The best PC gaming hardware I’ve reviewed this year — so far | Digital Trends

We’re only halfway through 2024, and I’ve already reviewed a ton of PC gaming hardware. Despite the most exciting launches coming in the back half of the year — Ryzen 9000 and RTX 50-series GPUs chief among them — there’s already been a deluge of hardware built for PC gaming.

It’s been a surprisingly packed year already, but there are six pieces of hardware that stand out from the crowd. From graphics cards to gaming monitors to a keyboard (of all things), here’s all the PC gaming tech you can’t afford to ignore.

Nvidia RTX 4070 Super

There has been plenty of controversy surrounding Nvidia’s RTX 40-series GPUs, particularly when it comes to pricing. The Super refresh felt like an apology to gamers, and the RTX 4070 Super stands out as the best GPU from that range. There’s a reason it tops our list of the best graphics cards, and that’s because it’s insanely fast. Sure, Nvidia has even faster GPUs, but there are very few cases where the RTX 4070 Super falls short.

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First, there’s the pricing. The original RTX 4070 was already a great graphics card at its list price of $600. Nvidia didn’t raise the price of the Super refresh. Instead, it cut the price of the original model by $50 and released the RTX 4070 Super at the same $600, all while offering around 15% higher performance.

Like all of Nvidia’s GPUs this generation, the RTX 4070 Super gets a big boost from DLSS 3.5. The card can’t quite maintain 60 frames per second (fps) in demanding games like Cyberpunk 2077 at 4K, but DLSS 3 completely transforms the experience. It allows the RTX 4070 Super to achieve high frame rates in daunting games at 4K, and with only a minor hit to image quality. If you want a GPU that can do it all in 2024, the RTX 4070 Super is tough to beat.

Asus ROG Strix XG27AQDMG

I’ve reviewed just about every major OLED gaming monitor, and Asus’ XG27AQDMG didn’t seem like anything special. It’s a 27-inch 1440p monitor with a 240Hz refresh rate. We’ve seen multiple iterations of this monitor already, starting with the LG UltraGear OLED 27 early last year. But the XG27AQDMG still managed to exceed my expectations by almost every metric.

It’s basically the PG27AQDM that Asus released last year, but it comes in at $750 instead of $1,000. That alone is already worthy of a new entry in Asus’ OLED lineup, but the XG27AQDMG goes further. It’s brighter than last year’s model, clocking the highest brightness I’ve ever recorded out of an OLED display. And it comes with a glossy panel, addressing the main issue we’ve seen with LG’s WOLED panels up to this point.

The XG27AQDMG doesn’t just use a glossy coating, either. It’s a true glossy panel, and according to Asus, it’s the first of its kind. The ROG Strix XG27AQDMG may not do much if you just stare at the specs sheet, but when it comes to real-world performance, it’s a perfect showcase of how far OLED has come in 2024.

Hyte Thicc Q60

There isn’t a lot of room for innovation in the market of all-in-one (AIO) liquid coolers, but Hyte still managed to make something special with the Thicc Q60. The first thing you’ll notice is the screen. We’ve seen small displays on coolers before, but the Thicc Q60 comes with a 5-inch IPS panel that can display system stats, videos, and so much more. It’s the trademark feature of the Thicc Q60, but surprisingly, it’s the least interesting aspect of the cooler.

The Thicc Q60 shines in its cooling prowess. True to its name, the radiator is extremely thick — close to three times as thick as most AIOs — and the fans are specifically tuned to push air through the massive radiator. The configuration leads to some of the best thermal performance you can get out of an AIO. Hyte’s 240mm AIO can outperform most 360mm AIOs, and that comes down to the excellent fans and massive radiator.

The Thicc Q60 goes beyond just being a cooler. It also serves as a primary node in Hyte’s Nexus Link ecosystem of cooling, fans, and lighting. You can connect up to 18 devices, from fans to RGB strips, to the Thicc Q60, without any additional power or cables. Everything remains controllable through the Nexus Link app on your desktop, too. It’s an ingenious solution that works shockingly well, and it’s backed up by excellent cooling performance.

