PC Gamer Hardware Awards 2025: All the winners from a bumper 12 months of PC gaming tech
SOURCE:PC Gamer|BY: Dave James
We've had our hands on the absolute best PC hardware the industry has had to offer in this bountiful year, and these are the winners.
The winners are...
This past year has been a fascinating one for PC gaming hardware. I don't think 2025 is going to go down as a vintage year for the tech of our favourite hobby, but that doesn't mean we've been without either fantastic new toys to play with or new spins on gaming technology to throw at our games.
Inevitably the biggest thing to happen to PCs in 2025 was two whole new generations of graphics cards launching from AMD and Nvidia respectively. Both had a lot to offer and both had a heap of problems—though interestingly they were largely more to do with marketing and product positioning than actual hardware issues.
Well, I say that, but the RTX Blackwell launch was the first time in a good few GPU generations I've seen Nvidia really drop the ball on its driver support. We saw black screens and flaky cards far more often than in previous launches. On the AMD side it should have been an easy victory, but ultra-limited stock and frankly offensive price gouges really soured the RDNA 4 launch for a lot of PC gamers.
Still, here we are ready to hit 2025 and the GPUs are bountiful and largely available around their original MSRP... but maybe not for long. The spectre of the RAMpocalypse looms large over PC gaming, though thankfully not yet for the brilliant gaming laptops of this year, and the outstanding peripherals we've tested in 2025 aren't going to be hit in the same way as the doubling, tripling, quadrupling RAM prices.
Throughout the holidays we've been nominating our very favourite bits of gaming hardware that we've tested over the past year, but today I get the great pleasure of announcing which of these peak PC bits get the coveted PC Gamer Hardware Awards for 2025.
Best gaming laptop of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming laptop of 2025 winner
"This is the first gaming laptop that has been able to deliver the sort of all-round PC experience that would have me consider ditching both my work laptop and my desktop gaming PC. And that is saying something. The Blade 16 is a genuinely lovely device, that can deliver whether plugged into a wall socket or running on its battery." -Dave James
I was not a big fan of the previous version of the Blade 16. In order to cope with the demands of the RTX 40-series and a desire on Razer's behalf to have them running at top speeds, the company expanded its laptop chassis to accommodate more cooling potential. And with that went the classic sleek Razer design ethos.
But it's back in force with the new Blade 16, however, as Razer was determined to hit back against Asus' impressively slim Zephyrus G16 machines. The updated design is wonderfully slim, but keeps a wee bulge under the CPU/GPU area to aid with cooling. It still cannot run an RTX 5090 at full chat inside such a slender chassis, but that's not what this do-everything machine is about.
This is a gaming laptop that can be your work partner through the day and your gaming buddy into the evenings. But it's also capable of delivering outstanding on-battery gaming performance, too. A great little device.
Best gaming monitor of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming monitor of 2025 winner
"A lesser known gaming monitor brand feels like a step into the unknown. But the KTC H27T22C-3 proves that you can get a great 1440p gaming experience for barely over $150 if you're willing to be a bit adventurous." -Jeremy Laird
Not only are OLED and 4K monitors getting cheaper, but so too are 1440p picks. KTC's H27T22C-3 is pretty much down to the price of a 1080p panel, and it comes with a super quick 210 Hz refresh rate, paired with an about average 1 ms response time. As is the case with pretty much all monitors, the name of this one is a bit funky, and you have to make sure you pick the model with 3 at the end, as missing that will cost you brightness and refresh rate.
However, with this one in your basket, it does pretty much everything you might want from a value-oriented 1440p monitor, apart from its just okay DisplayHDR 400. Our Jeremy said, right out of the box, the IPS panel is "immediately impressive". It has solid brightness, strong viewing angles and colours look great. You aren't getting any USB ports (a common compromise for value-based monitors), and the stand is tilt-only. This means adjustments can be hard to make.
Still, what makes this KTC monitor stand out is that it manages to avoid the pitfalls of budget monitors, not needing any calibration and not losing out on any of the basics. If you're in need of a screen on a budget, this 1440p wonder is beating out similarly priced 1080p choices easily, and I suspect it will be the best budget 1440p gaming monitor for some time.
