Every. Single. One.
It’s been an interesting year for PC gaming hardware. After a supply shortage that spiked both demand and pricing we’ve had a slew of new goodies hitting our test labs, and maybe even your desktops. Though maybe it’s not been the most exciting year.
We’ve had both the new graphics card architectures from AMD and Nvidia, as well as the first flush of Intel’s Arc GPUs, too. There have also been new processor generations from both Intel and AMD as well, with the red team finally launching a whole new socket with its AM5 Zen 4 chips. But somehow they still feel entirely predictable, rather iterative and/or infeasibly expensive, and rather risk-free.
But we have, of course, had the Steam Deck.
Outside of that we’ve had a host of stunning SSDs, great peripherals, new, ultra speedy memory, and a finally OLED gaming monitors. Of course, there have been some kit that hasn’t quite made the grade, however, and for some reason it always seems to have been me dishing out the absolute lowest scores of the year. Am I a bad person?
With scores ranging from 43% all the way up to a heady 98% (for a power supply no less) this has been a fascinating year of PC gaming hardware. December was the worst month for review scores, marking a rather inauspicious end to the year, with an average of just 74%. Though much of that is going to be down to me giving the faux-LEGO gaming keyboard our worst score of the year, dragging everything else down.
Our best month, by contrast, was April with an average review score of 83%. There were no less than four separate products netting a score above 90% in April, and a lot of high 80s in there, too. February, the month of the Steam Deck, also averaged 83%, but over just 11 reviews. For us, that means April’s score spread over 18 reviews wins.
In total, we’ve reviewed 209 different products over the year, so let’s look back, month-by-month at every single one of them from 2022.
January 2022
95%
Without the unprecedented overclocking potential inside the i5 12400 I’d be heartily recommending this chip forms the basis of your next budget gaming PC build. With it, this processor stands a good chance of becoming the legendary processor of Intel’s Alder Lake generation.
For
Great stock performanceLow powerStays coolHoly hell, does it overclock
Against
BCLK OC may get patched outRequires a whole new motherboard
Gigabyte RTX 3050 – 77%Gigabyte RX 6500 XT– 47%Gigabyte M28U – 86%Corsair One i300 – 89%Kingston Fury Renegade 2TB – 88%HP Omen 45L – 79%OneXPlayer Mini – 64%Gigabyte Z690 Aorus Pro – 86%Keychron K2 V2 – 82%Razer Kraken V3 HyperSense – 73%Razer Seiren V2 Pro – 81%Victrix Gambit Wireless – 63%Velocity Micro Raptor Z55 – 83%Akko Prunus Lannesiana 3098B – 87%Corsair Dominator Platinum DDR5-5200 – 77%Team T-Force Delta DDR5-6400 – 78%Roccat Pyro – 89%AndaSeat Na’Vi Edition – 78%NZXT Capsule USB – 80%Cooler Master MM731 – 70%MSI MAG B660M Mortar WiFi – 81%
February 2022
85%
It’s a handheld gaming system first and foremost, and it does that so well it’s almost comical how much cheaper it is than other handheld PCs, which tend to cost around $1,000. It doesn’t even make sense to call them competitors. The Steam Deck is in a class of its own.
For
Great priceIncredibly versatileWell builtCan change the way you game
Against
BulkyBattery life takes work
Huawei Mateview GT – 79%Corsair iCue 5000T RGB – 85%Thrustmaster TCA Yoke Pack – 88%Master & Dynamic MG20 Wireless – 82%Focusrite Scarlett 212 Studio bundle – 84%MSI Vigor GK50 – 71%EPOS H3Pro Hybrid – 89%Hannspree HG392PCB – 75%Boulies Master Series – 86%MSI MAG B660 Tomahawk WiFi – 86%
March 2022
95%
It’s been an incredibly long time coming. But OLED awesomeness has finally come to the PC. LCD technology still has the edge for latency, but this quantum dot-enhanced OLED screen is incredible when it comes to contrast, HDR performance, and response. Net result? Simply one of, if not the, best gaming monitors ever.
