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
Save up to $1000 on Alienware high-end gaming laptops and protect your wallet from any probing
By Ben Wilson published
👽 Dealware Alienware laptops pack premium hardware into some of the slickest gaming laptops around, and they're offering one of their best with a massive $1,000 discount.
Best Steam Deck screen protectors 2024: Scratch-free gaming on the go
By Ben Wilson last updated
Scratch-free Keep your Steam Deck's beautiful 7-inch screen free of scuffs and scratches with the best screen protector.
Best SFX PSU 2024: Compact power supplies for your small form factor PC
By Ben Wilson last updated
Power supplies Building a compact PC can be tricky, considering the size of some modern components. Luckily, the best SFX power supplies are perfect for SFF builds, and I've found them all.
How to change Proton version on Steam Deck: Improving per-game performance
By Ben Wilson last updated
Proton tweaks Switching the Proton version on Steam Deck can help certain games run smoother and squash other common bugs on the handheld.
Best Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers 2024: Solving wireless dead spots
By Ben Wilson last updated
Mesh Wi-Fi 6 Wi-Fi 6 mesh routers are the perfect solution to wireless dead spots at home, backed up with modern networking luxuries for fast and reliable Internet access.
How to format SD cards on Steam Deck: Unlock extra space with external storage
By Ben Wilson last updated
SD cards Preparing a new micro SD card for your Steam Deck only takes a few simple steps, allowing you to install even more games.
AMD challenges Apple and Intel with AI-powered Ryzen 7040U mobile CPUs
By Ben Wilson published
Ryzen 7040U AMD's new 7040U series CPUs boast across-the-board improvements in benchmarks against mobile CPUs from Intel and Apple.
ASUS ROG Ally price leaks: Can it beat Steam Deck on performance value?
By Ben Wilson published
💦 Leaky Ally ASUS is set to rival Valve for the portable gaming crown with the ROG Ally, a beefed-up PC handheld that could be priced dangerously close to its competitor.
How the ASUS ROG Ally's Windows OS could give it an edge over the Steam Deck
By Ben Wilson published
🔑 Key to victory ASUS is turning heads with its upcoming ROG Ally: a powerful yet mysterious handheld console to rival Valve's Steam Deck — with a subtle key to victory.
Review: Thrustmaster T818 wheelbase makes direct-drive sim racing affordable — with a catch
By Ben Wilson published
Review Sim racing peaked with the introduction of direct-drive feedback, and Thrustmaster is finally offering its take on the high-end tech with the T818.
Edge might be sending every URL you visit to Bing's API by mistake: Microsoft responds
By Ben Wilson published
Bad Bing A simple switch in Edge's settings can disable this seemingly malfunctioned feature of sending too much info to Bing.
Simplify Windows optimization with Wintoys: Streamlined bloatware removal and quick system tweaks
By Ben Wilson published
Tune-up 🤖 Wintoys is a collection of straightforward and powerful tweaks designed to supercharge your Windows machine free of charge.
AMD Ryzen 7000X3D-series CPUs burning up and destroying motherboards from ASUS, Gigabyte
By Ben Wilson published
Too hot Unconfirmed causes are seeing Ryzen 7800X3D-series processors bulging and bursting, causing irreparable damage to their motherboards, too.
Unrecord: The game that looked too real to be true — until now
By Ben Wilson published
Reality check An upcoming first-person shooter is gaining controversial traction for looking too realistic to be real, but the devs just proved the skeptics wrong with video proof.
Figure out if your chat partner is human or an AI chatbot in this Turing Test game
By Ben Wilson published
🤖 Human. Paired with a random chat partner, it's up to you to decipher whether or not they're human or a convincing robot AI chatbot.
Acer's new Predator laptops offer glasses-free 3D and killer RTX 40-series GPUs
By Ben Wilson published
Triton & Helios Acer unveils brand-new additions to its Predator range of gaming laptops during next@acer 2023, including some pretty spectacular 3D without the need for glasses.
Major unpopular changes are coming to free image host Imgur
By Ben Wilson published
Snapped🫰 Get ready to see broken image links across the Internet as unregistered accounts are purged of all their content. This all feels familiar.
Want 512GB of extra space for your Steam Deck for only $40? Better be quick!
By Ben Wilson published
Storage gains Samsung offers a significant discount on the best SD card for Steam Deck, but only for a limited time. Potentially double your storage space for a measly $40!
No subtitles? No problem. Windows Live Captions could make gaming accessible to all
By Ben Wilson published
Subs for all Did you know you can activate live subtitles for any game on Windows 11? Live Captions make it possible.
RØDE unveils game-changing audio hardware for streamers at NAB 2023
By Ben Wilson published
Streamers rejoice RØDE is joining the National Association of Broadcasters in Las Vegas to unveil some fantastic audio hardware designed for streamers and content creators.
Steam Deck shader cache files to shrink by 60% with a driver update
By Ben Wilson published
Deck space Valve is working on an upcoming solution to bloated shader cache files taking up too much space on your Steam Deck.
AMD’s new Radeon PRO W7000 GPUs promise exceptional performance and value for pro creators
By Ben Wilson published
RDNA 3 🔥 AMD's all-new Radeon PRO W7000 workstation GPUs pack powerful specs and cutting-edge tech for creative professionals.
Save $300 on Microsoft's Surface Pro 9: A beloved revision of the perfect 2-in-1
By Ben Wilson published
Pro savings Microsoft's iconic 2-in-1 has been refined to perfection, and now you can grab it in various configurations with a massive $300 saving.
Get the Windows Central Newsletter
All the latest news, reviews, and guides for Windows and Xbox diehards.