Best handheld gaming PC of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming handheld of 2025 winner
"This is the first device to bring serious performance to a handheld gaming PC without the drawbacks of a bloated operating system. With SteamOS running, While it's not a perfect device, it trades blows with the best handhelds out there, and is stylish and incredibly comfy to use." -Jacob Fox
Our Jacob said this Legion Go S was "almost exactly" what he was looking for in a handheld gaming PC. We still know that the Z1 Extreme is a bit of a banging chip, even if it's getting on in age, and native SteamOS support means you can get even better performance out of it when compared to Windows. The one downside of SteamOS is not getting built-in support for some multiplayer titles, as Linux doesn't play too friendly with many bits of anti-cheat software.
As well as this, over half a year later, the trackpad is still a bit disappointing. It lacks native support across the board, only working in a few games now, and it doesn't stay on when not actively using it, so it all feels a tad messy. However, for its price, you are getting a comfortable and intuitive handheld that also just so happens to look gorgeous and runs very well.
Generally speaking, you can expect a few hours of play out of the device, often reaching between 30 to 60 fps in most games. It may not play absolutely everything (thanks, Linux), but what it can play, it plays well, with near top-tier performance under $1,000. SteamOS makes for a somewhat more console-like experience, but as we'll see from our next pick, that's not always a bad thing.
Best SSD of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
SSD of 2025 winner
"This is the fastest PCIe 5.0 SSD on the market to date. It doesn't matter if you're a pro gamer or a working professional; the SN8100 delivers in every arena and then some. For its first PCIe 5.0 SSD WD has set the bar incredibly high. Now everyone else has to catch up." -Zak Storey
Another PCIe 5.0 drive that doesn't cost at least two of my limbs? Is it my birthday? No, that's just how far Gen 5 drives have come. Granted, $250 is still a bit much for a lot of folk, but with performance like this, those with deeper pockets may well find it easy to justify the upgrade.
Why? Because, with a sustained read speed of 14,900 MB/s, and a sustained write speed of 14,000 MB/s, the WD Black SN8100 is eye-watering-ly quick. Not only that, but random 4K performance is far from a let-down either, turning in a 119 MB/s read speed, and a 349 MB/s write speed during Zak's testing.
The fact this thing only briefly brushed up against 74 °C during all of his benchmarking really makes this SSD the complete package. But is it enough to win the prize overall? You won't have to wait long to find out.
Best gaming CPU of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming CPU of 2025 winner
"The Ryzen 9 9950X3D is the jack-of-all-trades CPU. As good as the Ryzen 7 9800X3D in games and roughly the same as the 9950X in content creation. It's a processing powerhouse with few peers, but it's not without niggles. And that price tag puts it well into the niche enthusiast territory." -Nick Evanson
We had to wait a while for this monster of a processor, but it was worth the long, drawn-out months. The Ryzen 9 9950X3D arrived in March and immediately topped the charts for the fastest gaming CPU in 2025, even beating the 9800X3D.
AMD's dual-CCD processors used to be quite picky about working properly with games, but that was (mostly) resolved with the 9950X3D. The latest generation of 3D V-cache, bonded to the bottom of the first CCD, meant that AMD could push the clocks right up.
Where the 9800X3D enjoys a boost clock of 5.2 GHz, the 9950X3D can reach 5.5 GHz on the L3 cache-heavy CCD and 5.7 GHz on the normal CCD. For a jack-of-all-trades processor, it pretty much masters everything.
With nothing to touch it from Intel, though, AMD was free to set the price tag accordingly. Weighing in at $699 at launch, it's barely dropped in price since then. My 'AI summary'? Horribly expensive, outrageously capable.
Best motherboard of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Motherboard of 2025 winner
"The Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite Wi-Fi Ice looks great, offers a fine selection of ports, and will be happy company for any AM5 chip for years to come." -Anthony Leather
Another white motherboard? Pure coincidence, honest! But just like ASRock's B860 Steel Legend, this motherboard from Gigabyte looks fantastic and has the feature set to back up its aesthetics. Oh, and a very reasonable price tag, too.
