Articles by Matt Safford, Managing Editor

Matt began piling up computer experience as a child with his Mattel Aquarius. He built his first PC in the late 1990s and ventured into mild PC modding in the early 2000s. He’s spent 15 years covering emerging technology for Smithsonian, Popular Science, and Consumer Reports, while testing components and PCs for Computer Shopper, PCMag and Digital Trends. When not writing about tech, he’s often walking—through the streets of New York, over the sheep-dotted hills of Scotland, or just at his treadmill desk at home in front of the 50-inch HDR TV that serves as his PC monitor.

Articles by: Matt Safford

Fractal Meshify 3 and 3 XL cases bring the company's iconic airflow-focused design to the modern case era

By Matt Safford published 15 May 25

Hands-on Fractal’s new Meshify 3 and 3 XL PC cases combine airflow-focused design with unique build-friendly features. The Meshify 3 XL also supports the largest motherboards.

How to Build a PC

By Andrew E. Freedman, Matt Safford last updated 6 May 25

Do you want to build a PC but aren't sure how to put the parts together? Turn your components into a desktop with our step-by-step guide.

Hands-on with Lian Li's Lancool 217 PC case: High airflow, wood accents, no RGB

By Matt Safford published 2 May 25

With large fans, a dual-chamber design, dedicated GPU cooling, wood accents, and a reasonable price, Lian Li's Lancool 217 has a lot to like.

Tom’s Hardware Innovation Awards 2025: Surprise and Delight

By Avram Piltch published 29 April 25

These are the most innovative products of the last year.

Onkyo Creator Series GX-10DB, GX-30ARC speakers review: Pretty connectivity

By Matt Safford published 10 April 25

The Japanese brand returns with attractive speakers that are overflowing with connection options.

Lenovo Thinkpad X9 review: The prettiest business PC

By Matt Safford published 27 March 25

Lenovo’s updated take on the ThinkPad gets a lot right, despite ditching the traditional keyboard and TrackPoint.

Corsair EX400U review: Game-changing USB4 speed in a magnetic, phone-friendly form factor

By Matt Safford published 20 March 25

Editor's Choice

4,000 MB/s external storage at 2,000 MB/s pricing

Awekeys Antiques Metal keycaps are Viking-themed luxury for your fingertips

By Matt Safford published 12 March 25

Awekeys' Viking-themed distressed copper keycaps offer a next-level typing experience – and next-level pricing if you don't grab them early.

LaCie Rugged SSD Pro5 Review: Fastest external storage – if you’re on an M4 Pro or Max Mac

By Matt Safford published 28 February 25

LaCie’s Thunderbolt 5 drive is the fastest we’ve tested – but you may want to skip it even if you have TB5

How to Apply Thermal Paste to Your CPU

By Matt Safford last updated 27 February 25

Follow our quick and easy guide to make sure your thermal paste application doesn't lead to higher CPU temps or other serious problems.

Broadcom founder Henry Samueli to receive the IEEE's Medal of Honor award

By Matt Safford published 20 February 25

The broadband pioneer and Broadcom founder will receive the IEEE's top honor for 2025, as well as a $2 award.

Seagate Ultra-Compact SSD Review: Premium flash drive looks, mid-range speed

By Matt Safford published 12 February 25

More performance, please

Tested: Intel's Arrow Lake 140T iGPU mostly maintains an edge over AMD's older 880m

By Matt Safford published 10 February 25

We tested Intel's Arrow Lake 140T integrated graphics to see if the company has held on to its iGPU edge over AMD.

Montech’s Heritage Pro case is like a designer handbag for your Micro ATX PC

By Matt Safford published 18 January 25

Glass, leather, and room for an RTX 5090?

Razer showcases Project Ava AI gaming co-pilot and Project Arielle gaming chair with heating and cooling functionality

By Matt Safford published 10 January 25

Razer shared some 'groundbreaking innovations and futuristic technologies,' at CES this year, showcasing a concept AI-driven gaming assistant and a heated chair.

Dual cooler on the Mars 970 Storm PCIe 5.0 SSD and Levante II CPU block

Adata gears up for 2025 with new PC cases, coolers, and PSUs at CES

By Roshan Ashraf Shaikh published 8 January 25

Adata is looking to expand its range of products beyond storage and memory.

Hyte Y70 PC case (fishtank case with a 45 degree angle face) with new Y70 water cooling distro plate installed.

Hyte shows off new PC cooling toys, including new Thicc Q80 AIO — contact frames and magnetic hubs displayed at CES 2025

By Sunny Grimm published 8 January 25

Hyte's CES display focuses on new PC cooling and lighting products and updates, including the long-awaited Q80 water cooling AIO

InWin Prism with 180-degree panoramic view sidepanel

InWin shows off its upcoming Prism and Shift PC cases, and unique cooling fans at CES 2025

By Roshan Ashraf Shaikh published 8 January 25

With these new offerings, InWin aims to please a plethora of users looking for a good PC case and lots of simple cooling

Lenovo is bringing its rollable, expandable-screen laptop to market – ThinkBook Plus Gen 6’s display gets taller with the press of a button or the wave of a hand

By Matt Safford published 7 January 25

No longer a concept, but no ultraportable, either.

Lenovo’s new ThinkPad X9 laptop ditches the TrackPoint and familiar keyboard in favor of MacBook aesthetic

By Matt Safford published 7 January 25

There’s no nub on the ThinkPad X9, a stylish and slim laptop series for “hybrid professionals.”

Lenovo's new Yoga 9 laptops include an in-display webcam, dual 14-inch OLED Book 9i with a bigger battery

By Matt Safford published 7 January 25

The Lenovo Yoga Slim 9i hides a 32-megapixel webcam under its OLED screen. The updated Yoga Book 9i steps up to 14-inch screens with a bitter battery. And Intel's Lunar Lake powers the lineup.

Lenovo’s Legion Go S handheld is powered by AMD’s Z2 Go, runs SteamOS or Windows

By Matt Safford published 7 January 25

Legion Go 2 prototype lowers screen resolution, but steps up to OLED and refines controls.

HP’s new Omen gaming monitors include 280 Hz IPS Black and Google TV options

By Brandon Hill published 7 January 25

HP’s Omen 32x is its first gaming monitor to support Google TV, and its on-screen input-sharing options could be game-changing.

Acer’s new Predator Helios gaming laptops up the ante on performance and RGB – RTX 50 series and Intel Core 200HX CPUs meet a disco’s worth of glowing RGB

By Matt Safford published 7 January 25

Up to an RTX 5090, with swappable mechanical switches, RGB stripes

MSI’s New gaming laptops include a Norse-themed Titan Dragon Edition, translucent Cyborg

By Matt Safford published 7 January 25

MSI’s latest gaming laptops sport striking Norse, dragon, and cyborg designs, while including the latest CPUs and graphics from Intel, AMD, and Nvidia.

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