ranzware
To paraphrase an absolute belter from Andrew W.K., we here at PC Gamer do what we like and like what we do. Some may call us needlessly picky for it, but I prefer the word ‘connoisseur.’ Either way, that means it takes a lot for any hardware to nab a review score of 90 or more from us, and only 30 different bits of kit managed to do just that this year. So, let’s get a party going.
Those 30 hardware hits mean we enjoyed five more favourites than last year, though 2024’s extra candidates are really something special. It’s been a bumper year—so much so we’ve even got a three-way tie for the best OLED gaming monitor (more on that in a bit).
Besides that crowded edge of the podium, there are plenty of surprises ahead. For just one very honorable mention, who would have thought that we’d award a solid 92 to a Wi-Fi router of all things? Well, the TP-Link Archer GE800 doesn’t just deliver great performance, but also looks quite a bit like a not-so-miniature black obelisk straight out of Blade Runner. I don’t know about you, but that’s the sort of ostentation I think deserves a 92.
Interesting also to note is that, for the second year in a row, not a single graphics card features in our top five. As Nick wrote last year, this is in part down to high-performance cards simply costing too much while slightly less costly cards can’t compete in terms of performance. That doesn’t mean this particular hardware space is in a dire place, as our best graphics card guide will attest. It just means that we’re hopeful 2025 will give us something in this arena worth shouting about.
Besides graphics cards, there’s a healthy mix of bits of kit in our top five highest rated hardware—and a not so healthy selection in our bottom five as well. That’s right, we’re not just here to celebrate; we’re here to shine a light into the shadowy corners of infamy for five deeply questionable hardware picks that received the lowest scores from us.
Last year, MSI had the dubious honour of featuring not once, not twice, but three times in our lowest-rated five. Has the company redeemed itself this year? Well, I don’t want to spoil anything but, with some scores in the forties among our lowest rated five this year, it’s still a long way to the top.
The top 5 best products of 2024
SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds
Now, I know what you’re thinking: “How much for wireless earbuds that could feasibly pop out of my ears and get lost?” A reasonable concern, but as Jacob wrote in his SteelSeries Arctis GameBuds review, these are a genuine game changer—especially for those with cartilage that doesn’t usually play well with other earbuds. Having ‘weird little ears’ is a pain I myself know all too well. So upon hearing that these earbuds not only sit pretty with a simple push-and-twist maneuver, but also deliver banging audio quality alongside Active Noise Cancelling, I’m starting to think it’s time I broadened my own horizons beyond my trusty over-ear headphones.
For
- Incredible audio quality for earphones
- Game-specific audio profiles are useful and easy to change
- Earphones and charging pod both look and feel wonderful
- Qi wireless charging
- Great battery life
Against
- Can only connect to one Bluetooth device at a time
- WearSense (auto-pause when earbuds are removed) is a little sensitive
Shure MV7+ podcast microphone
You know what they say, ‘with Shure you can be…’ No, no, it’s too obvious. How about ‘Shure: Wrap your vocal chords around this’? Hm, that one definitely needs workshopping. At any rate, Shure definitely doesn’t need to go back to the drawing board with this microphone. Replacing the still well-regarded though now discontinued MV7, the Shure MV7+ podcast microphone refines the user experience in a few key ways, including replacing those fiddly touch panel controls with a more elegant LED touch to mute button. It delivers great sound quality straight out of the box too, and even comes with RGB lighting options.
For
- Fantastic sound straight out of the box
- Straightforward and powerful software
- Tank-like build quality
- Customisable RGB light strip
Against
- Expensive
- Mic stand sold separately
Adata SD810 1 TB external SSD
Most would agree that 1 TB of storage for that price tag is reasonable, but maybe not worth getting excited about. Good thing it’s not the only reason we love this 1 TB external SSD from Adata then; what we want to shout about is just how well pitched this bit of kit is for storing your backlog of games. So long as you have a USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 port, you’ll enjoy swift file transfers that outpaces much of the competition as Jacob’s Adata SD810 review demonstrates. The device’s IP68 dust and water resistance will keep your files safe through most adventures too. The only downside is that this straightforward SSD doesn’t offer much in the way of drop resistance, so be sure to treat it like a little prince.
For
- Maintains peak sequential transfer speed for a long time
- Fast game load times
- IP68 dust and water protection
Against
- Dust cover is a little hard to pop off
- Not massively drop resistant
- Short included cable
Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 (2024) GA605
This 16-inch gaming laptop is a thing of beauty. So much so that I want nothing more than to rub my face all over that gorgeous OLED screen and aluminium chassis—though such a premium, shiny outer shell would undoubtedly show the telltale smears of my crimes. Instead, allow me to take a brief tour through the specs that inspire such enthusiasm: it’s not just the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 GPU, nor the AMD Ryzen AI HX 370 CPU, but the spare NVMe slot that makes this storage sicko’s heart sing. As the other Jacob writes in his review, the Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 comes right out of the box with one NVMe slot already offering a 2 TB SSD. That’s definitely a welcome inclusion, but I appreciate the option to make the on-device storage even roomier.
