Now more than ever, Australians need expert advice to help them navigate the world of technology. Choosing reliable technology is essential in this fast-paced world, where products and prices change quickly. For anyone using a PC – whether desktop, laptop or tablet, whether for gaming, creating or productivity – any investment in new equipment today needs to be well informed.
To meet this need, the team has expanded the annual TechRadar Australian PC Awards to include more major technology products than ever before. Now covering 40 categories, the experts who actually test the equipment have evaluated products and services from the past year and distinguished the best of the best.
From PCs and all the essential components that make them up, to everything that connects to a PC including monitors, keyboards, mice and headphones, to exciting new technology like portable gaming PCs and essential services like the best NBN for every type of user – we’ve highlighted the devices and services we think Australians should consider before others.
What’s new this year?
To cover all the bases that matter to you, we’ve added 13 new categories to the TechRadar Australian PC Awards!
These include brand new internet awards, covering Best NBN Provider for Budget, Broadband and Gaming, as well as Best NBN Provider overall. The Australian TechRadar team has huge experience testing and evaluating the best NBN deals on offer, and the winners they have selected will bring you the performance and value you expect.
We’ve also delved deeper into adding additional monitor categories, as this is one of the most popular PC products on TechRadar and the pace of evolution in display technology is incredible. We now have awards for the best everyday monitors, alongside gaming and displays for creators and professionals.
We’ve also added more elements to the rewards and refined a few existing rewards to make them more relevant today.
Antivirus and comprehensive security suites are another new feature. Once again, the TechRadar team knows their stuff and covers PC, Mac, and mobile security all year round.
Our mission is to help you choose the best equipment and services for your life, whether for business or pleasure, and we believe we have more experience and expertise than anyone else to do it! These awards draw on the combined knowledge of the Future Publishing network, which brings together experts in every important field, that of technology.
Here they are – The TechRadar 2026 Australian PC Awards finalists!
Where possible, we’ve linked to the Future Network’s most relevant online coverage of each finalist, to help you learn more about why we love them so much.
Finalists: Best Motherboard Manufacturer
- Asus
- Asrock
- Gigabyte Aorus
- MSI
- Nzxt
- Sapphire
Runners-up: Best AMD Motherboard
- Asrock B850 Steel Legend Wi-Fi
- Asrock Phantom Gaming B850I Lightning Wi-Fi
- Asus ROG Crosshair X870E Apex
- Asus ROG Strix B850-A Gaming Wi-Fi
- Gigabyte B850 Aorus Elite WIFI 7 Ice
- Gigabyte X870 Aorus Elite WiFi7 Ice
- Gigabyte X870E Aorus Pro
- MSI MEG X870E Divine
- Saphir Nitro+ B850A WIFI 7
Finalists: Best Intel Motherboard
- Asrock B860 Steel Legend Wi-Fi
- Asrock Phantom Gaming B860I Lightning Wi-Fi
- Asrock Z890 Taichi OCF
- Asus TUF Gaming B860M-Plus Wi-Fi
- Gigabyte B860 Aorus Elite WIFI7 ICE
- MSI Z890 divine
- Nzxt N7 Z890
- Nzxt N9 Z890
Finalists: Best Graphics Card Manufacturer
- Asrock
- Asus
- Gigabyte Aorus
- Intel
- MSI
- Sapphire
- XFX
Runners-up: Best Budget Graphics Card
- Asrock Intel Arc B570 Challenger OC
- Asus Prime Radeon RX 9070 XT 16 GB OC
- Asus Prime RTX 5060 TI OC Edition
- Intel Arc B580
- MSI GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16G Gaming Trio
- MSI RTX 5060 Ti 16G Gaming Trio OC
Runners-up: Best Premium Graphics Card
- Aorus RTX 5080 Master
- Asus ROG Astral GeForce RTX 5080 16GB GDDR7 OC
- MSI GeForce RTX 5080 Ventus 3X OC White
- MSI RTX 5080 16G Supprim SOC
- MSI RTX 5090 Suprim SOC
Finalists: Best Budget Processor
- AMD Ryzen 200 Series
- AMD Ryzen 5 9600
- AMD Ryzen 5 9500F
