It is true that it is a huge box, very heavy and also very expensive (we are talking about about 320 euros for a box), but without a doubt if you do not have budget problems and you want a box in which you can change the internal hardware every two for three without consideration, it is a safe investment.
ASUS ROG STRIX Z790-E Gaming WIFI II, what a great game!
Although I honestly don't get too many motherboards through my hands throughout the year, in view of the new generation of Intel processors ASUS sent me this ROG STRIX Z790-E Gaming WIFI II, and although until now I used it in the test bench a Z690 HERO that is not at all short, left me amazed for many reasons, but especially for its enormous expandability.
And not only is it a top-of-the-range board with high features, it comes with everything you may need now and in the coming years in terms of connectivity, with a myriad of USB, M.2 sockets for SSD (including PCIe 5.0) everywhere, all with their own heatsink, factory WiFi… a delight, although it is also a fairly expensive board, all things considered, since we are talking about more than 500 euros for a board. Now, it is future proof and with its quality it will last a lifetime, or almost.
Corsair Dominator Titanium RGB, a luxurious DDR5
We move on to RAM memory, one of those PC components that for many go unnoticed because it is almost something “of battle.” In this regard, Corsair is a manufacturer with a lot of depth and that usually does things quite well, especially with its high-end which until now was made up of the Dominator Platinum family. However, when they contacted me to offer to analyze the new Dominator Titanium they really surprised me, because I did not expect them to launch a product on the market superior to what they already had.
It is no longer just the performance (which also depends on the speed you choose) or its ability to overclock, what surprised me most when testing this product was the quality, simply and simply superior. Maybe it is a bit “posh” to spend what these RAMs are worth when literally for half the price you have other RAMs with similar performance, but we must keep in mind that they are designed for those who are looking for “the best of the best” , and of course they comply.
The AMD 7950X3D is the processor of the year for me
Although Intel has launched its 14th Generation of Core processors and we tested the Core i9-14900K and were impressed by its performance, I have to say that the AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D surprised me much more in terms of efficiency and performance, and it is that Its Zen 4 architecture that improves the IPC by up to 13% compared to Zen 3 and the “magic” of the 3D V-Cache for games are a combination that, in short, works very well.
Of course, I also have to say one thing that I didn't like about this processor, but that is common in all the latest Lisa Su processors: that shape of its IHS is horrible for applying and cleaning the thermal paste. Hopefully the next processors will return to a regular IHS that will make life easier for us hardware analysts who change heatsinks every now and then and for hardware enthusiasts who do the same.
The Radeon RX 7800 XT reaches 1440p gaming for all audiences
Another of the PC components that has surprised us the most in 2023 has been the Radeon RX 7800 XT from AMD. They launched it on the market along with its little sister, the 7700 fact that AMD managed to put in the hands of users a graphics card that can really do everything at 1440p resolution and at a reasonable price.
Furthermore, one of the bad things about its competition (the NVIDIA RTX 40 Series) is that they have enormous graphics and that they also require the new 12VHPWR connector of the PCIe 5.0 standard, two factors that, in addition to their high price, have kept them away from many users. This RX 7800 XT from AMD is much more user friendly in the sense that it has a much more modest size and that it uses the standard 8-pin PCIe connectors that everyone has. And let's be honest, it costs 200 euros less than its NVIDIA counterpart.
be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5, a MAXIMUM heatsink
The next hardware component that has surprised us the most this year is by no means the best heatsink on the market, although it is certainly among the 10 best; It's about be quiet! Dark Rock Pro 5, the evolution of the Dark Rock Pro 4 that not only improves performance considerably, but is aesthetically much prettier, easier to install and, on top of that, is quieter.
Of course, it is a heatsink with a double tower and double fan design that, due to its size, is not compatible with all cases on the market (you need a case of generous dimensions, but in our case we tested it on a Corsair 4000D, which is a medium sized midi box and fits without problem). On the other hand, a point in its favor is that if we compare it with its contenders in the TOP range of air coolers, it is not too expensive.
These are the PC components that have impressed us the most during this year 2023; We must say that we have been choosing different categories of PC components and to complete a computer we would need at least a power supply and SSD, but in these two types of components the truth is that during this year there has not been any product that has especially impressed. Yes, there have been good launches like the Corsair MP700 Pro, a PCIe 5.0 SSD with impressive performance… but it was more or less what we expected from it and it's not that it surprised us at all.
What do you think of our choice? Have you tried any PC components this year that impressed you for the better? Tell us in the comments.