TECH PREVIEW 2021

IT FEELS LIKE an old and tired mantra at this point, but it’s fair to say that 2020 was an awful and very challenging year. It’s shown us just how dependent we are on that humble transistor. Life has changed, for better or worse, and the world we once knew likely won’t exist in the same way it did when this pandemic ends. If the science comes true, and as population sizes swell, diseases like this will likely become far more commonplace. And with it there’ll no doubt be an even greater shift in how we work, how we enjoy our spare time, and how we connect with our loved ones.

We’re seeing this change happen already: More of us now than ever work from home, and the majority are keen to see that trend continue even after this period in history ends, at least on a flexible basis. In fact, although economies have faltered and gone into sharp recessions across the globe, perhaps unsurprisingly, the one area that hasn’t been negatively impacted by this colossal moment in time is the tech industry. If anything it’s boomed, as more of us have demanded faster processors, better connectivity, and new PCs, and because of that supply can’t keep up with demand.

The technologies that launched this year have been nothing if not impressive. We’ve seen new GPUs from AMD and Nvidia that have begun to really challenge the feasibility of 4K gaming; processor leaps that have disrupted long-time industry kings; more impressive monitor tech at far better prices; and an arsenal of new ergonomically designed peripherals—and even more have made their way into the design stages already.

At any other time in history, these launches would’ve been considered legendary. We’ve been absolutely spoiled with some incredible hardware over the last few months. Yet as the madness that is 2020 has now come to a close, this is truly only the beginning. As always, new trends, demands, and repercussions in innovation and design take time to make it to market, and the effects of COVID-19 on the industry and on the PC enthusiast community as a whole will only begin to be really felt later this year.

So what is coming? What can we expect? And what tech are we likely to see pop into existence? Well we’ve got the whole gang back together to give you the very best lowdown on the future tech of 2021.

THE CPUS OF TOMORROW

INTEL VS AMD, THE BATTLE CONTINUES

▪ 2020 ended with a bang on the CPU front, with AMD’s Zen 3 architecture claiming the overall CPU crown. Looking forward to 2021, Intel hopes to reclaim some of its lost glory, but AMD isn’t