The AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 is a possible upcoming AMD CPU that has been rumored ever since AMD unveiled its first round of X3D gaming CPUs at the start of 2025. This monster of a CPU is believed, like the 9950X3D, to feature 16 AMD Zen 5 CPU cores and be partnered with extra 3D V-Cache, but instead of just one 3D V-Cache die, it would get two, making it the ultimate version of AMD's current AM5 CPU tech. We spoke to AMD about the chip nearly a year ago, with the company explaining that while they could make a 16-core CPU with 3D V-Cache for all cores, they "don't think there's a massive market for it" but that they will "do some internal analysis." However, fresh rumors are now pointing to such a chip existing, with some news outlets hinting at having been briefed about the upcoming chip, and subsequently, the model name has appeared in marketing material from two gaming PC manufacturers.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Forget the Ryzen 7 9850X3D, as rumors of AMD's true gaming CPU monster have arrived

If you're in need of a monitor upgrade to step up your shooter game, especially for titles such as Apex Legends, CS2, Fortnite, and Valorant, this Asus gaming monitor deal is perfect for you. With a 380Hz refresh rate, it has a solid foundation of speed, but the secret sauce with this display is the inclusion of ELMB-Sync. This Asus-exclusive tech quickly flashes the LCD panel's backlight on and off to reduce the effect of eye-tracking motion blur. It works really well and is ideal paired with this fast but otherwise simple and affordable display. Asus is no stranger to making some of the best gaming monitors in the world, and while a lower-cost option like this can't claim to be the single very best display out there, it's a great choice for those focusing in on FPS game performance. What's more, with a huge 33% discount right now, it's the ideal time to buy it.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: This 380Hz Asus gaming monitor is ideal for CS2 and Fortnite, and currently has a massive 33% discount

How the tables have turned... AMD, once the king of delivering the most powerful integrated graphics on its CPUs, has just had its derrière delivered to it by long-time rival Intel and its just-launched range of laptop chips. The Intel Core Ultra 300 series - based on the Panther Lake architecture - includes a GPU that's 50% faster than Intel's previous Core Ultra 200 Arrow Lake chips and is far, far faster than AMD's current standard laptop chips, its Ryzen AI 300 range. Intel itself claims the new Arc B390 GPU inside its top-tier Panther Lake chips is 73% faster than the Radeon 890M used in the Ryzen AI 300 series, but new public testing has shown it can even surpass that, delivering 78% higher performance in Cyberpunk 2077 and consistently high frame rates in other games, too. Based on these early tests, these chips could soon completely change the face of our best gaming laptop guide and the overall laptop performance landscape.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Intel's new gaming CPU wipes the floor with AMD, with up to 78% higher performance in Cyberpunk 2077

If you want to upgrade your gaming PC with a CPU cooler that will not only effortlessly cool even the most powerful chips on the market, but do so while adding some serious style to the inside of your case, the Thermalright Wonder Vision 360 UB ARGB certainly fits the bill. With its massive 360mm radiator and trio of fans, this all-in-one (AIO) liquid cooler has the capacity to dissipate huge amounts of heat, while its CPU waterblock incorporates a curved, wraparound LCD screen that lets you show CPU temp, system info, or whatever you like. Thermalright has become something of a go-to recommendation for those seeking the best CPU cooler in recent times, with its wares often offering particularly good value. The Thermalright Peerless Assassin 120 SE ARGB, for instance, might have a silly name (is Wonder Vision any better?..), but it's also a fantastic entry-level air cooler, and the one I currently use in my own gaming PC to comfortably cool an AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: This great value Thermalright CPU cooler with a curved screen is an even better deal at 20% off

I've certainly seen some outlandish graphics card cooler designs in my time, but few have evoked such nostalgia as this one. Maybe it's just me, but the Gigabyte Aorus RTX 5090 Infinity 32G immediately brought to mind 1986's movie masterpiece, Short Circuit, and its not-at-all-a-killer-robot hero, Johnny Five. Thankfully, while Nvidia continues to push its AI prowess on all fronts, there's little chance of its best graphics card suddenly becoming sentient, sporting a spiked metal mohawk, and making puns about recycling... unless Gigabyte has implemented some features it hasn't publicly mentioned.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Gigabyte's new Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 takes me right back to my favorite childhood movie

Nvidia has just unveiled its latest G-Sync technology aimed at making gaming monitors as responsive and smooth-feeling as can be. Nvidia G-Sync Pulsar combines the refresh rate/frame rate-syncing tech of G-Sync with a new type of monitor backlight strobing, which works a bit like old CRT screens, to provide ultra-smooth, low-motion-blur gaming. I've long been a fan of G-Sync technology, even if few options on our best gaming monitor guide still use an official G-Sync module. Unlike some Nvidia tech, such as DLSS upscaling, frame gen, and RTX, which have not always had the most obvious beneficial impact, G-Sync just worked. Every single game running on your monitor immediately looked better if you had a G-Sync monitor and an Nvidia graphics card. Now, G-Sync and its free equivalents - adaptive sync and Freesync - are effectively ubiquitous, but with Nvidia Pulsar, the company has come up with a new reason to make you consider buying a proper G-Sync Pulsar-certified display.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Nvidia's new gaming monitor tech is inspired by old CRTs, making 250Hz feel like you're playing at 1,000Hz

