Maximum PC – August 2024 (Vol. 29, No. 8)

Maximum PC August 2024: Hardware at a Crossroads

The August 2024 issue of Maximum PC lands as AMD’s Zen 5 architecture arrives, Nvidia briefly becomes the world’s most valuable company, and Computex leaves a trail of experimental cases and next-generation laptops. Editor-in-Chief Guy Cocker sets the tone by looking at the bargains hiding behind new releases, which makes this a particularly good month for anyone planning a PC build or upgrade.

Build a $999 Gaming PC That Doesn’t Cut Corners 💻

The centerpiece of the issue is a step-by-step guide to assembling a $999 gaming machine. It’s built around AMD’s best-value CPU and GPU, aims for 1080p Ultra settings, and avoids the usual budget-build compromises. Alongside the main build, the team rounds up the best upgrades under $250, so readers can see where a little extra spend actually moves the performance needle.

CPU or GPU? The Upgrade Question That Won’t Go Away ⚙️

Jarred Walton tackles a question every PC owner eventually asks: when you’re chasing better gaming performance, should you upgrade your CPU or your GPU? The feature weighs the two paths, considers whether AMD’s Ryzen 7 7800X3D still makes sense for high frame rates, and helps readers avoid bottlenecks that waste money.

Gaming Keyboards, OLED Monitors, and Wi-Fi 7

Zak Storey explores the current state of gaming keyboards, including whether 8,000Hz polling rates genuinely matter and which features are worth paying for. The reviews section continues the hardware deep-dive with two OLED monitors—the Samsung Odyssey G8 OLED G80SD and a Philips model—plus the Lenovo LOQ 15IRX9 laptop, the Phanteks XT View case, and Netgear’s first Wi-Fi 7 mesh system.

Hands-On Help for Real PC Problems 🛠️

Practical tutorials remain a Maximum PC staple, and this issue covers a lot of ground: using Audacity 3.5 to edit a podcast, cleaning and optimizing a PC for free, recovering deleted files, and turning a discarded USB stick into an emergency rescue disk. The aim is to help readers handle common problems without paying a specialist.

Also in This Issue

• The News: Zen 5 chips unveiled, Computex 2024 recapped, and Nvidia’s rise to the top of the market-cap table.
• The List: The best Steam Deck games.
• Reviews: Elden Ring: Shadow of the Erdtree and a range of new hardware.
• Letters and comments: Reader questions and feedback from the Maximum PC community.

Who It’s For

If you’re building or upgrading a gaming PC, following the CPU and GPU market, or just want a clear-eyed look at the hardware that matters right now, this issue is aimed squarely at you. It’s also a solid read for anyone who enjoys detailed component reviews and step-by-step troubleshooting guides.

This digital edition of Maximum PC August 2024 is ready to download from Digital Delights and read on your preferred device.