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ReSpec

ReSpec is a biweekly column focused on PC gaming, PC hardware, and gaming technologies written by our lead PC reporter, Jacob Roach. From deep dives on super resolution techniques to CPU packaging technology to PC gaming experiments, ReSpec helps you understand the games you play, the hardware you own, and how they intersect to create the gaming experiences we all love. New entries go live every other Sunday.

Jacob also publishes a weekly ReSpec newsletter that goes out each Friday, which includes his take on the week’s biggest PC gaming tech news, hand-picked deals on hardware, and more.

Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware
A character from the game Den of Wolves

I entered the Den of Wolves to learn about Unity 6

Den of Wolves is one of the first Unity 6 games we know about, and I sat down with the developers at 10 Chambers to learn more about the process.
Computing
Jacob Roach
amd ryzen 9000 retested dt respec

How AMD boosted Ryzen 9000 CPUs by 17% overnight

AMD's Ryzen 9000 CPUs didn't get off to a great start, but a bundle of updates have delivered basically a generational improvement overnight.
Computing
Jacob Roach
EmuDeck running on a Windows PC.

EmuDeck is slowly taking over my PC gaming setup

EmuDeck is a quick way to set up emulators on your Steam Deck, but it's slowly grown to be an essential app on my main gaming PC.
Computing
Jacob Roach
Alan Wake 2 running on the Samsung Odyssey OELD G9.

Nvidia’s most underrated DLSS feature deserves far more attention

Nvidia's DLSS is a critical piece of modern PC gaming tech, but one feature of the suite has flown under the radar.
Computing
Jacob Roach
settling borderless and fullscreen debate dt respec vs

I tried to settle the dumbest debate in PC gaming

The conversation around borderless and fullscreen games is surprisingly complicated, and I set out to put the debate to rest once and for all.
Jacob Roach
Cyberpunk 2077 running on an OLED gaming monitor.

Don’t waste your money on an OLED gaming monitor

OLED provides the best gaming experience money can buy, but buying in too early can effectively be a waste of money.
Jacob Roach
intel downfall hurts everyone dt respec

Intel’s downfall hurts everyone

Intel is having a really rough time right now, but it's bad news for CPUs as a whole if the company fails.
Jacob Roach
intel instability unanswered questions dt respec

I grilled Intel about its massive stability problem — here’s what it told me

Intel needs to provide answers for the instability on 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPUs. I grilled the company, and here's what it told me.
Jacob Roach
Several apps on a PC monitor.

These 9 Steam apps have been transformative for my gaming PC

You're probably missing some of the best apps for your gaming PC, and they're sitting right inside of Steam.
Jacob Roach
The RTX 4090 sitting on top of a PC.

The RTX 4090 has finally met its match

How do you fit the RTX 4090 inside a case the size of a toaster? I found out when trying to build inside of the Fractal Terra.
Jacob Roach
The RTX 4070 sitting on top of another GPU.

Don’t upgrade your GPU until you’ve read this

With new graphics cards arriving shortly from AMD, Nvidia, and Intel, you might be in the market for an upgrade. Don't make these mistakes.
Jacob Roach
Cyberpunk 2077 running on a gaming monitor.

This $7 app doubled the performance of my gaming PC — seriously

It sounds too good to be true, but Lossless Scaling, a $7 app on Steam, can double your frame rate in almost any game.
Jacob Roach
A hand holding an AMD Ryzen CPU.

It’s time to stop ignoring the CPU in your gaming PC

The CPU has left the conversation for PC gamers over the last few years, but with the demands of modern games, it's time to reexamine its role.
Jacob Roach
dlss hidden modes dt respec

How I unlocked the hidden modes of DLSS

A range of presets behind the scenes make DLSS work properly, and a clever mod allows you to tweak how they work.
Jacob Roach
The Intel Core i9-14900K slotted in a motherboard.

Intel’s new CPU feature boosted my performance by 26% — but it still needs work

Intel's unique APO feature showed some big improvements in our testing, but it still needs some big changes before it's a selling point for Intel CPUs.
Jacob Roach
A banner with GDC on it outside a conference center.

GDC 2024 in review: Path tracing, upscaling, and CPU-killing tech

After spending the week at GDC, here are my big takeaways from advancements in the world of PC graphics and tech.
Jacob Roach
The RX 7800 XT graphics card with the ReSpec logo.

AMD needs to fix this one problem with its next-gen GPUs

AMD's latest graphics cards have been a turning point for Team Red, but there's still one lingering issue that needs to be addressed in the next generation.
Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach sitting behind a ReSpec logo.

