Introduction
As we get ready to bid farewell to 2017, it felt appropriate to dwell on the past year. Indeed, as history has taught us multiple times, there are lessons to be learned and fond memories to be had. Here on TechPowerUp, we have reviewed more than 250 different hardware products this calendar year, and our editors wanted to get together and reflect on the products that left a lasting impression on them. With the holidays being as good a time as any to begin a new PC build, the goal of our "Best of 2017" article is to also help provide some key components worthy of consideration.
Every single review editor contributed to this article, and the categories, separated as subsequent pages, were accordingly handled by those responsible for them:
- W1zzard: Processors, GPUs, SSDs
- cadaveca: Motherboards, Memory
- Darksaber: Cases
- crmaris: PSUs, NAS, Gaming Chairs (the latter also thanks to erasmia394)
- crazyeyesreaper: CPU Coolers
- Inle: Monitors, Gaming Headsets
- VSG: DIY Watercooling, Keyboards
- Ino: Mice
- Frederik: Headphones
I asked everyone to bring up an overall winner and a runner-up, and left each editor to decide the basis of their choosing with justifications following separately. In fact, in one particular case, the product chosen was one we did not cover specifically ourselves either, but the editor in question felt it merited the mention on account of how good it was. In addition, with 2018 right around the corner, it felt appropriate to ask them what they were looking forward to in their respective categories - be it addressing complaints, wanting to see changes made, or simply having expectations based on current industry trends. So join us today on a ride that began nearly 365 days ago, and feel free to share your own thoughts about the hardware (or software) you associate with this year and plan to continue using in 2018.