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Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Senior Staff Writer, Computing

Jacob Roach is a writer covering computing and gaming at Digital Trends. After realizing Crysis wouldn't run on a laptop, he started building his own gaming PCs and hasn't looked back since. Before Digital Trends, he contributed content to Forbes Advisor, Business Insider, and PC Invasion, covering PC components, monitors, and peripherals.

Outside of tinkering with his PC and tracking down every achievement in the latest games, Jacob spends his time playing and recording music. Before switching to writing full time, he worked as a recording engineer in St. Louis, Missouri.

Lenovo Legion Tower 7i gaming PC sitting on a table.

The best gaming PCs for 2023: Dell, Origin, Lenovo, and more

The best gaming PCs for 2023: Dell, Origin, Lenovo, and more

2023 brings multiple new gaming desktops, but only a select few have the power, design, and performance to be named the best gaming PCs.
A top-down view of the Mac Mini.

The best desktop computers for 2023: Dell, HP, Apple, and more

The best desktop computers for 2023: Dell, HP, Apple, and more

From HP gaming desktops to sleeper PCs from Dell, here are the best desktop computers you can buy in 2023 for gaming, remote work, and more.
Emulator collection on Steam Deck.

Nope, I still don’t regret buying my Steam Deck

The ROG Ally is faster than the Steam Deck, right? Yes, but I'm still happy I have Valve's handheld around.
Asus ROG Ally with the Windows lock screen.

A cheaper ROG Ally is coming, but you shouldn’t wait for it

A cheaper ROG Ally is coming, but you shouldn’t wait for it

Asus has revealed that a cheaper version of the ROG Ally will arrive later this year, but you probably shouldn't wait for it.
Cyberpunk 2077 running on the Asus ROG Ally.

Asus ROG Ally review: goodbye, Steam Deck

Asus' ROG Ally has been positioned as a Steam Deck killer, and since it showed up, I haven't touched Valve's handheld.
Asus ROG Ally and Steam Deck sitting next to each other.

Asus ROG Ally or Steam Deck? We tried them both to see which wins

Asus' upcoming ROG Ally is positioned to challenge the Steam Deck, but will it succeed? It's looking like a yes.
A 3D model of someone's face in Ziva Face Trainer.

How generative AI will create games with ‘broader, bigger, and deeper worlds’

AI is touching nearly every creative field, but there's few places where it has more applications than game development.
A hand grabbing MSI's RTX 4090 Suprim X.

You should be using these 5 forgotten Nvidia GPU features

You buy a graphics card to play games, but Nvidia and AMD invest a lot of time in expanding their functionality with additional software features.
Cyberpunk 2077 running on the Lenovo Y32p-30.

The Lenovo Legion Y32p-30 is (almost) the perfect 4K gaming monitor

The Lenovo Y32p-30 doesn't stand out with OLED, mini-LED, or an insane refresh rate. But it has the right balance of features most gamers a looking for.
The AMD Ryzen CPU and Radeon GPU stickers on the ASUS ROG Zephyrus G14 2022 laptop.

AMD might have just enabled MacBook-like gaming laptops, but I’m still skeptical

AMD might have just enabled MacBook-like gaming laptops, but I’m still skeptical

AMD's upcoming Ryzen 7040U chips might enable a whole new range of thin and light gaming laptops, but I'm still skeptical for now.
A broken keyboard and hammer among several PC components.

It pains me to say, but it’s officially a bad time to be a PC gamer

A string over disastrous releases in 2023, combined with expensive hardware, has made this one of the worst times to be a PC gamer.
Someone holding the Core i9-12900KS processor.

Intel 14th-gen Meteor Lake: news, rumors, release date speculation

Intel 14th-gen Meteor Lake: news, rumors, release date speculation

Intel's 14-gen Meteor Lake processors are coming soon, and we're starting to get details. Here are all the news, rumors, and leaks we've seen so far.
OpenAI's ChatGPT blog post is open on a computer monitor, taken from a high angle.

OpenAI threatens lawsuit over student GPT-4 project, forgets you can use it for free

OpenAI threatens lawsuit over student GPT-4 project, forgets you can use it for free

OpenAI is reportedly threating a student with a lawsuit over the open-source GPT4free project, despite the fact that you can already use GPT-4 for, well, free.
A character levitates a book in Redfall.

Surprise — Redfall on PC is yet another problematic port

Redfall hasn't received the warmest reception, and its problematic PC port isn't helping the matter any.
alienware 34 qd oled aw3423dw review 4

Why new OLED gaming monitors still can’t beat the best from last year

A new wave of OLED monitors has shown up in 2023, but none of them can match our favorite OLED display from last year.
outriders bulletstorm co op shooter square enix e3 2019 showcase third person multiplayer re2

The best co-op games for 2023

The best co-op games for 2023

It doesn't matter if you prefer teaming up to shoot aliens or solving a few quiet puzzles. Our list of the best co-op games has you and your friends covered.
Dell XPS Desktop sitting on a coffee table.

