your last chance. 

A good SSD is one of the best improvements you can make to your PC, whether it's a desktop or one of today's best laptops. If you're still using mechanical hard drives, even moving to a SATA SSD will blow your mind.

Whether you need a boot drive, something for your game library, or just generic file storage, there is still something on offer right now that will get the job done. 

(Not in the US or UK? Scroll down for deals in your region).

• Browse all the latest offers at Amazon
• Safe with a 30-day free Amazon Prime trial

Today's best US SSD deals

This is one of the fastest SSDs money can buy thanks to its use of the PCIe 4.0 standard. That does mean not everyone will be able to use it to its full potential, but with a compatible system you will be blown away by the performance of this drive. 

It hasn't been on the market all that long either so this is the first real discount we've seen, and it's a big one. Now is definitely the time to pull the trigger if you've been on the fence. 

Today's best U.S. SSD deals

Today's best UK SSD deals

If all you need is a good SSD to boot your PC or laptop from then this is a great choice. It's fast, has more than enough space for Windows 10 and your most used applications and at this price, it's an absolute bargain. You won't get a better SSD for this money. 

Today's best UK SSD deals

More hard drive and SSD deals

If you're outside the US or the UK, no worries, there are still plenty of great hard drive and SSD deals for you. Here you'll find the best on offer right now that are available in your region. 

More hard drive deals

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the US

• Amazon devices: early Prime offers from $14.99
• Amazon Echo Dot: 2 for $49.98 with code PDDOT2PACK
• Amazon Echo: 2 for $119.98 with code ECHOPRIME
• Audible Premium Plus: save 53% on your first 4 months
• Apple Watch Series 6 (40mm, GPS): $399 $279 at Amazon
• Deals under $25: save on games, smart home, fashion and more
• Fashion: men's and women's fashion from $14
• Headphones: save on Sony, Beats, Bose and more
• iPad (8th generation): was $329 now $299
• Kitchen: save up to 42% on Cusimax, Cosori, Instant Pot and more
• Laptops: Chromebooks, MacBooks and gaming laptops discounted
• Nike: save on NBA jerseys, sneakers, and more
• Nintendo Switch: big titles now $10 off
• PS5: now starting at $29.88
• Smartwatches: save up to 35% on Samsung Galaxy Watch 3
• Subscription boxes: 50% off for Prime members
• TVs: Fire-enabled smart TVs starting at just $99.99

More Amazon Prime Day deals in the UK 

• Amazon Echo devices: now starting from £9.99
• Amazon Echo Dot: £49.99 £24.99 at Amazon
• Amazon Echo Show 5 (2019): £79.99 £39.99 at Amazon
• Amazon Fire HD 8 tablet: £89.99 £39.99 at Amazon
• Audible Premium Plus: Prime members get 3 months for 99p
• Blink Mini security camera: now just £21.99 for Prime members
• Deals under £15: save on games, smart home, fashion and more
• Fashion: big savings on Amazon brands starting at under £5
• Headphones: Jabra headphones from £69
• Kitchen: Dolce Gusto coffee machines from £59 and more
• Laptops: cheap PCs starting at just £199
• MacBook Air M1: £100 off at Amazon - now £899
• PC games: EA titles including The Sims 4 from £7.49
• Prime Video: channel add-ons 99p for three months
• PS5: Demon's Souls, Immortals and more discounted now
• Smart home: Ring Video Doorbell from £35
• Smartwatches: Fitbit Charge 4 now £99
• TVs: 4K smart TVs from £298

Did you hear us say ‘prizes’? You heard right! Every year we celebrate the Australian PC Awards by giving away a swag of tech goodies, and this year’s booty is the best ever, with a massive AU$15,254 worth of gear to be won!

That includes THREE premium Gigabyte Aorus laptops, a stunning Thermaltake RTX 3000-series gaming PC, plus a whole host of other wondrous prizes. 

Entering this year is a bit different to our previous Awards giveaways, and thanks to the new video format we’ve made it a bit of fun. In each of the three episodes there’s a secret codeword to be found. Find the codeword and you can enter the comp for that episode. Find all three codewords and you can enter all three competitions!

The three Australian PC Awards episodes will be streamed live on June 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30 AEST at www.australianpcawards.com.au. After that, they can be viewed any time.

Once you have an episode's codeword, go to www.australianpcawards.com.au and follow the instructions to complete your entry.

Each of the three Awards episodes has 1st, 2nd and 3rd place prize packs – and they’re all awesome!

You can enter the competition for just one episode's prizes – or enter all three nights to be in the running for maximum goodies.

The three best entries we receive for each episode will win that night's prizes – and remember there’s nothing stopping you from entering for all the prizes across all three episodes!

Here’s what’s up for grabs:

Episode 1 prizes (Wednesday, June 23)

Episode 2 prizes (Thursday, June 24)

Episode 3 prizes (Friday, June 25)

With such an irresistible collection of prizes we know you can't wait to enter and have a shot at scoring something fantastic.

To enter, watch the Australian PC Awards episodes which go live at www.australianpcawards.com.au on June 23, 24 and 25 at 7:30PM AEST, find the secret code words and then follow the instructions!

(For the full competition terms and conditions click here.)

THE AUSTRALIAN PC AWARDS (2021) NIGHTLY COMPETITIONS TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The Promoter is Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, Level 10, 89 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000. ABN: 96734906323 Ph: (02) 9955 2677 (Future Australia).

2. “Australian PC Awards” are the Awards. Information on how to vote on the Awards forms part of the terms of entry. Entry into the competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.

3. To the extent of any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and any other reference to this competition, these Terms and Conditions prevail.

HOW TO ENTER

4. The Australian PC Awards competition is open to all individuals in Australia. Entry is open to Australian residents except employees and immediate families of the Promoter and their associated companies and agencies and participating outlets. Immediate family means any of the following: spouse, ex-spouse, defacto spouse, child or step child (whether natural or by adoption), parent, step parent, grandparent, step grandparent, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, brother, sister, step brother, step sister or first cousin.

5. The winners must be Australian citizens and provide full contact information. Opt-in entries will be included to receive newsletters and special offers from Future Australia and on behalf of Australian PC Awards sponsors and valued partners. You may unsubscribe from this free service at any time. 

6. All entrants under the age of 18 must obtain the prior permission of their legal parent or guardian over the age of 18 to enter. The parent or guardian of the entrant must read and consent to all Terms and Conditions. The parent or guardian may be called to verify consent and may be required to sign a release at the discretion of the Promoter. The release will require the winner’s parent or guardian to accept responsibility for the acts and forbearances of the winner. The release will include the full name, address and telephone number of the winner's legal guardian. Failure to provide such proof, particulars or releases will immediately invalidate the winner's entitlement, subject to State and Territory legislation.

7. The Promoter reserves the right to request winners to provide proof of identity, proof of residency at the nominated prize delivery address and/or proof of entry validity or proof of registration ownership in order to claim a prize. Proof of identification, residency and entry considered suitable for verification is at the discretion of the Promoter. In the event that a winner cannot provide suitable proof, the winner will forfeit the prize in whole and no substitute will be offered.

8. The time of entry will in each case be the time the voting form is received by the Promoter, not at the time of transmission by the entrant.

9. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any late, lost or misdirected entries not received by the Promoter or delays in the delivery due to technical disruptions, network congestion or for any other reason.

10. To vote, open www.australianpcawards.com.au in your web browser and follow the links to the individual competition pages for Episode 1, 2 and 3. Add the code word hidden in the three Australian PC Awards episodes and answer the specified question in 25 words or less, then register your details including (but not limited to) full name, email address, post code and (optionally) telephone number. The cost of accessing the promotional website will be dependent on the entrant's individual Internet Service Provider.

