Australian PC Awards 2022 presents: the nominees for the best PC gear

2022 is shaping up to be another exciting year of tech but, before we get too stuck in, let’s take advantage of that 20/20 hindsight to nominate the best consumer PC tech of 2021 – because most of these products are current, and there’s no better buying guide than a list of the very best of the best. 

It’s the annual Australian PC Awards, and it’s underway right now.

The experts at TechRadar, APC, TechLife, PC Gamer, PC PowerPlay and T3 have combined forces to concentrate a huge year of innovation into a short and sweet list of the top tech. 

Below is the shortlist of ripper finalists – PC companies, products and technologies that are really pushing the boundaries of what computers can do. That includes everything from the best processors to the most fanciful custom cases – if you can put it in a computer or plug it into one, it was considered for an award.  

For anyone more interested in the meta than wading into the nitty gritty of PC components, look no further than our top two extra-special awards:

Excellence Award: Presented to the person, product or technology that advanced the PC more than any other in 2021.

Gold Award: For the best overall company operating in the PC space for 2021. This list includes every one of the finalists across all the other categories – and has been carefully considered by our expert panel of judges.

While many will be keen to put NFTs and component shortages in the rear view mirror, there were some pretty impressive technological achievements in 2021, and this shortlist of finalists is the perfect cheat sheet for skimming off the cream of the 2021 crop.  

I want to know who won!

And you will, quite soon in fact!

We’ll be announcing all the winners right here on TechRadar on Friday, March 11, 2022, or you can head straight to the official Australian PC Awards site.

See you on the 11th!

Finalists: Best motherboard maker

Finalists: Best value motherboard

Finalists: Best premium motherboard

Finalists: Best video card maker

Finalists: Best value video card

Finalists: Best premium video card

Finalists: Best value CPU

Finalists: Best premium CPU

Finalists: Best internal storage maker

Finalists: Best external storage maker

Finalists: Best SOHO or home NAS

Finalists: Best value laptop or 2-in-1

Finalists: Best premium laptop or 2-in-1

Finalists: Best gaming laptop

Finalists: Best desktop PC builder

Finalists: Best memory maker

Finalists: Best cooling product

Finalists: Best monitor

Finalists: Best keyboard

Finalists: Best mouse

Finalists: Best gaming headset

Finalists: Best PC case

Finalists: Best router

Finalists: Best reseller

Finalists: Excellence Award

For the person, product or technology that advanced the PC more than any other in 2020.

Finalists: Gold Award

The company that impressed us the most, overall, in 2021.

This list comprises all of the companies that made the finalist lists, plus more that the editorial team felt deserved to be included.

Last year’s winners

See who won last year right here!