About Matthew Connatser
Matthew is a PC Hardware Writer at XDA, having previously written for Digital Trends, Tom's Hardware, and other publications since 2018. He's mainly interested in the three way fight between AMD, Intel, and Nvidia in PCs and servers. He also has a degree in history and linguistics.
Save $60 on Intel's Core i7-12700KF gaming CPU for Prime Day
For $220, you can get a last generation Intel CPU that's still good to go for gaming and more.
Although Intel's 13th-generation CPUs are a good bargain, they're nothing compared to 12th-generation chips now that they're on sale. While the Core i5-12600K is enjoying a pretty good Prime Day discount at $180, along with many other good CPU deals, an even better deal might be for the Core i7-12700KF, the 12600K's bigger brother. It comes with two extra P-cores, and with a $60 discount, it's now a surprisingly cheap CPU for both gaming and productivity.
Save over $170 on AMD's Ryzen 7 5800X3D with this Prime Day discount
AMD's cheapest CPU with 3D V-Cache is less than $300 for Prime Day.
Although Ryzen 5000 CPUs are often reserved for low-end and midrange PCs since the AM4 platform is so old, there's one 5000 series chip you might want to use even in a high-end PC: the 5800X3D. The original Ryzen CPU with 3D V-Cache is still pretty good for playing video games, and for Prime Day, you can get one for just $280, which is a $170 discount.
PowerColor's RX 6000 graphics cards are up to $90 off for Prime Day
Although the RX 6000 series is getting old, it's hard to ignore these low prices on Prime Day.
It's no secret that the latest RTX 40 and RX 7000 series aren't exactly the best-value GPUs we've ever seen. Although they deliver better performance at lower power levels and have new features, they have a potent competitor: old GPUs, specifically the RX 6000 series. 6000 series cards have been going on sale for a while, but Prime Day is bringing deals that almost never happen, if ever.
Cooler Master's high-end power supplies and mid-tower cases are up to $40 off for Prime Day
Cooler Master's 1000+ watt PSUs and one of its highest-end cases are on sale for Prime Day.
If you're building a desktop with top-end parts, you're going to need a big power supply. Even the best mainstream CPUs and GPUs can each hit 300 watts or more, and super fast workstation CPUs can bump that up to 400. The thing is, finding good PSUs in stock can be difficult. For Prime Day however, not only will Cooler Master's high-end 1050 and 1250 watt power supplies be in stock, they'll also come with up to a $40 discount. One of Cooler Master's high-end High Airflow (or HAF) cases is also on sale, which would pair nicely with high-end components.
Save up to $140 on Intel's most popular CPUs for Prime Day
The 12600K and 13700K are already value champions for the midrange and high-end, and they're getting even cheaper.
Intel's 12th-generation Alder Lake chips put the company back on the board in 2021, largely thanks to extremely competitive pricing and great performance. Intel's strategy hasn't changed since, and two of the company's most popular CPUs are on sale during Prime Day for incredibly low prices. The high-end Core i7-13700K is going for $375, a $44 discount, while the Core i5-12600K is getting slashed to $179, making it cheaper than even the cheapest AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU. Whether you're gaming or doing content creation, these are some great choices for a midrange or high-end PC.
Shave over $100 off a Ryzen 9 7900X3D with this Prime Day deal
If you need the content creation prowess of the 7900X and the gaming performance of the 7800X3D, the 7900X3D is the CPU to get.
When it comes to gaming performance, AMD's Ryzen X3D CPUs with 3D V-Cache are the best of the best. These chips are equipped with an extra chip that has nothing but cache on it, and games love cache, making X3D truly designed for gaming. Although the Ryzen 7 7800X3D is the most popular member of the latest Ryzen 7000X3D family, the 7900X3D looks really enticing on Prime Day thanks to its $500 price tag, down from the $600 it launched at. If you want the gaming performance of the 7800X3D and the productivity performance of the 7900X, the 7900X3D is the CPU to get.
What is Intel XeSS?
Here's everything you need to know about Intel's XeSS technology and how it evens the playing field against Nvidia and AMD.
Intel is a newcomer to gaming GPUs, entering the market just in 2022 with its Arc Alchemist series. That series today is only comprised of three cards, although only the Intel Arc A750 has been able to join the ranks of the best gaming GPUs. When it comes to graphics cards, it's about the software as much as it is about the hardware, and it's been challenging for Intel to match Nvidia and AMD, which have been in the industry for two decades. Despite having to do everything from scratch, Intel is managing to compete with its rivals even in one of the most cutting-edge areas of gaming. Here's what you need to know about XeSS.
What is a CPU?
The CPU is one of the most recognizable computer parts out there, but not because it's simple to understand. Here's what you need to know about CPUs.
The CPU is perhaps the most well-known piece of computer hardware in the world, though not always for the right reasons. It's not uncommon to hear people call the whole computer or even something like a router a "CPU." In fact, a single CPU can fit in the palm of your hand, and it's arguably the single most important component in any computer. Here's everything you need to know about CPUs.
What is a GPU? Inside the component that powers gaming and more
Whether you're a gamer, a content creator, or data center technician, GPUs are exciting. Here's everything you need to know about them.
In a tier list of the most exciting PC components, GPUs are easily S-tier. Whether you're a tech enthusiast or just the average gamer, it's hard to not get swept up in the hype of a brand-new release (well, maybe not anymore). Most understand the GPU as the part of a computer that runs games really well, but there's much more to it than that. Here's everything you need to know about GPUs and why they're one of the most unique components in a computer.
