Despite the chaos of the pandemic, 2020 labored out to be a wonderful 12 months for brand spanking new PC {hardware}. But that momentum sadly didn’t carry into 2021, as chip shortages and provide chain points made it onerous to acquire the newest and best, a lot much less at checklist costs. As a end result, deciding on nominees for the annual The Full Nerd awards was tough going—although there have been nonetheless loads of PC {hardware} contenders vying to win our fanatic hearts over.

In this episode, Gordon Ung, Brad Chacos, Alaina Yee, Keith May, and Adam Patrick Murray cut up down decisive strains on what moved the needle for the PC. Performance? Value? Raw availability? Everyone might solely agree on one level: The lack of {hardware} availability is an enormous bummer. The eight winners our workforce picked for 2021 all rocked our socks for one motive or one other, nonetheless. Keep studying for a abstract of the outcomes, together with our key arguments. For the complete dialog, together with the nominees chosen for every class, take a look at the video embedded beneath.

2021 Nerdies: The Best PC {hardware} of 2021

You may also watch The Full Nerd episode 197 on YouTube (subscribe to the channel when you’re there!) or take heed to it on Megaphone.fm for those who choose the audio alone. 

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Best CPU: Intel Core i5-12600Ok

At lengthy final, Intel lastly left 14nm transistors behind with its November launch of Alder Lake, and what a leap in efficiency that made. Built on the Intel 7 course of (previously generally known as 10nm), these 12th-generation processors completely smoke 11th-gen “Rocket Lake” chips—which got here out just a bit over six months in the past. The distinction is so stark that costs on Rocket Lake chips have already plummeted. (Farewell, Rocket Lake, we barely knew you.)

Alder Lake additionally lands a strong blow to AMD’s Ryzen 5000 CPUs. Our profitable CPU, the mid-tier Core i5-12600K, posts head-turning features in multicore efficiency over the 5600X—as a lot as 36 %. The doubts we had earlier about Alder Lake’s hybrid design and its mixture of efficiency and effectivity cores have fully vanished.

But Alder Lake doesn’t fully dominate in a single key space—gaming—which opened up the ground for a lot debate. In the tip, although, the bulk pulled collectively handy a win to Intel’s newest achievement.

Best GPU: AMD Ryzen 5 5600G

Yes, you’ve learn that accurately—integrated graphics win the highest spot for greatest GPU. The final time this occurred, the RTX 20-series had didn’t impress lovers. When given the tie-breaking vote again then, The Full Nerd followers chose the Ryzen 3 2200G over the GeForce RTX 2080 Ti. (Resident GPU knowledgeable Brad nonetheless hasn’t forgiven Alaina for that consequence.)

The discrete graphics card launches in 2021 additionally didn’t dazzle due to a combination of sky-high costs (even at MSRP) and rock-bottom availability—a lot in order that Brad nominated AMD’s newest APU this time round. Why pay properly north of $330 for 1080p gaming once you’ve bought cheaper, extra versatile choices? A Ryzen 5 5600G provides efficiency much like last-gen console gaming, whereas nonetheless leaving the door broad open for an improve to a discrete graphics card when costs and availability return to regular. And as a result of it’s native gaming, somewhat than streaming from the cloud, you’ll be able to play video games of all genres, together with these requiring quick responses. Cloud gaming can provide greater efficiency, however latency limits its attraction. Besides, it’s not an binary selection—you will get an APU after which complement it with a service like GeForce Now.

Best case: Montech X3 Mesh

Unlike with processors and graphics playing cards, 2021 had loads of worthwhile case launches. (And good factor too, as a result of it a minimum of allowed some folks to scratch the PC constructing itch by rehoming their current system in recent digs.) Everyone bought one thing to like, whether or not you stan full ATX towers or dainty mini-ITX enclosures.

Our decide this 12 months is influenced considerably by abysmal state of the market, however even in regular instances, a case that makes an costly aesthetic inexpensive would nonetheless stand out. The Montech X3 Mesh consists of six RGB followers (a mixture of three 140mm and three 120mm) and prices simply $70. These days, many builders wish to purchase one of the best gear potential and nonetheless have fancy lighting, and the X3 Mesh doesn’t require them select between the 2. Nor does it sacrifice airflow for appears or downgrade vital particulars. Heck, the tempered glass panel is hinged.

Best PC accent: Corsair MP600 Pro XT

The time period “accessory” bought just a little squishy for this spherical of awards. Not solely did our nominations embody an RGB fan, however the winner got here from an ordinary PC constructing element class: storage.