The ReSpec newsletter is here: your weekly breakdown of the tech behind PC gaming

Digital Trends is launching a ReSpec newsletter covering the wide world of PC gaming. Here's everything you need to know about it.
Jacob Roach
Respec with Jacob Roach

Proton and Nier: Automata — the untold story behind what makes the Steam Deck tick

The Steam Deck is a massive hit, but one game changed the trajectory of the device, and Linux gaming as a whole, in a major way.
Jacob Roach
AMD presenting FSR 3 at Gamescom.

AMD’s FSR 3 compromise just isn’t working

Even a few months after release, FSR 3 isn't in a ton of games. And AMD's frame generation compromise isn't filling the gaps enough.
Jacob Roach
The RTX 4070 Super graphics card on a pink background.

GPUs are on an apology tour

After a year of backlash over lackluster GPU releases, Nvidia and AMD are finally owning up to mistakes with a new range of graphics cards.
Jacob Roach
A gaming monitor playing Hot Wheels Unleashed.

Anything is possible in this new era of gaming monitors

The need for constant innovation in gaming displays have pushed them to the peak, and that means things are going to start slowing down.
Jacob Roach
A screenshot from Star Wars Jedi Survivor.

PC ports need to be better in 2024 — here’s how

We saw several problematic PC releases this year. Here's what PC ports need to do to be better next year.
Jacob Roach
Cyberpunk 2077 on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8.

A look back at the best (and worst) PC games I tested in 2023

I test dozens of PC games every year. Here are the most impressive (and the most disappointing) PC ports I looked at in 2023.
Jacob Roach
An OLED gaming monitor showing an HDR demo.

Brighter isn’t better for OLED monitors. An expert told me the surprising reason why

The most common criticism of OLED gaming monitors is that they don't get bright enough, but there's a good reason for that.
Jacob Roach
A solider from Call of Duty Modern Warfare 3.

When a high frame rate can lose you the game

Nvidia's Frames Win Games campaign has a lot of truth, but with DLSS 3 Frame Generation, the sentiment gets a little more complicated.
Jacob Roach
Alan Wake looking at a projection of himself.

Don’t believe the hype — the era of native resolution gaming isn’t over

A string of PC releases has suggested that native resolution gaming is dead, but there's a little more to the conversation.
Jacob Roach
windows isnt future of handheld gaming pcs dt respec holding back

Windows is holding back the future of handheld gaming

Handheld gaming PCs are getting increasingly popular, and although some rely on Windows 11, that OS isn't the future for this form factor.
Jacob Roach
Hero art for Forspoken

I can’t get excited about AMD’s next version of FSR anymore

Nearly a year after it was announced, AMD's FSR 3 is here. But it feels like yet another promise for what the feature could be in the future.
Jacob Roach
Special K mod in Lies of P

This ‘Swiss Army Knife’ app transformed how I play PC games

PC games usually arrive with problems, but there's an app that can solve most PC gaming woes with a couple of clicks.
Jacob Roach
A bunk and helmet in Starfield.

Is a game poorly optimized, or just demanding? They’re not the same thing

PC optimization is a term that gets thrown around so often that it has almost lost all meaning, and it's worth exploring why with Starfield.
Jacob Roach
AMD's RX 7900 XTX installed in a PC.

The success of AMD’s FSR 3 hinges on this one feature

AMD's upcoming FSR certainly sounds exciting, offering frame generation across almost any GPU. But AMD has to get latency in check for FSR 3 to work.
Jacob Roach
Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart running on the Samsung Odyssey OLED G8.

Why I leave Nvidia’s game-changing tech off in most games

Nvidia's DLSS 3 is remarkably impressive, but now that we've seen it show up in more games, I leave it off more often than I turn it on.
Jacob Roach
stop trying to play games without an ssd dt respec

It’s time to stop trying to play games without an SSD

Ratchet and Clank Rift Apart now proves it. Your gaming PC absolutely needs an SSD installed in it.
Jacob Roach
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More from Jacob Roach

Nvidia's A100 data center GPU.

Your next gaming PC could be fully built by Nvidia

Computing
Pads on the AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D.

AMD's Ryzen 7 9800X3D is official, and it shakes things up in a big way

Computing
Google logo at the company's campus in California.

Russia's fine of Google amounts to 23,809,523 times all of the money that exists on Earth

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AMD logo on the RX 7800 XT graphics card.

AMD could swipe some of the best features of Nvidia GPUs

Computing
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D installed in a motherboard.