Dell XPS Desktop (8960) review: a new performance class

The Dell XPS Desktop 8960 reaches a new level of performance, but it comes at the cost of flexibility that made last-gen's model so attractive.
Star Wars Jedi: Survivor reviews on Steam.

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is being review-bombed on Steam as a ‘total crap’ PC port

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor is being review-bombed on Steam as a ‘total crap’ PC port

Star Wars Jedi: Survivor has launched in a dire state on PC, and fans are flocking to Steam to review-bomb the game.
Forza Horizon 4 runs on an Asus ROG Ally.

If the leaked Asus ROG Ally price is real, the Steam Deck is in trouble

If the leaked Asus ROG Ally price is real, the Steam Deck is in trouble

A Best Buy listing briefly showed the pricing of Asus' upcoming ROG Ally, and if it's real, the Steam Deck could be in hot water.
The Digital Trends website on the Asus ROG Ally.

Seriously, the Asus ROG Ally could replace your desktop

The Asus ROG Ally is an impressive gaming handheld, but its ecosystem gives it enough power to replace a high-end gaming desktop.
Bing Chat saying it wants to be human.

Nvidia’s new Guardrails tool fixes the biggest problem with AI chatbots

Nvidia’s new Guardrails tool fixes the biggest problem with AI chatbots

Nvidia is introducing NeMo Guardrails for AI developers, which is an open-source framework that promises to keep AI chatbots from going off the rails.
unrecord took internet by storm realistic respec

How a viral bodycam game tricked the internet into thinking it was real footage

Unrecord is a bodycam first-person game that looks too good to be real, but it's using some clever filtering and next-gen tools to achieve its photorealism.
Cyberpunk 2077 running on the LG UltraGear OLED 45.

LG UltraGear OLED 45 (45GR95QE-B) review: let’s get immersed

The LG UltraGear OLED 45 provides one of the most immersive gaming experiences money can buy, but it's not great for desktop use.
The RTX 4070 graphics card on a pink background.

It looks like no one is buying Nvidia’s RTX 4070

It looks like no one is buying Nvidia’s RTX 4070

A week after releasing, it appears Nvidia's midrange RTX 4070 is off to a rocky start in terms of sales.
Asus Zenbook S 13 OLED sitting on a table.

The new Asus Zenbook S 13 is like a MacBook, only better

Asus' updated Zenbook S 13 OLED comes with a spec bump, but there are a few changes elsewhere that make it a much more enticing laptop.
Acer Orion X desktop.

Acer’s new Predator Orion X is an RTX 4090 desktop I might actually buy

Acer’s new Predator Orion X is an RTX 4090 desktop I might actually buy

I'm usually not swayed by new gaming desktops, but the Acer Predator Orion X might change that when it releases.
best games to show off your 4k hdr tv gears 5 crossplay

The best Xbox Series X exclusives

The best Xbox Series X exclusives

There won't be many exclusives on Microsoft's new console for awhile, but with our list of the best Xbox Series X exclusives, you'll know which to download.
Asus ROG Ally on a purple background.

Microsoft, please don’t screw up the Asus ROG Ally

The Asus ROG Ally looks like an exciting Steam Deck competitor, but its success mainly comes down to if Microsoft can get Windows 11 working properly.
Forza Horizon 5 running on the Asus ROG PG27AQDM.

Asus ROG Swift OLED (PG27AQDM) review: OLED meets brightness

Asus' take on an OLED gaming monitor is here in the PG27AQDM, and it does a lot to improve on previous OLED gaming monitors we've seen.
Newcastle raises his shield in Apex Legends.

The best Xbox One games to play right now

The best Xbox One games to play right now

After eight years on the shelves, the list of the best Xbox One games is massive. Halo, Gears, and everything in between -- here are the games you should have.
RTX 4070 logo on a graphics card.

Nvidia isn’t selling graphics cards — it’s selling DLSS

Nvidia sells graphics cards, of course, but the company continues to hang its hat on DLSS to push performance to new heights.
AMD RX 6600 among other graphics cards.

Best graphics cards 2023: finding the best GPU for gaming

Best graphics cards 2023: finding the best GPU for gaming

The best graphics cards for 2023 include GPUs from Nvidia, AMD, and Intel, but only a select few rise to the top of the rankings.
A hand holding the RTX 4090 GPU.

Nvidia RTX 40-series graphics cards: news, performance, and more

Nvidia RTX 40-series graphics cards: news, performance, and more

Nvidia now has three RTX 40-series GPUs. Here's everything you need to know about them, including benchmarks and performance.
The RTX 4070 graphics card on a pink background.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 review: the comeback GPU

Nvidia's RTX 4070 finally introduces some value into the RTX 40-series generation, and it shoots ahead of the competition with DLSS 3 and solid ray tracing.