Yes, often storage is integral to a construct—however the Corsair MP600 Pro XT takes the usual SSD expertise and supercharges it. The MP600 Pro XT isn’t simply one of many quickest PCIe 4.0 drives available on the market proper now. It’s additionally appropriate with customized liquid cooling setups. The accent right here isn’t the drive itself, however the face-melting speeds and ridiculously luxe vibe. What you’re including on to your PC is unapologetically high-end efficiency.

Best laptop computer: MSI GE76 Raider

When Apple admits publicly that its M1 Max MacBook Pro can’t greatest a competing laptop computer, you realize that rival mannequin brings one of the best {hardware} to the desk. The MSI GE76 Raider doesn’t stint on firepower: Inside you’ll discover an 8-core Intel 11th-gen Core i9-11980HK Tiger Lake H processor, an Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 GPU with a 165W TGP ranking, and a liquid easy 360Hz show. Oh, and it features a hearty dose of RGB lighting too, in fact. You received’t make compromises with this gaming laptop computer. 

Not when it comes to efficiency, a minimum of. Even its comparatively hefty measurement of 6.6 kilos is comprehensible given all that’s packed inside. In a 12 months the place most PC avid gamers have needed to endure by shortages and scalpers, getting your cash’s price is a welcome expertise. Plus, it’s not like many people are getting out of the home all that rather more simply but.

Best PC recreation: Chivalry 2

Other video games might flip your head with beautiful automobiles or towering villannesses, however when all’s stated and achieved, dumb enjoyable wins the day. (At least with our crew, it does.) That’s how Chivalry 2 rose to the highest in our dialogue, as a result of actually, how do you beat a massively multiplayer medieval hack-and-slash recreation that has a devoted button to yelling? Pressing it doesn’t change something—you get no boosts or something of the type. Nope. You’re simply including further taste to the second as everybody runs round swinging their swords and axes. 

Of course, that form of element isn’t the one motive we love Chivalry 2. You can add to the great chaos in different methods, too—like utilizing the sport’s physics to drag off kills by way of the atmosphere. We’ve seen gameplay the place somebody threw a weapon at a light-weight up on a pole to knock it free, after which that mild fell and killed somebody. As Adam places it, “It’s a PC-ass PC game.” You can’t do higher than that.

Best innovation: GeForce Now RTX 3080

You know what’s superior? Getting near the identical gaming expertise of a graphics card generally going for over $1,500 on the road at a fraction of the up-front value.

We’re in fact speaking concerning the new ultra-premium tier of GeForce Now, Nvidia’s cloud streaming service for gaming. A GeForce Now RTX 3080 subscription works the identical because the Free and Priority tiers. You purchase a appropriate recreation by Steam, the Epic Game Store, or different PC storefronts, then run it on Nvidia’s servers. The gameplay is then streamed to your PC or different appropriate gadget. The distinction with the brand new RTX 3080 tier is that you just get absolutely the best-looking expertise potential. Crank these graphics settings up, flip on raytracing and DLSS, and don’t look again.

You don’t even must commit ceaselessly, both. Maybe you discover that the kind of video games you play require rather less latency, or the price of $100 for six months is just a bit too steep. Or maybe your long-held place in EVGA’s queue lastly yields fruit. The great thing about this subscription service is you can merely stop. You received’t have overspent to take pleasure in upgraded gaming classes, as you’ll for those who purchased any of the bodily RTX 3080s which can be nonetheless solely accessible at greater than double the cardboard’s ostensible $700 MSRP.

Worst development: Supply chain points

We think about that in an alternate universe the place provide shortages and transport logistics aren’t so tangled, everybody’s fortunately taking part in all of the video games of their backlog on the graphics card of their selection, obtained at MSRP or cheaper.

Unfortunately, we reside on this universe. In our actuality, a number of industries have been scrambling to get sufficient chips for his or her merchandise (even children’s toys have this problem), and cargo ships sit at ports for days ready to be unloaded. With restricted product accessible and demand having skyrocketed, PC constructing sits in a semi-uncomfortable impasse. Fewer accessible elements and better costs total means a slowing of enthusiasm for the PC—and that’s what we’re all about right here at The Full Nerd. Circumstances are what they’re, however we are able to’t watch for the day once we can focus on new finances elements, slug-fests between the largest tech corporations, and the various new builds you all are pumped to share with us.