PCGamesN’s gear of the year 2023: our top hardware

What’s the greatest gaming gear of 2023? So far as PC gaming goes, the massive tech story of 2023 has been that graphics playing cards lastly turned inexpensive once more, after years of pandemic and crypto mining-induced inflated costs. We noticed the arrival of the likes of the Nvidia RTX 4070, the Nvidia RTX 4060, AMD RX 7800 XT, and AMD RX 7600, all of which introduced true current-generation GPU efficiency to costs not seen for a while – it’s no shock a number of of them sit on our best graphics card information.

We’ve additionally seen OLED gaming displays steadily infiltrate our best gaming monitor information, changing into extra extensively obtainable and succesful, even when they continue to be a premium choice. Elsewhere, with the likes of the Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed that tops our best gaming mouse information, we’ve seen attention-grabbing developments in mice, with that mannequin providing a lightning-fast 8KHz wi-fi polling price whereas nonetheless sustaining wonderful battery life, because of it utilizing an AA battery – is that this an indication of a really wire-free future for gaming mice?

There are various extra tales to inform in regards to the yr of {hardware} that has been 2023 however what issues most is which merchandise are the cream of the crop. Which supplied efficiency so highly effective or worth so… helpful that we couldn’t assist however have fun them? Properly, that’s what we’re right here to seek out out. With out additional ado, right here’s our listing of the perfect gear of the yr 2023.

The AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D has been the best CPU for gaming because it landed again in April. Intel’s current 14th-gen chips, such because the 14900K and 14600K gave it a great run for its cash however the AMD choice nonetheless wins out in lots of gaming exams and provides very good worth.

The key sauce is the X3D bit – the 3D V-Cache – which supplies the eight-core chip with an enormous chunk of additional L3 cache which implies it additionally has numerous the very newest program knowledge able to work on. It’s much less vital for predictable workloads like video encoding or different workstation stuff however for gaming it’s good. Discover out extra in our full AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D review.

Finest graphics card of 2023

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070

Let’s face it, the RTX 4070 wasn’t a slam dunk when it first arrived. It was costlier than the earlier 70 class graphics playing cards and efficiency relative to some merchandise round it wasn’t excellent. Nevertheless, it marked a turning level for Nvidia’s RTX 40 collection when it turned way more inexpensive, and in contrast to the severely underpowered RTX 4060 lineup, it nonetheless had a great deal of horsepower. For players operating QHD and FHD shows who wish to get pleasure from excessive frame-rate gaming, the RTX 4070 delivers the products and sips energy whereas doing it.

Key to the vary as an entire is Nvidia’s DLSS 3 suite, which continues to impress with its body rate-boosting upscaling skills and ray tracing efficiency. With ray tracing and upscaling changing into extra commonplace, Nvidia’s mid-range card is able to run probably the most demanding video games of the long run with out breaking a lot of a sweat.

Learn our Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review.

Finest gaming handheld of 2023

Steam Deck OLED

Having already captured the hearts and minds of players aplenty with the unique Steam Deck, Valve realized the total potential of its handheld this yr with the Steam Deck OLED. Not solely is the display greater, brighter, and higher in each approach, however this refresh is way over meets the attention. It’s virtually every part we wished the unique was and extra.

This gadget is filled with welcome surprises, very like the reveal of the Steam Deck OLED itself. Essentially the most transformative adjustments, unquestionably, are the enhancements to battery life and weight discount. Longer, extra comfy gaming periods. What extra might you need? Suffice it to say, this second wind for the Steam Deck as a platform ought to fortunately carry us to its true successor.

Discover out extra in our Steam Deck OLED review.

Finest gaming headset of 2023

SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fi

The SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fi is the whole gaming headset. It provides crystal-clear audio paired with a wide-band microphone and intuitive AI-driven audio cancellation. Past the noise, the Recreation DAC can be a improbable approach to monitor your recreation/chat ranges and alter your EQ on the fly. It even delivers in-game statistics in supported titles like Counter-Strike 2.

