Cheap but not cheerful This ultra-cheap headset is an admirable attempt at a solid budget set of cans, but spending just a little more will make a big difference in terms of all-around quality.

Gruntwork A classic gaming laptop that delivers on the frame rate promise of Nvidia's RTX 50-series, but not on the battery life.

Cheap thrills A cheap-yet-cheerful starting point to an otherwise expensive hobby.

Overshadowed A modular keyboard desperate for the spotlight.

Quietly de-lightful A full-size sound-dampened board exuding far from quiet confidence.

Axial size You've heard of direct drive, but how about direct axial drive?

Plucky Little to big, this budget QLC drive certainly delivers.

Top quality Top-quality drive with a confusing price tag.

Speed machine Once the world's fastest sequential SSD, this plucky stick still holds its own.

Audiophile A great reason to start taking your gaming audio seriously.