Weekly Gear Drop – CCL’s Top Picks for Gamers & Creators

This 24-inch Full HD monitor has been a staff favourite for smooth gaming. With an IPS panel and a super-high 180Hz refresh rate, it delivers beautifully crisp visuals and ultra-fluid motion in fast-paced games. During our play sessions, we noticed vivid colours and wide viewing angles (thanks to IPS) with virtually no tearing thanks to FreeSync, so competitive matches felt buttery smooth. The 1ms MPRT response eliminates most motion blur, which is ideal for e-sports titles and action games. We love that at 1080p on 23.8″, the picture is nice and sharp – the perfect sweet spot for clarity and focus.

The build and design are sleek yet straightforward. The VX2479-HD-PRO features a clean, frameless look that fits any setup, and although the stand only tilts, it’s VESA-mountable if you need full adjustability. Setting it up was plug-and-play – no hassle at all. Importantly, this monitor comes at an unbeatable value for the specs. It’s feature-packed for its price range, making it a great option for anyone looking to get a proper high-refresh gaming monitor without breaking the bank. Whether you’re upgrading from a standard 60Hz display or building a budget rig, the difference is night and day – motion is insanely smooth and your games will feel more responsive. Our only minor caution is that, like many IPS monitors, you might notice a bit of backlight bleed on very dark screens in a pitch-black room, but in normal use this isn’t a problem at all (and varies by unit). Overall, this ViewSonic hits the sweet spot for fast, vibrant gaming at a price that’s hard to beat, which is exactly why we picked it!

2. MSI FORGE GM300 Gaming Mouse

This gaming mouse punches well above its price tag, making it a staff pick for gamers on a budget. Right out of the box, the FORGE GM300 feels comfortable and agile. It has a symmetrical design that’s great for both palm and claw grip, and it’s even friendly for left-handed use. Several of our team members tried it out and noted how ergonomic it feels during long gaming sessions – it’s solid but not too heavy (about 118g), so you get a good balance of heft and swiftness. The build quality impressed us for a mouse in this price range, with durable switches rated for over 10 million clicks, meaning it’ll handle years of intense clicking.

In terms of performance, the GM300 offers precise tracking thanks to its optical sensor that supports up to 7,200 DPI sensitivity. We loved being able to switch DPI on the fly (there are 4 preset levels) to adapt from quick twitch movements in FPS games to finer cursor control for browsing or sniping. The mouse also polls at 1000Hz, ensuring responsive input with no noticeable lag. And of course, it wouldn’t be a gaming mouse without some RGB flair – the GM300 features 5-mode RGB lighting that you can tweak to match your setup’s vibe. The lighting comes in a tasteful glow (nothing too over-the-top) and adds a nice touch of personality. We did find that controlling the RGB and advanced settings requires MSI’s software (Mystic Light via MSI Center), which can be a bit finicky, but out of the box it cycles through attractive colours.

Overall, we were pleasantly surprised by how much the MSI FORGE GM300 delivers at its ultra-friendly price (around £13 at the time of writing!). It held its own in gameplay alongside more expensive mice – the tracking was smooth and accurate, and the clicks are satisfyingly tactile. If you’re looking for an affordable upgrade or a spare mouse that doesn’t compromise on core features, the GM300 is a fantastic choice. It’s reliable, gamer-focused, and accessible – no wonder it’s one of our top picks. (Pro tip: for the truly cable-averse, you can turn off the lighting via software or a button combo if needed – though we personally enjoy the default rainbow!)

3. MSI MAG A850GN PCIe5 850W 80 Plus Gold PSU

Power supplies might not be the most glamorous part of a PC build, but they’re the unsung heroes of stability and longevity. This 850W MSI MAG A850GN PSU earned our staff’s recommendation by delivering high-end performance at a mid-range price point. It’s an ATX 3.0 / PCIe 5.0-ready unit, which means it’s fully equipped to handle the latest graphics cards and their power spikes. 

