Jacob Ridley
Jacob earned his first byline writing for his own tech blog. From there, he graduated to professionally breaking things as hardware writer at PCGamesN, where he was one half of a popular weekly YouTube show. He would go on to run the team as hardware editor before joining PC Gamer's world-class staff as senior hardware editor. Today, he's managing editor of the hardware team, and you'll find him spending his days reporting on the latest developments in the technology and gaming industries. He's found reporting from floors, benches, and, if he's lucky, plush press rooms at the biggest tech shows, such as Computex and CES. But more often than not he's hunched over the office test bench evaluating the newest PC components.
When he's not writing about GPUs and CPUs, you'll find Jacob trying to get as far away from the modern world as possible by wild camping.
Latest articles by Jacob Ridley
![A collection of NVMe SSDs on orange.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TS44xiDUQAMviLKqDZYhgh-320-80.jpg)
Best cheap SSD deals for gaming today
By Jacob Ridley last updated
deal Cheap and speedy NVMe drives to boost your gaming PC's capacity and lower those load times.
![Best gaming monitors on a green background with the PC Gamer Recommends badge in the top right of the image](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kQ24HdzUS9YedZTLwTc7zb-320-80.jpg)
Best gaming monitors in 2024: the pixel-perfect panels I'd buy myself
By Dave James last updated
Eye candy The best gaming monitors balance price with panel quality, resolution and refresh rate.
![Razer Blade 16 and Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptops](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ygzQsBASZAUvZAgqJT8iUd-320-80.jpg)
Best gaming laptops in 2024: I've had my pick of portable powerhouses and these are the best
By Dave James last updated
Portable powerhouses Don't compromise on power or portability with the best gaming laptops.
![Two of the best graphics cards from top down and side on view, on a pastel yellow background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/yDoLrx9uVA5c55aXYLSyDo-320-80.jpg)
Best graphics cards in 2024: the GPUs I recommend for every budget
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Pixel Pushers Our picks of the most powerful gaming GPUs and the ones that provide the best bang for your buck.
![Intel and AMD CPU boxes on a green background with the PC Gamer recommended logo in the top right](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NTZXtdY49qJtoY7qD86AuL-320-80.jpg)
Best CPU for gaming in 2024: these are the chips I recommend for gaming, productivity and peace of mind
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Happy Cores Fire up your rig with the best CPU for gaming. More cores, more clocks, more of everything that matters.
![The best gaming chairs guide header image with Logitech Herman Miller Embody chair and Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 on a green background with PC Gamer recommend badge.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UHtKGg7rxCoE3yoZpJakja-320-80.jpg)
Best gaming chairs in 2024: the seats I'd suggest for any gamer
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Take a seat Treat your posterior to one of the best gaming chairs.
![The best mechanical keyboards on a grey background with the PC Gamer recommends badge in the top right.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hj3btuQZyHad9pbyk4qJSn-320-80.jpg)
Best mechanical gaming keyboards in 2024: the mechanical boards I'd buy in a heartbeat
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Click Clack Make the switch with our guide to the best mechanical gaming keyboards.
![The best wireless gaming keyboards](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uSc3d7LdhpnidL5aanYQ9n-320-80.jpg)
Best wireless gaming keyboard in 2024: my top picks for cable-free typing delights
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Freedom Cut the cord with the best wireless gaming keyboards.
![The best gaming keyboards on a grey background with the PC Gamer recommends badge.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jmAUH4fCVSoSrYDXiTrzxj-320-80.jpg)
Best gaming keyboards in 2024: the fastest, smoothest and loveliest keyboards I've tested
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Keyed in The best gaming keyboards have it all: style, ergonomics, and of course, the most satisfying clickity clacks.
![Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic headpones on a green two-tone background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TYaDGzGb9gasLKNij2TG3G-320-80.jpg)
The best audiophile headphones for gaming in 2024: my top recommendations for the best cans money can buy
By Dave James last updated
Audiophile Immerse yourself in your games with the best audiophile headphones for gaming.