The AM5-socket X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice launched at $290, but it rapidly shed a respectable $30, and it's still like that now, making it one of the best value X870 boards around.
And oh boy, do you get a lot of motherboard for your money. Three PCIe slots, four M.2 sockets for SSDs, and ten USB ports on the rear IO panel. Gigabyte favoured the storage aspects when it came to distributing the limited number of chipset PCIe lanes, as three of the M.2 slots are Gen 5, whereas only one of the PCIe slots is rated to that speed.
You can get motherboards where it's all faster stuff or have more USB ports, but then you have to pay a lot more money for it. To our eyes, the Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice offers the best balance of price tag, features, and performance of all the AMD AM5 motherboards we've tested this year.
Best gaming keyboard of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming keyboard of 2025 winner
"It's finally time to haul my verdict out of the shadows: though by no means silent, I'm definitely a fan of the sound-dampened clacks on Be Quiet's Light Mount. It lives up to its name in more ways than one, too, boasting vibrant, head-turning per-key RGB lighting—even the software offers few reasons to complain!" -Jess Kinghorn
Be Quiet! really did its name justice this year with the Light Mount, because it's seriously the quietest keyboard we've ever heard here in the PC Gamer hardware den. Our Jess still stands by it and uses it daily.
That's thanks to its own silent tactile switches and a ton of dampening, which somehow doesn't feel too mushy, unlike some silent keyboards. The Light Mount is also just a very solid keyboard, with PBT keycaps, 1K polling, vibrant RGB, and even a knob and left-side macro keys.
The real draw is its quietness, though: it's a genuine first that we've seen this year, a clacker keeping so quiet.
Best gaming mouse of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming mouse of 2025 winner
"This mouse has taken lightweight to a new level, weighing just 36 g. This, plus its great sensor and sturdy build, makes for a fantastic wireless mouse for competitive FPS gaming. It has zero extra bells and whistles, though, so it's purely for that market." -Jacob Fox
The Corsair Sabre V2 Pro genuinely shocked me this year. I got my mitts on it at Gamescom and could not believe how light it was. I kind of still can't.
At just 36 g, it's a genuine step forward in the ultralight market, especially considering others that get close (say, 39 g) tend to have giant holes in the underside. Not this one, it's as solid as they come, and doesn't feel flimsy in the slightest.
It cuts back on pretty much everything else—RGB, buttons, battery life—but it's worth it for competitive FPS gaming. I feel about this mouse the same way I did about the original Logitech G Pro X Superlight when it launched a few years ago: It's a genuine jump forwards in the ultralight mouse market.
Best gaming headset of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming headset of 2025 winner
"The BlackShark V3 is the wireless headset to finally knock the HyperX Cloud Alpha Wireless off its perch, and does so with a combo of simply outstanding audio quality, unbeatable wireless connection, and a super lightweight, comfortable design." -Dave James
The BlackShark has been around in various iterations for a while, but with the V3 version, Razer has finally nailed the formula. Its titanium drivers now have the addition of a "driver plug" to reduce harmonic distortion, and the 75% larger magnet makes for a seriously detailed, tight-and-punchy audio experience.
There's no noise cancelling, unlike the BlackShark V3 Pro, but we weren't particularly impressed with it on the more expensive model anyway. It's also 100 g lighter than the top-spec model, which means it's very comfortable to use over a full day's gaming, or in the office, should you so require.
And if you're really serious about your competitive gaming, the HyperSpeed Wireless interface has a low-latency mode, dropping the connection speed to just 10 ms. You'd likely need to be an esports gamer to really tell the difference, but if you want the fastest-responding wireless set on the market, this is it. I'm singing the Jaws theme in my head right now, how about you?