- AMD Ryzen 7 7500X3D
- AMD Ryzen 5 5600F
- Intel Core Ultra 5 245 processor
- Intel Core Ultra 5 235 processor
- Intel Core Ultra 5 225 processor
- Intel Core Ultra 5 225F processor
- Intel Core Ultra 5 235U processor
Runners-up: Best mid-range processor
- AMD Ryzen 7 9700F
- AMD Ryzen Al 7 350
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265 processor
- Intel Core Ultra 7 265H processor
- AMD Ryzen Al Max 385
Runners-up: Best Premium Processor
- AMD Ryzen Al Max+ 395
- AMD Ryzen 9 9950X3D
- AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX
- AMD Ryzen 9 9955HX3D
- Intel Core Ultra 9 285 processor
- Intel Core Ultra 9 285HX processor
Runner-up: Best Internal Storage Manufacturer
- Corsair
- Kingston
- Samsung
- Sandisk
- Seagate
- Silicon power
- TeamGroup
- DEO
Finalists: Best External Storage Manufacturer
- Data
- Corsair
- Crucial
- Lacie
- MSI
- Orico
- SanDisk
Finalists: Best NAS
- Asustor Flashstor 6 Gen2 FS6806X
- Asustor Lockerstor 4 Gen 3 AS6804T
- Synology BeeStation Plus NAS
- Synology DiskStation DS925+
- TerraMaster F2-425 NAS
- SSD TerraMaster F4 NAS
- TerraMaster F4-424 Max NAS
- TerraMaster F4-425 Plus NAS
Runners-up: Best Budget Laptop or 2-in-1
- Acer Swift 14 AI
- Apple MacBook Air 13-inch M4
- Asus CX34 Chromebook Plus
- Asus ZenBook A14
- Dell 14 Plus
- Dell 14 Plus 2-in-1
- Lenovo Chromebook Plus 14 generation 10
- Lenovo IdeaPad Slim 3x
- Lenovo ThinkBook 16 generation 7
- MSI Modern 14 F13MG
Runners-up: Best high-end laptop or 2-in-1
- Apple MacBook Air 15 inch M4
- AppleMacBook Pro M5
- Asus ProArt P16
- Asus Zenbook S16
- Dell 16 Premium
- HP OmniBook Ultra Flip
- HP ZBook Ultra G1a 14 Mobile Workstation
- Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition
- Microsoft Surface Laptop
- MSI Prestige A16 AI
Runners-up: Best Gaming Laptop
- Acer Nitro V15 Intel
- Asus ROG Flux Z13 2025
- Asus ROG Strix G16 2025 AMD
- Asus TUF A14 2025
- Gigabyte A16 Pro Gaming
- HP Omen Max 16
- Lenovo Legion 5i Gen 10
- Lenovo LOQ 15 Gen10
- MSI Vector 16 HX AI
- Razer Blade 16 2025
Runners-up: Best Desktop
- Alienware Aurora ACT1250
- Apple Mac Mini M4
- Apple Mac Studio M3 Ultra
- Asus NUC 14 Pro
- Asus ROG NUC 2025
- Geekom A5 2025 edition
- Geekom A8 AI
- Lenovo Legion Tower 5 2025
- Lenovo ThinkCentre M70q Gen 4 Tiny
- Mini PC Minisforum MS-S1 Max
- MSI Cubi Z AI 8M
Finalists: Best Handheld
- Asus ROG Xbox Ally
- Lenovo Legion Go 2
- Lenovo Legion Go S
- Lenovo Legion Go S SteamOS
- MSI Griffe 8 AI+
- ROG Xbox Ally
Finalists: Best Tablet
- Apple iPad (A16) 11 inch
- Apple iPad Mini (A17 Pro)
- Apple iPad Pro 11-inch (M5)
- iPad Air M3
- Lenovo IdeaTab Pro
- SamsungGalaxy Tab S11
- Samsung Galaxy Tab S11 Ultra
Runners-up: Best Retailer for PC Enthusiasts
- All necessary computers
- BPCtech
- RMD
- World
- PC Case Equipment
- Photech
- PC Radium
- Umart
Finalists: Best Memory Maker
- Data
- Biwin
- Corsair
- Crucial
- G. Jurisdiction
- Kingston
- Silicon power
- TeamGroup
Finalists: Best Air Cooling Product
- Thermalright Royal Pretor 130
- Arctic Freezer 36
- Master Hyper 2123DHP Cooler
- Noctua NH-L12S
- DeepCool Assassin VC Elite
- Cooler Master Hyper 612 Apex
Runners-up: Best AIO Cooling Product
- Arctic Liquid Freezer III Pro 360 ARGB
- Asus ROG Ryujin III 360 ARGB Extreme AIO
- Asus ROG Ryuo IV SLC 360 ARGB
- Cooler Master MasterLiquid 360 Core II
- Corsair Nautilus 360 rs
- Nzxt Kraken Elite 360 RGB Cooler 2024
- Nzxt Kraken Plus 360 RGB Cooler
- Thermalright Grand Vision 360
- Tryx Panorama SE ARGB 360
Finalists: Best Monitor Manufacturer
- Alienware
- Alogical
- Asus
- BenQ
- Dell
- Lenovo
- LG
- MSI
- Samsung
Runners-up: Best Productivity Monitor
- Alogic 5K Touch Clarity
- BenQGW2490
- Dell 32 Plus S3225QS
- Dell Pro 32 Plus
- Dell Pro P2725QE Plus 4K
- Dell S3225QC
- Lenovo ThinkVision P49w-30
- LG UltraFine evo 6K
- MSI Modern MD342CQPW
Runners-up: Best Gaming Monitor
- Asus ROG Strix XG27ACDNG OLED 360Hz
- Samsung Odyssey OLED G81SF
- Alienware AW3425DW
- MSI MPG 271QR X50 QD-OLED
- Lenovo Legion R27fc 30
- Alienware AW2525HM LED 320Hz
- Alienware AW2725Q