For
Fabulous contrast and coloursStupendous pixel responseGenuine HDR capability
Against
Not a great all-purpose panelLatency isn’t a strong pointNo HDMI 2.1
Asus ROG Flow Z13 – 58%BeyerDynamic MMX 100 – 93%Razer Blade 17 – 85%Asus ROG Zephyrus G14 (2022) – 75%Origin 5000T Millenium – 88%Fanatec Gran Turismo DD Pro – 88%Asus TUF RTX 3090 Ti – 71%Razer Kraken V3 Pro – 74%G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-6400 – 79%Hyte Y60 – 77%Thrustmaster T248 – 86%ASRock B660 Steel Legend – 73%DXRacer Craft Series – 78%Thronmax MDrill One Pro – 92%MSI Clutch GM41 Wireless – 78%
April 2022
93%
Mountain has taken all it’s learnt from its first keyboards and created the best-feeling, most usable 60% gaming keyboard I’ve ever used. It’s solid, reliable, responsive, and offers the best typing experience around. It’s also good-looking and surprisingly expandable with the numpad accessory, alternative switches, and PBT keycaps.
For
Great typing feelReassuringly robustResponsiveOptional modular numpad is great
Against
Base Camp software remains a minor weak pointOverall package gets expensive
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D – 81%Intel Core i9 12900KS – 66%CyberPower Infinity X125 – 82%WD Black SN770 1TB – 87%NZXT H1 V2 – 91%AOC U28G2XU – 84%Bang & Olufsen Beoplay Portal – 88%Razer Leviathan V2 – 78%ASRock Z690 Aqua Gaming – 78%HyperX Cloud Wireless – 90%Elgato HD60 X – 77%Hyte Revolt 3 – 85%Cherry MX 10.ON – 85%Cherry HC 2.2 – 72%Vissles V84 – 89%NZXT Function MiniTKL – 73%AndaSeat Kaiser 3 XL – 95%
May 2022
88%
The Arctis Nova Pro Wireless headset delivers smashing sound quality that sits above many of its peers in the wireless gaming space. With impressive connectivity, fast charging, hot-swappable batteries, and great adjustability, it’s supremely versatile. It comes at a steep price, but I’m ok with that.
For
Smashing bass and audio qualityIntuitive and informative new Sonar parametric EQComfortable, light, and highly adjustableDAC is an amp and fast charging spare battery dockNoise cancellation for mic and ear cups
Against
Can only skip or pause music with headset buttons over BluetoothFrightfully loud glitch noises when going out of rangeAI noise cancelling is a bit weak at the moment
G.Skill Z5i – 76%Philips Brilliance 498P9Z – 75%Acer Predator XB323QK – 83%Philips Momentum 279M1RV – 80%XGIMI Aura 4K UST – 83%Phanteks Evolv Shift XT – 81%DXRacer Air Mesh – 43%Corsair HS55 – 85%Wired2Fire Reaper – 85%Drop + Sennheiser PC38X – 88%Silicon Power XS70 2TB – 89%Lenovo Legion 5 Pro 16 – 65%Viewsonic VX2882-4KP – 82%Samsung T7 Shield – 85%Kioxia Exceria Pro 2TB – 71%
June 2022
88%
The Ducky One 3 sets a high standard for gaming keyboards. It looks great, feels great, and is built to survive the apocalypse. Plus it comes in cheaper than some premium keyboards today.
