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Jacob Roach

Jacob Roach

Lead Reporter, PC Hardware

Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from graphics cards to processors to PC cases, Jacob also leads the ReSpec column and newsletter that covers the intersection of PC hardware and gaming. If it's something you can plug into a gaming PC, there's a good chance Jacob has used it.

Although Jacob is interested in just about anything in or around a PC, he's currently reporting on graphics cards, PC game optimization, and gaming monitors. At Digital Trends, he's dug deep on the untold origins of the Steam Deck, uncovered the truth behind poor PC port optimization, and broke the story on Microsoft's Bing Chat going off the rails.

Before joining Digital Trends, Jacob contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and PC Invasion, among various other outlets. Jacob has been a guest on TWiT and NBC, and his work has been cited in Fox News, Futurism, and Business Insider.

As if tinkering with the latest PC hardware wasn't enough, Jacob spends most of his free time living the PC gamer life he writes about so frequently. That includes playing the latest games, but also poking around on his PC to see what he can break, just to see how it works. When he gets a moment to step outside and "touch grass," Jacob enjoys tabletop games, wandering the shops of St. Louis, and forcing his lazy Corgi onto walks.

Clive fighting an enemy in Final Fantasy 16.

Final Fantasy XVI already runs incredibly on PC, but there’s one problem

Final Fantasy XVI is finally coming to PC, and the opening hours of the demo already showcase a robust PC port.
A character shoots stormtroopers in Star Wars Outlaws.

I wish more games did this with their PC requirements

Star Wars Outlaws has a long list of PC requirements, and they include a slew of helpful notes that we've never seen before.
The Tube T31 SSD on a pink background.

This flash drive became the Swiss army knife of my gaming setup

This external SSD looks like a flash drive, but performs like an SSD, and it's turned into a jack-of-all-trades for my gaming needs.
AMD CEO holding a Ryzen 7000 processor.

AMD has nothing to lose, and that’s the problem

AMD has been on a tear since the release of its original Ryzen CPUs, but its latest Ryzen 9000 chips are an odd bump in the road.
The Ryzen 9 9950X socketed in a motherboard.

I tested the Ryzen 9 9950X against the Core i9-14900K, and it isn’t pretty

AMD's new Ryzen 9 9950X didn't provide the performance gains we expected, and Intel's Core i9-14900K is surprisingly competitive.
An Alienware monitor sitting on a desk.

I’ve never seen a gaming monitor like Alienware’s latest

Alienware has a new 4K gaming monitor, and it does something we've never seen before from a gaming display.
The Ryzen 9 9900X sitting on its box.

No one is buying AMD’s new Zen 5 CPUs, and it’s painfully obvious why

Early sales numbers for AMD's Zen 5 CPUs show that the new generation of chips is off to a bumpy start.
The Ryzen 9 9950X between someone's fingertips.

AMD Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X review: not for gamers

AMD's new Ryzen 9 9950X and Ryzen 9 9900X move performance forward, but not enough to justify buying them over cheaper last-gen options.
black myth wukong benchmark

This new game will make your gaming PC sweat

The upcoming Black Myth: Wukong now has an official benchmarking tool, and it will push your PC to its limits.
Cyberpunk 2077 running on the LG UltraGear Dual Mode OLED.

My favorite Steam app can now quadruple your frame rate

Lossless Scaling is diving into insanity with a new update that can quadruple your frame rate. I tested it.
CPU pads on the AMD Ryzen 7 9700X.

Millions of AMD chips are being ignored in major security flaw fix

A major security flaw impacting hundreds of millions of AMD CPUs is making the rounds, but AMD won't be patching all of the affected processors.
intel downfall hurts everyone dt respec

Intel’s downfall hurts everyone

Intel is having a really rough time right now, but it's bad news for CPUs as a whole if the company fails.
apex legends system override collection deja loot crypto

Is Apex Legends cross-platform?

Apex Legends is one of the best free-to-play games and a top-tier battle royale title — obviously you'll want to play with all your friends.
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D held between fingertips.

AMD’s last-gen CPU is still the king of gaming

AMD's new Ryzen 7 9700X is impressive, but it can't dethrone the legendary Ryzen 7 7800X3D when it comes to gaming.
Two versions of the PS5 side by side.