11. Entrants are required to take full responsibility for the content of their entry and for ensuring that their entry complies with these Conditions of Entry. Entries must be the entrant's original work. The Promoter reserves the right to verify, or to require the entrant to verify, that the entry is the entrant's original work. If an entry cannot be verified to the Promoter's satisfaction, the entry will be deemed invalid. The Promoter may, in its absolute discretion, edit, modify, delete, remove or take down any part of an entrant's entry.

12. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process, who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms & Conditions of Entry, or who has, in the opinion of the Promoter, engaged in conduct in entering the Promotion which is fraudulent, misleading, deceptive or generally damaging to the goodwill or reputation of the Promotion and/or Promoter.

13. Entrants can cast their vote once only.

DETERMINATION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS

14. Anyone who enters at least one of the three episode prize pack competitions and completes the specified question will be considered to have entered the competition.

15. Entries close at 11:59pm (AEST) on July 4th, 2021.

16. The winners will be announced through www.pcgamer.com and www.techradar.com on July 11th, 2021, as well as published in the September issues of APC magazine (#497, on sale August 9th, 2021) and TechLife magazine (#120, on sale August 23rd, 2021).

DECIDING THE WINNERS

17. The winners in each category will be the valid entries submitted in accordance with these terms and conditions that are judged by the Awards Executive Committee the best in their category. The Awards Executive Committee will be comprised by representatives of Future Australia. The Committee’s decision is final. Winners will be selected by July 6th, 2021 and notified by email.

18. This competition is a Game of Skill under Australian consumer law.

19. The Promoter's decision is final and the Promoter will not enter into correspondence regarding the competition result or any other decisions the Promoter makes in connection with the Promotion.

20. Each winner will receive a prize. In any dispute, the Promoter’s decision is final.

21. Should an entrant's contact details change during the promotional period, it is the entrant's responsibility to notify the Promoter. A request to access or modify any information provided in an entry should be directed to the Promoter.

22. In the event the Promoter does not receive a reply from a notified winner within  one week confirming a) acknowledgement of winning a prize, and b) an Australian delivery address, the Prize will revert to an alternate winner without further notification.

AWARDS AND PRIZES

23. There are multiple prizes, which will ship separately.

24. Prize values are based upon the recommended retail prices at the time of printing (inclusive of GST). The Promoter accepts no responsibility for change in Award value between now and the ultimate Award redemption date.

25. Independent financial advice should be sought as tax implications may arise as a result of accepting the prize.

26. Prizes cannot be transferred, exchanged or redeemed for cash.

27. It is a condition of accepting the prize that the winner must comply with all the conditions of use and the prize suppliers’ requirements.

28. It is a condition of accepting the prize that the winner may be required to sign a legal release in a form determined by the Promoter in its absolute discretion. If an entrant under 18 years of age wins a prize then their parent or guardian must sign the legal release referred to in this clause on the minor's behalf.

29. The winners and any companions under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their legal parent or guardian over the age of 18 at all times.

FURTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

30. The Promoter (subject to State and Territory Legislation) reserves the right to amend, cancel or suspend this competition if an event beyond the control of the Promoter corrupts or affect the administration security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this competition. The Promoter will disqualify any individual who has tampered with the entry process or any other aspect of this competition.

31. Future Australia and its associated agencies and companies assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to, or alteration of entries, and reserves the right to take any action that may be available.

32. If for any reason this competition is not capable of running as planned, including due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any causes beyond the control of the Promoter, which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or integrity or proper conduct of this promotion, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, take any action that may be available, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition, subject to any direction given under State Regulation.

33. Any cost associated with accessing the promotional website is the entrant's responsibility and is dependent on the Internet service provider used.

34. Any entrant found to be entering incorrect contact details, including incorrect email contact details, will have all entries invalidated and any claim to any Award will be invalidated. If such an entrant is awarded an Award and then found to have breached this clause, the entrant must immediately return any item awarded to the Promoter. The Promoter has sole discretion to determine if this clause has been breached by any entrant. The Promoter reserves the right to request whatever documentation it deems necessary to confirm if the entrant has breached this clause. An entrant must provide any requested documentation to the Promoter upon request.

35. If the Prize is unavailable, for whatever reason, the Promoter reserves the right to substitute the Award for an Award of equal or greater value, subject to State Regulation. It is a condition of accepting the Award that the winner must comply with all the conditions of use of the Award and Award supplier's requirements. Each Prize must be taken as stated and no compensation will be payable if a winner is unable to use the Award as stated.

36. The Promoter highly recommends a current residential street address be provided when requested for ease of correspondence and potential Award delivery. The Promoter makes all reasonable efforts to deliver Awards to the addresses provided by competition entrants. The Promoter cannot guarantee that any Awards returned to the Promoter due to non-delivery at the provided address will be re-sent to the Award winner. The Promoter and its associated agencies and companies will not be liable for any damage to or delay in transit of Awards.

37. The Promoter reserves the right to re-determine the winner in the event of an entrant, claiming to be a winner, being unable to satisfy these Terms and Conditions.

WAIVERS AND LIABILITIES

38. In consideration for the Promoter awarding the prize to the winner, the winner hereby permits the winner's submission, image and/or voice, as recorded, photographed or filmed during the winner's participation in receiving the prize to appear in connection with Future Australia or the advertising or marketing thereof, in any media whatsoever throughout the world and the winner will not be entitled to any fee for such use.

39. In consideration for the Promoter awarding the prize to the winner, the winner hereby assigns to the Promoter all right, title and interest in and to all copyright and all moral rights in any material created pursuant to the winner's submission or participation in any aspect of the Award (Works). The winner acknowledges that the Promoter is free to use the Works (including modifying, adapting or publishing the entry, whether in original or modified form, in whole or in part or not at all) and to exercise its rights in relation thereto and the winner will not be entitled to any fee for such use.

40. In the case of the intervention of any outside act, agent or event which prevents or significantly hinders the Promoter's ability to proceed with the competition on the dates and in the manner described in these terms and conditions, including but not limited to vandalism, power failures, tempests, natural disasters, acts of God, civil unrest, strike, war, act of terrorism, the Promoter may in its absolute discretion cancel the competition and recommence it from the start on the same conditions, subject to any directions given under State Regulation.

41. The Promoter does not exclude any rights and remedies in respect of goods or services under the Australian Consumer Law in the Competition and Consumer Act (2010) (Australian Consumer Law) which cannot be excluded, restricted or modified. However, the Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with any prize/s except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law. The Promoter is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, either caused by entrant or for any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilised in this competition, or for any technical error, or any combination thereof that may occur in the course of the administration of this competition including any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line or telephone, mobile or satellite network failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to or alteration of entries.

42. The Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who the Promoter has reason to believe has breached any of these conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the promotion. The Promoter's legal rights to recover damages or other compensation from such an offender are reserved.

43. All entries become the property of The Promoter. All opt-in entries will be entered into a database and The Promoter may use the entrants’ names, addresses and telephone numbers for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes in any media worldwide without notice and without any fee being paid unless otherwise advised by the entrant. By opting-in, entrants confirm that they allow their details to be used for this purpose. Any request to update, modify or delete the entrant's details should be directed to The Promoter.

44. Entrants' personal information may be disclosed to State and Territory lottery departments and winners' names published as required under the relevant lottery legislation. A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the Promoter.

45. The Promoter collects information about you, including for example your name and contact details which you provide when registering or using our services as well as information from data houses, social media services, our affiliates and other entities you deal or interact with for example by using their services. We collect and use that information to provide you with our goods and services, to promote and improve our goods and services, to provide you with targeted advertising based on your online activities, for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy and for any other purposes that we describe at the time of collection. We may disclose your information to our related companies, including those located outside Australia. Any of us may contact you for those purposes (including by email and SMS) at any time. We may also disclose your information to our service and content providers, including those located outside Australia. If you do not provide us with requested information we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. We may disclose your personal information to authorities if you are an Award winner or otherwise as required by law. Further information about how we handle personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, how we will deal with a complaint of that nature, how you can access or seek correction of your personal information and our contact details can be found in our Privacy Policy at www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/. 