With the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) currently underway in Las Vegas, hundreds of the biggest tech companies in the world are busy showcasing their latest gear, from massive TVs, to the latest CPUs and GPUs, and, of course, some seriously lavish laptops. However, the one gaming laptop that I'm most excited about so far is perhaps the most boring. Meet the new Asus TUF Gaming A14. What makes this potentially one of the best gaming laptop options of this year isn't its styling or an incredible new type of screen. It's not a new top-tier gaming GPU or its ability to last a week on one battery charge. No, what makes this Asus laptop stand out is that it uses AMD's Ryzen AI Max+ Strix Halo processors.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: This boring-looking gaming laptop is actually the one I'm most excited about so far at CES

Asus has long produced some of the best-built laptops in the business, with its first-gen Zenbook still being among my favorite ever laptops. Now the company's back with yet another absolute stunner, the Asus ExpertBook Ultra, and even though it's aimed at high-flying business types, it's sure to be a tempting option for anyone seeking a serious yet slick portable PC. So, it might not be one of the best gaming laptops, but with this new Asus machine packing the latest Intel Core Ultra X9 Panther Lake CPUs, it's still surprisingly capable. What's more, a 3K tandem OLED display able to hit 1400nits of brightness, a battery that'll last 24 hours, and even a six-driver speaker system mean this laptop is incredibly capable across the board.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: This stunning new Asus laptop is ludicrously light and the only reason I want to be a CEO

AI might well be invading every aspect of our lives in ways that many of us are not keen on, but despite initial appearances, Razer's new AI gaming headset actually seems like one of the more sensible AI hardware solutions we've seen in a while. Currently just a prototype called Razer Project Motoko, this "AI-native wireless headset concept" adds cameras and internal processing to a gaming headset, to bring world-interpeting Ai assistance without the awkwardness of badly-fitting glasses like Meta AI Glasses. While it probably won't be finding its way onto our best gaming headset guide any time soon, Razer might well be on to something, based on what we've seen so far.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Razer's new AI gaming headset is a Meta Glasses rival, and I think I like it

The Corsair Sabre V2 Pro Ultralight Wireless is one of my favorite gaming mice, combining a brilliant shape with an incredibly light weight of just 36g. Now the company's back with a new addition to the Sabre lineup, and instead of boring old plastic, this one's made from carbon fiber, which is legendarily light and strong. Which is, of course, why the Corsair Sabre v2 Pro Wireless CF weighs 55g. Huh? With the Sabre V2 Pro Ultralight destined to be on our best gaming mouse guide - I'm still finishing off my review - this new addition seems like a strange one, but at 55g, it's still a light mouse and Corsair points out the mouse will benefit from "enhanced strength and rigidity." What's more, real carbon fiber does just look undeniably cool, especially when matched with the clean, simple lines of this mouse.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Corsair just made a gaming mouse out of ultra light and strong carbon fiber, but it's 20g heavier than before

Nvidia DLSS 4.5 is here, and it brings some surprisingly significant changes, for a tech that you might have thought was already close to being as good as it can get. A new second-gen transformer model greatly improves upscaling image quality, according to Nvidia, while frame gen has seen the addition of both up to 6x multi-frame gen and the option to have frame generation work dynamically, only adding AI-generated frames when frame rate drops demand it. With AMD FSR having only recently caught up with DLSS, thanks to FSR Redstone, it looks like Nvidia is about to stretch its 'fake frame' and 'fake resolution' advantage even further. What's more, the new upscaling is also available for all RTX GPU owners, so most Nvidia gamers will be able to experience the improved image quality, not just those with the latest and best graphics cards.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Nvidia DLSS 4.5 can now do up to 6x multi frame gen and brings a major boost to upscaling quality

No, I'm not joking. This new Asus G1000 gaming PC really does have holograph 'fans,' a scoop-like cooling structure on its top, and a super-thick side panel that combine to make this one of the largest pre-built gaming PCs I've ever seen. Asus could hardly have picked a worse time to drop a super-luxury, outlandish gaming PC, what with graphics card and memory prices going sky-high and the gaming industry in something of a lull. However, if you do fancy a seriously swish upgrade this year, you might want to keep your eyes peeled for the release of this beast that is sure to be one of the best gaming PCs around.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Asus' colossal new gaming PC has a two-inch-thick door, holographic fans, and a hood scoop

In one of the least well-kept secrets of recent PC tech times, today marks the official unveiling of what is effectively a nailed-on guarantee of being the new fastest gaming CPU in the world, the AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D. Sporting a slight clock speed bump over the current champion, the 9800X3D, the new chip is set to continue the dominance of AMD's X3D chips when it comes to maximizing your frame rate in games. With AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D specs and release date details long having been leaked, the arrival of AMD's latest brings no surprises, but if you're seeking simply the best gaming CPU for your new rig, this will be the one to buy.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Meet the new fastest gaming CPU in the world, so far