Meletrix Boog75

I’d forgive you if you’ve never heard of the Boog75 or Meletrix, the company that makes it. Although it’s one of the most recognizable brands in the space of enthusiast keyboards, Meletrix certainly isn’t a household name. The Boog75 proves that it should be. It’s the best gaming keyboard I’ve ever laid my hands on, no questions asked, and if you can cough up the $230 Meletrix is charging and wait a few week for a shipment, you’re in for a treat.

The basis of the Boog75 is Meletrix’s legendary Zoom75. You’re getting a 75% layout with a gasket mount, which already provides a fantastic typing and gaming feel. Meletrix uses an extremely hefty shell for the Boog75, too. It’s almost 8 pounds, giving you a solid foundation to type on.

The Boog75 stands out with its magnetic switches, however. It uses two opposing magnets in the switches to give you an adjustable actuation point, all the way down to 0.1mm. You can bind multiple commands to different points of the key press, or adjust the intensity of a command based on how hard you’re pressing. But the best use case for gaming is rapid triggers. With a very short actuation point, you’re able to send commands to your PC faster, giving you an edge in games.

Although the Boog75 is expensive, you’ll know immediately where your $230 went when you touch the keyboard. I’ve already reviewed half a dozen keyboards in 2024, but none of them can touch Meletrix.

Razer Viper V3 Pro

Gaming mice don’t usually stand out. I use dozens of different ones each year, but I rarely write a full review. I had to talk about the Razer Viper V3 Pro, though. The moment I unboxed it and sat it on my desk, the mouse fit like a glove. It’s a familiar shape overall, especially if you’ve used a lightweight competitive mouse. Razer adds a slight curve to the left to nestle your thumb, however, and a bit of extra height at the rear to support your palm.

The specs are definitely there. You’re getting a wireless mouse with an 8,000Hz polling rate — yes, wirelessly  — and Razer’s Focus Pro 35K optical sensor. You also get optical switches, which Razer says actuate in just 0.2ms. This is just about the highest-performing mouse money can buy right now, but that’s not why I love it.

It’s the feel. The shape is incredible, but it joins two large feet on the bottom of the mouse that help is glide effortlessly across any surface. Razer also includes several pieces of precut grip tape that cover the sides and buttons of the mouse, which help a lot when you’re in the heat of battle — and your hands are sweating like mine do. Razer’s Viper mice have always been excellent, but the Viper V3 Pro is truly something special.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G14

If there’s a controversial pick on this list, it’s the Zephyrus G14. This laptop has been a staple of Asus’ lineup for the past several years, and the go-to recommendation if you were looking for a high-performance, portable gaming laptop at a reasonable price. The 2024 Zephyrus G14 is a radical departure. Asus ditched the plastic shell for an all-aluminum finish, making the Zephyrus G14 a much more premium device.

Still, it’s cheaper than the direct competition in the form of the Razer Blade 14, and in some ways, the 2024 Zephyrus G14 is even better. It’s lighter than the Blade 14 — and even the MacBook Pro 14 — and it’s nearly an inch thinner. Still, Asus is able to pack in up to an RTX 4070 and Ryzen 9 8945HS, and it manages to keep temperatures in check without excess fan noise. The 2024 Zephyrus G14 is truly the portable powerhouse I’ve been searching for.

Asus went even further, though, packing in one of the most stunning OLED displays we’ve seen on a laptop. It’s almost perfect out of the box, and it comes with a speedy 120Hz refresh rate. Despite all of the changes, the Zephyrus G14 still comes with all of the trimmings that made it a success in the first place — decent battery life, rock-solid build quality, and one of the best keyboards available on a gaming laptop. The 2024 Zephyrus G14 is a radical departure, but it makes the design better in almost every way.