THE BEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE OF 2022
PCWorld|January 2023
THE BEST OF THE BEST, AS CHOSEN BY THE PCWORLD EDITORS.
BRAD CHACOS
THE BEST HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE OF 2022

After years of shortages and product delays, the PC industry slammed on the gas pedal in 2022, unleashing bleeding-edge hardware at a truly frenetic pace. A wave of long-lasting, heavy-hitting laptops started the year with a bang. Then the battle turned to desktops, where Intel, Nvidia, and AMD rolled out new generations of processors and graphics cards alike, bolstered by delightful advances in SSDs and new monitors that push pixels harder than ever before. And those are just the tip of the iceberg.

We tested some truly impressive hardware this year-but you'll only find the absolute greatest on this list. And that's not all: Our top picks include the best software available, because what you use all that computing power for is just as vital.

For this list, we asked PCWorld's tech experts to share their favorite picks in their areas of expertise. Without further ado, this is the best PC hardware and software of 2022 and 2023. Yes, we're looking forward to next year, because until even newer products begin launching in 2023, many of the champions on this list will remain very relevant for months to come.

We've also rounded up our favorite work-from-home tech of 2022 (fave.co/ 3YPZjMz) if you're interested in a more productivity-focused look at the year's best options.

BEST HIGH-END CPU: INTEL CORE 19-13900K

This story is from the January 2023 edition of PCWorld.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

This story is from the January 2023 edition of PCWorld.

Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 9,000+ magazines and newspapers.

MORE STORIES FROM PCWORLDView All
Facebook wants to use your posts to train Al. Here's how to object
PCWorld

Facebook wants to use your posts to train Al. Here's how to object

Facebook is changing its privacy policy and plans to use posts and images to train its Al. To prevent this, you need to object.

time-read
2 mins  |
July 2024
Windows 11's new AI feature could be a privacy nightmare
PCWorld

Windows 11's new AI feature could be a privacy nightmare

Your PC will be watching your every move by default.

time-read
4 mins  |
July 2024
The future of Windows: Copilot+ PCs unleash practical AI tools
PCWorld

The future of Windows: Copilot+ PCs unleash practical AI tools

Microsoft is aligning AI with its Copilot brand.

time-read
3 mins  |
July 2024
If you get a phone call from LastPass, it's a scam
PCWorld

If you get a phone call from LastPass, it's a scam

A new breed of sophisticated phishing scammers are targetting LastPass users with phone calls and emails.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Sick of ads in Windows? This ingenious program eradicates them all
PCWorld

Sick of ads in Windows? This ingenious program eradicates them all

This clever free tool removes all the ads that Microsoft keeps stuffing into Windows 10 and 11.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Controversial Windows 11 Start menu ads begin rolling out
PCWorld

Controversial Windows 11 Start menu ads begin rolling out

Microsoft has pushed “Promoted” apps from the Store to the Windows 11 wide build just a few weeks after they started appearing to Insiders.

time-read
1 min  |
June 2024
Ring of bogus web shops steals 850K credit card numbers
PCWorld

Ring of bogus web shops steals 850K credit card numbers

Fake online storefronts, which show up in great numbers in Google and other search engines, are becoming a big problem.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2024
This free, ancient Windows app will watch your laptop battery
PCWorld

This free, ancient Windows app will watch your laptop battery

BatteryInfoView gives you the laptop battery information you didn’t know you wanted.

time-read
2 mins  |
June 2024
How to use your smartphone as a Windows 11 PC webcam
PCWorld

How to use your smartphone as a Windows 11 PC webcam

Windows 11 now allows the wireless connection of Android smartphones for use as a webcam.

time-read
3 mins  |
June 2024
How to digitize VHS tapes the cheap way
PCWorld

How to digitize VHS tapes the cheap way

Preserve your old video tapes with an inexpensive capture card and free software.

time-read
4 mins  |
June 2024