THE AUSTRALIAN PC AWARDS (2021) TERMS AND CONDITIONS

1. The Promoter is Future Publishing (Overseas) Limited, Level 10, 89 York Street, Sydney NSW 2000. ABN: 96734906323 Ph: (02) 9955 2677 (Future Australia).

2. “Australian PC Awards” are the Awards. Information on how to vote on the Awards forms part of the terms of entry. Entry into the competition is deemed acceptance of these terms and conditions.

3. To the extent of any inconsistency between these Terms and Conditions and any other reference to this competition, these Terms and Conditions prevail.

HOW TO ENTER

4. The Australian PC Awards competition is open to all individuals in Australia. Entry is open to Australian residents except employees and immediate families of the Promoter and their associated companies and agencies and participating outlets. Immediate family means any of the following: spouse, ex-spouse, defacto spouse, child or step child (whether natural or by adoption), parent, step parent, grandparent, step grandparent, uncle, aunt, niece, nephew, brother, sister, step brother, step sister or first cousin.

5. The winners must be Australian citizens and provide full contact information. Opt-in entries will be included to receive newsletters and special offers from Future Australia and on behalf of Australian PC Awards sponsors and valued partners. You may unsubscribe from this free service at any time. 

6. All entrants under the age of 18 must obtain the prior permission of their legal parent or guardian over the age of 18 to enter. The parent or guardian of the entrant must read and consent to all Terms and Conditions. The parent or guardian may be called to verify consent and may be required to sign a release at the discretion of the Promoter. The release will require the winner’s parent or guardian to accept responsibility for the acts and forbearances of the winner. The release will include the full name, address and telephone number of the winner's legal guardian. Failure to provide such proof, particulars or releases will immediately invalidate the winner's entitlement, subject to State and Territory legislation.

7. The Promoter reserves the right to request winners to provide proof of identity, proof of residency at the nominated prize delivery address and/or proof of entry validity or proof of registration ownership in order to claim a prize. Proof of identification, residency and entry considered suitable for verification is at the discretion of the Promoter. In the event that a winner cannot provide suitable proof, the winner will forfeit the prize in whole and no substitute will be offered.

8. The time of entry will in each case be the time the voting form is received by the Promoter, not at the time of transmission by the entrant.

9. The Promoter accepts no responsibility for any late, lost or misdirected entries not received by the Promoter or delays in the delivery due to technical disruptions, network congestion or for any other reason.

10. To vote, open https://polls.futureplc.com/poll/apca-gold-award-2021 in your web browser, fill in the survey and answer the specified question in 25 words or less, then register details including (but not limited to) full name, email address, post code and (optionally) telephone number. The cost of accessing the promotional website will be dependent on the entrant's individual Internet Service Provider.

11. Entrants are required to take full responsibility for the content of their entry and for ensuring that their entry complies with these Conditions of Entry. Entries must be the entrant's original work. The Promoter reserves the right to verify, or to require the entrant to verify, that the entry is the entrant's original work. If an entry cannot be verified to the Promoter's satisfaction, the entry will be deemed invalid. The Promoter may, in its absolute discretion, edit, modify, delete, remove or take down any part of an entrant's entry.

12. The Promoter reserves the right to disqualify any entrant who tampers with the entry process, who submits an entry that is not in accordance with these Terms & Conditions of Entry, or who has, in the opinion of the Promoter, engaged in conduct in entering the Promotion which is fraudulent, misleading, deceptive or generally damaging to the goodwill or reputation of the Promotion and/or Promoter.

13. Entrants can cast their vote once only.

DETERMINATION AND NOTIFICATION OF WINNERS

14. Anyone who votes for at least one category in the Australian PC Awards and completes the specified question will be considered to have entered the competition.

15. Votes close at 11:59pm (AEST) on May 17, 2021.

16. The winners will be announced through www.pcgamer.com and www.techradar.com on July 11, 2021, as well as published in the September issues of APC magazine (#497, on sale August 9, 2021) and TechLife magazine (#120, on sale August 23, 2021).

DECIDING THE WINNERS

17. The winners in each category will be the valid entries submitted in accordance with these terms and conditions that are judged by the Awards Executive Committee the best in their category. The Awards Executive Committee will be comprised by representatives of Future Australia. The Committee’s decision is final. Winners will be selected by July 11, 2021 and notified by email.

18. This competition is a Game of Skill under Australian consumer law.

19. The Promoter's decision is final and the Promoter will not enter into correspondence regarding the competition result or any other decisions the Promoter makes in connection with the Promotion.

20. Each winner will receive a prize. In any dispute, the Promoter’s decision is final.

21. Should an entrant's contact details change during the promotional period, it is the entrant's responsibility to notify the Promoter. A request to access or modify any information provided in an entry should be directed to the Promoter.

22. In the event the Promoter does not receive a reply from a notified winner within  one week confirming a) acknowledgement of winning a prize, and b) an Australian delivery address, the Prize will revert to an alternate winner without further notification.

AWARDS AND PRIZES

23. There are multiple prizes, which will ship separately.

24. Prize values are based upon the recommended retail prices at the time of printing (inclusive of GST). The Promoter accepts no responsibility for change in Award value between now and the ultimate Award redemption date.

25. Independent financial advice should be sought as tax implications may arise as a result of accepting the Award.

26. Awards/prizes cannot be transferred, exchanged or redeemed for cash.

27. It is a condition of accepting the Award/prize that the winner must comply with all the conditions of use and the Award/prize suppliers’ requirements.

28. It is a condition of accepting the Award that the winner may be required to sign a legal release in a form determined by the Promoter in its absolute discretion. If an entrant under 18 years of age wins an Award then their parent or guardian must sign the legal release referred to in this clause on the minor's behalf.

29. The winners and any companions under the age of 18 must be accompanied by their legal parent or guardian over the age of 18 at all times.

FURTHER TERMS AND CONDITIONS

30. The Promoter (subject to State and Territory Legislation) reserves the right to amend, cancel or suspend this competition if an event beyond the control of the Promoter corrupts or affect the administration security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this competition. The Promoter will disqualify any individual who has tampered with the entry process or any other aspect of this competition.

31. Future Australia and its associated agencies and companies assume no responsibility for any error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to, or alteration of entries, and reserves the right to take any action that may be available.

32. If for any reason this competition is not capable of running as planned, including due to infection by computer virus, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any causes beyond the control of the Promoter, which corrupt or affect the administration, security, fairness or integrity or proper conduct of this promotion, the Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who tampers with the entry process, take any action that may be available, and to cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the competition, subject to any direction given under State Regulation.

33. Any cost associated with accessing the promotional website is the entrant's responsibility and is dependent on the Internet service provider used.

34. Any entrant found to be entering incorrect contact details, including incorrect email contact details, will have all entries invalidated and any claim to any Award will be invalidated. If such an entrant is awarded an Award and then found to have breached this clause, the entrant must immediately return any item awarded to the Promoter. The Promoter has sole discretion to determine if this clause has been breached by any entrant. The Promoter reserves the right to request whatever documentation it deems necessary to confirm if the entrant has breached this clause. An entrant must provide any requested documentation to the Promoter upon request.

35. If the Prize is unavailable, for whatever reason, the Promoter reserves the right to substitute the Award for an Award of equal or greater value, subject to State Regulation. It is a condition of accepting the Award that the winner must comply with all the conditions of use of the Award and Award supplier's requirements. Each Prize must be taken as stated and no compensation will be payable if a winner is unable to use the Award as stated.

36. The Promoter highly recommends a current residential street address be provided when requested for ease of correspondence and potential Award delivery. The Promoter makes all reasonable efforts to deliver Awards to the addresses provided by competition entrants. The Promoter cannot guarantee that any Awards returned to the Promoter due to non-delivery at the provided address will be re-sent to the Award winner. The Promoter and its associated agencies and companies will not be liable for any damage to or delay in transit of Awards.

