eTeknix Best of 2023 Awards

It's that wonderful time of year when we get to put our feet up, rest, and reflect on the year that is about to pass into the history books. OK, that's partly a lie, we're pretty busy and have lots to do before Christmas, but that doesn't mean we're not excited to look back on the best products we've seen this year! With the latest graphics cards, motherboards, processors, cases, and so much more coming through our offices every week, there's certainly a lot of strong competition, so let's see if we can pick our favourites from each category, and much like Highlander... AMD Processor - Ryzen 7 7800X3D AMD had gone from strength to strength with their Ryzen processors, with the launch of the first-gen Ryzen just a few years ago, and now with the growing popularity of their gaming-focused X3D version, they're putting up some serious competition for Intel, both in terms of their pricing and with their gaming performance. The Ryzen 7 7800X3D definitely gets our thumbs up here, it's the best rival against the latest Intel hardware and continues to offer great upgrade paths for their customers due to AMD's focus on maintaining their sockets for more than one motherboard generation. Check out our full review here. Features # of CPU Cores: 12 # of Threads: 24 Max Boost Clock: Up to 5.6GHz Base Clock: 4.4GHz Default TDP / TDP: 120W Graphics Model: AMD Radeon™ Graphics Available on Amazon for £327.31. Intel - i9-14900K There's no escaping from the fact that Intel has the fastest CPUs on the market right now. However, as discussed on our AMD award on the previous page, AMD does offer much more competitive prices, and that can be hard to ignore. However, when you get to the benchmarks, Intel is leading the pack for content creators and gaming, and while not a huge margin, the fastest is still fastest no matter what way you look at it, and the i9-14900K proudly takes that crown. Check out our full review here Features Total Cores 24. # of Efficient-cores 16. Total Threads 32. Max Turbo Frequency 6 GHz. Intel® Thermal Velocity Boost Frequency 6 GHz. Intel® Turbo Boost Max Technology 3.0 Frequency ‡ 5.8 GHz. Performance-core Max Turbo Frequency 5.6 GHz. Efficient-core Max Turbo Frequency 4.4 GHz. Available now on Amazon for £548.02. AMD Motherboard - X670E Aorus Extreme The latest AMD processors are impressive, but to get the most out of them, you may want one of the best motherboards too. I love more affordable motherboards, every now and then, we simply can't ignore the more extreme stuff, such as this incredible X670E Aorus XTREME from Gigabyte. It's loaded with amazing features, such as a powerful VRM configuration, fast memory support, extensive heatsinks and cooling components, flagship audio, 10GbE LAN, WiFi 6e, and so much more. Check our full review here. Features AMD Socket AM5: Supports AMD Ryzen 7000 Series Processors Unparalleled Performance: Direct 18+2+2 Phases Digital VRM Solution Dual Channel DDR5: 4*SMD DIMMs with AMD EXPO & Intel XMP Memory Module Support Next Generation Storage: 4*PCIe 5.0 x4 M.2 Connectors Fins-Array III & M.2 Thermal Guard III: To Ensure VRM Power Stability & 25110 PCIe 5.0 M.2 SSD Performance EZ-Latch Plus: SMD PCIe 5.0 x16 Slot & M.2 Connectors with Quick Release & Screwless Design Hi-Fi Audio with DTS: X Ultra: ALC1220 CODEC and Rear ESS SABRE Hi-Fi 9118 DAC with Front ESSential USB DAC Bundled Fast Networks: Marvell AQtion 10GbE LAN & Intel Wi-Fi 6E 802.11ax Extended Connectivity: DP, HDMI, USB-C 10Gbps, Dual USB-C 20Gbps and Upcoming GIGABYTE USB4 AIC Support Q-Flash Plus: Update BIOS Without Installing the CPU, Memory and Graphics Card Available on Amazon for £699.98. Intel Motherboard - MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK While we loved a more extreme motherboard for our AMD pick, when it comes to Intel, I've been a long-time fan and user of multiple MSI Tomahawk motherboards, as they strike an incredible balance of features, build quality, design and price that's simply too hard to ignore. The Tomahawk series has long been the best choice for an all-round motherboard for work, gaming and anything else you can think of, and the MSI MAG Z790 TOMAHAWK WiFi is our choice for this year, and it is even available in both DDR4 and DDR5 variants, giving consumers plenty of choice. Supports 12th/ 13th Gen Intel® Core™, Pentium® Gold and Celeron® processors for LGA 1700 socket Supports DDR4 Memory, up to 5333+(OC) MHz Enhanced Power Design: 16+1+1 Mirrored Power Arrangement, dual 8-pin CPU power