Best gaming microphone of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Gaming mic of 2025 winner
"I wasn't expecting a whole lot from the Amazon Basics mic, but I'm pleased to report it's been nothing but a pleasure to test. While you only get the bare minimum of features, it's brilliant at its one goal in life—capturing great audio for a very, very reasonable price." -Andy Edser
The first thing you need to know about this Amazon Basics mic is that it's cheap. I mean, really cheap. For less than $30, I wasn't expecting a huge amount from this little microphone—but wouldn't you know it, it really delivers the goods.
The sound quality it's capable of capturing, both close up and at a distance, sounds far, far better than you'd expect given the minimal expense. It's not going to blow anyone's socks off, but if you'd told me I was listening to a $50-$80 microphone when I first heard the playback, I would have believed you.
It's also built remarkably well, with a studio-like heft to its tiny frame that suggests it can put up with some serious abuse. Other than that, the only features left to talk about are its single mute button, and its slightly odd "tilting at windmills" stand design. It doesn't come with any software, nor any frills and frippery—but what it does for the cash is still pretty impressive, nonetheless.
Best graphics card of 2025
(Image credit: Future)
Graphics card of 2025 winner
"The Radeon RX 9070 XT, ably demonstrated by this Asus Prime version, is a great price/performance card that takes Nvidia to task on pricing, and shows AMD has taken great strides forward with both RT and AI processing. It could be a hugely consequential GPU, if only the AIBs can keep their worst pricing excesses in check." -Dave James
Finally AMD hit on to something: Make a well-performing graphics card that can compete with Nvidia's, but put it on sale for less than the competition. Seems like a simple, almost obvious formula, but it's not something the red team had tried to great effect in modern times.
Some folk were concerned when they heard AMD was focusing the RX 9000-series on the volume segment of the market rather than trying to take on Nvidia at the high end. But then the RX 9070 XT came out, delivering RTX 5070 Ti performance but with a $599 price tag versus the $750 GeForce card.
Of course, it didn't quite work out like that at launch, with both cards retailing for far more than their respective MSRPs. We saw RX 9070 XT and RTX 5070 Ti GPUs both retailing for $900+ post launch, and with prices being equal, the Nvidia card would get the nod.
Thankfully, that's changed, and with both down to their MSRP levels consistently (for now), the Radeon is the smart pick for a high-end GPU that can now deal with both ray tracing and, in FSR4 (now just known as FSR), has far better upscaling and frame gen than previous AMD GPUs. AMD's finally played a blinder.
The wildcard
(Image credit: Future)
Wildcard 2025 winner
"Razer has somehow improved on one of the best games controllers available, making this the product to beat. Its price may bring a bead of sweat to your brow, but at least you know you're getting one of the best PC games controllers that money can buy." -Alex Blake
"A gamepad?" you may ask, before quipping, "How conventional!" And to be fair, this is perhaps the most sensible nomination out of all of our wildcards. However, when you're going for pro, you've got to go the distance.
The Razer Wolverine V3 Pro 8K is definitely a PC controller that commits all the way. Enjoying a thoroughly ridiculous 8,000 Hz polling rate, plus TMR thumbsticks alongside Hall effect triggers, this gamepad likely won't be what holds you back in competitive play.
If there are any drawbacks to speak of, it's clearly the price, which, at $200, is a king's ransom for a controller. You can rest assured you're getting a premium-feeling, and robust build quality for the money that will no doubt last you many more awards seasons to come.
Dave has been gaming since the days of Zaxxon and Lady Bug on the Colecovision, and code books for the Commodore Vic 20 (Death Race 2000!). He built his first gaming PC at the tender age of 16, and finally finished bug-fixing the Cyrix-based system around a year later. When he dropped it out of the window. He first started writing for Official PlayStation Magazine and Xbox World many decades ago, then moved onto PC Format full-time, then PC Gamer, TechRadar, and T3 among others. Now he's back, writing about the nightmarish graphics card market, CPUs with more cores than sense, gaming laptops hotter than the sun, and SSDs more capacious than a Cybertruck.
You must confirm your public display name before commenting
Please logout and then login again, you will then be prompted to enter your display name.