37. The Promoter reserves the right to re-determine the winner in the event of an entrant, claiming to be a winner, being unable to satisfy these Terms and Conditions.

WAIVERS AND LIABILITIES

38. In consideration for the Promoter awarding the Award to the winner, the winner hereby permits the winner's submission, image and/or voice, as recorded, photographed or filmed during the winner's participation in the Award to appear in connection with Future Australia or the advertising or marketing thereof, in any media whatsoever throughout the world and the winner will not be entitled to any fee for such use.

39. In consideration for the Promoter awarding the Award to the winner, the winner hereby assigns to the Promoter all right, title and interest in and to all copyright and all moral rights in any material created pursuant to the winner's submission or participation in any aspect of the Award (Works). The winner acknowledges that the Promoter is free to use the Works (including modifying, adapting or publishing the entry, whether in original or modified form, in whole or in part or not at all) and to exercise its rights in relation thereto and the winner will not be entitled to any fee for such use.

40. In the case of the intervention of any outside act, agent or event which prevents or significantly hinders the Promoter's ability to proceed with the competition on the dates and in the manner described in these terms and conditions, including but not limited to vandalism, power failures, tempests, natural disasters, acts of God, civil unrest, strike, war, act of terrorism, the Promoter may in its absolute discretion cancel the competition and recommence it from the start on the same conditions, subject to any directions given under State Regulation.

41. The Promoter does not exclude any rights and remedies in respect of goods or services under the Australian Consumer Law in the Competition and Consumer Act (2010) (Australian Consumer Law) which cannot be excluded, restricted or modified. However, the Promoter shall not be liable for any loss or damage whatsoever which is suffered (including but not limited to indirect or consequential loss) or for any personal injury suffered or sustained in connection with any Award/s except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law. The Promoter is not responsible for any incorrect or inaccurate information, either caused by entrant or for any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilised in this competition, or for any technical error, or any combination thereof that may occur in the course of the administration of this competition including any omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line or telephone, mobile or satellite network failure, theft or destruction or unauthorised access to or alteration of entries.

42. The Promoter reserves the right in its sole discretion to disqualify any individual who the Promoter has reason to believe has breached any of these conditions, or engaged in any unlawful or other improper misconduct calculated to jeopardise the fair and proper conduct of the promotion. The Promoter's legal rights to recover damages or other compensation from such an offender are reserved.

43. All entries become the property of The Promoter. All opt-in entries will be entered into a database and The Promoter may use the entrants’ names, addresses and telephone numbers for future promotional, marketing and publicity purposes in any media worldwide without notice and without any fee being paid unless otherwise advised by the entrant. By opting-in, entrants confirm that they allow their details to be used for this purpose. Any request to update, modify or delete the entrant's details should be directed to The Promoter.

44. Entrants' personal information may be disclosed to State and Territory lottery departments and winners' names published as required under the relevant lottery legislation. A request to access, update or correct any information should be directed to the Promoter.

45. The Promoter collects information about you, including for example your name and contact details which you provide when registering or using our services as well as information from data houses, social media services, our affiliates and other entities you deal or interact with for example by using their services. We collect and use that information to provide you with our goods and services, to promote and improve our goods and services, to provide you with targeted advertising based on your online activities, for the purposes described in our Privacy Policy and for any other purposes that we describe at the time of collection. We may disclose your information to our related companies, including those located outside Australia. Any of us may contact you for those purposes (including by email and SMS) at any time. We may also disclose your information to our service and content providers, including those located outside Australia. If you do not provide us with requested information we may not be able to provide you with the goods and services you require. We may disclose your personal information to authorities if you are an Award winner or otherwise as required by law. Further information about how we handle personal information, how you can complain about a breach of the Australian Privacy Principles, how we will deal with a complaint of that nature, how you can access or seek correction of your personal information and our contact details can be found in our Privacy Policy at www.futureplc.com/privacy-policy/. 

Growing up, I was always slightly envious of friends who had built or bought their own PCs, for a number of reasons. PCs are obviously superb for gaming, but they also provide a space for you to discover hobbies and work on that creative project that’s been burning a hole in your brain. 

The allure of gaming at higher frame rates, plus faster load times and the ability to use powerful creativity and streaming software like Clip Studio Paint, Streamlabs and Adobe Premiere all contributed to my purchasing decisions. When I finally bought a PC of my own a few years ago, I found out that all the hype I’d built up for myself wasn’t misplaced.

Until recently, though, I’d actually put off the idea of upgrading my PC. The horror stories of builds going wrong and essential components sporadically breaking or malfunctioning if installed incorrectly were enough to get me thinking it was too much of a risk for the cost involved. That, and good old-fashioned laziness, obviously.

But did you actually build it?

Okay, so in order to address the elephant in the room, I first have to introduce it. No, I didn’t build my PC from scratch. Instead, I used a specialist website to pick the parts I wanted and had the final build sent to me. 

As someone who had absolutely no experience building a PC from scratch, the option of a custom build created by a third party allowed me to have my PC built in a risk-free environment, as well as giving me the choices of which components I wanted (read: the ones I could actually afford at the time).

So I didn’t know the first thing about building a PC from scratch back then, and it’s something I’d still be uncomfortable with now. And I bet I’m not alone there. However, what I will say is that acquiring a custom build in this way is a fantastic starting point for anyone interested in learning about what makes PCs tick.

Custom builds are, in essence, a fully functional template for you to eventually improve upon through upgrading. A few years ago, my then new custom build was a capable mid-range PC, able to confidently run demanding games like Gears 5 and Resident Evil 2 Remake at 1080p 60fps, with the caveat of messing around with some of the graphical settings, of course.

When the time came to actually look at upgrading, then, I was in a far better position than I otherwise would have been. From motherboards, GPUs and CPUs to SSDs, fans and cooling processes, spending a healthy chunk of time with a custom-built PC gave me an introduction on what components PCs need to function properly, as well as where processing bottlenecks can occur as technology inevitably exceeds the capabilities of the machine.

A custom-built PC is what I’d recommend as your starting point, then, if you’re a total beginner like I was. Websites like Chillblast make the process phenomenally easy, breaking down your selection by component type and price ensuring you won’t miss anything crucial, as well as allowing you to realistically pick parts based on your budget.

What was upgrading the CPU like?

While it’s true that I didn’t build my PC from scratch, upgrading it was where the training wheels had to come off. At this point, I still had practically zero experience altering the inside of my machine. In fact I’d previously only ever open the case to clean out dust.

Let’s just pretend that I already have an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics card and I’m past the phase of staring out of a rain-soaked window wondering when it will be mine. Been there, done that, got the unnecessary anguish. So let’s move on!

One of the most crucial upgrades I made was with my CPU. The processor I started with was the Intel Core i3. This wasn’t a particularly great CPU even at the time I got my initial build. If the CPU is the brain of your PC, then the i3 definitely wasn’t the sharpest tool in the shed, and struggled to maintain a passing performance with a handful of programs opened. This wasn’t helped by my lack of an SSD, but more on that later.

Things certainly got better when my Intel Core i9-9900KF CPU arrived. This unlocked processor gave my PC a much-needed performance boost, and I immediately noticed improvements to how my PC handled resource-heavy programs like Google Chrome and Steam, but the process of replacing the old Intel i3 was a daunting one. However, after doing some research, it ended up being a pretty simple affair.

The beauty of modern PC builds - barring an unlikely rogue issue cropping up - is that they’re mostly foolproof. Swapping a CPU is a little more complex than the plug-and-play nature of components like GPUs and sticks of RAM, but it’s still simple enough if you’re careful and follow the steps.

This isn’t a tutorial piece, so I won’t attempt to break down the process when others on TechRadar have already covered it so thoroughly, but what I will say is that changing the CPU is far less intimidating when you realize that most modern motherboard are designed to make the swap as painless as possible.

So, about that SSD…

Now here’s something that I made to be far more complicated than it actually was. The humble SSD was deceptively even trickier to install than my new CPU. But why? Isn’t it just extra storage space? Well, yes and no.

