Australian PC Awards 2021 winners: The best of the best in PC

News
By last updated

The ultimate in value and performance for PC systems, tech, peripherals & components

Australian PC Awards 2021
(Image credit: Future)
Jump to:

The last year has been a massive one for PC gaming and home computing and we can finally now get 20/20 hindsight vision for which products of 2020 and the start of 2021 were the absolute best in their field. 

The Australian PC Awards are complete, with live streaming reveals airing across three nights on June 23, 24 and 25, 2021. 

If you missed them on the nights, you can still tune in to the APCA 2021 episodes to see the live unveilings, some for great debate on the state of PC components... and a chance to win some excellent prizes!

The Australian PC Awards is presented by computing experts from TechRadar, APC, TechLife, PC Gamer, PC PowerPlay and T3. Representing a broad collection of computing veterans from some of Australia's best PC publications, there's no better way to get a complete snapshot of the highs and lows of personal computers in 2020/21. 

Anyone here purely for the results of the 2021 Australian PC Awards, read on. Below is the final list of products that beat all the competition in their field to take out an APCA 2021 best product award. 

Whether you're looking to build the best value rig around, or you simply want to tick off any components you might already have in your current build, all of the following products are the best in the business.

Motherboards

APCA 2021 MoBo

(Image credit: Future)

Best Motherboard Maker 2021

Asus
Best Motherboard Maker 2021

Asus
Great BIOSes and a consistently good physical layout across the range. Asus has proven to their motherboard owners time and time again that they are both reliable and capable of the highest performance.

Best Value Motherboard 2021

Asrock A520M-ITX/AC
Best Value Motherboard 2021

Asrock A520M-ITX/AC
The perfect partner for one of AMD's lower-priced CPUs (or APUs), this $150 board offers a great feature set for the price and even has AC Wi-Fi.

• Read the full PC Gamer review

Highly Commended

MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk
Best Gaming CPU 2020 nominee

MSI MAG Z490 Tomahawk
A great choice for a user looking to build a powerful system without spending the big bucks.

• Read the full AnandTech review

Best Premium Motherboard 2021

Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Master
Best Premium Motherboard 2021

Gigabyte Z590 Aorus Master
Mega VRM and huge heatsinks that give lots of surface area for outstanding cooling, great quality components and even 10G LAN, which is unheard of at this pricepoint.

• Read the full Tom's Hardware review

Highly Commended

Asus Crosshair VIII Dark Hero X570
Best Microphones 2020 nominee

Asus Crosshair VIII Dark Hero X570
The best AM4 motherboard we've yet tested, we're so enamoured with it that it's become our AMD testbed. Fantastic memory support, supporting frequencies that other boards just don't. Insane amount of USB ports. Does have a couple of weaknesses, but they're acceptable trade-offs.

• Read the full PC Gamer review

Graphics Cards

APCA GPU 2021

(Image credit: Future)

Best Graphics Card Maker 2021

MSI
Best Graphics Card Maker 2021

MSI
Consistently first-rate coolers from top to bottom across the whole range, and often priced a bit cheaper than other brands.

Highly Commended

Nvidia
Best Microphones 2020 nominee

Nvidia
30-Series features genuine engineering innovation and reasonable cooling for a reference card. 

Best Value Graphics Card 2021

MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X Trio
Best Value Graphics Card 2021

MSI RTX 3060 Ti Gaming X Trio
A mid range card with a triple-fan flagship design. One of the quietest gaming cards you'll find and punches well above it's weight.

• Read the full PC Gamer review

Highly Commended

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 Vision OC
Best Motherboard 2020 nominee

Gigabyte GeForce RTX 3060 Vision OC
The gorgeous Gigabyte 3060 Vision OC is a great choice for gaming or creating. 

Highly Commended

PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT Hellhound
Best Motherboard 2020 nominee

PowerColor Radeon RX 6700 XT Hellhound
Why spend more when you can get a great performing and cool running option for less.

• Read Tom's Hardware's coverage

Best Premium Graphics Card 2021

Asus ROG Strix RTX 3080 O10G Gaming
Best Premium Graphics Card 2021

Asus ROG Strix RTX 3080 O10G Gaming
A quiet, cool, powerful and feature loaded card. It's got the lot.

Highly Commended

MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Suprim
Best SSD 2020 nominee

MSI GeForce RTX 3080 Suprim
A powerhouse of high clocks and quality cooling to tame it.

• Read TechRadar's coverage

CPU

APCA 2021 CPU

(Image credit: Future)

Best Value CPU 2021

Intel Core i5-11400F
Best Gaming Mouse 2020 nominee

Intel Core i5-11400F
With impressive performance for less than half the price of a 5600X, for those on a budget, this is a slam dunk.