How to use an external hard drive on PS5

Even with all the upgrades the PS5 has, it doesn't come with a larger hard drive. In this tutorial, we show you how to use an external hard drive on PS5.
PC power supply in a case.

Decades of PC building advice was just overturned

The 80 Plus certification has been the marker of a quality power supply for decades, but it's slowly biting the dust.
The Ryzen 5 7600X sitting among thermal paste and RAM.

I tested the Ryzen 5 9600X against the best budget gaming CPU — here’s the winner

AMD's new Ryzen 5 9600X wants to be the next go-to budget gaming CPU, but it doesn't manage to beat the old guard.
The Arc A770 graphics card running in a PC.

Intel’s highly anticipated new graphics card is releasing before the end of the year

A conference held by Intel and Asus reportedly confirmed the release date of Battlemage graphics cards, and it's coming up quickly.
best free ps4 games dauntless to play

The best free PC games

Looking for a high-quality game that won't break the bank? Look no further than this list of the best free-to-play PC games that you can start playing today.
The AMD Ryzen 5 9600X between two finger tips.

AMD’s new Ryzen 9000 CPUs are only cheaper in spirit

AMD technically lowered the price of its new Ryzen 9000 CPUs, but the price you'll pay is a much different story.
The AMD Ryzen 7 9700X installed in a motherboard.

AMD Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X review: an odd start to an exciting generation

AMD is finally introducing its Zen 5 architecture with the Ryzen 5 9600X and Ryzen 7 9700X, and the improvements are huge.
Intel Core i5-13600K installed in a motherboard.

Intel is finally stepping up on its instability fiasco

Intel is finally providing details on its extended warranty for 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs. Here are all of the details.
The Falcon NW Talon on a table in an office.

Nvidia is giving away a $4,690 gaming PC for free

Nvidia is giving away a monster of a gaming PC, and you don't have to do much to win the $4,690 behemoth.
The RTX 3060 installed in a computer.

Nvidia’s most popular graphics card just bit the dust

Nvidia's most popular graphics card, the RTX 3060, is reportedly being discontinued despite is prominence inside gaming PCs.
OLED demo on the Asus ROG PG27AQDM.

The 10 best monitors for 2024: tested and reviewed

Only a handful of displays stand out as the best monitors. These are the ones that deserve your attention and investment.
RTX 3080 graphics cards among other GPUs.

12 best graphics cards of 2024: the GPUs I’d recommend for any gaming PC

After reviewing all of the GPUs Nvidia, AMD, and Intel have to offer, here are the best graphics cards for your gaming PC in 2024.
The iMac screen on a desk.

12 best desktop computers of 2024: tested and reviewed

We've tested dozens of desktop computers in 2024, but these are the only 12 you should pay attention to when you go to buy.
Intel Arc A770 GPU installed in a test bench.

Intel Battlemage GPU rumors: everything we know so far

We've known about Intel's Battlemage graphics cards for a few years, but in 2024, some more detailed rumors are emerging.
RX 7900 XTX installed in a test bench.

AMD’s new feature doubled my frame rate with a single click

AMD has a new feature for its graphics cards called AFMF 2, and after taking it out for a spin, I'm shocked by the quality.

MSI Claw review (updated): faster but not better

The MSI Claw shows some promise with its quality build and speakers, but there are far too many problems for it to earn a recommendation.
An Intel Meteor Lake processor socketed in a motherboard.

Laptops are compromising for AI, and we have nothing to show for it

Dedicated AI processors are now a mainstay in laptops, despite the fact that there isn't much of a use for them right now.
Nvidia CEO Jensen in front of a background.

The U.S. government is investigating Nvidia over AI dominance

The U.S. Department of Justice is officially investigating Nvidia's dominance over the AI chip market.
Intel Core i9-13900K held between fingertips.

Intel might get slapped with a class-action lawsuit

Intel's instability problem is only getting more pronounced, with a law firm now investigating a potential class-action lawsuit.
The Steam Deck OLED sitting in a case.

Careful — the new Jackbox game is corrupting Steam Decks

A popular new game can corrupt your Steam Deck and render it unusable immediately after being installed.