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Rigged Up

Build guides, component reviews, buying advice for DIY PC builders and upgraders

Rigged Up
Build guides, component reviews, buying advice for DIY PC builders and upgraders

Latest Stories

Asus ProArt GeForce RTX 5090 32GB GDDR7 OC Edition Review: The Ultimate Creator Card

4.5 Editors' Choice

Asus’ ProArt GeForce RTX 5090 is an exceptionally powerful graphics card for AI development or content creation work—and, oh yeah, games. Tasks optimized for GPU acceleration will benefit from this supercard's peak computational horsepower and 32GB of memory.

$4,499.99
at B&H Photo Video
Asus ProArt GeForce RTX 5090 32GB GDDR7 OC Edition

The Best Gaming PCs for 2026

You can't buy a more powerful gaming platform than a tricked-out desktop. Here's everything you need to know, part by part, to pick the right prebuilt gaming PC, plus current favorites culled from PC Labs' top-rated reviews.

By Matthew Buzzi
Corsair Vengeance A5100 PC

NZXT H6 RGB Plus Review: Lots of Fans and Curve Appeal

4.0

The NZXT H6 RGB+ is a feature-packed, thermal-performance powerhouse of an ATX case. Its seven fans, curved glass, and rounded lines make for a stunning, if pricey, foundation for a high-visibility build.

$199.99
at Amazon
By Thomas Soderstrom
The NZXT H6 RGB+

Lian Li Vector V150 INF Review: Mirrors and Magic in MicroATX Form

4.0 Editors' Choice

For a bargain price, Lian Li’s Vector V150 INF delivers premium thermal performance, high-speed I/O, and a head-turning infinity-mirror face in a well-composed MicroATX chassis.

$90.49
at Amazon
By Thomas Soderstrom
The Lian Li Vector V150 INF

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition Review: The Ultimate 3D V-Cache Chip for Creators, Not Gamers

3.5

AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X3D2 Dual Edition is a powerful AM5 desktop CPU with excellent performance in content creation workloads and games, but its high price makes it hard to justify for gaming alone.

$889.00
at Amazon
AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D2

Lian Li x DAN Cases B4-mATX Review: This MicroATX Chassis Is a Real Shape-Shifter

4.0

Strong value, clever modularity, and fine build quality for the money make the Lian Li x DAN Cases B4-mATX collaboration a standout MicroATX chassis—provided you plan your component clearances and cable routing carefully.

$73.51
at Amazon
By Thomas Soderstrom
The Lian Li × DAN Cases B4-mATX in both layouts

Cooler Master Q300L V3 Review: Unbeatable Value for MicroATX Builds

4.5 Editors' Choice

At a tidy $44.99 MSRP, Cooler Master’s Q300L V3 MicroATX PC case packs the modularity and flexibility of models twice its price. It’s the best-value extreme-budget chassis you can buy today.

$39.99
at Amazon
By Thomas Soderstrom
The Cooler Master Q300L V3

AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D vs. Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus: AMD Wins Games, Intel Wins Everything Else

One CPU tops the gaming charts. The other crushes it in productivity, integrated graphics, and overall value. Here's why Intel's Core Ultra 5 250K Plus is the smarter buy for most PCs—and when the popular Ryzen 7 9850X3D makes sense.

AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D vs. Intel Core Ultra 5 250K Plus

These 4 DIY Builds Blow Away Valve's Steam Machine, and One Saves You $150

Valve's long-awaited Steam Machine is finally here, but it's not as affordable as anyone had hoped. I've pieced together parts to help you build four alternative PCs that are cheaper, punchier, or both.

Valve Steam Machine and Cooler Master Master Case NR200P

SilverStone FLP03 Review: Build a Beige Box That Actually Rocks

3.5

SilverStone’s retro-styled FLP03 MicroATX PC case stands out for its ‘90s beige-box look and wide range of build options. It’s a flexible, nifty, but pricey walk down PC memory lane.

$179.99
at SilverStone Tek
By Thomas Soderstrom
The SilverStone FLP03

AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D Review: Zen 4 Strikes Back at Intel With a Glancing Blow

3.0

The AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D is a capable desktop processor for a dedicated gaming PC, but its older design and lackluster CPU performance make it tough to recommend more broadly.

$329.00
at AMD
AMD Ryzen 7 7700X3D

Samsung SSD 990 Review: An M.2 With Mojo, But Perplexing Pricing

3.5

Samsung's SSD 990 M.2 drive delivers on-point PCI Express 4.0 performance, solid management software, and robust security, but its lofty launch pricing leaves us pining for a markdown.

$199.99
at Amazon
By Tony Hoffman
Samsung SSD 990

The Best Cheap SSDs for 2026

Still booting from a hard drive? Storage prices may be rising, but these budget-minded solid-state drives will give your poky PC a big speed boost. We've tested dozens; these are the best.

By Tony Hoffman
WD Blue SN5100

Corsair Frame 4000D Wood RS (2026) Review: Grain Expectations

4.0 Editors' Choice

Corsair's modular Frame PC case platform comes into its own with the Frame 4000D Wood RS, which bundles premium looks, on-point cooling, and serious upgrade flexibility at a surprisingly reasonable price.

$109.99
at Amazon
By Thomas Soderstrom
The Corsair Frame 4000D Wood RS (2026)

The Best Graphics Cards for Compact PCs in 2026

Outfitting a compact PC for 4K and VR, or a tiny budget tower for 1080p gaming? These are our favorite Nvidia GeForce, AMD Radeon, and Intel Arc graphics cards that come in smaller sizes for your next PC build or upgrade.

The Best Graphics Cards for Compact PCs

The Best M.2 SSDs (Solid State Drives) for 2026

Today's fastest internal SSDs come in the super-small "gumstick" M.2 format. Here's how to buy the right M.2 SSD, along with deep-dive reviews of today's top models.

By Tony Hoffman & John Burek
Corsair MP700 Pro SE

The Best Motherboards for 2026

Building a desktop PC, or upgrading an aging one? Here's all you need to know about choosing the right motherboard—plus, our top tested picks in boards for the latest AMD and Intel CPU platforms.

Motherboard assortment

The Best CPUs for 2026

Whether you're upgrading your desktop PC or building a new one, choosing the right processor is the most crucial and complex choice you will make. Let's simplify it! Here's how to make sense of AMD's and Intel's lines, backed by dozens of our deep-dive reviews.

 Intel Core i9-9900K

Fractal Design Pop 2 Vision Review: Elegance Under Glass

4.0

The design, materials, and performance of Fractal Design’s ATX-format Pop 2 Vision suggest a PC case that should cost 30% to 40% more than it does.

$99.99
at Amazon
By Thomas Soderstrom
The Fractal Design Pop 2 Vision

The AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D Is Back From the Dead, But I Wish It Wasn't

At Computex, AMD introduced a new 3D V-Cache desktop processor and resurrected an old one. Here's why you should think carefully before buying either one.

AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D