For
BeautifulBuilt to a very high standardWill outlive most PC buildsColour-matched cablePBT keycaps
Against
No Play/Pause/Skip keysDIP switches don’t work on mineLook elsewhere for RGB backlighting
Alienware Aurora R13 – 73%Acer G550 Nitro – 71%Redux Good Tier PC – 82%HP Omen 27U – 80%Sony Inzone M9 – 87%NZXT Streaming PC – 83%MSI RX 6750 XT Gaming X Trio – 71%SteelSeries Aerox 5 Wireless – 75%Vertagear SL5000 – 79%Asus RX 6750 XT Strix OC – 66%Corsair K70 RGB TKL Champion Optical – 83%Gigabyte Aorus 17 XE4 – 84%Corsair Dark Core RGB Pro SE – 80%CLX Set – 68%Streamplify Cam – 78%Origin EVO17-S – 85%Streamplify Mic – 85%MSI RX 6650 XT Gaming X – 74%Govee Dreamview G1 Pro – 80%
July 2022
98%
The Corsair AX1600i is the highest performance PSU available on today’s market, even several years after its release. Corsair did well to be the first to adopt GaN MODFETs and the totem-pole APFC converter in a desktop PSU and this gamble paid off. If there were a PSU to get close, it’d be the Be quiet! Dark Power Pro 1500W, but Corsair takes the top spot here.
For
Powerful with top performance in all sectionsHigh build qualitySilent operationSoftware control
Against
Super expensiveSmall distance between peripheral connectors
AMD Ryzen 5 5500 – 65%Razer Blade 14 (2022) – 81%Corsair TC200 – 87%AOC AGON PD32M – 77%AMD Ryzen 7 5700X – 67%AMD Ryzen 5 5600 – 85%Razer Barracuda Pro – 52%Gigabyte Z690I Aorus Ultra Plus – 86%MSI Oculux NXG253R – 80%Razer Deathstalker V2 Pro – 70%Razer Key Light Chroma – 78%Alienware M17 R5 AMD – 83%Razer Enki Pro – 90%iBuyPower Gaming RDY SLHBG216 – 83%G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB DDR5-5600 C:28 – 68%Corsair Xeneon 32UHD144 – 80%Corsair RM750X (2021) – 87%Seasonic TX-1000 – 92%Alienware Aurora R14 Ryzen Ed – 73%Austrian Audio PG16 – 68%HyperX Clutch controller – 78%Be Quiet! Pure Power 11FM 550W – 85%Aftershock UItracore – 90%Silverstone SX1000 Platinum – 81%XPG Pylon 450 – 75%
August 2022
91%
The Wooting 60HE is also a success in once again proving a company needn’t be a massive operation to create a practical, fully-featured, and fairly priced product. The Wooting 60HE certainly isn’t cheap at $175(opens in new tab), though it feels a fair price for what you’re getting: a supremely well-rounded gaming keyboard with unmatched flexibility.
For
Leading analogue featuresGenuinely beneficial in-gameThe best application around……which can even run in your browserVibrant RGB effectsExcellent qualityHighly customisableSpare switches included
Against
No adjustable feet60% size isn’t for everyonePBT keycaps currently US onlyF1 games don’t play nice with analogue functions
Logitech G735 – 74%Jsaux Steam Deck Dock – 73%HP Omen 45L – 81%JBL Quantum TWS – 87%Secretlab Magnus Pro XL – 88%NZXT Canvas 32Q Curved – 80%Logitech G715– 68%ASRock DeskMeet B660 – 77%Innocn 40C1R – 81%Corsair Voyager A1600 – 72%Roccat Kone XP – 91%Thermaltake Sub Zero – 81%
September 2022
83%
Zen 4’s least interesting chip might just surprise you.
For
Outperforms the 5800X3D in gamingHits 5.15GHz under full all-core loadsEco Mode is ace
Against
Struggles against Intel’s latest
Asus ROG Cetra TWS – 77%Samsung QN90B Neo QLED – 87%Acer Predator Helios 300 – 88%Gravastar Sirius Pro – 57%Audeze Euclid – 74%Logitech G Pro Racing Wheel – 86%AMD Ryzen 9 7950X – 81%Logitech G705 – 68%Sony WH-1000XM5 – 89%Creative Outlier Pro – 85%Gigabyte M32UC – 87%HyperX Cloud Stinger 2 – 70%Roccat Burst Proi Air – 74%Tronsmart Onyx Ace Pro – 71%512 Audio Tempest USB Mic – 79%Neat Bumblebee II – 66%Prism+ PG270 Ultra – 78%
October 2022
83%
In itself, however, the RTX 4090 is an excellent graphics card and will satisfy the performance cravings of every person who could ever countenance spending $1,600 on a new GPU. That’s whether they’re inconceivably well-heeled gamers, or content creators not willing to go all-in on a Quadro card. And it will deservedly sell, because there’s no other GPU that can come near it right now.