- LG UltraGear 45GX950A
- MSI MPG 321CURX QD-OLED
- Asus ROG Swift PG27UCDM 4K 240 Hz QD-OLED
Finalists: Best Creative/Professional Instructor
- BenQPD3226G
- Asus ProArt PA32UCDM
- Dell UltraSharp U2724DE
- Dell UltraSharp 274K Thunderbolt Hub U2725QE Monitor
- BenQ MA320U
- Asus ProArt PA27JCV
- BenQPD2730S
- Asus ProArt 6K PA32QCV screen
Finalists: Best Keyboard
- 8BitDo Retro
- Asus ROG Falchion Ace HFX
- Be Quiet light stand
- Keychron C1 Pro 8K
- Keychron K8 HE
- Keychron V6 Max
- McHose Unbox Therapy UT98
- NuPhy Air60 HE
- Rainy Wobkey 75 Pro
Finalists: Best Mouse
- Asus ROG Harp Ace Mini
- Corsair Saber V2 Pro
- Corsair Scimitar Elite Wireless SE
- Glorious Model O Eternal
- Logitech MX Master 4
- Razer Cobra HyperSpeed
- Razer DeathAdder V4 Pro
Runners-up: Best Gaming Headset
- Asus ROG Pelta
- Corsair Void V2 MAX
- Corsair VOID Wireless V2
- Logitech Astro A50 Gen 5
- Logitech G522
- Razer BlackShark V3 Pro
- SteelSeries Arctis Nova Elite
- Turtle Beach Atlas 200
Finalists: best case
- Be Quiet Shadow Primer 800 F X
- Phanteks Eclipse G400A
- Hyte Y40
- AsusAP202
- Lian Li O11 Vision
- Terra Fractal Design
- Nzxt H9 Flow RGB Case
Finalists: Best Router
- Acer Predator Connect W6x
- Asus ZenWiFi BT10
- DrayTek Vigor2865Lax-5G
- MSI Roamii BE Lite Wi-Fi 7
- Netgear Nighthawk RS100
- Netgear Orbi 370
- TP-Link Déco BE68 BE14000
- TP-Link Deco XE75 Pro
Finalists: Best NBN Provider: Global
- Telco Buddy
- Exetel
- Return
- Spintel
- Superloop
Runners-up: Best NBN Provider: Budget
- Return
- Internet Kogan
- Momentum
- Spintel
- Tangerine
Finalists: Best NBN Provider: Broadband
- Australian broadband
- Lancel
- Leaptel
- Boyfriend
- Superloop
Finalists: Best NBN Provider: Gaming
- Australian broadband
- Exetel
- Leaptel
- Superloop
Finalists: Best Security Suite
- Avast Ultimate
- Avira Prime
- Bitdefender Total Security
- Eset Home Security Ultimate
- McAfee+ Premium
- Norton360
For the person, product or technology that advanced the PC more than any other in 2025.
Finalists: Excellence
- Gabe Newell: Don’t sell yourself
- AI everywhere: For better or for worse…
- Intel Arc B series (Battlemage): A truly competitive GPU alternative to Nvidia and AMD
- AMD Radeon RX 9000 Series: Mid-range GPUs are interesting again
- Valve: Steam OS is taking Linux gaming to the next level. Microsoft is worried
- AMD Strix Halo: One of the best mobile chips in years
- MSI: Project Zero made cable-hiding stealth cards a success
- Nvidia: I never gave up on CUDA, it now drives most AI
- ARM: Slowly but surely take over all types of treatment
- QD-OLED: High refresh rate, high PPI, lower cost
The company that impressed us the most, overall, over the past year
Finalists: Gold
Each company whose product or service has been selected as a finalist in this year’s Awards is automatically in the running for the prestigious Gold Award.
Additionally, the editorial team may award the Gold Award to a company that is not a finalist here, but which we believe is worthy of the grand prize. The Gold winner – along with all other TechRadar 2026 Australian PC Awards winners – will be announced on March 15!
Finalists: epic failure
- Apple: Apple Intelligence is the gift that keeps ungifted
- AI: Over-promising and under-delivering to the consumer, causing the RAM apocalypse. AI slope. Grok deepfakes. And more…
- Borders 4: The game runs poorly but Gearbox CEO Randy Pitchford said it was “pretty optimized”, “Use DLSS. It’s great”.
- Cloudflare outage: Cleared many websites and offline services. Too much of the Internet depends on it!
- Intel: Still hasn’t properly fixed Raptor Lake issues
- Memory shortage and soaring prices: AI-Driven Madness
- Meta AI step failure: Zuck’s glasses didn’t work on stage
- Micron/Crucial: Abandoning consumers when they need it
- Microsoft: Failed Multiple Windows Updates, Agentic AI Integration, Efforts to Kill Windows 10, Including Updates That Crash Your SSD!
- Nvidia: RTX 5000 series launched, melty 2.0 connectors, crappy drivers, exorbitant prices
- Optus 000 faults: People died, nothing was said
