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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.

intel instability unanswered questions dt respec

I grilled Intel about its massive stability problem — here’s what it told me

Intel needs to provide answers for the instability on 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs. I grilled the company, and here's what it told me.
Computing Features
A hand holds the Intel Core i9-12900KS.

Gamers are flocking to return Intel CPUs — and some are permanently damaged

A retailer has gone on the record about Intel's instability problems and claims high return rates for 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs.
Computing News

The best Wii U games of all time

The Wii U always struggled to find an audience, but despite that, it has an excellent lineup of games. Here are our picks for the best Wii U games of all time.
Gaming Guides
The AMD Ryzen CPU and Radeon GPU stickers on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 2022 laptop.

AMD might miss the big upgrade for next-gen gaming laptops

A new detail about AMD's upcoming Fire Range CPUs should make upgrades easier, but it could create some issues in next-gen gaming laptops.
Computing News
Ghost of Tsushima running on the Asus ROG Ally X.

The ROG Ally X is making it hard to pick up my Steam Deck

The ROG Ally X is a massive improvement over the original, even if its price tag is a bit hard to swallow given the competition.
Computing Reviews
A hand holding AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X.

AMD is already recalling — and delaying — its Ryzen 9000 CPUs

Following a couple of weeks of silence, AMD has confirmed it's delaying its Ryzen 9000 CPUs and recalling the initial shipment.
Computing News
The ROG Ally X with the back shell removed.

How to replace the SSD in the ROG Ally X in a few minutes

You can replace the SSD inside the ROG Ally X in just a few minutes, and in this guide, we'll show you how we did it.
Computing Guides
Intel processors next to each other.

Intel ‘disgustingly’ rejected some faulty CPU returns, YouTuber says

Intel has addressed the instability issue on its 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs, but a YouTuber says the problem goes deeper.
Computing News
Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 GPU.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090 review: the best way to waste $1,600

If you have $1,600 just lying around, the RTX 4090 is a game-changing GPU. Most people don't, which is where things get tricky for the RTX 4090.
Computing Reviews
Steam Deck held between two hands.

The best handheld gaming PCs you can buy

We've seen a surge in new handheld gaming PCs over the past year, but which should you buy? We've rounded up the best handheld gaming PCs.
Computing Products
The Ryzen 7 7800X3D installed in a motherboard.

AMD’s new Ryzen 9000 CPU gets beaten by an unexpected rival

AMD's 12-core Ryzen 9 9900X has been tested, and a last-gen CPU puts it to shame when it comes to games.
Computing News
Promo art for Super Mario Galaxy 2.

The best Wii games of all time

Nintendo shook up the gaming world with the Wii and its unique control scheme. Here are our picks for the best Wii games.
Gaming Guides
asus rog ally x review 07

I put the new ROG Ally X up against the original ROG Ally

How does Asus' new ROG Ally X gaming handheld stack up against its predecessors? Find everything you need to know in our comparison guide.
Computing Guides
Intel's 14900K CPU socketed in a motherboard.

Intel breaks silence on disastrous instability problem

Intel has finally narrowed down the cause of instability on 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs, but we still don't have a fix.
Computing News
Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck sitting next to each other.

Asus ROG Ally vs. Steam Deck: here’s how they compare

Both versions of Asus' ROG Ally are here now, so how do they compare to the Steam Deck? We put all three devices head-to-head.
Computing Products
The back of the Nvidia RTX 4080 Super graphics card.

We have bad news about the RTX 5090

A well-known hardware leaker suggests that Nvidia's RTX 5090 won't show up this year, countering several rumors.
Computing News
solving pc gamings launcher problem launchers featured 1

How I fixed the most annoying part of PC gaming

You have to get through half a dozen launchers to access all of your games on PC, and it's the most annoying part of PC gaming. Here's how I fixed it.
Computing Features
southwest airlines engine failure one fatality april 17 2018 boeing 737 700 shark week

A Windows version from 1992 is saving Southwest’s butt right now

Southwest hasn't been impacted by the CrowdStrike outage, and that's reportedly because it's still running Windows 3.1.
Computing News
Intel Core i5-13600K installed in a motherboard.