For
- Superb chassis design
- Slim size
- Punchy OLED screen
- Responsive trackpad
- Great speakers
- Solid performance
- Spare NVMe slot
Against
- You could buy a faster RTX 4070 laptop
- Soldered RAM
If we’re talking just review scores, then technically we have a three-way tie between this MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED gaming monitor, the Alienware 32 AW3225QF, and the Asus ROG Swift OLED PG32UCDM. Each of these gaming monitors netted a rating of 92 from us, and it’s no wonder there is so little in it between then as each uses what is essentially the same panel (made either by Samsung for QD-OLED models, or LG for WOLED displays). However, an obvious point of diversion is the price and on that front MSI has got the competition beat by a respectable margin. What a redemption arc, going from worst laptop last time to best gaming monitor this year!
For
- Stunning QD-OLED panel
- 4K pixel density
- Much cheaper than the competition
Against
- Usual HDR complications
- ABL is not configurable
The highest rated PC gaming gear of 2024
30 bits of kit earned a review score of 90 or more from us. For all of you statistic sickos out there, that’s almost 14% of everything we got our mitts on for the purpose of review this year. While I’m not going to feature each and every piece of high-scoring hardware here, there’s certainly room for more than a few honorable mentions.
Reminding me of Blade Runner’s sweeping cityscape is already strong footing for the TP-Link Archer GE800 to be kicking off with. Promising solid internet speeds across my plethora of devices certainly helps too. The several hundred quid price tag though? Eh, not so much.
For
- Wi-Fi 7
- Extremely fast
- Easy setup
- Totally unnecessary (in a good way)
Against
- Expensive
- Kinda big
- Totally unnecessary (in an unnecessary way)
This certainly washes away the taste of my corporate MacBook’s shockingly low keyboard feedback (don’t ask, just go with it). The premium build quality of the Keychron Q3 Max mechanical keyboard accompanies some truly creamy-feeling keys—now, that’s a sundae surprise.
For
- Ridiculously sturdy
- Smooth, lubed switches
- Solid battery life
Against
- Quite expensive
- Side mounted keycaps may not be for everyone
Kinesis Gaming Freestyle Edge RGB
What’s better than one keyboard? Technically, two! If you’re looking for a more ergonomic typing apparatus, then dual-wielding keyboard halves is the way to go. The Kinesis Gaming Freestyle Edge RGB keyboard delivers twice over on comfort and usability. It helps too that those well-cushioned wrist rests are a dream all on their own.
For
- Super comfortable to use
- Fast and feature-packed
- Lots of macro keys
- Great for smaller hands
Against
- Fixed cables are pretty stiff
- Lift kit is an optional extra
- Expensive, even for an ergo keeb
Razer DeathAdder V3 HyperSpeed
You won’t hear a squeak out of me about the lower price point compared to the DeathAdder V3 Pro, especially when the Razer Deathadder V3 HyperSpeed mouse absolutely brings its A game in terms of swift responsiveness. Weighing in at a mere 55 grams, it’s no wonder this lightweight mouse is such a breeze to use.
For
- Super fast and accurate
- Comfortable to hold
- Well priced
Against
- Wheel is clunky out of games
- Loud button clicks
- Plastics attract grease
Gigabyte Aorus 17X (2024)
Gone are the days of funky chunky gaming laptop designs, in favour of this almost sleek 17-inch model from Gigabyte. While still offering some serious heft in terms of weight, you’ll put up with it from the Gigabyte Aorus 17X for that solid battery performance.
For
- More subtle design
- Webcam placement doesn’t suck
- Resolution/refresh sweet spot
- Smashing battery life
Against
- Lags a little on battery
- Sub-par keyboard
- Could do with more ports
- Moneys
Say the Steam Deck just isn’t your speed—Asus has the answer. The improved ROG Ally X boasts 24 GB of RAM alongside a hearty battery and SSD for many more gaming adventures. Make no mistake, this is a handheld gaming PC worth getting your mitts on.
For
- Cooling system is quiet and effective
- Performance is slightly better than the original Ally
- A big battery and SSD are now standard
- 24 GB of RAM
- Comfy to hold, despite the extra weight
Against
- Can still get a bit hot when docked
- Not very svelte
- Expensive compared to the Steam Deck
TikTok dancers and Twitch streamers alike can agree on one thing: Lighting is everything. This key light offering from Elgato is not only compact, but also packs a whole heck of a lot of Lumens for its size. Absolutely worth the spotlight.
