2024 is coming to an end. It’s been an incredible year for us at Overclockers UK, with so many great new games hitting our libraries and tech landing on the virtual shelves.
Picking out our favourites has taken us a long time (and caused many debates in the OcUK office), but we’re here with our Best of 2024!
The Best Gaming PC
The winner of the gaming PC of 2024 is… The OcUK Gaming Mach 3!
This pre-built gaming PC combines performance with great value for money, showcasing that you don’t need to compromise on either to achieve greatness. Armed with the AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super GPU, the Mach 3 delivers serious oomph, fast speeds, and stunning lifelike visuals. All while the 32GB of DDR4 facilitates near-zero input lag or slow loading times, ensuring you can enjoy uninterrupted gameplay for hours on end! Lastly, thanks to the 1TB M.2 SSD, you’ll have plenty of storage space for your expanding gaming library, creative projects, and more. Sounds like a winner to us!
OcUK Gaming Mach 3
- Pre-built gaming PC
- Designed for 1440p gaming
- Includes an AMD Ryzen 7 5700X3D CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4070 Super
- Up to 32GB DDR4 RAM
- 1TB M.2 SSD
- Windows 11 Home included
The Best Gaming Laptop
Securing the title of best gaming laptop is… The MSI Raider 18HX.
The MSI Raider 18HX is a portable powerhouse sporting an 18.0’’ UHD+ display with 120Hz refresh rate to display your favourite gaming worlds like never before. The Intel Core i9 14900HX CPU, built with cutting-edge hybrid core architecture, will effortlessly handle any demanding task you throw its way from gaming to streaming alike. What’s more, the NVIDIA RTX 4070 will render your favourite gaming worlds in ultra-realistic light, complete with silky-smooth gameplay. Keeping all this cool is the integrated thermal solution, consisting of a combination of fans and copper heat pipes to maintain optimum temperatures.
MSI Raider 18HX
- 18.0’’ UHD+ display
- 120Hz refresh rate
- Intel Core i9 14900HX CPU and NVIDIA RTX 4070
- 32GB DDR5 RAM
- 2TB M.2 SSD
- Windows 11 Pro included
The Best Gaming Monitor
Our winner of the best gaming monitor of 2024 is… The ASUS ROG Swift 32’’ PG32UDCM.
This 32’’ OLED gaming monitor comes equipped with plenty of next-gen tech to fully immerse you in your virtual worlds. The 3840 x 2160 resolution provides you with plenty of screen real estate to enhance your productivity, while the 240Hz refresh rate and 0.03ms response time delivers ultra-fast speeds and superior responsiveness to display your games in glorious detail. What’s more, the adjustable stand and optional brightness settings reduce excess strain on your eyes and neck, ensuring your set-up remains as ergonomic as possible.
ASUS ROG Swift PG32UDCM
- 32’’ gaming monitor
- OLED
- 3840 x 2160 resolution
- 0.03ms response time
- 240Hz refresh rate
The Best Gaming Keyboard
The rightful winner of the best gaming keyboard of 2024 is… The Ducky One 3 Pro Nazca.
Small yet mighty, the Ducky One 3 Pro Nazca Mini will truly elevate your typing and gaming experience. Crafted utilising premium-quality materials and Quack Mechanics, this keyboard has been optimised to deliver unparalleled performance at ultra-fast speeds courtesy of the 8K polling rate. Genuine Cherry MX2A Speed Silver switches facilitate smooth linear feedback and a light actuation of only 45cN for rapid, quick keystrokes. Plus, the triple-shot PBT keycaps with their textured texture, enhance your grip while resisting general wear and tear. Lastly, for that extra colourful flair, this keyboard features vibrant RGB lighting.
Ducky One 3 Pro Nazca
- Mechanical gaming keyboard
- 60% mini form factor
- Built with genuine Cherry MX2A Speed Silver switches
- 8K polling rate
- Triple-shot PBT keycaps
The Best Gaming Mouse
Earning the title of best gaming mouse of 2024 is… The Endgame Gear OP1 8K.
This wired gaming mouse utilises the very best to deliver pixel-precise gaming and ultra-fast responsiveness. The PixArt PAW 3395 optical sensor and 8K polling rate work in tandem to ensure all your clicks are registered at record speeds with outstanding precision. You can freely customise the CPI up to 26,000, tailoring the OP1 8K to perfectly suit your preferences and give you that must-have competitive in-game edge. What’s more, the intelligent hybrid skate design means this mouse will effortlessly glide across any surface, especially since it weighs only 50g!
Endgame Gear OP1
- Wired gaming mouse
- 8K polling rate
- PixArt PAW 3395 optical sensor
- Swappable Kalih GX switches
- Up to 26,000 CPI
The Best New Hardware
Moving onto the best new hardware of 2024. Securing this big win is… The AMD Ryzen 9000 Series.
To showcase what you can achieve with this new CPU series, we’re highlighting one of the flagship models, the Ryzen 9 9900X. Crafted utilising the all-new Zen 5 architecture, featuring a blend of twelve cores and twenty-four threads, the Ryzen 9 9900X has been primed for gaming, streaming, and content creation. Powerful SMT (simultaneous multithreading technology) means this CPU can handle any single- and multi-threaded workloads with outstanding efficiency. Thanks to support for PCIe 5.0, Wi-Fi 7, DDR5, and the AM5 socket, the Ryzen 9 9900X is future-proofed for any must-have upgrades to boost your performance even further.
