Hi! I’m Usman Saleem, with 8+ years of PC hardware expertise and a Google IT Support Specialization certificate, specializing in in-depth tech analysis and reviews. With a stethoscope in one hand and a gadget in the other, I’m both a doctor and a PC tech expert, dedicated to pursuing both my passions at the same time.
Position at Tech4Gamers
At Tech4Gamers, I’m the PC Hardware Specialist, primarily contributing to the “Best-Ofs” section. I provide thoughtful buying advice based on thorough testing and personal expertise. I also review hardware products and games to keep things fresh.
Tech Journey
From childhood, I’ve been immersed in gaming and PC hardware. Starting with a Pentium 2 PC, each named PC, from ZEUS to APOLLO, symbolizes a chapter in my journey. My true passion lies in the beating heart of the gaming industry – PC hardware.
The MSI MEG X870E GODLIKE is the most expensive X870 chipset motherboard, costing $1099. For this, you get a top-notch VRM setup and impressive cooling, a premium-looking design, high-end build quality (courtesy of a 10-layered PCB), and great features. While we were thoroughly impressed by the board in all departments, we still think the price tag is too high.
The Intel Core Ultra 5 245K offers decent performance at a considerable price range. It is equipped with the latest architecture and has great power efficiency. Moreover, it delivers satisfactory performance in multi-core tasks and handles everyday applications smoothly. However, its gaming performance, while adequate, doesn’t quite match up to competitors in the same price range. Therefore, users seeking balanced productivity can consider this an option. However, gamers should look elsewhere for better performance in highly demanding games.
The Ryzen 7 9800X3D is the new gaming champ, outclassing AMD's own Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU in our gaming charts. With its improved 3D V-cache design, combined with the Zen 5 architecture, the CPU improves gaming and productivity performance while becoming more efficient than its predecessor.
The MSI MAG Z890 Tomahawk WiFi is a $299 motherboard packed with the latest I/O and EZ-DIY features. It has a fairly basic (almost) all-black design with silver accents and yellow-green colors to represent the board's branding. For VRMs, the board's 16+1+1+1 (16A 90A duet stages for the board), which is enough for Intel's 15th gen chips, even if you want to overclock a bit.
The MSI MPG Z890 Carbon WiFi is a power-packed board with a feature set covering everything you could possibly think of. Its power-phase design is a 20+1+1+1 with 20x 110A SPS powering the VCore, leaving plenty of overclocking room for any Arrow Lake chip. The design is excellent, with 2 RGB zones, but the branding goes a bit overboard.
The MSI MEG Z890 ACE motherboard is a powerhouse for those who want the best features without worrying about cost. Built for Intel’s latest Core Ultra processors, it supports high-speed DDR5 memory, PCIe 5.0, and offers a generous range of M.2 and USB ports. With an impressive VRM and heatsink setup, this board is optimized for overclocking and handled both gaming and synthetic tests with top scores.
The Epomaker RT80 is an ambitious keyboard that features dual screens and a unique layout, aiming to stand out in the crowded budget mechanical keyboard market. While it excels in certain areas like build quality and wireless performance, it falls short in others, particularly in the practicality of its features. The touchscreen is tricky to use and, in turn, makes typing on what’s an otherwise excellent stock experience harder than it needs to be.