connectors, Core Boost, Memory Boost Lightning Fast Game experience: PCIe 5.0 slot, Lightning Gen 4 x4 M.2, USB 3.2 Gen 2×2 Premium Thermal Solution: Extended Heatsink Design and M.2 Shield Frozr are built for high-performance systems and non-stop works AUDIO BOOST 5: Reward your ears with studio-grade sound quality for the most immersive gaming experience High-Quality PCB: 6-layer PCB made by 2oz thickened copper and server grade level material Available on Amazon for £259.98. AMD Graphics Card - Sapphire RX 7800 XT Nitro+ When it comes to AMD graphics cards, we've always been fans of Sapphire, as they tend to make great quality cards that deliver some of the best performance and features in their respective class. The Sapphire RX 7800 XT Nitro+ 16GB is a great card, and yes, the XTX is faster, and honestly I couldn't choose which one I liked the most, so I let price be the deciding factor on this one, but both are amazing-looking and performing graphics cards; check out our review here. Features RDNA3 Based GPU 16GB GDDR6 DisplayPort 2.1 BIOS Switch WAVE Fin Design & V-Shape Fin Design Aluminium Alloy Frame Digital Power Design High TG Copper PCB Tough Metal Backplate Dedicated VRM Cooling Available on OCUK for £529.99. Nvidia Graphics Card - INNO3D RTX 4070 Ti When it comes to Nvidia graphics cards, there are a fair few to pick from right now. I mean, I'm very happy with my RTX 4090, but the price is pretty prohibitive and the card is overkill for a lot of gamers, with many still playing on 1080 or 1440p panels that simply don't need something so extreme. That's where the Inno3D RTX 4070 Ti, as despite being around half the price of the flagship cards, it's still great for gaming at 4K, high-refresh-rate 1440p gaming and more. Plus, it's a gorgeous-looking card too, and that's always going to get a big thumbs up from us. Check out our review here. Features Powered by NVIDIA DLSS3, ultra-efficient Ada Lovelace arch, and full ray tracing. 4th Generation Tensor Cores: Up to 4x performance with DLSS 3 vs. brute-force rendering 3rd Generation RT Cores: Up to 2X ray tracing performance OC mode: 2760 MHz (OC mode)/ 2730 MHz (Default mode) Axial-tech fans scaled up for 21% more airflow Dual ball fan bearings last up to twice as long as conventional designs Military-grade capacitors rated for 20K hours at 105C make the GPU power rail more durable Metal exoskeleton adds structural rigidity and vents to increase heat reliability Auto-Extreme precision automated manufacturing for higher reliability GPU Tweak III software provides intuitive performance tweaking, thermal controls, and system monitoring Available now on OCUK for £769.99. Intel Graphics Card - Sparkle Arc A580 8GB It's fair to say that Intel still has a long way to go in today's market, as the cards from AMD and Nvidia are a lot faster... but let's not beat around the bush here, the fast cards are extremely expensive. While there are some budget options out there, we have to commend Intel for coming in at such a low price point and while more performance would be great, I think they're on the right path, and continue to improve their drivers with every update, so things are getting better. Either way, if budgets are tight, it's hard to find anything else this cheap, and the second-hand market can still be pretty dicey in the wake of the crypto boom. Features Intel Arc A580 Chipset 8GB, 256-bit, GDDR6 memory, 16 Gbps graphics memory speed 3x DisplayPort 2.0 ready, up to 8K@60Hz, 1x HDMI 2.0 Xe HPG Architecture, Real-Time Ray Tracing, Intel XeSS upscaling, 225W TDP, DirectX 12 Ultimate, Vulkan 1.3 TORN Cooling with double customized AXL fans, 2.2-slot design and full-metal backplate, patented(pending) ThermalSync. Available on Amazon for £191.49. Monitor/Display - Philips Evnia 8000 34″ Curved QD OLED Gaming Monitor When it comes to gaming monitors, boy are there a LOT of amazing ones this year, from the latest VA, Fast IPS and mini-LED panels, but there aren't really many monitors quite like the Philips Evnia 8000 34" Curved QD OLED, as this one simply blew me away with colour, motion, and size that was nothing short of next-gen. Now, admittedly, I have tested a "better" monitor, the 49" 5K2K version of the same monitor, but it's so hilariously big, I can't wholeheartedly say its the best. The 34" version is more of a sweet spot of big, stunning and actually usable for most people so that one gets my vote; check out our review here. QD OLED for superior colours and vibrant visuals VESA Certified ClearMR: for accurate blur