Jacob Roach-Senior Author

Jacob Roach

Senior Author

February, 2025
GPU, CPU, Monitors
  • 282
    articles
  • 116
    News
  • 73
    Features
  • 58
    Lists
  • 11
    Guides
  • 21
    Reviews
  • 2
    Deals

About Jacob Roach

Jacob is a Senior Author at XDA with over a decade of experience in digital media. He's written for some of the largest names in the business, including Forbes, Tom's Guide, and Business Insider, and his work as been cited in Fox News and Futurism. 

When he's not tinkering with the latest PC hardware and optimizing settings in the latest games, you'll find Jacob scouring the collectible shops of St. Louis and forcing his lazy corgi onto walks. 

How long have you been interested in technology?

For as long as I can remember. My earliest memories with technology come from playing with a Super Nintendo stuffed away in a closest under my friend's stairs. 

What was your first computer?

A Medion desktop picked up on discount from Aldi - no, it couldn't play games. 

What tech products or categories are you most passionate about?

I'm obsessed with the intersection between gaming and technology. PC hardware, peripherals, and any piece of tech that enables or enhances a gaming experience, I'm interested in. 

Latest

Photoshop displayed on desktop pc with posters,lamp, and headphones in view-1
I finally found the app to justify cancelling my Adobe subscription

I've struggled to find a Lightroom replacement for years, but this app finally cracked the code.

2
Spotify running on the Steam Deck
This $30 app is the best purchase I've made for my Steam Deck

Linux and Windows don't play nicely with each other, but this app solves that problem.

2
An image depicting BIOS settings on a gaming PC.
Please, for the love of all things holy, update your BIOS

I'm doing you a favor, believe me.

25
Fans on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 graphics card.
4 GPUs you should buy instead of the RTX 5070
GPU

These GPUs compete with the RTX 5070, and you can pick them up for less.

3
A photo of a gaming setup displaying an FPS game with two monitors
Chasing 100% GPU utilization is a bad thing, and here's why
GPU

Make your GPU work smarter, not harder.

Trident Z Neo 64GB DDR4 RAM kit
5 RAM speed myths that cause you to spend more than you need
RAM

Fast memory isn't everything.

2
A set of home lab devices
6 easy ways to repurpose old PC hardware so it doesn't end up in a landfill

Don't your beloved hardware become e-waste.

2
Inside of a gaming PC showing an RTX 3080 next to some figurines
It's not just your GPU — here are 4 other things that hold back your gaming PC's performance

Don't get tunnel vision.

A close up of the interior of a black gaming PC with rainbow RGB fans
4 tweaks that dropped my PC temps by 20 degrees Fahrenheit

Small changes add up quickly.

24
A USB-C cable next to a PCIe expansion card
6 ways you can take advantage of a spare PCIe slot

Don't let your spare PCIe slot gather dust.

8
W1102703
You can use frame generation in any game on the Steam Deck — here's how

Lossless Scaling works on the Steam Deck, assuming you're willing to put a little elbow grease in.

6
The Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card sitting on a shelf.
Nvidia locks datacenter features out of consumer GPUs — here's why that's a good thing

It's an artificial limitation, but it helps everyone.

3
W1102738
Acer's Predator X32 X2 is gorgeous, but you shouldn't buy it

A gorgeous monitor marred by a complete lack of features.

alienware 16 area 51 review6 1
I wish every monitor did what the Lenovo Legion Pro 34WD-10 does

Turns out your monitor can do more than show an image.

1
lenovo-thinkbook-plus-gen-6-review-16
Lenovo's rollable ThinkBook Plus Gen 6 shouldn't be as good as it is

Rolling out the red carpet for Lenovo.

A laptop running the initial version of Windows 10
I use this official Microsoft application to make booting Windows 11 so much easier

One little-known Microsoft tool has transformed my morning routine.

11
threadripper-9000-review-02
Why AMD's $5,000, 64-core Threadripper 9980X is actually a terrible gaming CPU
AMD

More isn't always better.

22
Lenovo ThinkBook Plus Gen 4
5 surprising gadgets you can plug into your PC's USB-C port
USB

You have a spare USB-C port. Let's put it to use.

6
Illustrated hand holding a pencil with another pencil
I couldn't stand note-taking apps — then I installed Obsidian

Sometimes a little complexity is all you need.

1
threadripper-9000-review-02
7 workloads that run insanely fast on a 64-core Threadripper CPU
AMD

Sometimes more cores is better.

3
1 2 3 4 5