When my SSD finally arrived - the very capable Crucial MX500 - my friend asked if I was planning on migrating my operating system, to which I replied something along the lines of: “eh?”

Yup, I had no idea that one of the most common applications of an SSD was to migrate your OS over to it. What? I did say I was a beginner. But with this knowledge fresh in mind, I enthusiastically connected the SSD to the motherboard via SATA cable, and then came arguably the greatest PC upgrade of them all.

Once my OS had been migrated to the SSD, the performance difference was shocking to me. All this time, I’d been running the OS from my hard drive, and was used to boot times upwards of three to five minutes. On the SSD, though, minutes became mere seconds as my system booted at a lightning fast pace.

This extended to games installed on the SSD, too. I play a lot of Final Fantasy 14, and its load times definitely leave something to be desired. The game’s running on a fairly old engine at this point, and has to support pretty detailed environments as well as the hundreds upon thousands of players exploring them (not to mention the bags of data each of these players store on their person). 

Load times in Final Fantasy 14, then, can range from anywhere between thirty seconds to around a minute depending on the area and activity. Not so on an SSD, which again acted like it ate load times for breakfast. 

In fact, I even got a bit existential as I teleported between areas in a matter of seconds: just how much time do we lose to loading screens? A considerable amount, I’d wager. 

Games with similarly glacial load times, like Warhammer 2: Total War and the early access title Baldur's Gate 3 fared much, much better on an SSD. I was used to both taking potentially minutes to load simple scenes, implying that these games were almost certainly designed assuming the player already has an SSD installed.

That’s why I can’t recommend an SSD enough as a vital PC upgrade. If you’re a beginner like me, it might not be the first upgrade you think of, but it’s certainly one of the most essential.

Where we stand today

Since upgrading my PC successfully, I’ve gone from a total beginner to...well, okay, I’m still a total beginner - I only swapped a few parts, after all. But my big takeaway from the upgrades I made was that I really had nothing to be afraid of, and neither should you. Nothing spontaneously combusted, the parts weren’t irreparably damaged, and my PC runs better now than it ever has.

Right now, I’ve got my eyes set on the pièce de résistance: the GPU. As much as I’d want it to be the case, the prospects of upgrading to an Nvidia GeForce RTX 30 series card looks increasingly unlikely - Nvidia itself admits it’ll be hard to nab one of its top-range graphics card until 2022 - so the search continues for a powerful card that’ll go hand in hand with my new upgrades.

If you’re similarly daunted by the process of upgrading your PC, as I was, you’ve really got nothing to fear. So long as you exercise the required amount of caution, upgrading your PC by swapping out components is far less intimidating than it looks.

• Best graphics cards: the best GPUs for gaming

NZXT is recalling more than 30,000 H1 PC cases after receiving reports of circuit boards overheating or catching fire.

The formal recall, confirmed by the US Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and the Canadian government, covers all CA-H16WR-W1 white cases and all CA-H16WR-B1 black cases sold in the United States and Canada. 

NZXT told the CPSC it has received 11 reports of circuit boards overheating or catching fire - six of which occurred in the US. As a result, roughly 32,000 H1 PC cases will be recalled in the US, and at least a further 1,000 in Canada.

• Check out our roundup of 2021's best gaming PCs
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The issue with the H1 was first highlighted by Gamers Nexus, which revealed that the dangerous fault was the result of a badly designed printed circuit board (PCB) used in the PCIe riser cable, which placed a 12-volt power plane too close to a screw hole. This screw hole wasn’t properly plated to prevent the screw from eating into the PCB and eventually causing a fire.

This has since been confirmed by the CPSC, which notes: “Metal screws that attach the PCIe riser assembly to the chassis can cause a short in the printed circuit board and overheating, posing a fire hazard due to the circuit board’s design,” the CPSC recall said.

NZXT inititally responded to reports of the risk by sending out replacement plastic screws to reduce the risk of fire, before pausing all sales of the Xbox-influenced PC case in November. 

At the time time, the company offered to replace PCIe riser cables with a new design and offering a full refund to those who purchased the case.

“We are working closely with the CPSC and the proper global authorities to ensure that we are doing everything we can to help NZXT customers,” the company said in its latest update. 

“The CPSC’s function is to help people use products safely and we have been adhering to their strongly recommended schedule for releasing information to our suppliers and to the public. We’re taking this issue seriously and are working as quickly as we can to address it.

As per the CPSC’s website, anyone with a H1 case should call NZXT toll-free at 888-965-5520 from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. PT Monday through Friday, by email at h1support@nzxt.com, or online at https://info.nzxt.com/h1-recall/.

• This RTX 3080 powered Sneaker PC from NZXT is giving us a real kick 

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 graphics cards are harder to find than gold dust right now, but a collaboration between computing hardware maker NZXT and virtual sneaker designers Artefact Studios has resulted in a concept gaming PC that's worthy of displaying such a rare piece of tech.

Upon inspection, this isn't a wearable piece of gaming hardware, so unfortunately you can't have your toes warmed by overclocking the inbuilt RTX 3080. In fact, a full spec list hasn't been released for the build so it's anyone's guess as to if this will be made available to the public or not.

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The product appears to feature two NZXT Kraken Z63 AIO liquid coolers, displaying popular characters from anime such as Yu-Gi-Oh! and Dragon Ball Z: Resurrection 'F', though given the size of the build it's likely that the exterior LCD screen is purely for display. Glimpsing inside of the sneaker case, you can see what appears to be a fully functioning small form factor PC, and the video goes on the show that this bizarre custom build can connect to a display.

There are many other questions left unanswered here: what kind of connections does it have, and how many ports are available? Is this intended for actual, practical gaming? What are the rest of the hardware specifications?

Regardless of how ridiculous the build or collectible, it certainly got our attention. Weird and wonderful custom PC builds are hardly a new concept so it isn't a stretch to believe that this is a genuine functioning rig (make sure you check out the crazy PC builds seen at Computex for more of that), though we can't feel comfortable putting any kind of shoes on the table, even if it is a fashionable gaming computer in disguise.

• Nvidia to fix RTX 3000 GPU stock issues by launching...the GeForce RTX 2060?

Via PC Gamer

Intel has a new CEO, as you probably noticed, and Pat Gelsinger has firmly set out his stall to begin with – with Apple apparently very much in his sights.

As Apple Insider reports, Gelsinger told Intel staff: “We have to deliver better products to the PC ecosystem than any possible thing that a lifestyle company in Cupertino makes. We have to be that good, in the future.”

• Here are the best gaming PCs
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The reference to Apple as a ‘lifestyle company’ is a telling one, and the statement can certainly be read as an indication that Gelsinger is serious about shaking things up at Intel.

In recent times Apple has made big waves with its M1 chip which has been very well-received and is quite a remarkable piece of engineering. The M1 will replace all Intel chips in MacBooks over a two-year transitional period – which has already begun – so in that respect it’s no doubt a doubly sore point for Intel.

Intel innovation

Perhaps above all, the M1 has been heralded as seriously innovative, and it’s in that department that Intel needs to shine again.

Intel does have something up its sleeve, though, in terms of a big change in the form of Alder Lake. These 12th-gen CPUs – which will arrive later in 2021, or that’s the plan, to follow next-gen Rocket Lake desktop processors – do things very differently, employing a model of two different core types (full power ones, accompanied by low-power ‘little’ cores to run the show much more power-efficiently in less demanding scenarios).

If that sounds familiar, it’s because this is the way that ARM’s big.LITTLE architecture is built. And the M1, of course, is an ARM-based chip (of Apple’s own design). Indeed, ARM’s CEO has recently been arguing that ARM silicon is on the verge of making a challenge to the dominant PC powers (namely Intel and AMD).

At any rate, Intel has already promised that Alder Lake will be a ‘significant’ breakthrough. Although if Intel is looking towards Cupertino, Apple won’t be standing still either – and big things are already expected of the M1’s successor, going by the rumor mill.