The best Intel processors for 2024

Intel's best processors might pull a lot of power, but they're also super powerful. Here are the best Intel CPUs to buy in 2024.
Computing Products
A hand holding AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X.

AMD just snatched the performance crown, even with an impaired Ryzen 9 9950X

An early sample of AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X has been tested, and it already manages to beat the Intel Core i9-14900KS.
Computing News
The Asus ROG NUC 970 sitting on a table.

Asus ROG NUC 970 review: an impossibly small PC

The Asus ROG NUC 970 is an impossibly small desktop, but looking closer at the performance reveals why it's so tiny.
Computing Reviews
Nvidia introducing its Blackwell GPU architecture at GTC 2024.

This toolkit just upended Nvidia’s dominance over pro GPUs

The new Scale toolkit promises to be a drop-in replacement for Nvidia CUDA, and that could have major implications.
Computing News
The AMD Ryzen 9 7950X3D installed in a motherboard.

AMD has a new motherboard, but you should avoid it at all costs

AMD is introducing the B840 motherboard chipset, which sounds like a slightly downgraded version of B850. It cuts a major feature, however.
Computing News
Someone holding the Core i9-12900KS processor.

Intel can’t stay silent for much longer

Instability issues with 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs still haven't been resolved, and Intel's silence on the matter can't continue.
Computing Features
The Eero 6+ router sitting on a desk.

I gave my Wi-Fi a makeover with this router that’s on sale for Prime Day

I ignored my Wi-Fi setup for far too long. Don't make the same mistake I did, so pick up this router on Prime Day.
Computing Features
ai dream up pc games dt respec

Somehow, AMD made me a believer in AI PC games

AMD says that AI will "dream up" parts of your PC games in the future. I asked the company how we get there and what that looks like.
Computing Features
A hand holding AMD's Ryzen 9 9950X.

I saw AMD’s Ryzen 9000 CPUs in action, but I still have one big question

I know just about everything concerning AMD's new Ryzen 9000 CPUs after seeing them in action, but I still have one lingering question.
Computing News
AMD Zen 5 Tech Day.

AMD is uncharacteristically restricting its awesome new CPU feature

We learned about AMD's Curve Shaper feature recently, but after speaking with the company, it seems the feature is exclusive to Ryzen 9000 chips.
Computing News
The Asus ROG Azoth Extreme among accessories.

Excellent ROG Azoth Extreme keyboard probably costs more than your graphics card

The Asus ROG Azoth Extreme wears its name proudly with one of the most premium designs I've ever seen, but its price is almost impossible to stomach.
Computing Reviews
A pack of Kuai Kuai sitting on a gaming PC.

This pack of corn puffs hasn’t left my gaming PC — here’s why

I carried a small piece of Taiwan home with me, and it's this pack of corn puffs that haven't left the side of my gaming PC.
Computing Features
A Steam library filled with custom artwork.

My Steam library (probably) looks better than yours

There's a treasure trove of customization options within Steam that can turn a bland library into something unique to you.
Computing Features
A speedrunner playing a game at Awesome Games Done Quick.

They raised $50 million for charity with dusty consoles. Here’s how

Games Done Quick has raised over $50 million for charity over the past 14 years. Here's the tech that keeps the show going.
Computing Features
Lies of P on the KTC G42P5.

What is anti-aliasing? TAA, FXAA, DLAA, and more explained

You'll find anti-aliasing in just about every PC game available today. We're here to tell you what anti-aliasing is, from TAA to FXAA, and explain how it works.
Computing Guides
A PC featuring Lian Li's wireless RGB ecosystem showcased at Computex 2024.

This is the PC gaming hardware I’m still looking forward to in 2024

We're halfway through 2024, but there's still a ton of PC gaming hardware on the way. Here's what I'm looking forward to the most.
Computing Features
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