We're nearing developer conference season, but before we get there, we've been busy reviewing our little hearts out this past month.
We've found the gems among the many tech products we've given a try this month. They span all the most important established product categories, but also include those tech products that are more off the beaten path. Everything below is stuff we've personally used and reviewed ourselves -- and these ones certainly got our attention this month.
Premium TV sweet spot
LG C2 OLED TV
- Slick new design
- Improved peak brightness
- Excellent black levels
- Solid color accuracy and gamut
- Great for gamers
- Some peak brightness artifacts
- Complex smart TV system
No one thought LG would just roll over and let Samsung step in with its QD-OLED panels without putting up a fight. Even with the screen off, the C2 looks fantastic. It has a nearly bezel-less frame, a space-saving and versatile new stand, and the same incredibly thin side profile the series is known for.
But it's the image quality that counts, right? And here, the LG C2 makes small advances over the previous model, while maintaining the incredible depth of contrast that OLED provides. The Sony A95K may outdo it color accuracy, but it comes with limited sizes available and an insane price, sothe LG C2 OLED still offers the best picture quality you can get for the money. It's that simple.
Click to your heart's content
SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless
- Lightweight for its class
- Sturdy switches
- High customization potential
- Handy CPI toggle
- Competitive price and features
- Button grid can be tricky
- Restrictive USB-C dongle
Looking for a new gaming mouse? Well, good luck. There's a ridiculous amount of similarly featured options out there, and it can boggle the mind trying to narrow it down. Well, if you play MOBA or MMO games, you'll appreciate the extra grid of 12 customizable buttons on this one, the SteelSeries Aerox 9 Wireless.
For a mouse with this many buttons, the 89-gram weight feels incredible. The switches are on point too, making it a top-notch performer. Just make sure your PC has a USB-C port before picking this one up.
Portable, protected storage
Samsung T7 Shield
- Blazing speed
- Light and portable
- AES-256 hardware encryption
- IP65 dust and water resistance
- Can get a little hot
- More expensive than base T7
Samsung's hyper-portable external SSDs are famous for a reason. They're fast, they're tiny, and they're reliable.
The latest addition to the lineup is the T7 Shield, and this one's designed for the photographer or videographer on the go. It's for the shooter who wants both hardware encryption and a durable chassis. Despite having the same blazing-fast SSD as you'll find in the other T7 models, it now also sports an IP65-rated "shield" for protection in outdoor environments. That can be important for creative professionals in certain lines of work, and that makes the T7 Shield one of a kind.
A PC gaming soundbar done right
Razer Leviathan V2
- Easy setup
- Sounds great in games
- Sub provides solid bass
- Clean, attractive look
- Adjustable height and tilt
- Minimal ports
- No headphone jack
- Music still doesn’t sound great
Soundbars for PCs are still a bit of a novelty, especially with the wealth of options available in the world of excellent gaming headsets. A soundbar under your monitor doesn't have the same functional appeal that it might for a television, especially considering how much closer you'll be sitting to it.
The Razer Leviathan V2 uses THX Spatial Audio to remedy this problem -- and in games, it really does sound awesome. You'll get the surround sound feel from just this 2.1 device, and it couldn't be easier to se tup. It's still a bit lacking when listening to music, but if you like the idea of a PC gaming soundbar, the Leviathan V2 is worth checking out.
The fastest gaming CPU in the world
AMD Ryzen 7 5800X3D
- The fastest gaming CPU on the market
- Solid thermal performance
- Works with AM4 motherboards
- Inexpensive
- Low power requirements
- No overclocking
- Lackluster general CPU performance
It doesn't take much to be the fastest gaming CPU in the world. After all, every year, a new processor takes that crown.
But it's how the Ryzen 7 5800X3D defeats its foes that makes it so special. AMD took an older CPU and strapped on more memory using its 3D stacking technology. The result is a chip that's 6.4% faster than the flagship Ryzen 9 5950X. They did all this while keeping the same AM4 footprint and maintaining a reasonable price. What more could you ask for from a flagship PC component in 2022?
More than a pretty light show
Roccat Burst Pro Air
- Tons of RGB
- Good battery life given the tons of RGB
- Phantom Flex cable is top-tier quality
- Heat-treated PTFE feet glide effortlessly
- Excellent optical switches
- Lower DPI and polling rate than its competitors
- Might be a bit heavy for some
We already recommended the SteelSeries Aerox 9 above, but not everyone needs access to a grid of 12 buttons on their gaming mouse. In fact, for most PC gamers, all those buttons are nothing more than a distraction.
That's where an option like the Roccat Burst Pro Air comes in. It has great performance, really comfortable optical switches, and even heat-treated PTFE feet. It all adds up to a heavenly gaming experience, especially if you're someone who can appreciate some really unique RGB lighting that shines through between your fingers as you play.