What about efficiency and reliability? The MAG A850GN is 80 Plus Gold certified, which translates to excellent efficiency (up to ~90%) and lower waste heat. In our testing and research, we found that this unit maintains stable voltages under load and can deliver its full 850W output even at elevated temperatures – a hallmark of a quality PSU design. It’s built on a proven Channel Well (CWT) platform, and reviews have noted its tight voltage regulation and good ripple suppression, meaning it provides very clean power to your components. In everyday terms, that means it should contribute to the longevity and stable performance of your PC. We also liked its relatively compact size (140mm depth) which makes it easier to fit in smaller cases.

Now, since we aim to give you the full picture: the A850GN uses a non-modular cable design to keep costs down, so all cables are attached. That means you’ll spend a bit more time on cable management (tucking away any cables you don’t use), but in a mid-tower case it wasn’t a big deal for us. The cables themselves are black and blend in well. Considering the great price and feature set, this is a minor trade-off. The PSU runs quietly in most scenarios – during normal gaming loads the fan stayed pretty tame. Only at very high loads did we notice it ramp up, and even then, it’s no louder than a typical case fan. For peace of mind, MSI backs the MAG A850GN with a solid warranty (often around 5 years), reflecting confidence in its durability. All told, we’re seriously impressed with how much value this PSU offers. It’s affordable yet loaded with high-end features, making it an ideal choice for powering a modern gaming PC build. Rock-solid, future-ready power – that’s why it’s in our staff picks.

4. Gigabyte A520M K V2 mATX Motherboard (AMD AM4)

If you’re building a budget-friendly AMD gaming PC, this Micro-ATX board is a little gem. The Gigabyte A520M K V2 might be an entry-level A520 chipset board, but it impressed us with its reliability and up-to-date support. It’s compatible with a wide range of AM4 CPUs – out of the box it supports everything from older Ryzen 3000 chips up to the Ryzen 5000 series (including 5000G APUs). We’ve tested it with a Ryzen 5 5600 and it ran flawlessly after a BIOS update. For a board around £40-£50, that’s fantastic value; you’re getting an inexpensive upgrade path for a powerful CPU.

Despite its low cost, Gigabyte didn’t skimp on the essentials. You get 2 DDR4 DIMM slots (dual-channel) supporting up to 64GB memory, which is plenty for gaming and general use. It even has a PCIe 3.0 x4 M.2 slot for a fast NVMe SSD, so you can enjoy quick load times with a modern SSD (we popped in a NVMe drive and got the expected speedy performance). Additionally, there are 4 SATA ports for any extra drives. The board features a Gigabit LAN port with bandwidth management and decent onboard audio (8-channel HD audio with high-quality capacitors). We also liked Gigabyte’s Smart Fan 5 tech on this board – it provides multiple fan headers (including hybrid PWM/DC headers) and sensors to intelligently cool your system. In our build, the system stayed cool and quiet; the fan control and even fan-stop features worked like a charm.

Installation was straightforward thanks to the mATX form factor – it fit easily in a compact case and the front panel connectors were clearly labelled. One thing to note is that the A520 chipset does not support CPU overclocking (unlike some pricier B550/X570 boards), but honestly for most gamers and especially for a budget build, that’s not a big concern. The board will still allow memory XMP profiles, so you can run your RAM at higher speeds if supported. Also, only having two RAM slots means you’ll use 2×16GB if you ever want 32GB (max), but again, for a value build that’s perfectly fine. We found the VRM power design adequate for mid-range CPUs; it handled a 6-core CPU without any hiccups. Users online agree that A520 boards are perfectly fine for gaming use, and you mainly miss out on high-end features that most people don’t need. In fact, we appreciate Gigabyte’s Ultra Durable design elements here, like solid capacitors and anti-sulphur resistors, which speak to its longevity.

Overall, the Gigabyte A520M K V2 is a rock-solid choice for budget or entry-level AMD builds. It offers all the necessary features to run a modern PC – support for the latest CPUs, fast storage, and reliable performance – without the extra frills that drive up cost. If you’re building a gaming rig on a tight budget (maybe pairing a Ryzen 5 CPU with a mid-tier GPU), this board lets you do it confidently while saving money for other components. It’s hard to argue with the value here – and that’s exactly why it’s one of our staff picks.