testing Low input lag reduces the time delay between devices to monitor Curved display design for a more immersive experience DisplayHDR™ True Black 400 delivers incredible shadow details True 10-bit display reproduces smoother gradients on visuals CrystalClear images with UltraWide QHD 3440 x 1440 pixels Enhanced audio with DTS Sound™ Access and display multiple sources on two devices Ambiglow intensifies entertainment with a halo of light LowBlue mode and Flicker-free easy-on-the eyes viewing Ultra Wide-Color wider range of colours for a vivid picture SmartImage game mode optimised for gamers Available on OCUK for £1149.95. Memory - G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO DDR5 It's true that we've tested faster memory than the G.Skill Trident Z5 NEO DDR5, but it's become the choice for many of our systems here in the office, as it hits that performance sweet spot for AMD-based systems. At 6000 MHz, it's easily supported on both Intel and AMD platforms, while delivering excellent and reliable performance thanks to the larger heatsinks and great build quality. Plus, it's more than fast enough to get the best from any PC configuration, without spending more money than needed, as extreme memory quickly falls into diminishing returns for the fastest memory kits for most users. Available on Amazon for £125.62. SSD - MSI Spatium M570 Pro Frozr M.2 We've tested some fast storage over the years, and for us, speed is everything when it comes to storage. In the last 10 years, we've shifted from HDD to SSD, and onto various versions of M.2 storage, right up to the latest flagship 5th Generation M.2 drives, such as this extremely fast MSI Spatium M570 Pro Frozr. In our testing, this is easily one of the fastest drives on the market, pushed even further by the extremely powerful cooling solution that ensures it can run hard and fast without compromise or throttling issues; loading screens flicker past like subliminal messages. It's well made, it's extremely fast, and that's more than good enough for us! Check out our review here. Features M.2 2280 Form Factor PCIe 5.0 Interface 12400 MB/s Read 11800 MB/s Write Triple Heatpipe Frozr Heatsink Phison E26 Controller SK Hynix DRAM 2TB Capacity Available on Amazon. HDD - Seagate Ultra Touch 4TB USB-C External We don't really see many mechanical drives in the office these days aside from what we're sent to use in our NAS, and even then, our main NAS is now all NVMe! However, external drives are still big business, and perfect for taking mass amounts of files with you when you travel, backing up documents, storing games and more. I loved the Ultra Touch, as it's not RGB, it's not gamer, and it's about as Eco-Friendly as a portable drive could be. Available in 2TB, 4TB and 5TB variants, they've been fantastic for taking some movies, and storing all my work files and retro gaming content when I travel. Check out our full review here. Features STRIVING FOR SUSTAINABILITY This drive contains at least 30% post-consumer recycled materials by weight for eco-minded backup. NATURE-FORWARD DESIGN Inspired by the natural world, these drives feature soft tones and a smooth design. UNIVERSAL COMPATIBILITY Works with PC, Mac, and Chromebook, thanks to universal USB-C compatibility. ON THE MOVE Lightweight design allows for easy portability to work, school, or wherever you need your files. WARRANTY Enjoy peace of mind with our industry-leading warranty and Rescue Data Recovery Services. 4TB version available on Amazon for £131.99 Case - NZXT H5 Flow RGB Mid-Tower We've been long-time NZXT fans here at eTeknix, from the early Phantom series to their modern-day efforts, they've always had some of the finest cases on the market. That's still true today, with the NZXT H5 Flow ticking every box for a modern PC gaming case. It looks clean and tidy, offers up a range of RGB options, impressive cooling and hardware support, and where older models lacked proper airflow, the newer H5 Flow features a high-airflow mesh front panel design that ensures you get great cooling performance too. We used several of these cases in the office, and even have one for our CPU cooler test bench, so we know it's great! Check out our full review here. Features Dedicated fan on bottom inside panel is angled to cool GPU Perforated front panel provides optimal ventilation Intuitive cable management system with wide channels, hooks, & straps Tool less access to front and side panels Front panel supports up to 2 x 140mm fans or 280mm radiator Top panel supports up to 2 x 120mm