Ben Wilson
Ben is the editor for everything in our tech channel at Windows Central, including desktop PCs, the components inside, and practically any accessory. Since most of this hardware tends to be compatible with Xbox, he also keeps an Xbox Series S close by for testing headsets, external storage, and anything with enough versatility to cover all the bases. A lifelong gamer since his first console, the SEGA Mega Drive, he has an affinity for taking things to pieces to see how they work.
Pursuing a recent career in technology journalism follows over a decade of experience in electronics retail and tech support roles, offering repairs and recommendations to consumers. A personal hobby in custom PC building built a strong desire to follow the latest cutting-edge hardware in a never-ending search to find the parts genuinely worth buying. Always on the hunt for the best value for money, he's fueled by a steady diet of caffeinated drinks and coffee-flavored food.
Forever a Windows XP fan, he's keeping up with the latest releases from Microsoft but dabbles in Linux to experiment with the inner workings of Valve's Steam Deck handheld. He'll look out for your best interests if you're considering tinkering with hardware upgrades and want the best bang for your buck. Find him on BlueSky @benwilson.net to ask questions or share opinions.
Latest articles by Ben Wilson
One of the BEST Alienware HDR QD-OLED gaming monitors is $100 off at Dell
By Ben Wilson published
DEAL The Alienware AW3423DWF has a gorgeous 34-inch QD-OLED display perfect for ultrawide HDR gaming, and it's back on sale with a massive discount.
HyperX discounts hardware for Valentine's Day — including the official Windows Central podcast mic
By Ben Wilson published
HyperX ❤ deals HyperX offers gaming hardware deals for Valentine's Day, so grab headsets, mice, and more for your favorite co-op companion or as a loving gift to yourself.
Monoprice wanted the Dark Matter Sentry USB mic to undercut the Blue Yeti — and they almost nailed it
By Ben Wilson published
Review Monoprice introduced its Sentry USB mic in the new Dark Matter gaming subbrand with a sci-fi style and RGB lighting, so how does it compare to the competition?
Google fumbles Bard AI with a glaring error — dropping Alphabet shares by 7%
By Ben Wilson published
AI hubris A Twitter promotion for Google's Bard AI displayed an erroneous message about the James Webb space telescope, dropping Alphabet's share price.
Front panel power switches — which side is positive or negative for your PC case?
By Ben Wilson published
+ PW - Building a PC is simple until you get to the microscopic PC case power and reset buttons. Figure out which way round to connect these tiny front panel switches.
Microsoft supercharges Bing and Edge with customized ChatGPT — so what about Windows 12?
By Ben Wilson published
Windows GPT Microsoft finally confirmed OpenAI integration in the all-new Bing search engine and Edge browser. Could an AI-powered operating system be next?
Vertagear's SL5800 gaming chair is colorful, comfy, and easy to build — it's almost perfect
By Ben Wilson published
Review Vertagear gaming chairs are designed to maximize ergonomics and keep your body healthy during lengthy gaming sessions, and the SL5800 is so close to perfection.
No, you don't need a new mic — use this AI hack instead from Adobe Podcast
By Ben Wilson published
Team USB If you're live streaming your voice or recording for later, you can improve the quality of even the cheapest mics with free filters and an AI tool from Adobe.
Razer Leviathan V2 Pro review: This crazy tech creates cinema-grade sound for your gaming PC
By Ben Wilson published
Review Razer's Leviathan V2 Pro soundbar offers fascinating head-tracking for a convincing surround sound effect; find out if it works in my PC environment in this review.
The most affordable Wi-Fi 6E router is now even cheaper — for a limited time
By Ben Wilson published
DEAL TP-Link offered the first affordable Wi-Fi 6E router with the Archer AXE75, and now it's even cheaper for a limited-time sale.
Xbox has serious cloud competition from NVIDIA's recent GeForce Now upgrades
By Ben Wilson published
Fight! Xbox Cloud Gaming was always my choice for lag-free streams, but NVIDIA's SuperPOD servers bring RTX 4080 GPUs to challenge my subscription to Microsoft.
Best CPU cooler for AMD Ryzen 9 7950X in 2023
By Ben Wilson published
7950X The Ryzen 9 7950X offers incredible gaming performance offset by high power draw causing raised temperatures, so we've found the best CPU cooler to match.
Surprise Xbox hit Hi-Fi Rush breaks into Steam's top 10 chart
By Ben Wilson published
What a rush! Hi-Fi Rush leaps onto Xbox and PC after a surprise Developer_Direct announcement, with healthy sales during its first 24 hours on Steam.
Microsoft Teams is down: Outages take out Office, Azure, Xbox, and more (Update)
By Ben Wilson published
Office 364? Microsoft 365 services are impacted by server issues this morning, including Teams, Office, and even Xbox Live, as Azure servers suffered outages.
Why is a mid-range underdog part of my dream desktop PC build for 2023?
By Ben Wilson published
Picking parts Cutting-edge PC components make for a thrilling custom computer, but my next build is more grounded in reality, with a third-party underdog taking the helm.
Best Xbox steering wheels 2023: console and PC-compatible options
By Ben Wilson published
Xbox racing The best Xbox racing wheels for Xbox 360, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S offer tremendous versatility. Throw in PC cross-compatibility, and you're off to the races.
NVIDIA upgrading GeForce Now in 2023 — RTX 4080 GPUs launch with SuperPOD servers
By Ben Wilson last updated
Cloud gaming NVIDIA is upgrading its cloud-gaming GeForce Now service with RTX 4080 GPUs for faster response times and higher-quality visuals.
Persona 3 and 4 arrive on Xbox Game Pass, mobile touch controls in tow
By Ben Wilson published
Face yourself Persona 3 Portable and Persona 4 Golden are now on Xbox with remastered visuals and gameplay tweaks, including dynamic touch controls for Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Roccat Syn Max Air wireless headset review: An affordable charging dock for gamers
By Ben Wilson published
Review The Syn Max Air offers an affordable wireless charging dock to tackle a unique PC gaming category. Can Roccat deliver luxury comfort with high-quality audio?
Historical decline of desktop PC shipments affects Dell, Lenovo, and more
By Ben Wilson published
PC crash Management consulting company Gartner reports a historic decline in desktop PC shipments in 2022 for various vendors, expected to continue until 2024.
Still running Windows 7? Time to upgrade your vulnerable machine
By Ben Wilson published
RIP Microsoft has ended support for updates to Windows 7, including the Extended Security Upgrade (ESU) program. Time to upgrade your outdated operating system.
Cooler Master plans an open-source MasterPlus+ update to support third-party APIs
By Ben Wilson published
Open-source Cooler Master plans to update its MasterPlus+ software suite with open-source API integration, offering diagnostics and control for third-party components.
Microsoft VALL-E shows a future of AI-powered speech that's fantastic and terrifying
By Ben Wilson published
VALL-E Microsoft has me excited AND nervous as it unveils VALL-E, its AI-powered voice synthesis requiring only 3-second recordings to generate new speech.