5. G.Skill Trident Z5 RGB 32GB (2x16GB) DDR5 6400MT/s Memory Kit

Calling all performance enthusiasts! This Trident Z5 RGB DDR5 kit from G.Skill is an absolute beast that our staff fell in love with. It’s a 32GB dual-channel kit (2×16GB) rated at a blistering 6400 MT/s speed with tight CL32 timings. In simple terms: it’s one of the fastest DDR5 kits around for gamers and power users. We outfitted one of our high-end test rigs with this memory, and the results were superb – snappy system response, excellent framerates in memory-intensive games, and smooth multitasking even with dozens of Chrome tabs and apps open. If you’re looking to eliminate memory bottlenecks, this kit will do it.

Performance aside, Trident Z5 RGB modules are gorgeous. They feature a sleek two-tone heatspreader design (matte black with a silver trim on our kit) and a radiant RGB light bar on top. The build quality and aesthetics scream “premium,” and indeed many of us agree this is one of the best-looking RAM kits on the market (it’s going to shine in your PC build, literally). The RGB lighting is customisable with G.Skill’s software or syncs with motherboard RGB controls – we had it cycling in a subtle colour wave and it looks fantastic inside a. Crucially, these heavy metal heatspreaders aren’t just for show; they keep the memory cool and stable even under stress tests, which speaks to the kit’s overclocking potential. Enthusiast reviews have noted that there’s often a bit of headroom to tighten timings or push frequency slightly more if you’re into tweaking, thanks to the high-quality ICs G.Skill uses.

During use, what stood out is how this DDR5-6400 kit can boost frame rates and productivity tasks in systems that can leverage the extra bandwidth. For example, in some games and game streaming scenarios, we saw minor but measurable FPS improvements versus a 5200MT/s kit. More noticeably, in memory-heavy workloads (like video editing and large spreadsheets), things just felt smoother. Now, we must mention that DDR5 at 6400MT/s is cutting-edge, so you’ll want a fairly new platform (such as Intel 12th/13th Gen with a Z690/Z790 motherboard, or AMD Ryzen 7000 with a high-end X670E/B650 board) to fully support this speed. In fact, G.Skill provides an Intel XMP 3.0 profile for easy setup – we enabled XMP in BIOS and the system immediately recognised the 6400 CL32 settings. It worked flawlessly on our Z790 test board. Just ensure your motherboard’s QVL (qualified list) includes this kit’s speed, because running 6400MT/s might be challenging on some lower-tier boards (it may require a high-end motherboard to hit 6400MHz stable in some cases). In our case, it was essentially plug-and-play with XMP on a quality board.

It goes without saying that this kit is not the cheapest – you are paying a premium for top-notch performance and aesthetics. But if you’re building a high-end rig, we absolutely think it’s worth the investment. The Trident Z5 RGB series has consistently delivered top-tier performance in reviews and our experience backs that up. We’ve chosen it for our staff picks because it offers that perfect trifecta for enthusiasts: speed, style, and reliability. With this memory, you’re not only getting bragging rights for having RGB RAM that looks like a light-saber on your motherboard, but also the peace of mind that your system memory won’t be a limiting factor. Whether you’re chasing every last FPS, streaming and gaming simultaneously, or doing creative work, this G.Skill Trident Z5 kit will tackle it with ease and look amazing doing it.

6. ASRock Radeon RX 9070 XT Taichi OC 16GB Graphics Card

Last but certainly not least, feast your eyes on this absolute unit of a GPU. The RX 9070 XT Taichi OC is ASRock’s top-of-the-line custom design for AMD’s latest Radeon 9070 XT, and it has blown us away during testing. This card is built for hardcore gaming: it’s designed to crush 1440p at max settings and even deliver smooth 4K gaming at high settings with ray tracing on. In fact, AMD’s new RDNA 4 architecture has made big strides in ray tracing performance and power efficiency, and we felt it – games like Cyberpunk and Hogwarts Legacy ran impressively well with RT effects, a noticeable leap over the previous gen. With 16GB of GDDR6 VRAM, you’ve got plenty of memory for high-resolution textures and future-proofing, so no worries about maxing out VRAM at 4K. In short, the RX 9070 XT is a beast of a GPU aimed squarely at high-performance gaming, and ASRock’s Taichi OC edition takes it even further.

