PC Gamer’s top hardware review scores of 2023, plus the five lowest we’ve issued
Call us pedantic, over-critical, picky, fussy, whatever. The simple truth is that everyone at PC Gamer not only has very high standards, but also masses of experience in a host of different fields. So when it comes to reviewing hardware, every piece of kit that passes through our hands gets thoroughly scrutinized.
We only give the highest review scores to products that actually meet or exceed those standards and over the whole of 2023, a mere 25 were awarded with a review score of 90% or more.
You might be surprised by what’s in the list, with some brands you wouldn’t expect to see or have never heard of before. There are a few notable names missing, though, but that just means the competition is very healthy, in the major of PC hardware sectors.
Minor spoiler: there’s not a single graphics card in our list below. You’re probably not surprised, of course, as GPU prices are generally all too high for our liking. And those that are sensibly priced don’t stand out in terms of performance. Maybe this will change next year and the 2024 list sports some lovely graphics cards.
But pretty much everything else is there: gaming headsets, CPUs, full PCs, monitors, and more. There’s a decent spread of kit to be tempted by and that’s a nice way to finish the year.
However, since I am a total grinch, I’ve also added an extra list: The five lowest scoring products we’ve reviewed in 2023. Since three of the entries all come from the same manufacturer, somebody isn’t going to have a jolly end to the year and it’s not me!
The top 5 best products of 2023
Sabrent 6-Port Docking Station For Steam Deck
Not everything needs to be a technological marvel to get a top review score. This sturdy, well-built dock is far better than its price suggests. It doesn’t suffer from the lack of USB Type-C that the competition does, though you won’t get an ethernet connection. It’s a fair trade, especially you’re not going to get anything as good as the same low price of $30.
For
- 95W Power Delivery
- Improves on the competition for less
- Additional USB Type-C 3.0 port
Against
- No ethernet port
- Can’t dock with a case on
Philips might not be a brand you normally associated with PC gaming but it hit the ball right out of the stadium with this OLED monitor. It is very expensive, though, and doesn’t boast a super high resolution, but the panel itself is absolutely glorious. It’s the monitor we’d pick over everything else for HDR gaming. Get one and you’ll never use a non-OLED screen again.
For
- Glossy panel lets OLED tech sing
- Super speedy performance
- Fewer OLED downsides than the competition
- Holy hell, does it overclock
Against
- Very expensive
- Pixel density is nothing special
- Some brightness limitations remain
Audio-Technica ATH-M50xSTS StreamSet
Most gaming headsets have pretty weak microphones, but that’s not the case here. In fact, it’s probably the most well-rounded headset we’ve tried. Sure, they’re expensive and the lack of sound controls takes some getting used to, but the build and audio quality more than make up for it. Don’t let the fact that it’s wired put you off, either.
For
- Best headset mic I’ve tried
- Excellent cans too
- Plug and play
- Fairly efficient
- Cheaper 600-series platform available
Against
- No sound control on headset
- Expensive for a wired headset
This or the Philips Evnia 34M2C8600? They both use exactly the same QD-OLED panel from Samsung and they both have a luscious anti-glare, glossy coating that makes HDR gaming really shine. Well, the differences are minor: this Alienware is slightly cheaper but not quite as fast as the Philips model. They’re too closely matched to separate, which is why they have identical scores.
For
- Glossy coating makes all the difference
- Ultra-quick response
- Good full-screen brightness
- Software control
Against
- Still fairly pricey
- Mediocre pixel density
ThunderX3 Core gaming chair review
Few gaming chairs cosset their owners as well as the ThunderX3 Core, especially at this price. Plush materials abound, with a vast array of ergonomic features, there’s very little to not like here. It makes the office favourite, Secretlab’s Titan Evo, look rather over-priced.
For
- Awesome ergonomic mechanisms
- Speedy assembly
- Priced just right
- Software control
Against
- Mechanism makes a clunky noise
- Distant armrests when reclining
The highest rated PC gaming gear of 2023
A total of 25 products, reviewed in 2023, achieved a review score of 90% of higher. That’s just 15% of everything we’ve used, played with, sat on, type with, and poked about inside. So you be sure that, while they’re not in the top five, the remaining 20 positions are taken by products that are simply excellent.
Solid. Imposing. Well built. Nicely balanced hardware specifications. The VRLA Tech Titan is all these things and the fact that it manages to achieve this without being too expensive explains why we rated this gaming PC so highly.
For
- Stellar CPU and GPU gaming perf
- Rendering ain’t too bad either
- Pretty white case
- Reasonable price…
Against
- …But still a fair chunk of money
- SSD speeds are a little lacking
Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
Full size and compact seem contradictory terms, when it comes to keyboards, but the Scope II 96 is precisely both. It’s also an extremely adept gaming keyboard, with a top-tier typing experience. Shame about the software but nothing’s perfect, right?
For
- Excellent switch feel
- Sound dampening that really works
- Hot-swappable switches
- PBT keycaps
- Adjustable multimedia control wheel
- Compact size
Against
- Armoury Crate app is messy
If you were told that this provides the best aural experience you’re going to get in a gaming headset, you’d think that something was amiss. But there’s not (bar the iffy software) and even the microphone isn’t too bad. For the money, there’s nothing to touch them.
For
- Stunning sound
- Long battery life
- Fast charging
- Comfortable
- Good mic
Less than $200 for a ten core CPU that’s really good at gaming? Yup, and even though you can’t overclock it and it has no integrated graphics chip, this is a great little processor. It can use a fair bit of power when running a full speed, though.
For
- Superb gaming performance
- Ten cores for how much?!
