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
Want to try your hand at racing games or give the gift of sim racing to someone special? Here's my sim racing starter pack from the Cyber Monday deals
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal Here are my pick of the ongoing Cyber Monday deals, as a sim racing rig reviewer and long-time F1 try-hard.
Intel CEO Pat Gelsinger retires: 'Leading Intel has been the honor of my lifetime'
By Jacob Ridley published
News Co-CEOs to take over for the interim as a successor is found.
As if I needed any more RGB lights, this Govee x Evangelion light kit we gave a 91% is still $60 off for Cyber Monday
By Jacob Ridley last updated
I've never even seen Evangelion—these lights just look awesome.
This $880 RTX 4070 gaming laptop is a primo Cyber Monday deal and a better price than any I've spotted in my many hours watching Black Friday pages like a nerdy hawk
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal And an eight-core Ryzen chip for good measure.
I'm digging out the best Black Friday gaming laptop deals using my many years of experience and an NFT of a shovel
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Live The NFT was a lie but the deals are real.
Black Friday SSD deals 2024
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Black Friday is over for another year but if you're looking for the ultimate storage upgrade, then here are all the best SSD deals still live.
Black Friday gaming chair deals 2024
By Jacob Ridley last updated
The Black Friday chair deals are continuing right through the weekend, so stay on the edge of your seat.
Black Friday graphics card deals 2024
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Black Friday is over but the deals are still flowing, so if you're looking for a new GPU upgrade, here are all the best graphics card deals right now.
I'm searching for Black Friday handheld gaming PC deals as the resident 'guy who just won't shut up about handheld gaming PCs'
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Live The best deals I find on the ROG Ally, MSI Claw, Steam Deck, Legion Go and more are all right here.
I find two key lights are much better than one for evenly lighting a stream or shoot, and here's a set from Neewer that's nearly buy one, get one free for Black Friday
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal The set also includes stands and a carry case.
This Alienware gaming laptop sits smack-bang in my PC gaming sweet spot with $600 off and an RTX 4070 under the hood
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal That's with a 2560 x 1600 screen and Intel Core Ultra 7 155H, no less.
Don't try and squeeze too many ideas inside one PC build: For this white gaming PC with an RTX 4080 Super, I very nearly did
By Jacob Ridley published
The Build Follow along as I build a white gaming PC.
The best desk lighting: 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.
The best audiophile headphones for gaming: 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 fans: I've put these case fans through their paces to find the coolest and quietest
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Hot Tip The best PC fans will keep your gaming PC cool and quiet.
Best 4K gaming monitors: 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 ultrawide monitor for gaming: the immersive 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.
Best webcams: 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.
Best gaming mouse: I've tested the very best mice and these are my top picks
By Dave James last updated
Pinpoint The best gaming mouse for every game, budget, grip, and size.
Best PC racing wheels: my favorite direct drive and budget steering wheels for sim racing
By Jacob Ridley last updated
Driven Speed away with the best PC racing wheel for gaming.
Five things I want you to think about before you buy your first gaming laptop
By Jacob Ridley published
Laptop livin' Gaming laptops can be excellent, but you need to shop wisely to avoid making a mistake. Here's my advice.
It's not quite the end-of-generation sale price I've been holding out for but an RTX 4070 for a penny under $500 isn't too bad
By Jacob Ridley published
Deal The $500 mark or under is when I start to get interested.
Meta Quest 3S review
By Jacob Ridley published
Budget VR A Quest 2, but better. Or a Quest 3, but worse. Either way, this is the best VR headset on a budget.
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