Gelsinger was VMware’s chief executive and will replace Intel’s CEO Bob Swan when he steps down in mid-February.

Check out the best PC components for your rig

Fortnite has a new ‘performance mode’ which is designed to let the battle royale run far more smoothly on older hardware.

While the new feature is in the game now – at least for the Battle Royale and Creative modes – it’s still marked as alpha functionality, and an experimental change, so bear in mind it may still need work.

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The theory is, however, that older or lesser-spec PCs will be able to run the game with much-improved performance levels, although these frame rate boosts don’t come out of thin air.

Fortnite’s performance mode trades some visual quality to put less of a strain on the processor and graphics card, and also to drop memory usage, all of which can provide a pretty major performance boost.

In the example scenarios given by Epic, which test the mode on laptops with integrated graphics, when playing Fortnite in 720p, frame rates are more than doubled (considerably more, in fact).

The test case with an Intel Core i5-8265U CPU and Intel UHD Graphics 620 (with 8GB of system RAM in the notebook) shows Fortnite running at 24 fps (frames per second) normally, and then a hugely improved 61 fps after performance mode is turned on (that’s an increase of just over 2.5x).

That’s night and day, really, and means that this lowly notebook is now providing a frame rate above the magic 60 fps, which is widely regarded as the standard for smooth gaming.

Aim game

While there is a visual trade-off, as mentioned, being able to track and aim at an enemy smoothly is obviously going to be a far more important consideration for gamers who have underpowered hardware that might otherwise be very jittery in that respect.

Epic notes: “Users running on older hardware will see a prompt pushing them to the mode to try it out as the recommended way to experience the game. Performance Mode can be enabled or disabled at any time through the in-game settings menu and restarting the game.”

A further change alongside the launch of performance mode is the ability to opt-out of high-resolution textures, and that will save you 14GB of drive space (taking the Fortnite install size down to 17GB at minimum, with all optional bits removed). If you’re running at lower resolutions like 720p anyway, the difference with ditching these textures and turning on performance mode won’t likely be all that noticeable, anyway.

Remember that it wasn’t so long ago that Fortnite weighed in at a hefty 90GB install, so the game has certainly got a lot more drive space-friendly, and spec-friendly too.

Check out the full Epic post on this change and the instructions for removing high-resolution textures right here.

• Check out all the best gaming PCs

The HP Omen Desktop PC proves that power and price can, in fact, go hand-in-hand. While souped-up machines can cost a small fortune, and budget ones can have too many compromises, mid-range machines such as this one offer the most ideal value, balancing price and performance that most gamers will appreciate.

If you’re looking for bargain-basement price tags, make no mistake. The HP Omen Desktop PC isn’t going to be the cheapest. Our review model, in fact, comes in at $2,300. However, it is relatively affordable for a potent gaming PC, and one that leaves plenty of room for expansion, making it future-proof. And, it will give you great performance for a lot less than other powerful options out there.

Price and availability

While many gaming PCs of its caliber will cost you an arm and a leg, the HP Omen Desktop PC boasts a reasonable price tag. It has several different configurations available, but since HP only has two i7 8th generation and one i7 9th generation processors on hand, you’re guaranteed a powerful machine no matter what you choose. 

The cheapest of the configurations is the base model that comes in at $1,369 at the time of this review and with the i7-8700 processor, an 8GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1050 graphics card, as well as a keyboard and mouse (which we didn’t get to test during the review).

Even though our model’s GPU (GeForce GTX 1080 Ti 11GB) was available at the time of the actual review, that was no longer the case at the time of writing. This graphics card, as well as the 512GB SSD plus 1TB HDD combo, are no longer available on the HP website. The closest configuration we could put together is one with the same CPU and RAM, but with a 512GB SSD plus 2TB HDD and a GeForce GTX 1080 8G, which will set you back around the same price, if only slightly expensive, at $2,335.

Furthermore, our exact  HP Omen Desktop PC configuration isn’t available in the UK and Australia. Similar configurations may be found, however. 

In Australia, the HP Omen 880-189a boasts the same processor and RAM plus an Nvidia GTX 1080 graphics card for AU$ 4,499. In the UK, the closest to these specs you can find is that of the £2,050 HP Omen 880-139na, which has the same processor but boasts a GTX 1080 Ti GPU, half as much memory and SSD storage with a 2TB HDD.

Design

Many folks have commented on the HP Omen Desktop PC’s not-so-appealing design, and we must admit, it isn’t the most attractive looking gaming PC on the market. In fact, its gamer’s look kind of reminds us of a flattened head of a Deception, especially with its red RGB lighting. 

It has a subtly textured casing with a rigid facia, the word OMEN etched on its top left-hand side, and the logo wedged front and center blazing red. The red lighting on the black chassis looks aggressive as if you’re going into combat every time you use it. This might be appropriate especially if you’re playing a lot of FPS games, but it doesn’t necessarily appeal to most consumers.

Inside, it isn’t the most attractive either, but seeing as the gaming PC doesn’t have a clear case, the inside isn’t really meant to be seen this isn’t such a big deal. Unlike most powerful gaming PCs, this one isn’t that huge, and will still take up a decent amount of desk space.

Attractiveness and size aside, what we do appreciate about this gaming PC’s design is its accessibility and upgradability, which are obviously far more important. It has been designed so that you can easily access what you need, whether it's the ports or the inside components you need, and you can easily upgrade or add to those components, and they’ve clearly succeeded in that regard. 

Thanks to its tool-less design, you can easily access the interior to add more hard drives with very minimal effort. There’s just a large switch in the back to lock and unlock the side panel, and an even larger button above that that you can easily push to pop it open. Additionally, the top front has a hidden compartment that pops open to reveal two HD bays. These bays are easily removable by pulling their red tabs, allowing you to add, remove, and replace extra hard drives, they also lock in place with a switch.

Besides those, there’s also a DVD-RW drive next to the logo in the front on the right-hand side that blends well with the design. You can also easily pop it out by pressing on the cover. 

Finally, the HP Omen Desktop PC also has a diverse number of available ports, both in the front on the top, right-hand side and in the back, giving you several options to connect your different devices. It even has an SD card slot up front, which is handy for photographers and videographers. 

Upgradability

The HP Omen Desktop PC future-proofing not only stems from its power, but its upgradability as well. It has three additional bays for extra hard drives, two of which can be easily accessed by those hot-swap bays we just mentioned, and four slots for RAM. You’ll also find configurations that add liquid cooling and Intel Optane memory. 

There’s not much in the way of customization, cosmetically at least. However, you can use HP’s software to overclock, boost your network speeds, and even stream your games from the Omen to a dinky laptop. 

The Omen Command Center software has four sections. The first one, System Vitals, allows you to monitor the CPU, GPU, and memory utilization, as well as the temperature. 

The next two – Overclocking and Network Booster – allows you to customize your processor and network’s performance. 

The Overclocking section specifically gives you an option to run a benchmark to see how the machine is performing. And the last one lets you stream your games from the Omen to any other Windows PC and a decent upload/download speed.

Performance

When it comes to performance, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a flaw. The HP Omen Desktop PC is a very powerful machine that can run anything on ultra, gaming-wise, without breaking a sweat. 

This thing comes with everything you need and more, which means that it can handle anything you throw at it, even the most demanding games, like a hot knife through butter, giving you the most optimal and immersive gaming experience.

We tested the HP Omen Desktop PC with three AAA titles – Shadow of the Tomb Raider, Far Cry 5, and Assassin’s Creed Odyssey – on ultra and did not encounter any issues. There were no perceived texture drops, glitches, or lags. 

That’s more than impressive performance, considering that all three not only came out within the last year, but are also open world games that require fast, continuous environment generation and are graphically hungry with lots of atmospheric effects. Even loading times at startup and during fast travel are blazing fast on this PC.

