Skip to main content
  1. Home
  2. ReSpec

ReSpec

Previous
12Archive
A PC sitting next to a PS5 on a coffee table.

I built a couch gaming PC that puts the PS5 to shame — and you can too

You haven't been able to beat the PS5 with a custom PC for a couple of years, but now is the time for PCs to make a comeback. Here's the build you need.
Jacob Roach
A gaming monitor playing Forza Horizon 5.

Gaming monitors have been lying to us, and it’s time they stopped

Gaming monitors have been marketed with misleading specs and branding for years. Here's where I want to see gaming displays do better in 2023.
Jacob Roach
The RTX 4080 graphics card on a pink background.

We’re not in a GPU shortage, but it sure feels like one

The GPU shortage that plagued graphics cards for nearly two years is over, and it has been for a while. But high GPU prices still have the same effect.
Jacob Roach
best worst technical pc games 2022 respec featured

These are the best 2022 games to test your PC with — and which to avoid

2022 brought some big technical hits and some big technical messes on PC. Here's the best and worst PC releases we saw this year from a technical perspective.
Jacob Roach
portal rtx most demanding game ive tested respec featured

Here’s why Portal RTX is the most demanding PC game I’ve ever tested

Portal RTX may look like a quant remaster, but that couldn't be further from the truth. It's one of the most demanding games available today.
Jacob Roach
The RX 7900 XTX sitting on display.

If AMD’s RX 7900 XTX claims are true, Nvidia could be in big trouble

AMD finally revealed more about the RX 7900 XTX and RX 7900 XT, so we threw the competing RTX 4080 into the test bench to see how it could stack up.
Jacob Roach
Cable management on the Samsung Odyssey Neo G8.

Why DisplayPort 2.1 could become a big deal for PC gaming in 2023

DisplayPort 2.1 has become a major talking point on the heels of AMD's RX 7900 XTX announcement, and for good reason.
Jacob Roach
A gaming laptop with the ReSpec brand over it.

Are Windows 11 security features killing your gaming performance? You might be surprised

Windows 11's security features kill your gaming performance, right? Microsoft brought this year-old issue back up, and we think it is high time to revisit it.
Jacob Roach
dont buy rtx 4090 release day hype respec

Why you shouldn’t buy the RTX 4090 on release day

Don't worry about getting your F5 key ready for the RTX 4090 release. It will likely sell out, but we aren't headed for another two years of high GPU prices.
Jacob Roach
Microsoft Flight Simulator with the ReSpec logo.

How Nvidia’s DLSS 3 works (and why AMD FSR can’t catch up for now)

Nvidia's new DLSS 3 has a lot going on. We break down how it works and why AMD's FSR can't catch up, at least for the time being.
Jacob Roach
DDR5 RAM installed in a PC with the ReSpec logo.

DDR5 can improve PC gaming performance, but it’s still a useless upgrade

DDR5 will soon be the new standard for PC gaming, but should you spring for more speed when you upgrade? Some gamers may want to, but most shouldn't.
Jacob Roach
time to upgrade gaming cpu read this first respec

Think it’s time to upgrade your gaming CPU? Read this first

Intel and AMD are expected to launch new generations of processors in the coming weeks, but should gamers care? We break down everything you need to know.
Jacob Roach
why playing marvel spider man on amd gpu disappoints respec featured

Why playing Marvel’s Spider-Man on an AMD GPU is such a disappointment

Marvel's Spider-Man launched with support for AMD's FSR 2.0, and the game shows a side of the upscaling tech we haven't seen before.
Jacob Roach
nvidia dlss isnt magic and this fsr hack proves it respec

Nvidia DLSS isn’t magic, and this FSR hack proves it

A modder discovered how to hack FSR 2.0 into DLSS games, and it reveals just how similar the two are after all.
Jacob Roach
why xbox quick resume still hasnt come to pc quickresume respec featured image

Microsoft explains why Xbox’s best feature still hasn’t come to PC

Since the launch of the Xbox Series X and Windows 11, one feature has been missing for PC gamers: Quick Resume. And unfortunately, it likely won't arrive soon.
Jacob Roach
A hand grabbing the RTX 3090 Ti graphics card with Respec series logo in front.

Stop worrying so much about benchmarks when buying a new GPU

It all comes down to performance when picking your next graphics card, right? Not exactly. Here's how GPU benchmarks can mislead upgrades.
Jacob Roach
revolutionary pc gaming tech devs ignoring vrs respec featured image

Developers are ignoring this revolutionary PC gaming tech, and it’s not DLSS

DLSS and FSR have sucked up the limelight in PC gaming performance, but another feature has been lurking in the background, largely ignored by developers.
Jacob Roach
Elden Ring on an HDR gaming monitor.

The sad, misleading, and embarrassing state of HDR in PC gaming

HDR in PC games has been the source of problems for four years now, and we've made shockingly little progress. But there may finally be a way out.
Jacob Roach
A power supply in front of the ReSpec logo.

The decade of ignoring your gaming PC’s power supply is over

For around a decade, there hasn't been a reason to go beyond a 750W power supply in a gaming PC. But that's changing, and it's important to upgrade soon.
Jacob Roach
A Lenovo Legion 5i Pro sitting on a shelf.

Gaming laptops are lying to us, and no one seems to care

Most gaming PCs are defined by their specs, but not gaming laptops. Even with the same graphics card, some laptops just don't perform the way they should.
Jacob Roach
ReSpec series intro featured image.

ReSpec: A column about the complex, glorious tech behind PC gaming

ReSpec is a new biweekly column on Digital Trends covering the latest PC gaming hardware and technologies so you can better navigate the games you play.
Jacob Roach
Someone holding the Ryzen 7 5800X3D in a red light.

It’s time for PC gamers to reckon with cache, and AMD is leading the way

What does a little extra cache do for your gaming PC? Quite a bit, it turns out. We take a technical deep dive into AMD's 3D V-Cache technology.
Jacob Roach
Previous
12Archive
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.