Why I like Linux on my Steam Deck but not my desktop
I never wanted to use Linux on my desktop or laptop, but in the hands of a dedicated developer, it becomes an amazing operating system.
I'm not a big fan of Windows. I'd best describe it as janky, with weird bugs that pop up from time to time. This wouldn't be much of an issue, except some require me to go into the registry to clean it up. Windows has a lot of problems, and its chief competition on PCs is Linux, which is often heralded as the OS that gives you freedom in the way Windows doesn't.
Best workstation CPUs in 2023
In this article, we're going to take a look at some of the best workstation CPUs you can buy on the market in 2023.
Workstations, by definition, are special computers that are designed for professional and technical work. These computers offer high performance than mainstream personal computers and are often fitted with more powerful CPUs, GPUs, among other components. While there are a ton of powerful processors out there that can be used inside workstations, there's a select few from AMD and Intel that are especially worth buying in 2023.
What is an SSD?
Ever since it became mainstream about a decade ago, the SSD has truly revolutionized computers. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Storage is one of the few parts of a computer that gets a complete and total makeover every now and then. We started with tape, moved to floppy disks, then to hard drives, and now solid state drives, or SSDs. The SSD is the latest in a chain of very different storage technologies, though it hasn't totally replaced its predecessor (yet, anyway). Here's the story of the SSD and how it has gradually become the primary storage device for computers everywhere.
How to replace the SSD in the Steam Deck
Although the Steam Deck's higher-end models come with SSDs, they're pretty expensive. Here's how to install your own for less.
Although you can get a Steam Deck for as little as $400, the base model only comes with 64GB of storage. Even the top-end model only comes with a 512GB SSD, which can be a problem considering many modern games are 50GB or larger. Thankfully, the Steam Deck is easy to break into, and there are plenty of gaming-focused SSDs that'll fit into this handheld PC. Installing an SSD into the Steam Deck isn't too difficult, and here's how you do it.
Best NZXT PC cases in 2023
NZXT has a lot of PC cases in its portfolio, but not all of them are worth buying. Here's our collection of the best NZXT cases that are worth considering.
NZXT makes some of the best components in the PC hardware space including CPU liquid coolers, power supply units, motherboards, and more. It's also tough to turn a blind eye to NZXT while discussing PC cases as it makes some of the best PC cases on the market. NZXT cases are known for excellent build quality and beautiful designs with clever cable management solutions. If you looking to buy an NZXT chassis, here's my recommendations.
What is ray tracing?
If there's one gaming buzzword you've heard in recent years, it's ray tracing. But is it actually worth turning on?
If there's one thing gaming companies want you to get excited about these days, it's ray tracing. Nvidia ditched GTX for RTX just to highlight its importance, AMD and Intel have added ray tracing to their graphics cards, and it's even available on the latest Playstation and Xbox. If you ask them, ray tracing is the future, and you should definitely buy the best GPU possible unless you want to miss out.
What is a motherboard?
The motherboard is one of the most known and important components of any computer. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Odds are, you know what a motherboard is; it's up there with CPU and GPU in terms of recognizability. The motherboard is the computer part that all the other computer parts are plugged into, but it's also much more than that. Although the motherboard isn't nearly as exciting as graphics cards or even CPUs, it's perhaps the most important component in any PC, and getting a great motherboard can really seal the deal in making a good PC. Here's everything there is to motherboards and why they're so crucial.
What is FSR: Everything you need to know about AMD's DLSS3 competitor
FSR is just like DLSS, but its open-source nature makes all the difference.
When DLSS launched in 2019, it was a surprise hit. Although Nvidia switched from GTX to RTX to highlight how important ray tracing was going to be for its GeForce GPUs, it's actually DLSS that has become the surprise killer feature we didn't know we wanted. Of course, whenever Nvidia makes something excellent, AMD has to do the same thing, and in 2021, the company finally launched FSR, a competitor to DLSS. Here's everything you need to know about FSR, what it is, and if it's any good.
What is DLSS? Here's what you need to know about this Nvidia feature
If there's one reason to get a modern Nvidia card, it's DLSS. Here's everything you need to know about one of the most hyped features in PC gaming.
If you've been shopping for one of the latest graphics cards or have played a fairly modern AAA game, you've definitely heard of DLSS. It's one of the most advertised features for Nvidia's RTX gaming GPUs, and it can be a killer feature. However, all the hype surrounding DLSS often makes it unclear what it is, when you can use it, and whether it's even worth enabling. This is everything you need to know.
What is AArch64? What you need to know about this CPU architecture
Although you've probably used a device with an AArch64 processor inside, you might not know what it means. Here's what you need to know.
There are many CPU architectures out there, with the biggest ones being x86 and ARM. Having said that, AArch64 has probably flown under your radar. Even the fairly well-read tech enthusiast might have never heard of it, despite the fact that it's present in millions of devices. Well, the thing is that AArch64 isn't mysterious so much as it is a very confusing technical term. Here's what you need to know about AArch64.
Best settings for Elden Ring on the Steam Deck
Here are the best settings to balance battery life and visual quality for Elden Ring on the Steam Deck.
Elden Ring is not only one of the best games of all time. It's also one of the most graphically intensive games, even over a year after it launched in early 2022. Despite that, the game is officially verified for the Steam Deck and has an official controller layout made by FromSoftware. Even so, getting Elden Ring to run well on the Deck can be challenging, to the point where you might just be tempted to pick the lowest graphics settings and leave it at that.