![black myth: wukong](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NJgg6PmZ2ZzxpJXG6MwYkU-320-80.jpg)
Black Myth: Wukong's most-wishlisted status means its new benchmarking tool is the 18th most played 'game' on Steam right now
By Jacob Ridley published
News Don't get too excited, it's not the actual game. Though as far as benchmarking tools go, it's a good'un.
![Intel Core i9 14900K CPU on a box and inside a motherboard socket.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8YP5w92iVtzYSQgTaB2DAB-320-80.jpg)
Intel instability fix: I've seen no notable impact on game performance with 0x129 patch on the Core i9 14900K
By Jacob Ridley published
High voltage! That's good news, but damage done to older chips is irreparable.
![Super Flower PSU on a blue background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qdUwoQfmLsonhVZN8ThwNd-320-80.jpg)
Hey, when did 1000 W PSUs get so affordable? This Super Flower Platinum is $125 right now
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal With GPUs like these, we're in need of 1000 watts.
![Best mouse pad for gaming header image with two mouse pads on a grey background with recommended badge](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wYhVvFq6BSc4U2fUspXAYK-320-80.jpg)
Best mouse pads for gaming in 2024: the fabric and hard-top mats I prefer to game on
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Slick The best mouse pads offer slick mouse movement and awesome aesthetics, no matter what surface you prefer.
![The PC Gamer buying guide to the best racing wheels](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/q6NoywRZc3mHTmM6ma7G7n-320-80.jpg)
Best PC racing wheels in 2024: my favorite direct drive and budget steering wheels for sim racing
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Driven Speed away with the best PC racing wheel for gaming.
![Cybenetics ratings on the side of a Corsair PSU box.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/a7nAHVoema9hAzPUzcoKEY-320-80.jpg)
Corsair ditches 80 Plus for PSUs: here are the Cybenetics ratings it'll use instead
By Jacob Ridley published
News Get used to seeing Cybenetics Gold, Platinum, and Titanium.
![Logitech gaming mouse on a blue background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/PfJp5KibVTtCGUHrGJFbaX-320-80.jpg)
One of Logitech's finest mice and one I use often—the Pro Wireless gaming mouse is down to $61 right now
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal I only replaced this bad boy once I got my hands on its featherweight replacement, the Superlight, but at this price it's worth a look.
![Intel's Lunar Lake Lion Cove cores without Hyper-Threading](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/GMpoQhXEuVJvvL3GqMwTSJ-320-80.png)
'The ongoing conversations around ARM vs x86 power are based on a false premise,' says Intel's VP of technical marketing
By Jacob Ridley published
News ARM might appear more naturally efficient, yet Intel insists x86 is just as good in the right hands.
![Two of the best PC fans side by side on a blue background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZSo7H5sfNrb4MKx8PxmddZ-320-80.jpg)
Best PC fans in 2024: I've put these case fans through their paces to find the coolest and quietest
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Hot Tip The best PC fans will keep your gaming PC cool and quiet.
![Two webcams pictured on a blue gradient background with a PC Gamer Recommended badge.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/vo9zqBcBvuxTte9DXWU2ne-320-80.jpg)
Best webcams in 2024: the 1080p and 4K webcams I recommend for gamers and streamers
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Look Your Best These are the best webcams for streaming and video calls.
![PowerColor Hellhound RX 7600 XT graphics card on a red background,](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/83zzeZziybhg3bdLmcyqm5-320-80.jpg)
There still might be more RX 7000-series AMD GPUs on the way as rumours suggest two under $250
By Jacob Ridley published
News It's early days, though there's still room for more graphics cards at the bottom of the stack.
![Google headquarters is seen in Mountain View, California, United States on September 26, 2022.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hF9CqPG4h4hmTkKtVQ9FkX-320-80.jpg)
'Google is a monopolist' says US judge in ruling on exclusivity deals to get Google Search on all your platforms all the time
By Jacob Ridley published
News "Google’s distribution agreements are exclusive and have anticompetitive effects."
![Galax RTX 4070 Super on a blue background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/wQ4GRk8h789tJmznJFYFQE-320-80.jpg)
Woah, an RTX 4070 Super deal that actually drops this fresh 40-series GPU well under MSRP
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal The RTX 4070 is a graphics card not often discounted, and yet here's the new and improved Super version for little more than the standard option.