As you would possibly count on, this can be a premium headset with a value to match, however the SteelSeries Arctis Nova Professional Wi-fi deserves each ounce of reward we’ve thrown its approach, and it’s price each penny too.

Learn our SteelSeries Arctis Nova Pro Wireless review for extra.

Finest gaming keyboard of 2023

SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini

A mini keyboard successful out in 2023? You’re rattling proper. The SteelSeries Apex Professional Mini is a large enchancment over your commonplace mechanical keyboard and has unbelievable ranges of responsiveness. Onboard profile storage and a small, gentle type issue imply it’s a really perfect journey buddy for any event.

Whether or not you employ it recent out of the field or spend hours tinkering with actuation factors and meta bindings, the Apex Professional Mini has gorgeous worth even at its premium value.

Learn our SteelSeries Apex Pro Mini review.

Finest gaming laptop computer of 2023

Razer Blade 16

The twin-mode display tech contained in the Razer Blade 16 goes an extended approach to making it one of many best gaming laptops we’ve seen this yr, however this wouldn’t matter if not for the stellar construct high quality and efficiency it additionally provides. Collectively, this moveable bundle is unbeatable.

Prime-tier specs, specifically a Core i9 13950HX processor and GPU choices topping out on the RTX 4090, assist to make full use of the dual-mode mini LED show’s capabilities. Whether or not you’re up for a aggressive session at QHD+ 240Hz or a extra narrative-driven expertise at UHD+ 120Hz, the Blade 16’s versatility has you coated.

Learn our full Razer Blade 16 review.

Finest gaming monitor of 2023

Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240

The OLED gaming monitor revolution is in full swing, and the Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 serves as a shining instance of how nice this panel expertise could be. As was the case with the Steam Deck, as soon as you progress from an LCD monitor to an OLED mannequin, it’s really tough to return for therefore many causes.

The Xeneon 27QHD240 packs all some great benefits of OLED we’ve come to count on, specifically lightning-fast response occasions, superior distinction ranges with inky blacks, and per-pixel brightness management (no backlight required right here). It additionally comes with welcome niceties like a well-rounded I/O and a surprisingly helpful proximity sensor.

Keep tuned for our full Corsair Xeneon 27QHD240 evaluation.

Finest gaming mouse of 2023

Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed

The Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed is undoubtedly the best mouse of 2023. Its unbelievable design, efficiency, and battery life all culminate in a mouse that ought to price way over it does.

Razer took years of design analysis and growth from the final Viper mannequin and refined every part it might to carry the V3 Hyperspeed to market with a bang. Once we examined it for evaluation, we discovered it to be tremendous responsive with an extended battery life – because of it utilizing a replaceable AA battery somewhat than a chargeable unit – and its ergonomic design makes it a pleasure to take a seat below your palm. Some dangers had been taken, similar to a front-end sensor and comparatively excessive weight for an esports mouse (82g), nevertheless it works like a dream and no mouse launched this yr comes near providing the worth of it.

Learn our Razer Viper V3 Hyperspeed review for extra.

Finest SSD of 2023

Essential T700

You gained’t truly discover this drive on the PCGN best SSD information simply but as we first reviewed it on Custom PC. Nevertheless, the Essential T700 is sort of merely among the many quickest SSDs you should buy proper now. It has delivered the quickest sequential learn and write speeds we’ve seen from a client M.2 SSD. Particularly, its outcomes had been near double these of the mid-range PCIe 4 SSDs we’ve examined, exhibiting there’s some additional velocity available from getting a PCIe 5 SSD.

One factor to notice is that the drive does run fairly sizzling, so that you’ll want to purchase it both with its non-obligatory heatsink or use the heatsink supplied together with your motherboard (or use a Third-party one like Corsair’s water-cooled SSD cooler). It’s definitely not the most cost effective SSD going – and all that velocity doesn’t translate to an enormous distinction in gaming efficiency – however should you simply desire a reliably quick choice proper now, it’s the one to get.

Learn the Corsair T700 review on our sister website.