For
- Super bright for its size
- Clean and simple
- So many control options
- Useful in lots of different situations
Against
- You can get far cheaper lights
Secretlab Titan Evo NanoGen Edition
There’s a lot to be said about questionable looking gamer chairs—but Secretlab’s Titan Evo is not part of that conversation. Looking very smart in sleek black Hybrid Leatherette, this is definitely a worthy throne.
For
- Extremely comfortable
- PlushCell armrests as standard
- Resilient
- Well-made
- Looks great
Against
- Huge price premium over Titan Evo
- Negligible tilt tensioning
Govee x Evangelion gaming light kits
Finally, an anime-themed bit of kit to redeem us weebs. You may well still judge me for my taste in shows, but you won’t judge me for my absolutely sick looking Govee x Evangelion RGB gaming light set up. Warning: Cruel Angel’s Thesis not included.
For
- Attention to detail
- The aesthetic
- Purple housing
- Feature packed
Against
- Expensive to get the lot
- Tab connectors could be more secure
Held back by a bulky wired connection and a non-detachable microphone arm, this Beyerdynamic MMX 330 Pro wired gaming headset otherwise makes up for stated drawbacks with exceptional audio and comfort. A hearty hug for your ears.
For
- Properly comfortable
- Balanced yet powerful sound profile
- Excellent mic
- Wide and airy soundstage
Against
- Pricey for a wired gaming headset
- Cable is slightly bulky
- Non-detachable mic
- No noise reduction software
The five lowest scoring products of 2024
Alas, not everything is a winner. It brings me no joy to tear down the hard work of others, and I’ve no doubt each of the below were picked up with the highest of hopes. Unfortunately, the five following products ended up being our lowest-rated hardware of the year. Welcome to the dishonorable mentions.
As Nick wrote in his review of the Blacklyte Kraken gaming chair, it’s not just the name that’s creaky, with questionable build quality too. Besides that, for a chair named after a gangly limbed sea beast, this seat is pretty cramped for tall folks—not so much a throne as a naughty step.
For
- Dense memory foam seat
- Wide cushion
- Magnetic head pillow
Against
- Too short for tall people
- Lumbar support is unpleasant
- Questionable build quality
Lexip Sasuke “Revenge” Naruto Shippuden Headset
Listen, I’m not going to judge you for your taste in anime…okay, maybe a little but I’ll keep my thoughts to myself. However, what I cannot stay quiet about is the lacking quality of this headset (even with my usually pretty pro-purple agenda). Poorly thought out, sharp (in every sense) design features are the least of your concerns with audio quality as bleak as this. Arguably, the one saving grace for this tortured (and arguably torturous) Sasuke headset is Junae’s entertaining review.
For
- Sleek stylish headset
- Embodies Sasuke in Shippuden
- A great collector’s item.
Against
- Not very comfortable to wear
- Difficult to use
- Sharp microphone design
Ah, scratch that redemption arc—looks like we’re back here again. MSI, what happened? We were all rooting for you! Alas, the Titan 18 HX A14V is no great improvement over last year’s showing from the Titan GT77 HX. Both are noisy, and both offer the disappointing contrast of lacking outward build quality despite highly specced innards. And as for the price tag? Forget about it.
For
- Good screen
- Specced to the guns
Against
- The loudest laptop I’ve ever heard
- Eye-wateringly expensive
- 4K results are disappointing
- Worrying build quality issues
- Keyboard and trackpad are awful
Picture this: Your own private, portable cinema experience—any time, any place. It’s a compelling fantasy, isn’t it? Now, here’s a healthy dose of reality: wires, too many wires, and an alarmingly toasty peripheral hooked up directly to your already hefty glasses frames. That’s the Xreal Air 2, which shoots for the moon and unfortunately lands somewhere in Slough. That is to say, it’s not that bad but it isn’t exactly what you were promised either.
For
- Allows for very comfortable viewing
- Works with a range of devices
- Easily portable
Against
- Often doesn’t work
- Beam gets hot easily
After spending far too long tapping away at the low profile keys of a corporate MacBook, you’d think lacking key feedback would no longer phase me. Turns out, it sure can. So, despite the retro design charm of the Logitech Wave Keys, I don’t think I will ever get past Nick’s two word summation of just how unappealing these keys feel.
For
- The case lighting is nice
- Lightweight build
- Decent 1080p performance
Against
- It’s too expensive for the GPU
- Intel Arc driver issues
- Many games aren’t optimized for Arc
- Lacks the QA of a genuine LEGO product
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Kurt Indovina
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