Reviews

The Record Alice is a great custom keyboard that opts for a clacky sound signature in the world of thock. The leaf-spring mounting, mixed with the 1.2mm PCB and polycarb plate, allows for a bouncy typing experience. Whether you’re an enthusiast looking for extras like PCB-mount stabs and VIA support or just a competitive gamer wanting to type better, this keyboard has you covered at an affordable price.

My team and I have been testing several EXPO-supported DDR5 kits for the past few months, and now that we have reviewed all four CPUs of the Ryzen 9000 series, we have finally rounded up the best options for them.

The MSI MPG X870E Carbon WiFi is a high-end motherboard with impressive features, a capable VRM setup, and I/O that should be enough for most users. You get the latest USB4 ports, dual PCIe 5.0 M.2, WiFi 7, and impressive memory support up to DDR5-8400 (OC). It’s a nice-looking board with enough RGB bling for most, but it comes at a staggering $499 price tag. While expensive, it’s competitive enough for the features on offer.

The MSI MEG Ai1300P Platinum is a high-end PSU designed to handle the heavy power demands of modern GPUs, with top-tier components and a fully modular design. Though its voltage ripple performance isn't exceptional, it delivers solid efficiency and remains impressively quiet during lighter loads.

The MSI MAG A1000GL PCIE5 is an excellent mid-range PSU that balances cost with modern features like the 12VHPWR connector and ATX 3.1 compliance, offering impressive efficiency and reliable power regulation. Despite a few component compromises, it performs exceptionally well for its price, making it a great choice for gamers or creators looking to power power-hungry GPUs.

The be quiet! Light Loop 360 is a high-performance AIO cooler with impressive features, including fully illuminated A-RGB fans and a revamped cooling system designed to handle flagship CPUs. It delivers strong thermal performance and reduced noise levels compared to previous models, but installation is somewhat complex, requiring multiple components.

Apart from bleeding-edge performance, the Wooting 80HE builds upon the legacy of its predecessor by improving in all the areas the original fell short in. The new Lekker V2 switches paired with factory lubed screw-in stabilizers significantly upgrade the stock sound. And the gasket mount allows for a soft and thocky typing experience that only acts as a cherry on top of the world-class gaming keyboard the Wooting 80HE already is.

The Obsbot Meet 2 is a compact, AI-powered 4K webcam designed for users who need high-quality video on the go. Weighing just 40.5g, it boasts excellent low-light performance thanks to its 1/2-inch CMOS sensor and f/1.8 aperture. It also offers advanced features like auto-framing and Phase Detection Auto Focus (PDAF), making it a strong contender for video calls and content creation. While the audio quality from its dual microphones is decent, serious users may prefer an external mic for better sound. At $129, it offers excellent value for its feature set.

The Teamgroup T-Force Vulcan Z 2TB SSD offers good value for entry-level gaming, with solid performance and shock-resistant design. While its DRAM-less architecture leads to slower write speeds, SLC caching helps mitigate this issue. Its affordable price, compact size, and reliable performance make it a good choice for budget-conscious users, though it won’t match the speed of NVMe SSDs.

The ID-Cooling Frozn A720 offers impressive cooling performance with its dual-tower design and two 140mm fans, making it a solid competitor to high-end air coolers at a more affordable price. Its excellent heat dissipation and large surface area make it ideal for demanding setups, though its noise level is higher than competitors like the Noctua NH-D15.

The Ryzen 9 9900X is AMD’s new flagship 12-core gaming chip but with lower base frequencies and a 120-watt rating. It impressed us in most benchmarks outside of gaming, and in gaming, the chip couldn’t even outperform the Ryzen 7 9700X. Its $449 price tag makes it compete with the 7800X3D and 13900K, but the former is a far better gaming CPU, while the latter is much better for both multi-threaded workloads AND gaming.

The Teamgroup PD20M Mag Portable SSD is a great option for content creators, offering fast storage with speeds up to 20Gbps thanks to its USB 3.2 Gen2x2 interface. Its slim, lightweight design and MagSafe compatibility make it an ideal match for iPhone users. It performs well in real-world use, though the small cache may cause occasional dips in write speeds. Overall, it’s a great value for anyone looking for a dependable, portable storage solution for high-quality videos and photos.