AMD Ryzen 9 9900X
- AMD Ryzen 9000 Series
- Zen 5 architecture
- 12 c ores and 24 threads
- Up to 5.60GHz clock speed
- 120W TDP
The Best PC Case
The winner of the best PC case of 2024 is… The HAVN HS420 VGPU.
This incredible mid tower PC case comes primed to support all your extensive hardware and cooling demands, thanks to its hybrid case structure. This unique configuration allows you to freely customise virtually everything from the components to the layout and aesthetic, especially as it includes a vertical GPU mount and PCIe 5.0 riser cable. You can display this with pride through the heat-formed UniSheet panoramic glass, offering you an unparalleled view of all your hardware.
HAVN HS420
- Mid tower PC Case
- Supports up to E-ATX motherboards
- Intelligent heat-formed UniSheet panoramic glass panel
- GPU clearance of up to 470mm
- Hybrid case structure for premium airflow
- Included vertical GPU mount
The Best Innovation
Earning the title of best innovation is… ASUS BTF (Back To The Future) hardware.
ASUS Back to Front is an all-new line-up of hardware from ASUS which features intelligent hidden connectors for virtually zero cable clutter. All the required connectors are located on the back of the motherboard, allowing you to easily tuck away any unwanted cables into the back of your case, facilitating easy clean management and a clean interior.
Depending on your preferences, you can pick from either a standard BTF or Advanced BTF configuration. Both are perfect for beginners and veterans alike, but Advanced BTF consists of a BTF motherboard, GPU, and PC case, while standard BTF features the motherboard only.
If you want to learn more about ASUS BTF hardware, we’ve got two handy blog posts that go into more detail.
The Best Rumour
The best rumour of 2024 is… NVIDIA RTX 50 Series GPUs!
We’ve been at the edge of our seats all year, eagerly awaiting any news or hints about the release of the NVIDIA RTX 50 Series. The rumour has been circulating all year with speculation of which GPUs are set to be released, their spec, and even a potential launch date. Before we begin, friendly reminder, all of this is a rumour at this point. There’s nothing official as of yet from NVIDIA.
The NVIDIA RTX 50 Series is apparently set to utilise Blackwell architecture, primed to deliver ray racing, enhanced AI capabilities, and fast rendering. Everything you need to enjoy exploring your favourite virtual worlds in glorious detail. What’s more, with speculation about the introduction of GDDR7 memory, we may also see notable improvements to speeds in comparison to GDDR6. The GPUs expected to be released first are the RTX 5090, RTX 5080, RTX 5070, and RTX 5060.
This is a super quick overview of the rumours that have been circulating this year. If you want an in-depth look at what we hope to see with the RTX 50 Series, take a look at our blog post!
The Best New Game of 2024
This one was extremely difficult. But after much consideration (and debate around the office), our best new game of 2024 is… Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erd Tree.
While yes, this is a DLC for the original title, Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erd Tree upholds everything great about the game (and why it won Game of the Year in 2022), but even more exciting gameplay, tough bosses, a whole new world to explore, and a beautiful narrative with completes the overall story of Elden Ring. Sounds like all the ingredients of a great game to us!
If you don’t know much about Elden Ring: Shadow of The Erd Tree, this DLC pack takes players on a whirlwind journey across the Land of Shadow. This brand-new world is full of dark secrets and has been kept apart from the Lands Between for good reason… Especially since it’s ruled by corrupt Empyrean Miquelle. Play as the Tarnished, tasked with tracking this formidable enemy to uncover the mysteries of the Erd Tree. Travel across dangerous landscapes and dive deep into dungeons to unravel a dark web of secrets along with Marika’s hidden past.
Best New Indie Game of 2024
While we had so many great AAA titles, 2024 also saw plenty of incredible indie titles. Our favourite was Manor Lords.
Started as a passion project by a solo developer, Manor Lords is a medieval city builder in which you must work hard to grow your small hamlet into a thriving and bustling city. You start with a small settlement which, through careful planning, resource gathering, tactical battles, and building, you can expand into your own empire. Establish thriving farms, hunt for precious resources, build residential districts for your citizens, and even create trade routes between your different settlements. For extra pennies, you can always sell surplus goods to travellers. While war is never the answer, you’ll need to compete with rival lords which may result in real-time tactical battles in which you’ll need to strategically plan every moment.
Manor Lords was released in early access in May with over three million users wish listing the game on Steam, and over two million copies sold in three weeks! This small passion project has turned into a thriving indie success, in which you can actively help to provide critical feedback on gameplay, bug fixes, and more to help improve your and other players’ experience.
Your Best of 2024?
What were your favourites in 2024? Leave your top hardware, games, rumours, and more in the comments below!
*Prices correct at time of writing and PC specs are subject to change.
- 10 min read
Ruth Rowley
Author
Ruth has been with Overclockers UK for over a year and has gone on to write about everything ranging from in-depth hardware guides to monthly game releases.
Outside of writing blog posts, she can be found wrapped in a blanket with her black cat, engrossed in a book or playing life-simulation games such as The Sims, Stardew Valley, and Animal Crossing.
Read More >>