CPU

INTEL CORE I9-11900K $550

It may not have the most cores out there, and it might not be the fastest desktop processor around, but this is the best  that you can get from Intel right now, and it still packs one hell of a wallop. With eight cores, plus 16 threads of pure backported 14nm performance, it’s a monstrous achievement, and credit where credit’s due, it still manages to keep up with CPUs of half its transistor size. Aside from that, it also comes with support for PCIe 4.0 drives right out of the gate, packs in a hefty max turbo speed of 5.3GHz, and actually boasts some rather impressive integrated graphics. You know, for when you sell your GPU to buy your next house. It’s also, more importantly right now, in stock, making it a valuable asset for anyone looking to actually build a modern-day gaming PC. www.intel.com

MSI GEFORCE RTX 3070 8GB GAMING X TRIO $800

The MSI RTX 3070 is a tale in itself. It started out life as an amped-up RTX 3070, with a recommended retail price $60 higher than its namesake—nothing out of the ordinary there. It jumped up to $569 in December, and it now has an RRP of $800. That’s a price bump coming direct from MSI, and it shows how the silicon shortage is starting to affect manufacturers, too. We’re hearing multiple reports of wafer prices increasing dramatically, pushing extra costs on to the manufacturing side of things. That aside, the RTX 3070 is fantastic for 1440p, 120Hz gaming and beyond, and the Gaming X Trio provides an epic cooling solution. If the prices return to a normal level (near the original $560 mark), consider picking one up. Just don’t pay the street price. www.msi.com