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
![Wooting 60HE gaming keyboard pictured with yellow wrist strap attached.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/NmHLNfc9bfpEfNez65dQ4D-320-80.jpg)
Keyboards might be cheating now: what is Snap Tap/SOCD and why is it causing a crisis for competitive shooters?
By Jacob Ridley published
Tap this! One new feature on a gaming keyboard and everyone loses their minds!
![Sennheiser and Beyerdynamic headpones on a green two-tone background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/TYaDGzGb9gasLKNij2TG3G-320-80.jpg)
The best audiophile headphones for gaming in 2024: 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.
![Asus ROG Azoth Extreme gaming keyboard](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/bjwPhgrsCRCMdV8BmJ8EAQ-320-80.jpg)
Asus ROG Azoth Extreme review
By Jacob Ridley published
Big money One of the gaming greats weighed down by an absurdly heavy price tag.
![Sony PS VR2 marketing image with the headset shown.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/qEihxzjKg2TeaAmTfezqLe-320-80.jpg)
An official app for PS VR2 on PC has just been listed on Steam
By Jacob Ridley published
News It's happening.
![An Asus ROG Ally X and Valve Steam Deck against a colored background with a PC Gamer Recommended logo](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/8ndgqJcefkxNDGKEsxrhUg-320-80.jpg)
Best handheld gaming PC in 2024: 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.
![Two of the best OLED gaming monitors on a blue background with the PC Gamer Recommends badge.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/LYYsX8uTEoVbQ8v54tcYbi-320-80.jpg)
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.
![Two of the best 4K gaming monitors, the MSI MPG 321URX QD-OLED and the LG UltraGear 27GR93U on a grey background with the PC Gamer recommended logo in the top right corner](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/WxPAR33Yh7pFgYCh9hxmdA-320-80.jpg)
Best 4K gaming monitors in 2024
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.
![Image of a Ryzen 9000 series processor with the heat spreader removed, against a red background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/2sFaGJpSpCBMn3GrKWwGJb-320-80.jpg)
AMD delays Ryzen 9000-series retail launch by a couple of weeks after discovering an issue with the first batch of chips
By Jacob Ridley published
News The Ryzen 9000-series is now expected to be available from retailers on August 15, AMD says.
![The Asus ROG Swift OLED PG34WCDM and the Alienware 34 QD-OLED AW3423DWF ultrawide gaming monitors on a blue buying guide background with a PC Gamer recommended logo in the top right](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ikWQMN2nVjvTKYm3gMUzGW-320-80.jpg)
Best ultrawide monitor for gaming in 2024: the expansive panels I recommend for PC gamers
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Expansive It's time to go wide... ultrawide: these gaming monitors are wider, brighter, and faster than ever.
![Headphones designed by Pud's Small Batch Headphones.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/rjy8bDrqL92G6CXkfsMdT-320-80.jpg)
Call yourself a bass head? Walk around wearing a pair of Ol' Thumpy headphones, I dare you
By Jacob Ridley published
News They come with Helmholtz resonators tuned to pump up the low frequencies.
![Tesla's Optimus robot in testing.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/9rPKUJHYaVBGSpPSsKg26B-320-80.jpg)
Tesla will roll out 'genuinely useful' humanoid robots to factory floor next year says Musk
By Jacob Ridley published
News Could we get one to tidy the PC Gamer office?
![Amazon Prime Day deals scattered on a blue background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/gABVTa5BbDWeLENRyLKTiM-320-80.jpg)
Amazon Prime Day 2024 PC gaming deals in Australia: the sale is over, but some discounts remain
By Dave James last updated
Prime Day Deals This year's Prime Day was surprisingly decent for PC gear.
![Image of some of the best gaming desks with a green background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/6hYG6rVVuTgsrHfQ49zTpM-320-80.jpg)
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.
![Modern blue screen of death (BSOD) error.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/pRRTXoXB22ucC5yWZRaoCD-320-80.jpg)
CrowdStrike CEO apologises for global IT outage that has seen planes grounded, health services halted and the BSOD appearing in oh so many places it shouldn't
By Jacob Ridley last updated
News You think you're having a bad day.
![Two of the best PC fans side by side on a blue background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/ZSo7H5sfNrb4MKx8PxmddZ-320-80.jpg)
Best PC fans in 2024: I've put these fans through their paces to find the best and brightest
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Hot Tip The best PC fans will keep your gaming PC cool and quiet.
![The best gaming chairs guide header image with Logitech Herman Miller Embody chair and Secretlab Titan Evo 2022 on a green background with PC Gamer recommend badge.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/UHtKGg7rxCoE3yoZpJakja-320-80.jpg)
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.
![Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16 Gen 9 gaming laptop on a desk.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/hVr7FtubAb7SgPEZhg25gc-320-80.jpg)
Lenovo Legion Pro 5i 16 Gen 9 review
By Jacob Ridley published
Unbalanced Excellent gaming performance doesn't make up for a lacklustre spec for the money.
![Prime Day PC build parts on a blue background.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/eWNfQsVE4T9F4rkKp6PxFn-320-80.jpg)
Join me as I build a wicked gaming PC for ~$1,000 out of Prime Day sale parts
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Prime Day Live Let's build ourselves a tasty machine that'll play the latest games at 1440p or better.
![The best microphones for gaming and streaming on a grey background](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/73EXVCfzDoWm5CeNrHjupK-320-80.jpg)
Best microphone for gaming in 2024: from streaming to podcast mics, these are my top picks
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Mouth Noises Make your voice heard with the best microphones for streaming and gaming.
![Corsair HS55 and HyperX Cloud Alpha wireless gaming headsets against a colored background, with a PC Gamer Recommended logo](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/kDSxfYxMRUSPTbVCtknKGh-320-80.jpg)
Best wireless gaming headsets in 2024: 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.
![The best wireless gaming keyboards](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/uSc3d7LdhpnidL5aanYQ9n-320-80.jpg)
Best wireless gaming keyboard in 2024
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Freedom Cut the cord with the best wireless gaming keyboards.
![The best mechanical keyboards on a grey background with the PC Gamer recommends badge in the top right.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/Hj3btuQZyHad9pbyk4qJSn-320-80.jpg)
Best mechanical gaming keyboards in 2024
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Click Clack Make the switch with our guide to the best mechanical gaming keyboards.
![The best gaming keyboards on a grey background with the PC Gamer recommends badge.](https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/jmAUH4fCVSoSrYDXiTrzxj-320-80.jpg)
Best gaming keyboards in 2024
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Keyed in The best gaming keyboards have it all: style, ergonomics, and of course, the most satisfying clickity clacks.