Maximum PC

Maximum PC is the magazine that every computer geek, PC gamer, or content creator should read every month. Get Maximum PC digital magazine subscription today for punishing product reviews, thorough how-to articles, and the illuminating technical news and information that PC power users crave. Maximum PC covers every single topic that requires a lightning-fast PC, from video editing and music creation to PC gaming; we write about it all with unbounded enthusiasm for our collective hobby.

Maximum PC

EVER ONWARD

Big Tech Under Fire • Is there too much power in the hands of too few?

ROCKET LAKE READIES • NEW LEAKS EMERGE

APPLE GOING FOR 32 CORES • New incarnations of Apple’s ARM M1 chip

Tech Triumphs and Tragedies • A monthly snapshot of what’s good and bad in tech

LAUNCHED, BUT NOT AVAILABLE • Elusive graphics cards

New Year, New GeForce Cards

Boston Dynamics Sold

New Bitcoin High

CYBERPUNK 2077’S DISMAL LAUNCH • Reality did not match the expectations

Cyberpunk 2077: Time For An Upgrade • THE MOST ANTICIPATED GAME for years, Cyberpunk 2077 provides insight into all the modern complexities of game development. Hundreds of individuals worked for years to bring Night City to life, and while I appreciate much of the end result—despite the bugs and glitches—it’s clear developer and publisher CD Projekt Red made serious mistakes.

DOCTOR • THIS MONTH THE DOCTOR TACKLES…

2021 AWARDS GEAR of the YEAR

THE GRAPHICAL UNION ADDRESS: NOW WITH MORE RAY TRACING • The ray-tracing party is kicking into full swing, with AMD arriving fashionably late. Jarred Walton takes us on the tour

SUBSCRIBE TO MAXIMUM PC • THE GO-TO RESOURCE FOR PC ENTHUSIASTS…

RETRO COMPUTING AHEAD OF ITS TIME • JOHN KNIGHT LOOKS AT WHERE WE’VE COME FROM, AND WHERE WE’RE GOING

TECH PORN PERFORMANCE GEAR LAID BARE • HP S430c 43.4-inch Curved Ultrawide Monitor

THE ULTIMATE GUIDE TO REINSTALLING WINDOWS • Ian Evenden takes on possibly the most boring yet essential task it’s possible to carry out on your PC

LOCAL ACCOUNTS

WINDOWS ACTIVATION

HOW TO STEP-BY-STEP GUIDES TO IMPROVING YOUR PC

IFIXIT presents: AUTOPSY THIS MONTH WE DISSECT…

Tidy Up With Virtual Desktops

Master Hidden Windows Shortcuts

Machine of the Month: Amstrad CPC (1984)

Mirror Maze PC • Get lost in a silent labyrinth of mirrors, nickel, and chrome

Dreaming of the Future © GETTY • Planning for Dream Machine 2021

INDUSTRY INSIDER

Editors’ Picks: Asus RT-AX88U • With its incredible looks, the Asus RT-AX88U also packs some amazing features—but what’s causing the drops?

AMD Radeon RX 6900 XT • Diminishing returns at the top of the product stack

Nvidia GeForce RTX 3060 Ti • The new king of the price-to-performance hill

Asus ROG Crosshair VIII Dark Hero • A Ryzen 5000 series refresh, but does the “Dark” matter?

ViewSonic VP2785-2K • Intriguing alternative for content creation

Phanteks Enthoo Pro 2 • More drives! More drives!

Corsair MP400 2TB • Lots of cache for not much cash

Corsair HS70 Bluetooth • A no-nonsense, versatile headset

SteelSeries Sensei Ten • An old favorite gets a new coat and sensor, but is it enough?

Razer Cynosa V2 • A $60 keyboard from Razer?

Raspberry Pi 400 • Pi inside a keyboard? Yes please

Assassin’s Creed Valhalla • A huge open world that offers runes with a view

Bitdefender vs. Avira • Does paid-for security have the edge over free?

LETTERS WE TACKLE TOUGH READER QUESTIONS ON…

THE BUILDS