First off, let’s talk about the cooler and build, because the Taichi is a work of art. This card features ASRock’s latest Taichi 3X cooling system with a massive triple-fan heatsink. It’s one of the most robust coolers we’ve seen: a huge aluminium fin-stack array with six copper heat pipes and a polished copper baseplate covers the GPU and memory. In our stress tests, this cooler kept the card surprisingly cool for a high-end GPU – temperatures were well-managed and the fans remained quiet, only ramping up under extreme load. We also love the little engineering touches: the centre fan spins in reverse (opposite direction) to reduce turbulence and improve airflow, and there’s 0dB fan-stop when idle, so it’s silent on the desktop. ASRock clearly put a ton of thought into cooling, and it shows (TechPowerUp even praised it for “excellent cooling”). The card itself is hefty – a 2.5~3 slot design – with a stylish metal backplate that adds rigidity and looks fantastic. The Taichi aesthetic is unique: it has an industrial steampunk vibe with rotating cog graphics and controllable ARGB lights. We synced the lighting with our case, and it steals the show in a build. It’s honestly one of those cards you build a theme around because it’s so visually striking.

Performance-wise, this RX 9070 XT Taichi is a monster. ASRock has factory overclocked it (we saw our sample boosting around ~2570 MHz Game Clock out of the box, higher than reference). In real terms, it edges out the reference specs by a few extra FPS in games. It absolutely chews through 1440p gaming – every game we threw at it (from eSports titles hitting hundreds of FPS, to graphically intense AAA games) ran buttery smooth at max settings. Even at 4K, this card delivers high framerates; for instance, 4K Ultra with FSR 4 upscaling is very much in play, thanks to RDNA 4’s improvements and the ML-based FidelityFX Super Resolution 4 which provides big quality and performance gains. We tested a bit of streaming and content creation on it too, and with the AV1 encoding and new media engine, it’s well-suited for those tasks as well. One thing we appreciate for enthusiasts: the card features a dual BIOS switch (Performance and Quiet modes). You can choose maximum performance or a slightly lower fan curve for silence – a nice flexibility for tweakers. It also adopts the new 12V-2x6 power connector (PCIe 5.0), which is pretty forward-looking; ASRock even includes an adaptor from 3x 8-pin to the new connector for those without an ATX 3.0 PSU. In our case, we used our MSI MAG A850GN PSU (from pick #3 above) which had the native cable, and it worked like a charm. Power delivery is robust (16-phase design), and we had zero stability issues.

A minor consideration: make sure your case has enough room – the Taichi is a large card (it measures ~33cm in length). Also, as with any high-end GPU, it can run warm under full load (we saw hotspot temps in the 80s°C which is expected), but as mentioned, the cooling solution here is more than capable of handling it. The card will draw a good amount of power under max load (around 300W+), so pair it with a quality PSU (like the one above!). All things considered, the ASRock RX 9070 XT Taichi OC is an absolute powerhouse with a premium design. It brings flagship-like performance into a slightly more affordable segment – in fact, it goes toe-to-toe with some competitors that cost more. If you’re looking for a GPU that can do it all – high refresh 1440p, entry 4K, streaming, creation – and you want something that stands out in style, this card should be on your radar. Our team’s been raving about it ever since we got our hands on one, and that’s why it’s our top GPU pick this week. Game on, in style!

Conclusion

Thanks for checking out this week’s staff picks! We had a blast testing and sharing these products with you. From smooth monitors and clicky mice to reliable power and blazing-fast graphics, we only recommend gear that we’d choose for our own setups. Remember, we do Staff Picks every week, so be sure to subscribe to our newsletter or follow us to never miss out on the latest recommendations, deals, and occasional competitions. We hope you found this useful and fun to read. If you have any questions about these picks or need more advice, drop us a line – the CCL team is always here to help. Happy gaming and building!