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
It's been a bumper year for PCs but my pick for the best new hardware in 2024 is a chassis, surprising even myself
By Jacob Ridley published
Gear of the year Flippin' brilliant.
PC Gamer Hardware Awards: The best gaming laptop of 2024
By Jacob Ridley published
Gear of the year A bumper year for gaming laptops, thanks to new CPUs and svelte designs. But only one can win.
Best Comedy 2024: Thank Goodness You're Here!
By Kara Phillips published
🏆 The biggest laughs of the year.
Best M.2 SSDs for gaming: my top picks for blazing fast storage
By Jeremy Laird last updated
High speed Our choices for the best NVMe M.2 SSDs give you blisteringly fast load times.
Best SSD for gaming: the speediest SSDs I personally recommend
By Jeremy Laird last updated
Speedy storage Give your gaming PC a serious speed boost with the best SSD for gaming.
I've lost weekends to crushing dissenters and seals in Frostpunk 2 and that's why it's my personal pick for game of the year
By Jacob Ridley published
🏆 The frozen wastes are ripe for tyranny.
Best mechanical keyboards: the clacky 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.
Intel quietly slips out another Raptor Lake refresh with the Core 200-series mobile CPU lineup
By Jacob Ridley published
News Not to be confused with the Core Ultra 200-series.
Best CPU for gaming: 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.
Best gaming chair: 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.
Best wireless gaming mouse: 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.
Best high refresh rate gaming monitor in 2024: These are the speedy panels I'd snap up
By Jacob Ridley last updated
How Refreshing Don't dawdle with one of the best high refresh rate gaming monitors around.
I finally built the mini PC I've been dreaming of and it made me realise we've come a long way from cramped cases and fiddly connectors
By Jacob Ridley published
EZ Since when was building a compact PC so simple?
Best gaming desk: 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.
Best gaming keyboards: 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.
Best wireless gaming headsets: the top cans I'd buy myself
By Dave James last updated
Untethered The best wireless gaming headsets allow you to enjoy your games and music tangle-free.
Best wireless gaming keyboard: my top picks for cable-free typing delights
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Freedom Cut the cord with the best wireless gaming keyboards.
Best office chairs for gaming: The top seats for work and gaming that I've tried and tested
By Dave James last updated
Take a seat Take care of your spine with the best office chairs for gaming.
Best graphics cards: 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.
Best VR headset: my top picks for stunning virtual reality experiences
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Jack In Immerse yourself in stunning game worlds with the best VR headset.
Best handheld gaming PC: my recommendations for the best portable powerhouses
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Portable PC PC gaming has officially gone portable, and these handheld gaming PCs are mighty quick.
Man who lost £500 million bitcoin fortune to bin day is fighting for a chance to find it in court, after more than 10 years in a landfill
By Jacob Ridley published
News If I lost a hard drive worth £500 million, you can be sure I'd never, ever stop talking about it.
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