Jacob Ridley

Jacob Ridley

PC Hardware Expert & Motherboard Reviewer

BS Electrical Engineering, Oregon State University. 11 years hands-on testing. 200+ motherboards tested. 6-bench home lab with FLIR E8-XT thermal camera.
Motherboard ArchitectureVRM Design and OptimizationBIOS Tuning and OverclockingPC System BuildingThermal Management
86 articles published@JacobRidle92689

About Jacob

I'm Jacob Ridley, a PC hardware reviewer based in Portland, Oregon. I hold a BS in Electrical Engineering from Oregon State University (class of 2013), and I've spent the last 11 years reviewing computer hardware full-time.

Right after graduation I worked as a hardware validation engineer, then moved to Austin, TX as lead hardware tester at a boutique PC integrator. In 2018 I launched jacobridley.com to publish independent, no-BS reviews without manufacturer pressure.

I've personally tested 200+ motherboards across six dedicated test benches: two Intel Z890, two AMD AM5, one mini-ITX, and one open-frame stress rig. Every board gets a minimum of two weeks of testing. I run a FLIR E8-XT thermal camera on every VRM and power delivery analysis.

Here's what I found in testing: most spec sheets lie about VRM thermals. I published a post showing a popular board hitting 105°C on its VRMs under sustained load. The manufacturer quietly updated their spec sheet. Tom's Hardware forums picked it up.

My current rig: AMD Ryzen 9 9950X on an ASUS ROG Crosshair X870E Hero, 64GB G.Skill Trident Z5 DDR5-6400 CL32, custom water loop.

When I'm not in the lab I'm out with my two border collies, Pixel and Cache.

86
Articles
11
Years Experience
200+
Boards Tested
6
Test Benches

Articles by Jacob Ridley

pc hardware news
pc-hardware-newsApr 18, 2026

Best PC Hardware for Video Editing 2026 — Buyer's Guide

Building a PC for video editing requires a balance of power and efficiency. I'll show you how to choose the right components for your needs and budget, so you can get the most out of your video editing workstation.

15 min readRead →
pc hardware news
pc-hardware-newsApr 16, 2026

PC Hardware Trends 2026: What to Expect in Next-Gen Components

Explore the anticipated advancements and trends in PC hardware technology expected to shape the computing landscape by 2026. From AI-enhanced components to sustainable computing, discover the future of PC tech.

16 min readRead →