Highly Commended

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
Best Gaming Mouse 2020 nominee

AMD Ryzen 3 3300X
It's a special little gem if you can get your hands on one.

Highly Commended

Intel Core i5-10600K
Best Gaming Mouse 2020 nominee

Intel Core i5-10600K
This CPU offers the performance of a flagship CPU from just a couple of years ago. 

Best Premium CPU 2021

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
Best Premium CPU 2021

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X
A great enthusiast processor, Intel can't beat it and does everything pretty well without breaking the bank.

Highly Commended

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
Best gaming keyboard nominee

AMD Ryzen 5 5600X
For a gaming-only focus the 5600X is perfect.

Highly Commended

Intel Core i5-11600K
Best gaming keyboard nominee

Intel Core i5-11600K
This powerful hexa-core CPU offers very competitive performance at this price point

Storage

APCA 2021 Storage

(Image credit: Future)

Best Internal Storage Maker 2021

Image
Best Internal Storage Maker 2021

Samsung
An unblemished record of quality, value and choice.

Highly Commended

Adata
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Adata
A smaller brand gunning to take on the premium makers.

Best External Storage Maker 2021

WD
Best External Storage Maker 2021

WD
Thoughtfully engineered storage products covering every conceivable need.

Highly Commended

Image
Best Gaming Laptop 2020 nominee

Seagate
Innovative products like the Firecuda Gaming Dock demonstrate Seagate's commitment to innovation.

Best SOHO or Home NAS 2021

Synology DS1621+
Best SOHO or Home NAS

Synology DS1621+
A great combination of performance, capacity, features, expandability and price point for any SMB.

Highly Commended

Synology DS920+
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Synology DS920+
Simultaneously a great expandable entry point for NAS newbies and a powerful, feature-laden office server for SMBs.

System

APCA 2021 Systems

(Image credit: Future)

Best Value Laptop or 2-in-1 2021

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1)
Best Value Laptop 2021

Apple MacBook Air 13-inch (M1)
A $1,499 Ultrabook with 11th Gen i7 performance, light gaming capabilities and a 19 hour battery. The biggest generational laptop innovation we've seen.

Highly Commended

Asus TUF A15 (2021)
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Asus TUF A15 (2021)
An AMD gaming laptop that's ahead in performance, price and perks.

Highly Commended

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Lenovo IdeaPad Flex 5 Chromebook
A great cheap alternative to Windows 10 for browser-based workers.

Best Premium Laptop or 2-in-1 2021

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1)
Best Premium Laptop 2021

Apple MacBook Pro 13-inch (M1)
Impressive performance bump, massive GPU improvement, double the battery and cheaper. What more could you want?

Highly Commended

MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

MSI Prestige 14 Evo A11M
Great all-round professional device with fast Gen 4 PCIe storage.

Highly Commended

Asus ZenBook Duo 14 (UX482)
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Asus ZenBook Duo 14 (UX482)
A unique premium product offering, if money is no object.

Best Gaming Laptop 2021

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
Best Gaming Laptop 2021

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14
The turning point for AMD Mobile CPUs in a perfectly executed package by Asus.

Highly Commended

Aorus 17G XC
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Aorus 17G XC
An extremely powerful gaming laptop, this machine is a weapon with exceptional cooling to tame its powerful components.

Highly Commended

Alienware m15 R3
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Alienware m15 R3
A seriously well engineered, premium device with a wide range of options and a great looking chassis.

Best Desktop PC Maker 2021

Aftershock
Best PC Maker 2021

Aftershock
Aftershock has to take it for its insane personalised builds. There's a price premium, but you get a custom-built Ferrari for it. They also have the quality sewn up.

Highly Commended

PC Case Gear
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

PC Case Gear
Well balanced and value builds, PC Case Gear is typically always on the ball.

Highly Commended

MSI
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

MSI
We like that MSI pushes the boundaries of PC case design not only in terms of looks, but also functionality and interactivity.

Peripherals & Components

APCA 2021 Peripherals and Components

(Image credit: Future)

Best Memory Maker 2021

Team Group
Best Memory Maker 2021

Team Group
Team Group’s second Awards win in this category for remarkable value and a competitive range.

Highly Commended

G.Skill
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

G.Skill
A range to please both enthusiasts and value-seekers.

Best Cooling Product 2021

Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix Liquid CPU Cooler
Best Cooling Product 2021

Corsair iCUE H100i Elite Capellix Liquid CPU Cooler
A 240mm AIO CPU cooler that hits just the right balance of performance, low noise levels and value.

