After years of shortages and product delays, the PC industry exploded into action in 2022, unleashing cutting-edge hardware at an astonishing rate. Longer lasting laptops to new generations of AMD and Intel processors to stunning updates to Asus’ minimal ProArt range as well as powerhouse graphics cards capable of pushing pixels harder than ever were all just some examples of what this year brought us.
1. Intel’s Core i9-13900K
Intel’s Core i9-13900K from its 13th Generation “Raptor Lake” series packs an immense amount of performance into a compact package. It easily outpaced AMD Ryzen 9 7950X’s single-core performance on Geekbench 5 and Cinebench R23 benchmarks; meaning it can handle demanding creative workloads without breaking a sweat. When gaming, its high frame rates complement modern GPUs; plus multiple displays can support productivity or immersive gaming setups with ease.
Intel’s heterogeneous multicore processor architecture boasts eight big Raptor Cove cores combined with sixteen small Gracemont cores for an effective multicore experience, which results in superior productivity benchmarks like PugetBench and faster transcoding times with Handbrake, while increasing real-world applications such as Adobe Premiere efficiency. Furthermore, its performance prowess was demonstrated in Valorant at 1080p low settings where Intel scored an overwhelming victory against AMD CPUs; yet for heavy loads the CPU may become overheat so it needs to be coupled with an effective cooling system to prevent overheat under heavy load – thus necessitates proper cooling measures for best results.
2. AMD’s Ryzen 8000G
AMD’s Ryzen 8000G processors are tailored specifically to be used in gaming systems, PCs used for content creation, and general everyday tasks. They feature an innovative combination of larger, more powerful Zen 4 cores with smaller but power-saving Zen 4c cores to maximize performance without increasing power usage.
They are the first desktop processors to feature Radeon’s RDNA3 technology, similar to what can be found in laptops and portable gaming systems like the Asus ROG Ally. Each 8000G chip features up to 12 RDNA3 compute units; though these may not compete directly with modern standalone video cards, they should more than meet most user’s needs.
Gamers should anticipate smooth gameplay at 1080p resolution, the current sweet spot for performance and visual fidelity. Furthermore, Handbrake and LAME MP3 encoding should work reliably when using an 8000G chip; in addition, their compatibility with any motherboard supporting AM5 socket makes them an appealing option for system builders or upgraders seeking to save costs when purchasing hardware components.
3. Asus’ PA602
Asus’ ProArt series used to focus almost solely on colour calibrated monitors, but they have recently expanded it with a case. The PA602 features minimal branding while still boasting some impressive technology within.
The spacious interior of this case can accommodate multiple drives, such as eight 2.5-inch SSDs and four bays compatible with 3.5-inch HDDs. Furthermore, users can easily access components using button-activated side panels or via ASUS’ unique mechanism for adding PCIe add-in cards without using a screwdriver – further minimizing tool requirements and increasing accessibility for users.
The front I/O panel of the PA602 offers one 20Gbps USB Type-C port alongside three USB 3.0 and two USB 2.0 ports to provide future-proof and backward-compatible connectivity with compatible motherboards. In addition, automatic dust detection and an innovative power button design with physical latch to prevent accidental presses make this an excellent solution for creatives looking for an effortless PC experience.
4. Nvidia’s RTX 4090
Nvidia’s RTX 4090 GPU is the premier GPU for PC gamers, boasting remarkable gen-on-gen performance improvements even over its predecessor cards. Powered by an incredible AD102 “Lovelace” graphics processor containing 76.3 billion transistors across 16384 CUDA cores distributed over 128 streaming multiprocessors (SMs). Furthermore, 24GB GDDR6X memory runs over a 384-bit wide bus and supports the latest technologies including DLSS 3, improved tensor cores, and ray tracing.
As is typical with Nvidia products, the RTX 4090 isn’t inexpensive; however it offers tremendous value to PC gamers who can afford it. Cyberpunk 2077 shows how this card can produce amazing ray traced frame rates; more titles will likely support it over time. Unfortunately though, its high price may still put many consumers out of reach; especially given that many were initially intended for China before being banned by authorities.