AMD has just lifted the lid on a couple of new laptop CPUs that, on the surface, might appear to be a fairly boring addition to its existing range of chips, given that they're based on an existing design. However, the devil's in the details, and one of these new AMD laptop CPUs in particular could usher in a new era of gaming laptops, if it delivers on its performance promise and it hits the right price. The new chips that are being announced today are based on AMD's existing Strix Point architecture, which we've already seen powering one of the best gaming laptops around, the ROG Flow Z13 gaming tablet. However, the initial run of Strix Point chips saw them boasting either a stupendously powerful integrated GPU, but with unnecessarily high CPU core counts that made them expensive, or the versions with lower CPU core counts had less powerful GPUs. These new chips redress that balance.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: This new AMD CPU might be the most exciting development in gaming laptops in years

Asus is seldom afraid to try some outlandish gaming gear designs, but its latest collection is perhaps its bravest yet. Teaming up with Hideo Kojima - the legendary architect of the Metal Gear Solid series, as well as the more recent Death Stranding - the company is releasing a unique and distinctly quirky quartet of gaming hardware ideal for diehard fans of everything Kojima-verse. The set consists of an Asus ROG Keris II Origin gaming mouse, an ROG Delta II gaming headset, ROG Scabbard II XXL mouse mat, and the best gaming tablet around, the ROG Flow Z13, all of which have been heavily customized to fit in with the unique aesthetic of Kojima Productions' astronaut mascot, Ludens.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Hideo Kojima's new Asus gaming gear is another quirky creation from the Death Stranding and Metal Gear legend

The Dell XPS laptop series has gone down in history as one of the best. However, last year, the company decided to ditch the name as part of a confusing brand simplification process that was much-questioned at the time. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Dell has done a swift U-turn on the decision: Dell XPS is back, and it has some brand-new laptop models to showcase. Leading the charge on the new Dell XPS lineup are two new models that likely won't make it onto our list of the best gaming laptops, but are certainly sleek. The new Dell XPS 14 and XPS 16 house the latest Intel Panther Lake CPUs and include a choice of a stunning tandem OLED display or an LCD, along with a host of other improvements over Dell's previous equivalent models.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Dell axed its most popular laptop brand last year, but now it's back and I think I need an upgrade

Touchscreen, folding, 2-in-1 laptops have often been a bit hit and miss, with one of the chief problems being that using a touchscreen with a finger is inaccurate and leaves fingerprints. As such, a stylus is nearly always a must. But, where to store your stylus? Some use magnets that stick the stylus to the side of your tablet/laptop. Some rely on a case for storage. The new MSI Prestige 16 Flip AI+ uses a hole. As a maker of some of the best gaming laptops around, we're often more used to seeing the sheer might of its high-end gaming laptops, such as you can see in our MSI Titan 18 NX review. However, this new 2-in-1 is all about slick design and portable convenience.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: MSI just made 2-in-1 touchscreen laptops 10x better with a hole

Is anyone actually buying the RTX 5090? Because Nvidia can't stop giving them away. The latest in its steady stream of RTX 5090 giveaways sees the company handing out an Arc Raiders-themed RTX 5090 FE, and all you need to do to win it is tell Nvidia why you're worthy. Ok, so there's a little more to the process of potentially winning the best graphics card in the world. Nvidia wants you to reply to an X post - or one of the similar posts on one of its other social media channels, such as Instagram - making sure to add the words "GeForce Season" in your comment and to say "why you deserve this Holiday upgrade."

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Hey Arc Raiders, a free Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 could be yours, and all you need to do is say why you deserve it

Seven seriously special Steam Deck games can be yours right now for just $15 as part of this month's Humble Choice subscription. From the beautiful, hand-drawn, 2D action-platformer of Nine Sols to the epic Japanese action adventure of Like a Dragon Gaiden: The Man Who Erased His Name, this bundle is packed with titles that are not just great in their own right, but play superbly on Steam Deck. The Steam Deck still sits supreme as the best handheld gaming PC, despite growing competition from big-name players like the Xbox Ally X and big-power alternatives like the stupendously powerful Ayaneo Next 2. As such, a Steam Deck Verified or Playable rating remains the hallmark of a game that will offer a great experience on a handheld, and this bundle includes seven titles out of eight that achieve this status, making it an incredible-value way to bolster your portable gaming library.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: Grab Nine Sols and six other great Steam Deck games for just $15, saving over $156

We've recently been getting steadily and depressingly used to price increases across the PC hardware world. Even putting aside the now significantly higher prices we've been paying for GPUs in recent years, the last couple of months have seen big increases in RAM prices that have gone on to affect prices for other products, such as graphics cards, laptops, and desktop DRAM upgrades. Now adding to the mix is expected to be an AMD CPU price rise, although this time it reportedly has nothing to do with those memory costs. AMD currently sits in a dominant position in the desktop CPU market, featuring multiple times on our list of the best gaming CPUs. That has already led to some of its most desirable offerings demanding quite high prices, such as is the case with the chart-topping AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D. However, this price increase rumor suggests gamers will soon have to pay even more for these top chips.

Read the full story on PCGamesN: More bad news for PC gamers as AMD CPU prices could soon soar