Highly Commended

Noctua NH-D15S Chromax
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Noctua NH-D15S Chromax
If you're after a high performance air cooler, look no further.

Highly Commended

Be Quiet Pure Rock 2
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Be Quiet Pure Rock 2
A great step up from bundled coolers that offers excellent value.

Best Monitor 2021

Alienware AW3821DW
Best Monitor 2021

Alienware AW3821DW
A gaming screen that really delivers for productivity, and is very good value.

Highly Commended

Gigabyte G27F
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Gigabyte G27F
Amazing value for a 27-in 144Hz IPS screen that does it all.

Highly Commended

LG CX OLED48
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

LG CX OLED48
For a TV - this is an incredible gaming monitor.

Best Keyboard 2021

Razer Huntsman V2 Analog
Best Keyboard 2021

Razer Huntsman V2 Analog
A rare case of an expensive product delivering everything it promises. Analog keys are game-changer - literally.

Highly Commended

Logitech G915 TKL
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Logitech G915 TKL
Absolutely everything you could wish for in a wireless productivity keyboard.

Highly Commended

Ducky One 2 Pudding
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Ducky One 2 Pudding
No fancy tricks, but it's just beautiful to look at and use.

Best Mouse 2021

Logitech G Pro X Superlight
Best Mouse 2021

Logitech G Pro X Superlight
Small, light, simple and ideal for gaming as well as regular use.

Highly Commended

Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Razer DeathAdder V2 Pro
Updated sensor and extremely durable switches make this a great mouse for dedicated gamers.

Best Gaming Headset 2021

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Best Gaming Headset 2021

Razer BlackShark V2 Pro
Brings in key gamer features like 2.4 wireless and THX Spatial Audio in a quality package with top notch sound quality.

Highly Commended

HyperX Cloud Alpha S
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

HyperX Cloud Alpha S
Priced at the upper end of 'value' but with premium features.

Highly Commended

Audeze LCD-GX Gaming Headset
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Audeze LCD-GX Gaming Headset
Supreme planar driver sound quality derived from audiophile cans.

Best PC Case 2021

Lian Li Lancool II Mesh
Best PC Case 2021

Lian Li Lancool II Mesh
Excellent air ventilation plus styling that's got universal appeal.

Highly Commended

Thermaltake The Tower 100 Mini Case
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Thermaltake The Tower 100 Mini Case
A sleek, vertical, mini-ITX case with nice cable management.

Highly Commended

Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh Edition
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Phanteks Eclipse P300A Mesh Edition
Under $80 yet with tempered glass, a PSU cavity and great styling.

Best Router 2021

Netgear Nighthawk AX8
Best Router 2021

Netgear Nighthawk AX8
Enhanced security and top performance. It may be expensive, but the RAX80 is the Wi-Fi 6 router to get.

Highly Commended

Tenda MW12
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Tenda MW12
Fast, well-featured, easy-to-use with good, reliable coverage – everything you could want from Wi-Fi.

Reseller

APCA 2021 Reseller

(Image credit: Future)

Best Reseller 2021

PLE
Best Reseller 2021

PLE
PLE's excellent website allows easy editing of pre-built designs and their unique and wide range of cases is impressive.

Highly Commended

Scorptec
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Scorptec
Fast, well-featured, easy-to-use with good, reliable coverage – everything you could want from Wi-Fi.

Excellence

APCA 2021 Excellence

(Image credit: Future)

Excellence Award 2021

Apple's M1 processor
Excellence Award 2021

Apple's M1 processor
The biggest WTF moment in computer processors for 20 years.

Highly Commended

Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Intel Iris Xe Graphics
Intel doubled integrated GPU performance for light 1080p gaming on Ultrabooks with this generational update, putting light gaming on the agenda. 

Gold Award

APCA 2021 Gold

(Image credit: Future)

APCA Gold Award 2021

Image
APCA Gold Award 2021

Asus
Asus is the company that does it all, and does it well. With a reputation for quality and reliability, great engineering and always pushing the industry forwards with clever new products and ideas, Asus covers a huge spectrum of product categories and is trusted and genuinely loved by its customers.

Highly Commended

AMD
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

AMD
Surging forward with its massive industry shake up, AMD all but owns the home-built market, and is carving ever increasing market share in pre-builts and servers.

Highly Commended

Aftershock PC
Best Gaming Monitor 2020 nominee

Aftershock PC
Proving that people like things that are powerful and look amazing, Aftershock arrived from Singapore just a few years ago and is now a go-to reseller for truly stunning PCs and laptops.