Call us pedantic, overcritical, fussy, fussy, whatever. The simple truth is that everyone at PC Gamer not only has very high standards, but also a vast amount of experience in a wide variety of areas. So when it comes to assessing hardware, every part that passes through our hands is thoroughly examined.
We only give the highest review scores to products that actually meet or even exceed these standards. For the whole of 2023, only 25 were awarded an assessment score of 90% or more.
You might be surprised by what's on the list, with some brands you wouldn't expect to see or have never heard of. However, there are a few notable names missing, but that just means that competition is very healthy in most PC hardware sectors.
Minor spoiler: There isn't a single graphics card in our list below. Of course, you're not surprised, as GPU prices are generally all too high for our taste. And those that are reasonably priced don't stand out in terms of performance. Maybe next year this will change and the 2024 list will include some nice graphics cards.
But pretty much everything else is there: gaming headsets, CPUs, full PCs, monitors and more. There's quite a spread of stuff to be tempted by and it's a nice way to end the year.
But because I'm a total grinch, I also included an additional list: the five lowest-scoring products we reviewed in 2023. Since three of the entries all come from the same manufacturer, no one is going to have a happy end of the year and it's not me!
The top 5 best products of 2023
Sabrent 6-port docking station for steam deck
Not everything has to be a technological marvel to get a top review score. This sturdy, well-built dock is much better than its price suggests. It doesn't suffer from the lack of USB Type-C that the competition has, although you don't get an Ethernet connection. It's a fair trade, especially since you don't get anything as good as the same low price of $30.
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Philips Evnia 34M2C8600
Philips may not be a brand you normally associate with PC gaming, but with this OLED monitor it hit the ball right out of the stadium. However, it is very expensive and not super high resolution, but the panel itself is absolutely gorgeous. It's the monitor we'd choose above anything else for HDR gaming. Buy one and you'll never use a non-OLED screen again.
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Glossy panel makes OLED technology sing
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Super-fast performance
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Fewer OLED downsides than the competition
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Holy hell, does it overclock
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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 versatile headset we've tried. Of course they are expensive and the lack of sound controls takes some getting used to, but the build and audio quality more than make up for this. Don't be put off by the fact that it's wired either.
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Alienware 34AW3423DWF
This or the Philips Evnia 34M2C8600? They both use the exact same Samsung QD-OLED panel and they both have a luscious anti-reflective, glossy coating that really makes HDR gaming shine. Well, the differences are small: this Alienware is slightly cheaper but not as fast as the Philips model. They are too closely matched to be separated, which is why they have identical scores.
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ThunderX3 Core gaming chair review
Few gaming chairs pamper their owners as much as the ThunderX3 Core, especially at this price. Plush materials abound, with a wide range of ergonomic features, there's little not to like here. It makes the office favorite, Secretlab's Titan Evo, look rather expensive.
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The highest-rated PC gaming gear of 2023
A total of 25 products, reviewed in 2023, achieved a review score of 90% or higher. That's just 15% of everything we've used, played with, sat on, typed with, and explored. So you can be sure that although they are not in the top five, the remaining twenty positions are occupied by products that are simply excellent.
VRLA Tech Titan
Sturdy. Impressive. Well built. Nicely balanced hardware specs. The VRLA Tech Titan is all of these things and the fact that it manages to achieve this without being too expensive explains why we rated this gaming PC so highly.
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Asus ROG Strix Scope II 96 Wireless
Full size and compact seem like contradictory terms when it comes to keyboards, but the Scope II 96 is exactly both. It's also an extremely capable gaming keyboard, with a top-notch typing experience. Too bad about the software, but nothing is perfect, right?
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Audeze Maxwell
If you heard that this offered the best auditory experience you could get from a gaming headset, you'd think something was wrong. But there isn't any (apart from the questionable software) and even the microphone isn't that bad. For the money there is nothing that touches them.
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Intel Core i5 13400F
Under $200 for a ten-core CPU that's actually good at gaming? Yes, and even though you can't overclock it and it doesn't have an integrated graphics chip, this is a great little processor. However, it can consume quite a bit of power when running at full speed.
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ASRock Z790 Riptide WiFi
In recent years, ASRock has turned its reputation around. The latest motherboards are just like this: 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 are almost perfect.
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LG OLED Flex 42
How wild is this? At the push of a button, the panel switches between curved or completely flat. Choose the former for gaming, the latter for movies and media. Add to that lush OLED colors and it's a great experience. You obviously pay a very high price for such luxury.
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AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D
Do you want the very best CPU for nothing other than gaming? Then you get the Ryzen 7 7800X3D - without ifs or buts. There are better choices if you want to be more versatile, but this thing will rip its way through every game you have.
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Meta quest 3
Comfortable, well-priced and easy to use, the Quest 3 is the perfect headset for you if you want 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.
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Framework 13 (2023) AMD motherboard
Looking for a laptop that is suitable for office work and gaming? What about customization? The Framework 13 offers all this and more. It's not a truly modular laptop, but you can keep upgrading it for many years to come.
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Logitech Choir
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 completely transform its audio chops. It's a bit pricey, but it's much more comfortable than using headphones through your VR headset.
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Asus ROG Azoth
Sometimes hardware reviews give you tough decisions. The ROG Azoth is the best gaming keyboard Asus has ever made and one of the best enthusiast keebs you can buy. But for $250, you really need a good reason to buy one. Fortunately, what it offers makes up for the price tag.
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Next storage NEM-PA 2TB
Nextorage may be a brand you've never heard of and yes, it's just an SSD, but it's made by ex-Sony engineers and has the latest hardware on the market. Nevertheless, the price tag is very competitive, as is the performance. And look at that thick heat sink!
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The five lowest scoring products of 2023
Not everything was all sweet and dandy in the PC hardware world. Here are the five lowest-scoring products we reviewed in 2023. And as you'll soon see, there was a common theme across our lowest-rated products.
MSI Titan GT77 HX
This is what happens when you bolt on an ugly chassis full of the most expensive, powerful, and power-hungry hardware. Hot and loud, with little refinement to justify the exorbitant price tag.
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MSI MEG Trident X2
Another MSI product and another model that has 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 entire package falls well short of the $5,999 asking price.
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MSI Cyborg 15
Yes, 2023 was not the best year for MSI. This Cyborg laptop looks very sleek and is very quiet in use, but the performance is well below par for the hardware inside. Add to that software issues and poor storage options, and you've got a pretty disappointing case.
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Asus ROG Raikiri Pro
For something that's more than double the price of the standard Xbox controller, you'd expect magical touches and special features everywhere. Asus has managed to get some of it right, but if the buttons on a controller aren't perfect, what's the point of even trying?
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Main gear MG-1 | Bow A750
Looks like a well-built and stylish gaming PC, yes? That's because it is, but beyond appearances there is only disappointment. Budget-quality parts battle a recalcitrant Intel Arc GPU, all at a price that suggests it should be a lot better than it actually is.
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It's too expensive for the GPU
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Intel Arc driver issues
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Many games are not optimized for Arc
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Lacks the quality of a real LEGO product