For
Excellent gen-on-gen performanceDLSS Frame Generation is magicSuper-high clock speeds
Against
MassiveUltra-enthusiast pricingNon-4K performance is constrainedHigh power demands
Intel Core i5 13600K – 96%Logitech G502 X – 89%Logitech G Cloud – 65%Intel Arc A770 LE – 69%BenQ X3000I – 75%Razer Deathadder V3 Pro – 89%Intel Core i9 13900K – 89%Alienware X14 – 78%Asus ROG Crosshair X670E Hero – 78%Intel Arc A750 LE – 70%Samsung 990 Pro 2TB – 85%SK Hynix Platinum P41 2TB – 90%Crucial P3 Plus 2TB – 70%SteelSeries Arena 7 – 75%Colorful RTX 4090 NB EX-V – 80%Gigabyte X670 Aorus Elite AX – 90%Elgato Wave DX – 82%Turtle Beach Stealth 700 Gen2 Max – 83%WD Black SN850X 1TB – 88%ASRock X670E Pro RS – 82%Nanoleaf Smarter Essentials – 85%Ergotune Supreme V3 – 80%
November 2022
92%
The NZXT Streaming Plus BLD Kit is easy to recommend, and a great option for anyone looking to buy a gaming PC right now. Sure, you’re going to have to spend some time piecing it together, but you’ll do so knowing that all the components are guaranteed to work well together and you’ll potentially get a better understanding of your PC in the process.
For
Good components for the moneyGenuinely fun to put togetherClear building guide…
Against
Some parts of the guide are genericAnd it takes time
Origin EVO16-S (2022) – 84%Nvidia GeForce RTX 4080 FE – 79%Acer Nitro 50 – 65%ABS Master – 86%Razer Basilisk V3 Pro – 80%Build Redux Good – 85%iBuyPower Gaming RDY SLMBG218 – 80%MSI MEG X670E ACE – 82%Asus ROG Strix RTX 4090 OC – 84%
December 2022
81%
If the $999 price tag on the RX 7900 XTX can meaningfully stick around for a while, and by that I mean you have to be able to buy this card for that price tag or similar, the RX 7900 XTX will exist as a great 4K graphics card for an ultra high-end PC build in 2023. Yes, there are better, and the RTX 4090 is now undeniably the top dog for gaming, but It’s all about weighing up what you really need and what you can afford—i.e. probably not an RTX 4090.
For
Much faster than an RX 6950 XT at 4KLess power hungry too$999 price tagMuch improved ray tracing capabilitiesFrickin’ chiplets!
Against
Not a consistent RTX 4080 competitorRuns real hotConsumes a lot of powerLow average clock speed
Asus ROG Swift PG42UQ – 88%Thermaltake Argent E700 – 72%XGIMI Horizon Pro – 87%HyperX ProCast – 87%MelGeek Pixel – 43%ASRock Z790 Livemixer – 76%Bitfenix Nova – 61%Aerocool Zauron – 81%Aerocool Hive – 81%Kolink Nimbus – 74%Aerocool Tomahawk – 63%Kolink Inspire K11 – 75%Kolink Inspire K8 – 69%AMD Radeon RX 7900 XT – 75%Corsair Xeneon Flex OLED – 68%Asus ROG Maximus Z790 Hero – 86%Zotac RTX 4080 Amp Extreme AIRO – 82%
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