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
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.
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.
Logitech's new wheels and shifter accessories look to turn its 'Pro' wheelbase into a more serious racing kit
By Jacob Ridley published
News About time Logitech expanded the lineup.
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.
Best SSD for gaming in 2024
By Jeremy Laird last updated
Speedy storage Give your gaming PC a serious speed boost with the best SSD for gaming.
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.
Best gaming desk in 2024: my top picks for standing, sitting and everything in between
By Dave James last updated
Top Desks We've chosen the best gaming desks based on hours of playing on both sitting and standing desks just to see which is worth your money.
Intel announces it will 'pause' plans for a manufacturing megafab in Germany due to ongoing money trouble
By Jacob Ridley published
News Bad news for Intel and Europe's chipmaking ambitions.
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.
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.
Should you buy a Steam Deck instead of a PS5 Pro? How about instead of a new car you buy a boat?—these things are not the same
By Jacob Ridley published
Apples, oranges Even as a Steam Deck fan, I'm surprised to see Valve's handheld suggested as some sort of like-for-like replacement for Sony's newest home console.
These new Asus Lunar Lake laptops with 27+ hours of battery life kinda prove it's not just x86 vs Arm when it comes to power efficiency
By Jacob Ridley published
News Intel's new Lunar Lake chips are helping Asus deliver battery life equaling, or even excelling, Qualcomm's ARM chips.
Best PC joysticks in 2024: these are my top picks for everything from flight sims to space shooters
By Dave James last updated
Locked On The best PC joysticks take you to new heights.
Best gaming mouse in 2024: I've tested the very best mice and these are my top picks
By Dave James last updated
Pinpoint The best gaming mouse for every game, budget, grip, and size.
Best wireless gaming mouse in 2024: These are the rodents I love getting my mitts on
By Dave James last updated
Unbound Let go of the tethers and embrace the freedom of living life cable-free.
MSI is the first to bundle Intel's new Lunar Lake chip inside a handheld gaming PC alongside a chunky 80 Whr battery
By Jacob Ridley published
News Combining Intel's "most efficient x86 processor" with a bigger battery might be a powerful combo.
Intel says Core Ultra 9 288V leads AMD's HX 370 in games by 16%, Meteor Lake by 31% and the less said about Qualcomm the better
By Jacob Ridley published
News "I'm not going to call it a gaming CPU but, damn, it can play a game" claims Intel's Robert Hallock.
Intel says it's built 'the most efficient x86 processor ever' in Lunar Lake and its power savings are headed for desktop soon
By Jacob Ridley published
News A desktop CPU with lower power consumption than the last would really break a trend for Intel.
The legendary HyperX Cloud Alpha is down to the cheapest price it's been all year at Amazon
By Jacob Ridley published
deal That's $65 for our pick as the best gaming headset.
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GA605 review
By Jacob Ridley published
The right stuff The 16-inch gaming laptop I'd pick from the lot.
Best OLED gaming monitors in 2024: I can't keep my eyes off these vivid displays
By Jeremy Laird last updated
Eye candy The best OLED gaming monitors deliver awesome speed and eye-popping HDR performance.
I've become the Pied Piper for keyboard nerds—luring colleagues to come over to gawk at this gaming keyboard with simply the sweet sound of typing on it
By Jacob Ridley published
Clack clack Like moths to a flame.
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.
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