AMD CPUs just got a major performance update for games

Computing
A color splash on the LG UltraGear Dual Mode OLED.

OLED monitors are about to get a 'comprehensive breakthrough' in image quality

Computing
Steam Deck held between two hands.

Steam Deck 2: everything we know so far

Computing
The Nvidia logo on the RTX 4070 Super.

I'm jealous -- someone scored an RTX 4070 Super for $49 on Amazon

Computing
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Jacob's Latest Reviews

The Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP playing Cyberpunk 2077.

Asus ROG Swift PG32UCDP review: OLED hits its stride

intel core ultra 5 245k review 4

Intel Core Ultra 5 245K review: where Arrow Lake breaks down

The Core Ultra 9 285K socketed into a motherboard.

Intel Core Ultra 9 285K review: impressive, not necessarily good

The Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti sitting on a coffee table.

Minisforum AtomMan G7 Ti review: smaller and more powerful than a PS5

The Wooting 80HE keyboard sitting among its accessories.

Wooting 80HE review: all-in on Hall Effect

Forza Horizon 5 on the Sony InZone M10S.

Sony InZone M10S review: the brightest OLED monitor I've reviewed

Cyberpunk 2077 on the Acer Predator Z57.

Acer Predator Z57 review: a monitor bigger than my desk

The Hyte Keeb TKL keyboard sitting on a desk.

Hyte Keeb TKL review: a keyboard for the fans

Jacob's Latest Guides

The Backbone One - PlayStation Edition lays down with the PS Remote Play turned on.

How to use remote play on PS5

Gaming
A red and blue PS5 stands on a table with matching controllers.

How to factory reset a PS5

Gaming
The ROG Ally X with the back shell removed.

How to replace the SSD in the ROG Ally X in a few minutes

Computing
Android App running on a Windows 11 PC

How to install Android apps on Windows 11

Computing
An Alienware + Windows 11 PC gaming setup.

How to optimize Windows 11 and Windows 10 for gaming

Computing
Gifts for PC gamers with a gaming cave setup.

How to check your fps (frames per second) in games on PC

Computing
How to play Fortnite on Mac

You can play almost any Windows game on Mac -- here's how

Computing
A person using a Linux laptop.

How to dual boot Linux and Windows

Computing

Jacob's Favorite Products

Intel Core i5-13600K installed in a motherboard.

The best Intel processors for 2024

Computing
AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D installed in a motherboard.

The best processors in 2024: AMD and Intel CPUs duke it out

Computing
Two RTX 4060 graphics cards stacked on top of each other.

These are the 5 best budget GPUs you can buy for under $300

Computing
A custom keyboard sitting among keycaps and switches.

Here are the 10 best gaming keyboards I'd recommend to anyone in 2024

Computing
RTX 3080 graphics cards among other GPUs.

12 best graphics cards of 2024: the GPUs I'd recommend for any gaming PC

Computing
OLED demo on the Asus ROG PG27AQDM.

The 10 best monitors for 2024: tested and reviewed

Computing
Graphics card in the CLX Hathor PC.

10 best gaming desktops of 2024: tested and reviewed

Computing
The iMac screen on a desk.

12 best desktop computers of 2024: tested and reviewed

Computing
Jacob Roach
Jacob Roach
Lead Reporter, PC Hardware

Jacob Roach is the lead reporter for PC hardware at Digital Trends. In addition to covering the latest PC components, from graphics cards to processors to PC cases, Jacob also writes the ReSpec column and newsletter that covers the intersection of PC hardware and gaming. If it’s something you can plug into a gaming PC, there’s a good chance Jacob has used it.

Although Jacob is interested in just about anything in or around a PC, he’s currently reporting on graphics cards, PC game optimization, and gaming monitors. At Digital Trends, he’s dug deep on the untold origins of the Steam Deck, uncovered the truth behind poor PC port optimization, and broke the story on Microsoft’s Bing Chat going off the rails.

Before joining Digital Trends, Jacob contributed to Business Insider, Forbes, and PC Invasion, among various other outlets. Jacob has been a guest on TWiT and NBC, and his work has been cited in Fox News, Futurism, and Business Insider.

As if tinkering with the latest PC hardware wasn’t enough, Jacob spends most of his free time living the PC gamer life he writes about so frequently. That includes playing the latest games, but also poking around on his PC to see what he can break, just to see how it works. When he gets a moment to step outside and “touch grass,” Jacob enjoys tabletop games, wandering the shops of St. Louis, and forcing his lazy Corgi onto walks.