It’s all thanks to the top of the line CPU, graphics card, and RAM the HP Omen Desktop PC has been outfitted with. Our review unit had the Intel Core i7-8700k hexa-core processor, which is built to handle heavy loads, stream 4K UHD vids, and lots of multitasking. It was paired with a 32GB RAM and the NVidia GeForce GTX 1080 Ti, a graphics card capable of handling next-gen gaming demands, multiple monitors and ultra-high resolutions. 

With this top-tier GPU, you are most definitely guaranteed zero frame drops and zero stutters even with a monitor that caps at 60Hz. When testing a monitor that could be overclocked to 165Hz and has G-SYNC technology like the HP Omen 27 Gaming Monitor... well, just be prepared to be stunned.

That configuration offers a seamless and super immersive gaming experience well worth its price and is more than you’ll need to handle most processor-hungry games for the foreseeable future.

Final verdict

While we do agree that the HP Omen Desktop PC may not be the best-looking gaming PC out there, it has more than decent upgradability and most importantly, it is one of the best ones when it comes to performance. This powerhouse will run any processor- and graphics-heavy game like butter, giving you a gaming experience so seamless. You’ll feel like you’re part of the game.

This is especially true when it’s connected to the right monitor and running with a high refresh rate. And because it’s so powerful and easily upgradable, it’s also future-proof so it’s basically a long-term investment.

Need more convincing than that? Did we mention that it’s a great value too? Not that it’s the cheapest gaming machine – you can’t take home a high-end performance by being cheap – but its price does make sense for what it brings to the table. Even the budget-minded will appreciate this one.

Image Credit: TechRadar

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Intel’s next-gen NUC – the name the firm gives to its tiny PCs – will arrive later in December, or at least the mainstream model will according to the latest from the grapevine.

Panther Canyon is the name of the mainstream or ‘performance’ model – whereas Phantom Canyon is the more powerful ‘extreme’ variant – and the former is still on target for a December launch, Fanless Tech insists (in a recent update to an older story – apply the usual level of skepticism necessary around unsubstantiated leaks).

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As for Phantom Canyon, that version has apparently been pushed back to the first quarter of 2021, so could arrive between January and March, but obviously that too is speculation.

It’s theoretically good news for Panther Canyon, though, and further backs up an earlier rumor which featured a purported Intel roadmap that made no mention of the mainstream NUC, and therefore led some folks to start wondering whether Intel might have canned it.

Panther meets Tiger

Both of these compact PCs will feature an 11th-gen Tiger Lake-U processor. Phantom Canyon will pair it with a discrete graphics card – the GTX 1660 Ti (mobile GPU) has previously been mentioned, but that could have changed, and there will likely be other graphics configurations anyway – for more power (and obviously a heftier price tag, although there’s no hint yet as to what these models will cost).

Panther Canyon will rely on integrated Xe Graphics and will reportedly allow buyers to include up to 64GB of DDR4-3200 RAM.

Intel’s current Ghost Canyon NUC impressed us in many ways, although the pricing is a notable stumbling block. These machines are designed to nestle in your living room in a subtle and unintrusive manner, not drawing attention to themselves, hence the focus on a small form factor, with Panther Canyon likely being particularly compact, as it doesn’t require room for a discrete GPU.

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Via Tom’s Hardware

If you're looking to build your own PC, it's likely that you're thinking about making sure you've got the best PC components to get the job done. While the sheer number of options can make choosing feel more than a little overwhelming, this guide is here to help make that job a whole lot easier.

There's no doubt about it, learning how to build a PC is not for the faint of heart. It's a job that will really test your patience and endurance and there's likely to be times when you just want to throw in the towel, head to your local home electronics retailer and splash out on the best computer that money can buy. But, we guarantee that all that hard work of building your own is going to be well worth it when you feel the satisfaction of sitting back and looking at the finished product.

When it comes to PC components, there are a lot of parts that you're going to need. From the best graphics card to the best motherboard and everything in between, there's a lot to consider and the products you end up selecting will largely depend on the budget you've allocated to this project.

The good news is that we're here to help you score amazing deals on all the PC components you're going to need to get the job done. Having a good idea of what you want can make your PC building experience so much better. And, with this guide, we can help you get your planning and research started, and find the best PC components at a reasonable price. This way, you can get your rig up and running without the added stress.

From the best RAM to the best hard drives and every other part you'll need to create the PC of your dreams, here's our run down of what PC components to shop for and how to do it all without breaking the bank. 

The budget

Forget what anyone tells you, every build should start with two key things. A budget, and ambition. The budget is obvious, how much cash are you willing to drop on your shiny new rig. And ambition? Well that’s finding out exactly what you want to do with your brand new machine. 

It might sound crazy, but a dollar value of a system that costs 700 bucks is far higher than the value you can extract from a $4,000 monster. The lower the budget, the more you’ll have to stretch every dollar to acquire multiple PC components. However, seasonal sales can make budgets easier to adhere to.

We would advise that you set out to build a gaming PC that adheres to a single goal. Do you want one of the best gaming PCs? Or, would you rather have a home theater PC that can seamlessly blend into your living room? Do you want to edit video in 4K? All of these require different PC components to maximize savings and performance. 

Even though most PCs should be able to handle basically any task, it’s better to focus on the PC components you really need. Because, with the best computers, you don’t want a jack of all trades and a master of none.

Once you know exactly what you want to do with your new PC build, and you know what your budget looks like, you need to decide on your form factor, and whether to go with Intel or AMD. And, once that’s all out of the way, you’re ready to build.

Process this

We don’t call the CPU a central-processing unit for nothing, it’s literally the most essential part of any PC build and for that reason we’re starting here. Choosing the best processor starts with deciding between AMD or Intel as they’re the prevailing chipmakers in this category. 

From there, it’s a matter of picking the right part for your budget. AMD Athlon as well as Intel Pentium and Celeron are affordable and best suited for basic computing tasks, media playback and simple lifestyle applications. Meanwhile, Intel Core and AMD Ryzen serve the widest gamut of users looking to build anything from a cheap HTPC to an enthusiast gaming PC. Lastly on the high-end tier, there are the Intel Core X and AMD Ryzen Threadripper for more intense workloads like video production, 3D modeling and streaming gamers.

Intel Core i5 processors have traditionally been the go-to chip for gaming PCs. This is because most mainstream games (outside of the odd strategy title) are more graphically intensive than CPU intensive, so you don’t need the most baller silicon. However, this has been slowly changing over the last few years, with titles like Battlefield V leveraging the multithreaded performance of higher-end processors. Still, you should be fine in most games with something like the Intel Core i5-9400, as it’ll keep up with most games. 

And of course, because AMD is finally back in action, we absolutely recommend the AMD Ryzen 5 2600X as well. Both Intel’s i5-8400 and AMD’s Ryzen 5 2600X pack a phenomenal punch when it comes to gaming. Intel slightly edges out on in-game frame rates single-core performance, while AMD swings back in computational tasks, and more demanding workloads.

So what do we mean by that? Basically, the Ryzen 5 2600X packs multi-threading, meaning six cores and 12 threads of unadulterated Ryzen fury, and a whole ton of spare processing power for any and all applications you’re running on the side, making it perfect for streaming.

The mother of all boards

No good CPU goes without a good motherboard. Depending on what chip you choose, you’ll be locked into a selection of mobos with a variety of different chipsets available to you. But the first question we’ll help you answer is, what size motherboard is right for you?

ATX, E-ATX and XL-ATX boards are geared towards vast storage solutions, and hefty graphics card setups. And if you’re after a smaller system, Micro-ATX or Mini-ITX is your jam, providing a more compact size – though at the cost of fewer slots for graphics cards and other PCIe add-in cards.

From there your choice of processor will also determine, which motherboard will work with your system. This includes ensuring the CPU sockets lineup as well as having the right chipset. For example, Intel Coffee Lake and Kaby Lake chips technically plop down on the same LGA1151, but the former requires a 300-series chipset while the latter was launched with the 200-series chipset. Similarly, Ryzen and Ryzen 2nd Generation both share the same AM4 socket, but the latest AMD chips see the most benefit from the latest X470 platform.

