Debating the year's top hardware selections remains an enjoyable tradition. In 2025, hosts Brad Chacos, Adam Patrick Murray, Will Smith, and Alaina Yee dove into the challenging task of selecting their preferred PC components.
This yearly ritual on The Full Nerd features unexpected developments, particularly due to differing personal criteria for excellence. However, various challenging industry factors—such as tariffs, AI influences, and rising memory prices—shaped the conversations. Compared to previous years, coalitions developed more slowly and stances evolved with greater flexibility. Discussions were less heated, and no appeals to ethical standards were needed. The group clearly identified both positive advancements and negative developments in hardware.
The panel engaged in more civil exchanges this time. They united to commemorate Gordon Mah Ung, the originator and longtime host of The Full Nerd, by introducing a dedicated award category. Overall, the participants departed content with the outcomes, for the most part.
(Note: These selections differ from PCWorld’s candidates for the year's leading PC hardware and software. The 'Nerdies,' as these awards are known, are determined solely by the Full Nerd team and emphasize enthusiast-oriented technologies. To watch the show live, subscribe to the Full Nerd YouTube channel.)
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As regular audience members might anticipate, the hosts adjusted the award categories modestly for 2025. They broadened the 'accessory' category to encompass both peripherals and internal parts. Additionally, as noted earlier, the team created a fresh category to pay tribute to Gordon, capturing his enthusiasm for technologies that drive progress, regardless of their specificity or broad use.
The categories debated by the panel this year included:
For those who view 'best' as components that challenge limits, AMD's groundbreaking Ryzen AI Max+ 395 (also called Strix Halo) emerged as the standout central processing unit. Although limited to certain devices, it demonstrated that processors with built-in graphics can rival standalone graphics cards effectively.
Processors like Strix Halo, and those to follow, may reshape ideas about optimal gaming desktop configurations. AMD integrated a Radeon graphics unit into this mobile chip that matches the capabilities of Nvidia's RTX 4070 or 5070, supported by up to 128GB of onboard memory.
Consequently, products featuring the AI Max+ 395, such as the Framework desktop and ASUS ROG Flow Z13, excelled in gaming while introducing innovative designs with unprecedented power. The Flow Z13, for instance, transforms a tablet-style laptop into a superior gaming device compared to typical tablets. While Adam highlighted its potential for portable gaming systems, the full team foresaw widespread impact. Brad suggested Nvidia's collaboration with Intel partly aimed to counter this development.
Even though Will pushed strongly for the Tegra T239 (the SoC in the Switch 2) as the premier graphics processor, the conversation soon centered on key releases from Nvidia and AMD for PCs. Unlike the calmer competition in CPUs, these leading GPU producers intensified their efforts, with Nvidia unveiling its powerful 50-series cards and AMD responding with its formidable 9000-series line.
In the end, AMD's Radeon RX 9070 XT claimed the top GPU honor, edging out discussions around the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090's extraordinary power and the RTX 5070 Ti's balance of speed, cost-effectiveness, and stock levels. AMD secured its second win of 2025 thanks to the 9070 XT's impressive performance and significant improvements in FidelityFX Super Resolution upscaling.
Admittedly, FSR Redstone lacks the refinement of Nvidia's established DLSS technology. Yet AMD gained favor with the judges through superior Linux compatibility. While 2025 may not officially mark the breakthrough year for Linux, the platform is undoubtedly gaining prominence.
Certain add-ons for a PC can make high-end components feel unnecessary, while others amplify the pleasure of top-tier gear.
The 2025 winner in the component or accessory category exemplifies the latter, offering exceptional appeal. Despite its tricky name, MSI's MPG 272URX QD-OLED monitor sets new standards as one of the initial 4K OLED panels with a 240Hz refresh rate, combining vibrant visuals with seamless motion. It represents a peak in high-speed 4K displays, praised by reviewers as ideal for gaming, productivity, HDR video, and design applications alike.
Runners-up included the ASUS ROG Falcata, a premium ready-to-use ergonomic mechanical keyboard, and SilverStone's FLP-02 case, evoking nostalgic 1990s aesthetics with its beige finish.
The long-joked-about surge in Linux popularity began to materialize by year's end. (The team even posed the question 'Is 2025 Linux's year?' during a visit to a Micro Center launch with fellow enthusiasts.)
Several factors converged to create this shift. The end of Windows 10 support drove users toward alternatives, given Windows 11's resource demands and issues with legacy hardware. More accessible distributions for beginners have appeared. Crucially, the community has grown more welcoming, with supportive influences dominating discussions to ease entry for newcomers.
This change was evident in The Full Nerd's Discord community, boosted by Linux enthusiasts from the Dual Boot Diaries series. These recent additions have enriched interactions, sharing expertise and distribution recommendations for all levels of users.
In the prior year, the panel named 'enshittification'—a term for declining product quality—as the most negative trend, largely fueled by AI's pervasive integration across applications and services.
One might claim that AI systems and features advanced in 2025. While some progress occurred, it fell short of resolving inconsistent results, software glitches, or overall degradation in everyday tools. (Worse still, users increasingly pay for services that leverage their information to refine AI.)
Of greater worry, AI has accelerated a sharp drop in PC hardware affordability and availability, especially for memory components, whose costs have surged dramatically. This raises doubts about the PC's traditional model, with concerns over assembly, upgrades, and pricing in the near future. The prospect of technology reverting to exclusivity for the affluent is disturbing.
For years, PC gaming enthusiasts measured performance by frame rates alone—the raw output from a graphics card per second. Lately, however, both developers and players have adopted more nuanced evaluations. This aligns with Gordon's detailed, analytical approach to technology.
From enabling Nvidia's multi-frame generation to using tools that detect subtle frame inconsistencies in games, redefining quality gaming metrics suits Gordon's style of in-depth exploration. He likely would have advocated for these evolving methods personally.
As mentioned, this Full Nerd episode covers the 2025 hardware showdown in detail, but the summary omits the dynamic exchanges and unexpected partnerships. It also skips humorous remarks, like those from Will Smith. For instance:
Adam: Okay, explain why the 5090 is 2025's top GPU. Will: It's incredibly quick, Adam.
View the complete episode (including the pre-show) for additional lively moments. Ties weren't settled by audience input—despite lingering grudges from Brad over past instances—but enjoyment prevailed amid the year's challenges.
Look forward to two streams next week! (See details in the closing note.)
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For ongoing hardware conversations, join our Discord server—a welcoming space for relaxed tech discussions.
Experts predict laptops will soon mirror memory shortages and price hikes. Reduced customization choices loom, and even DDR4-supporting CPUs like the AMD 5800X3D have become expensive due to RAM's ripple effects.
It's unexpected to hope for increased production of AMD's Zen 3 processors, but circumstances demand it.
Mark your calendars for next Monday's special: a tribute stream for Gordon at approximately 11 a.m. Pacific, featuring a multi-hour variety format with building sessions, conversations, and more! 🍕
On Tuesday, the team will review their 2025 forecasts. Will prepared twice as many predictions as others, and accuracy checks await.
This newsletter honors the legacy of Gordon Mah Ung, founder and host of The Full Nerd, and PCWorld's hardware executive editor.
With 14 years in tech and gaming journalism, Alaina Yee contributes to PCWorld on diverse subjects. Joining in 2016, she has covered processors, Windows, system assembly, Chrome, Raspberry Pi, and beyond, while spotting deals (#slickdeals). Her current emphasis is cybersecurity, guiding online protection. Previous publications include PC Gamer, IGN, Maximum PC, and Official Xbox Magazine.