
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 CPU for gaming in 2025: 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 wireless gaming keyboard in 2025: my top picks for cable-free typing delights
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Freedom Cut the cord with the best wireless gaming keyboards.

Best handheld gaming PC in 2025: 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.

Best gaming laptop in 2025: I've put the best of this new generation head-to-head and we have a winner
By Dave James last updated
Portable powerhouses Don't compromise on power or portability with the best gaming laptops.

Best M.2 SSDs for gaming in 2025: 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 webcams in 2025: 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.

Arctic Freezer 36 review
By Jacob Ridley published
Top notch An all-round excellent air cooler.

Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex review
By Jacob Ridley published
Apex Looks a million bucks, but costs a whole lot less.

The best desk lighting in 2025: my recommendations for key lights and lightstrips to illuminate your gaming set-up
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Light it up! Whether making your Twitch stream more professional or aiming for an ambient office environment, I've got the best lighting kits for your PC covered.

Best 4K gaming monitors in 2025: the ultra hi-res panels I highly recommend
By Dave James last updated
4K Vision The best 4K gaming monitor has all the bells and whistles an enthusiast could ever want or need.

Best mechanical keyboards in 2025: 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.

The best audiophile headphones for gaming in 2025: 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.

Best PC joysticks in 2025: 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.

Sennheiser HD 550 review
By Jacob Ridley published
Audiophile A great reason to start taking your gaming audio seriously.

Best VR headset in 2025: 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.

Corsair Frame 4000D review
By Jacob Ridley published
Frame it A compact case with a lot of hidden features and designed from the ground up for Corsair's own ecosystem.

MSI RTX 5060 Ti 16G Gaming Trio OC review
By Jacob Ridley published
Eep! The best of the lot but its price tag might be insurmountable.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16 GB review (Palit Infinity 3)
By Jacob Ridley published
It's a Ti A good upgrade for anyone on an older graphics card and with plenty of overclocking potential.

Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti and RTX 5060 announced, starting from $299: 'We can work with our partners to get these out at reasonable prices, which we are doing'
By Jacob Ridley published
News Here's hoping Nvidia's new entry-level GPUs can stick to MSRP.

Best capture cards for PC gaming in 2025: whether it's streaming, recording, 1080p or the big 4K, these cards have you covered
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Broadcast Show off your greatest gaming moments with the best capture cards.

Semiconductors are exempt from Trump's massive 32% tariff on Taiwan though PC gamers will still feel the heat
By Jacob Ridley published
News President Trump says TSMC is "one of the great companies of the world" as he praises the chipmaker for investing in the US. But other companies are not so lucky.

This nearly budget gaming PC build made me realise availability is just as important as affordability when building a cheap machine
By Jacob Ridley published
Budget-ish A budget part is only as good as its price on the shelf.

Gigabyte RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice review
By Jacob Ridley published
Spenny With a huge price premium over MSRP models, I'm struggling to see why you'd spend so much on this RTX 5070 Ti Eagle OC Ice.
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