Depending on the size of your chassis and if you’ve gone with an Intel processor, this ASRock Fatal1ty Z370 Gaming K6 (for ATX), Asus Z370-G (for Micro-ATX), or Asus ROG Strix Z370-I Gaming (Mini-ITX) all fit the bill perfect for a modern Intel-powered PC.

For our AMD builders, we’d recommend the Aorus X470 Gaming 7 Wi-Fi for an ATX build, the MSI B350M Mortar (a real fine budget board), for Micro-ATX rigs, and the ASUS ROG Strix X470-I Gaming for the mini-ITX lovers out there.

Ultimately, whether you go with our suggestions or not, it’s always worth remembering that your choice of motherboard will ultimately dictate your feature-set, memory and storage, your case, and how well your chip will overclock (if you invest in an unlocked part).

Graphics cards

Finishing out the trinity of every PC builds’ main components, graphics cards determines what your desktop will be able to visually render. While PCs can get away with just integrated graphics for simple tasks and even 4K streaming, creating your own media and gaming box requires the discrete graphical power that only an dedicated GPU can offer.

If you just want to play games at 1080p, you might want to take a look at the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660 Ti, or the Nvidia GeForce GTX 1660. Either of these cards will be a safe “bang for the buck” option, and they’ll easily hit 60fps in most AAA games at 1080p. Both of these cards should last you for at least the next 2 years. 

There are alternatives out there, AMD’s Radeon RX Vega 64, Vega 54 and RX 580(if you can find them), are fantastic combatants to this card, but they just can’t keep up on a pricing level. 

However, if you really want to go all-out and do some high-end 4K gaming, you’re going to want to drop some stacks on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 2080 or the RTX 2080 Ti – though AMD fans might want to go with the Radeon VII. Now, these are expensive cards, but if you want no-holds-barred 4K gaming that’ll make the PS4 Pro look like a cheap toy, you’re going to want the 11GB of GDDR6 VRAM and 4,352 CUDA cores only the 2080 Ti can offer.   

Memory

Exactly what is RAM? Memory or RAM (random-access memory) is practically the lifeblood of any PC and you’ll need an ample amount of it for a healthy running machine. Similar to your short term memory, RAM holds bursts of information for a limited time to quickly complete tasks, so literally all of your data will pass through this component of your PC.

With this in mind we’ve typically always favored capacity over speed when it comes to performance. After all, nothing says ‘killer rig’ like having 38 Google Chrome Tabs open, plus Discord, and a game of your choice all at the same time.

The Corsair Vengeance LED, HyperX Fury, and G.Skill Rampage V are all memory kits of choice that mix together a blend of affordability, speed and reliability. 16GB (2x8GB) of dual channel DDR4 running at 3200 MHz is ideal for gaming at 1080p for now, and should future-proof you for the next 3 to 4 years at least. 

For very basic gaming and web browsing 8GB is enough, but as a whole we recommend 16GB as the go-to for any build today. For video and photo editing, the more memory you have, the better.

It’s worth noting in regard to speed, that Intel CPUs typically doesn’t benefit from faster memory in day-to-day tasks, however Ryzen can see anywhere from a 10-15% performance increase, purely from utilizing faster memory. Ultimately anything close to or above 2,500MHz is golden – though you’ll find some modern RAM approaching close to 5,000MHz.

Keep in mind, motherboards don’t support unlimited memory speeds, so check the specification before buying incredibly fast memory. For example it would be a waste to get 4,000MHz speed RAM and find out it could only reach up to 3,000MHz because of the motherboard’s limitations.

Storage

If RAM is like short term memory, storage is essentially your computer’s long term memory. This is where all your data is stored, whether its a document, picture, movie, game saves, programs and even the operating system.

Likewise, storage comes in a myriad of forms and rated speeds. Hard drives are fantastic for holding a ton of data at a very low cost. Meanwhile, the best SSDs can be exponentially faster, but opting for massive capacities will cost you a lot.

Thankfully, SATA SSDs have become old hat at this point that an average Joe can find drives with one or more terabytes of capacity for little more than a much slower hard drive would cost. They’re all you need for a quick nippy system and we wholeheartedly recommend the Samsung 860 Evo. Install your OS on here, and some choice games and watch your load times and general user experience fly away.

NVMe drives are also all the rage as they can offer five-to-six times faster data transfer speeds and there are even some affordable options in the market now. The Adata XPG SX8200 is a fantastically affordable and quick drive. If you want to just jump into the top-shelf stuff, the Samsung 970 Evo and WD Black NVMe SSD are among the fastest drives you’ll encounter today.

For added oomf, we recommend picking up a 1TB old school HDD as well if you can. Western Digital’s Blue drives are usually a great place to start, and you can pick those up with a great deal most of the time.

Power supply

Investing in the best PC power supply is the most crucial part of your PC build as it’s responsible for supplying power to run any and all of the other components in your computer. Without this crucial foundation, your PC will fail to even start and a system built on shaky ground is also doomed for failure.

In the real world it’s unlikely you’ll ever need more than a 650W for a single GPU build like we recommend here. When shopping for a PSU it’s advisable to get one with 20% more capacity than you’ll need: 10% for overclocking, and another 10% so you’re not running your PSU ragged at all times. The higher the efficiency rating (from good to best; bronze, silver, gold, platinum, titanium), the less electricity you’ll waste as heat.

If you’re ever unsure how much juice you’ll need, head over to PCPartPicker, enter your spec, and take a look at the top of the page to see just how many watts the system will draw from the wall. 

Don’t skimp here. When a cheap PSU blows, it can take your whole system with it.

The PC case you choose shouldn’t just be pretty; it should be as tool-less as possible, offer tons of cable routing options and ample room equal to your PC building ambitions. As far as chassis choice, it all starts with what motherboard you’re using for your build. We’re not talking manufacturer, but size. Make sure you pick up a case with good airflow, and one that’s the correct size for your new system.

You can always scrimp here, but the more money you spend, typically the more enjoyable your build experience will be. Not to mention, you’ll be looking at this PC case everyday, so you might want to make sure it’s a looker.

Our current favourite is the NZXT Hx00i-series, as they come in a variety of sizes while all featuring exceptional airflow, a tempered glass side panel, integrated RGB lighting, and a fan controller.

 CPU coolers

You’re going to need one of the best CPU coolers to chill either the Ryzen or the Intel chip of your choosing. CPU coolers split into two main types: air-coolers and liquid-coolers. 

Air coolers as you might have guessed use air to push heat through an array of heat pipes and fins called a heatsink. These types of CPU coolers are generally affordable and easy to install, but can sometimes interfere with the installation of memory with tall heat spreaders or oversized graphics cards.

Liquid-coolers on the other hand are a bit more complicated as they use a closed loop of coolant to keep processors chilled. These are often more efficient and can keep your CPU running at lower temperatures than an air cooler. The only downside is these liquid-cooling units can be more expensive and intimidating to install at first.

Thanks to the advancements in technology and an obsessive pursuit of dead-silence, there are also a few passive coolers that are nothing more than cleverly engineered heatsinks.

Regardless of which type of CPU cooler you get, you’ll want to make sure the product you choose is compatible with your system. If you’re going Intel, you’ll need the standard the LGA 1151 socket that supports most mainstream Core processors. If you’re going with AMD, the AM4 socket is what you should look out for. 

Always make sure your cooler is compatible with your case, and the socket and processor that you’ll be mounting it to. Luckily, most coolers come with an assortment of accessories that make them compatible with either platform and even more.

The next step

Hopefully we’ve helped you create a complete list of components ready enough to construct a complete PC. The next step is building the actual PC and while it can be tricky, we’ve also created a complete step-by-step guide on how to build a PC to ease you through the process.