- High clock speed
- Cheap motherboards available
Against
- Higher power draw than 12th Gen model
- No secret overclocking 🙁
- AMD’s cheapest Zen 4 CPUs best for content creation
Over recent years, ASRock has turned its reputation right around. It’s latest motherboards are just like this one: Great value-for-money, without skimping on features. It’s not the best choice if you’re into heavy overclocking, but storage options and networking, this is nigh on perfect.
For
- Loads of storage potential
- WiFi 7
- Terrific value
- Very comfortable
Against
- The VRM heatsinks are so-so
- A rear 20Gbps USB port would be nice
How wild is this? With a touch of a button, the panel switch between being curved or totally flat. Pick the former for gaming, the latter for movies and media. Add in sumptuous OLED colours and it’s one hell of an experience. You will, of course, pay a very steep price for such luxuries.
For
- Gorgeous OLED Evo panel
- Motorized curving with steps
- LG’s best TV features
- Game optimizer offers a lot
- Better battery life
Against
- So damn expensive
- No DisplayPort
Want the very best CPU for nothing but gaming? Then you get the Ryzen 7 7800X3D—no ifs or buts. There are better choices if you want to be more versatile but this thing will steamroller its way through any game you have.
For
- Top gaming performance
- Super efficient
- Cool running
Against
- High price compared with an i5 13600K/F
- Comparatively weak outside of gaming
Comfortable, well-priced, and easy to use, the Quest 3 is the perfect headset for you, if you’re looking to take those first steps into the world of VR gaming. You’ll want something more powerful, if you’re already a serious virtual gamer.
For
- Easy setup
- Compact, comfy design
- Great display
- An actual affordable VR headset
Against
- Unproven Mixed Reality content
- Expensive accessories
- Modest performance upgrades
Framework 13 (2023) AMD mainboard
Looking for a laptop that handles office work and gaming? What about customisation? The Framework 13 offers all this and more. It’s not a truly modular laptop but you’ll be able to keep upgrading it for many years to come.
For
- Genuine 1080p performance
- Stellar productivity chops
- Cheaper than Intel’s best
- And outperforms it, too
- Better battery life
Against
- Trackpad’s a touch finicky
- Now I want a higher refresh screen
- Loud when gaming
Logitech’s Chorus is a fairly niche product: It’s an add-on speaker system for VR headsets. But if you have the Meta Quest 2, the Chorus will utterly transform its audio chops. It’s a little pricey but it’s far more comfortable than using a pair of headphones over your VR headset.
For
- High quality VR audio
- Easy install
- Overhauls the Quest 2’s weakest feature
Against
- An expensive upgrade
- Link cable won’t connect via Chorus USB Type-C connection
Sometimes hardware reviews give you tricky decisions to make. The ROG Azoth is the best gaming keyboard Asus has ever made and one of the best enthusiast-level keebs you can buy. But at $250, you really need a solid reason to get one. Fortunately, what it offers makes up for the price tag.
For
- Outstanding build quality
- Great typing experience
- Solid, speedy wireless
- Useful OLED display
Against
- How much?!
- Damned Armoury Crate
Nextorage might be a brand you’ve never heard of and yes, it’s just an SSD, but it’s made by ex-Sony engineers and boasts the latest hardware on the market. Despite this, the price tag is very competitive, as is the performance. And just look at that chonky heatsink!
For
- Strong all-round performance
- Runs super cool
- Very competitively priced
Against
- Slightly disappointing PC Mark results
- 4K numbers are unspectacular
The five lowest scoring products of 2023
Not everything was all sweetness and loveliness in the PC hardware world this. Here are the five lowest scoring products that we reviewed in 2023. And as you’ll soon see, there was a bit of common theme running across our bottom rated products.
This is what happens when you jam an ugly chassis full of the most expensive, powerful, and energy-demanding hardware. Hot and noisy, with little in the way of refinement to justify its excessively high price tag.
For
- Highest benchmark performance
- Ultimate spec
Against
- Laptop roars when pushed
- Chassis is ugly
- Mini LED screen’s a bit of a letdown
- $5,300 is a ludicrous price
- So much software
Another MSI product and another model displaying all the same flaws as the Titan GT77 HX. Some of the hardware inside is the best you can get but not all of it, the whole package falls well short of being worthy of its $5,999 asking price.
For
- RTX 4090 and i9 13900KF gaming grunt
- The HMI touch LCD is pretty cool
- Unique aesthetic
Against
- Its price is simply insane
- Slow DDR5 speed
- Weak USB complement
- Only the storage is upgradeable
Yeah, 2023 hasn’t been the best year for MSI. This Cyborg laptop looks very sleek and it’s very quiet in use, but the performance is well below par for the hardware inside. Add in software problems and poor storage options, and you’ve got a pretty disappointing affair.
For
- Quiet operation
- Doesn’t get too hot
Against
- Power limited GPU
- Sluggish gaming performance
- Only one NVMe SSD slot
- Frustrating pre-loaded software
- Battery life isn’t great
For something that’s more than double the price of the standard Xbox controller, you’d expect magic touches and special features everywhere. Asus managed to get some of it right, but if buttons on a controller aren’t spot-on, what’s the point of even trying?
For
- Good battery life
- Stored profiles and dongle storage are great portability ideas
- Looks cool
Against
- Sticky face buttons
- Awkward backplate buttons
- OLED menu is awful to use
- Very pricy
Looks like a well built and stylish gaming PC, yes? That’s because it is, but beyond it’s looks, there only lies disappointment. Budget-grade parts do battle with a recalcitrant Intel Arc GPU, all at a price that suggests it should be a lot better than it actually is.
For
- The case lighting is nice
- Lightweight build
- Decent 1080p performance
Against
- It’s too expensive for the GPU
- Intel Arc driver issues
- Many games aren’t optimized for Arc
- Lacks the QA of a genuine LEGO product
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