PC Components Reviews and Rankings

Best HTPC Motherboard

Winner: ASUS Maximus V GENE Z77 mATX Motherboard
The HTPC, or Home Theater PC, is quickly becoming the essential member in modern, tech-savvy homes because of the versatility that they offer. At the core...

Best Processors / CPUs

It's fair to say that the processor is the center of your computer (after all, CPU does stand for CENTRAL Processing Unit). When building a PC, your choice of CPU will determine (or be determined by) your choice of n...

Best Computer Case

Although you may be tempted to focus only on what goes inside your PC, or to choose a case simply because it looks impressive, your PC case is a crucial component in itself. Your choice of enclosures determines (and is d...

Best Power Supply

Power supply units may not be the most exciting PC component, but that doesn't mean that you can afford to ignore the details -- it could very well be the difference between life or death for your system. A handy...

Best Intel Motherboards

When planning and shopping for Intel-based motherboards, you'll have a wealth of choices. For one thing, Intel now has three distinct and desirable chipsets for the PC builder to choose from (Z68, P67, and the older ...

Best AMD Motherboards

A PC based on one of AMD's current chipsets can give you the ideal combination of performance and affordability -- whether you pair a next-gen AM3+ Bulldozer with a no-holds-barred enthusiast motherboard, combine a f...

Best HTPC Case

Winner: LIAN LI Domus Series PC-C60 Case
The PC is increasingly being called upon to deliver a wider range of entertainment options. More and more people are making the PC the center of their home...

Best Water Cooling Kit

Winner: XSPC RayStorm D5 EX280 WaterCooling Kit
Water cooling kits are all-in-one setups that you can use to easily install a water or liquid cooling system into your computer. These typically have...

Best Thermal Compound

Winner: Coollaboratory Liquid Ultra 100% Metal Thermal Interface Material
The differences between one high-end thermal compound and another can be fairly slight. All of my picks will work well for just about any computer...

Best CPU Cooler

Winner: Corsair Hydro H100 Liquid CPU Cooling System
When it comes to CPU cooling, there are two basic designs you can look at and choose from: liquid-cooling and air-cooling. In either system, the goal is...

Best Case Fan

Winner: Cooler Master SickleFlow 120mm
A case fan really has only one job: to move air into or out of a computer tower during use. This helps keep the air within the tower cool, to transfer heat...

Best Z77 Motherboard

Winner: GigaByte GA-Z77X-UP7 Motherboard
Even after several years of production, the Z77 motherboard chipset continues to be a popular option from Intel. Performance and the potential for a really...

Best Intel Motherboard for Overclocking

Winner: GigaByte G1.Assassin 2 Motherboard
In looking for motherboards specifically for overclocking, I wanted to find hardware that was designed with the needs of an overclocker in mind. I looked...

Best Gaming PSU

Winner: PC Power and Cooling Silencer Mk III Series 1200W Modular Power Supply
Gamers, overclockers, and other demanding PC users require considerably more power than the average mainstream user in order to fuel their computers and...

Best Value Intel Motherboard

Winner: ASRock Fatal1ty X79 Professional Motherboard
When it comes to a "value" Intel motherboard, I wasn't just looking for a low price. To me, a value is something that you can get at a good price but which...