fans or 240mm radiator Includes two pre-installed F140 RGB Core fans & two F120Q Quiet Airflow fans Connects multiple F140 RGB Core fans to 5V ARGB header on the motherboard Two colour options (Matte Black, Matte White) Available now on Amazon for £99.98. Power Supply - XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium There's been no shortage of exceptional power supplies in 2023, with some incredible products from virtually every brand. However, nothing comes close to the power, performance, efficiency, and build quality of the XPG Fusion 1600W Titanium. When we reviewed it recently, it felt like a truly next-generation step for power supplies, capable of running extremely demanding workloads 24/7. Yes, it is expensive, but there's no doubt that it's the best power supply we've ever tested. Check out our full review here. Available now for approximately £500. Keyboard - Corsair K70 Core There are a lot of new keyboards every year, but honestly, there was a little bit of a slowdown for 2023, and we didn't see that many new ones in for review. Thankfully, Corsair snuck in recently with their updated Corsair K70 Core, a feature-packed mechanical keyboard that I quickly fell in love with and has been my daily keyboard ever since I reviewed it. With Corsair's flagship iCUE software and RGB technology, Corsair MLX Red Linear switches, built-in sound dampening and excellent build quality, I'm amazed that it's half the price of the flagship Corsair keyboards when it's certainly not lacking half the quality or features. Check out our full review here. Features Premium Mechanical Keyboard Experience: Pre-lubricated CORSAIR Red linear mechanical switches deliver smooth, responsive keystrokes, enhanced by two layers of sound dampening for extremely satisfying gaming and typing. Masterful Media Control: Control volume and more with a multi-function rotary dial and programmable media button, customizable with iCUE. Robust Aluminum Top Plate: The durable aluminium top plate offers another layer of stability and style. Sturdy Double-Shot Keycaps: Tough and resilient ABS double-shot keycaps won’t crack under pressure. Store Your Settings Onboard: Save up to five profiles of your customized settings and RGB. Customize Your Keyboard in iCUE: Take control with CORSAIR iCUE, unlocking vivid dynamic RGB lighting customization, key remaps, and media button programming. Magnetic Detachable Soft-Touch Palm Rest*: A magnetic soft-touch palm rest conveniently adds a comfortable spot to rest your hands, with easy magnetic attachment. Available now on Amazon for £109.99. Mouse - Corsair M75 Air Wireless I love a good quality gaming mouse, but I mean, who doesn't!? Corsair hit the market with their new M75 Air, and while it looks like a fairly stock mouse, it clocks in at just 60 grams, making it extremely nimble to play with. However, it also features the best sensor we've ever tested, delivering a staggering 26,000 DPI, with 650 IPS, and 50 G acceleration, the Corsair Marksman sensor is as good as it gets. Add ultra-low-latency optical switches, and their class-leading Slipstream Wireless technology and it's easy to see why we love this mouse so much. Check out our full review here. Features Sculpted for Performance: Through an intricate and rigorous process, we have developed a symmetrical mouse shape that provides maximum comfort and control. Buttons are placed at the optimal position for top-tier play. 60g – Ultra Lightweight for Quick, Precise FPS Play: Not just light. Ultra-light. Free of unneeded frills to achieve the lightest weight possible at 60g, M75 AIR provides only what you need to win. Ultra-Precise 26k DPI Optical Sensor: With a native 26,000 DPI, 650 IPS tracking, and up to 50G acceleration, the CORSAIR MARKSMAN optical sensor accurately captures fast-twitch mouse movements, speedy sweeps, and rapid recenters. CORSAIR QUICKSTRIKE Buttons: CORSAIR QUICKSTRIKE delivers zero delay between the left- and right-click buttons and their switches, so your shots register instantly. Optical Left- and Right-Click Switches: Optical switches eliminate debounce, enabling you to attack with astonishing speed, guaranteed for 100 million clicks. Fast Low-Latency Wireless: SLIPSTREAM WIRELESS offers a no-lag, sub-1ms connection. Alternatively, connect via Bluetooth® or USB to charge while you play. Up to 100-Hour Wireless Battery with Fast Recharge: Keep winning for 100 hours,* round after round, on a single charge, and fully recharge in just 75 minutes or less. 100% PTFE Mouse Feet: Mouse feet built from 100% ultra-low-friction PTFE pads offer the smoothest glide, and are easily replaceable if they get battle-worn. Optimize Your Mouse in iCUE: Powerful CORSAIR iCUE software unlocks custom DPI settings, buttonremapping, ultra-accurate surface calibration, and more Audio - NZXT Relay Ecosystem Admittedly this feels like cheating a bit because this is picking more than one product. However, NZXT designed the Relay to be an ecosystem and to get the best out of the speakers, the subwoofer, the headphones, the microphone, the stand, and the mix amp, yes, all that, they need to be connected together. The powerful 80-watt desktop PC speakers blew us away with their quality, but there's a neat party trick, when you lift the headset off the stand, it mutes the speakers and switches to the headset. The same in reserve, put the headset on the stand and it switches back to the speakers. It's a neat party trick that ties all these great products together. Admittedly, it's not cheap to get everything, but when the quality is this good, it's worth every penny. Check out our full review here. Available now on NZXT.com. Air Cooler - DeepCool This was the toughest call of the whole year, as the air cooling market has had some seriously strong products this year, with many of them beating the long-standing Noctua champions in terms of prices, cooling performance and acoustics. However, there's one that did all of that, but also delivered a truly next-gen aesthetic, and that's the DeepCool Assassin IV. If I am to buy an air cooler right now, it'll be this. It looks amazing, runs quiet, gives great cooling performance even on high-end CPUs and honestly, this is the one everyone else has to beat in 2024. Check out our review here. DeepCool ASSASSIN IV Cooler - The ASSASSIN returns with a new aesthetic and efficient cooling capacity. The ASSASSIN IV provides exceptional performance and is armed with seven heat pipes and newly designed 120 and 140mm FDB fans Beauty In Simplicity - The elegant design of the ASSASSIN IV is not just visually pleasing; it also leads to optimal airflow and maximum compatibility. In Quiet Or Performance Mode - The ASSASSIN IV is the obvious choice With a simple slide of a switch, the ASSASSIN IV can morph from a whisper-quiet cooler when low noise is of the utmost importance to the efficient cooling force DeepCool air coolers are known for. Let It Shine! - The ASSASSIN IV’s case is clean, sleek, and helps channel air through the fin towers, while the relocatable 120mm fan provides unobstructed clearance for high-profile RGB RAM. Be Cool, Be Calm - A key factor in the ASSASSIN IV’s extremely silent operation is the use of three-phase, six-pole fan motors with low voltage and power consumption. DeepCool is so confident in our new design that the ASSASSIN IV comes with 6 years of limited warranty coverage! Exceptional By Design - Featuring seven heat pipes that deliver improved heat transfer through two fin-array heat sink towers for high-performance efficiency. The included DM9 thermal paste meets the rigorous standards used in industrial applications. Streamlined Installation - Installing larger air coolers can be difficult and is a prime reason the hardware and installation was designed to be extremely user-friendly. Even the magnetic top fan cover was crafted with ease of installation in mind. Liquid Cooler - Valkyrie Dragonfang 360 I've tested a lot of AIOs this year, but the one that really stands out for me is the Valkyrie Dragonfang, largely because this is a completely new brand, and for a first effort, we were suitably impressed with the performance and build quality, but also the next-level presentation of the packaging, materials and it just felt like a step up from what the rest of the market is doing. Plus, with their new fans about to hit the market and take things to the next level, this is the brand to watch out for in the cooling market! Features Cold Plate Material: Copper Radiator Material: Aluminum Tubing Length: 425mm Coldplate Dimensions: 60.2×50.2×2.8mm Tubing Material: FEP Corrugated Braided Sleeve Radiator Dimensions: 397x120x27mm Fan Dimensions: 120x120x25mm Fan Speed: 800-2150RPM± 10% Unit operation: PWM Number of Fans: 3 RGB Type: ARGB Radiator Size: 360 Fan Model: Valkyrie X12 Fan Airflow: 80CFM (Max) Fan Static Pressure: 3.14mmH2O (Max) Noise Level: ≤29dBA (Max) Intel Socket Compatibility: 1150, 1151, 1155, 1156, 1200, 1700, 2011, 2011-3, 2066, 1700 AMD Socket Compatibility: AM4, AM5 Warranty: 5 years Available from Valkyrie.