PC Games Hardware
PC Games Hardware (PCGH) is a German-language PC gaming hardware media platform serving German-speaking enthusiasts with hardware reviews, benchmarks, buying guides, a premium article library, a large community forum, and a monthly print magazine, monetised via subscriptions, advertising, and affiliate commerce.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersNuremberg, Germany
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What PC Games Hardware does
PC Games Hardware (PCGH) is a German-language media brand focused on PC gaming hardware, operating as a product line of COMPUTEC MEDIA GmbH within the Computec Media Group. Its core offering is the pcgameshardware.de website, which publishes news, hardware reviews, comparative benchmarks, buying guides, and video content covering GPUs, CPUs, monitors, SSDs, cases, cooling solutions, and PC games for German-speaking PC gaming enthusiasts and hardware hobbyists. The platform also operates the PCGH Extreme forum, described as one of Germany's largest hardware communities with hundreds of thousands of threads on overclocking, cooling, modding, and components.
The product surface extends beyond the website to a monthly printed magazine available on newsstands and via subscription (with digital early access via PDF and mobile apps), the PCGH Plus paywalled premium content library of over 1,000 specialist articles, an integrated price comparison tool, GPU and CPU databases with rankings, the PCGH Ratgeber advice portal covering broader consumer technology, and PCGH PUR, an ad- and tracking-free subscription tier. Additional offerings include branded merchandise via Spreadshop and PCGH-curated gaming PC configurations sold through partner Dubaro (Krotus Computer).
Monetisation is multi-stream: print and digital magazine subscriptions (trial from €14.40), PCGH Plus premium subscriptions and single-article PayPal purchases, display and sponsored advertising, affiliate referral commissions from Amazon and Dubaro, recruitment advertising via the Golem Media-powered job board, and merchandise sales. The platform's geographic focus is DACH and broader Europe, with stated restrictions on paid article purchases outside the EU. Ownership is private, with no disclosed external investment, and the legal entity is COMPUTEC MEDIA GmbH headquartered in Nuremberg/Fürth, Germany.
PC Games Hardware firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PC Games Hardware
- Legal name
- COMPUTEC MEDIA GmbH
- Website
- https://pcgameshardware.de
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- PC Games Hardware (PCGH) is a German-language PC gaming hardware media platform serving German-speaking enthusiasts with hardware reviews, benchmarks, buying guides, a premium article library, a large community forum, and a monthly print magazine, monetised via subscriptions, advertising, and affiliate commerce.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PC Games Hardware industry classification
Industry- Product category
- PC Gaming Hardware Media
- akta.pro primary industry
- PC Components for Gaming (GPUs, CPUs, Motherboards, RAM, PSUs) (MPAFAGAD)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Gaming PCs & Laptops (Prebuilt OEM/SIs) (MPAFAGAC)
Keywords
Where PC Games Hardware is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Nuremberg
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
PC Games Hardware business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Magazine Subscriptions and Print/Digital Sales: PCGH publishes a monthly printed magazine available at newsstands and via subscription. Digital access includes PDF downloads and app-based reading. Subscriptions are offered through shop.computec.de with monthly or annual billing, and a trial subscription starting at €14.40.
- PCGH Plus (Premium Digital Content): Paywalled premium articles accessible via digital or combo subscriptions, or single purchase via PayPal. The premium tier also offers a PCGH PUR option removing ads and tracking.
- Advertising: Display advertising and sponsored content on the website and in the monthly magazine. The site hosts affiliate/partner links generating commission on product sales.
- Affiliate Commerce: Partner links to Amazon and other retailers for PC hardware, gaming PCs (Dubaro), and merchandise, generating referral commissions on qualifying sales.
- Merchandise: Sale of branded merchandise including apparel and accessories through the PCGH merch shop on spreadshop.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Trial Print Subscription |
| Subscription | Monthly | Digital and Combo Subscriptions |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | PCGH Plus Single Article Purchase |
| Subscription | Annual | PCGH PUR Ad-Free Browsing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
PC Games Hardware product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PC Games Hardware publishes German-language news, hardware reviews, performance benchmarks, and buying guides focused on PC gaming components (GPUs, CPUs, monitors, SSDs, cases, cooling). Distribution spans the pcgameshardware.de website, the PCGH Extreme community forum, a monthly print and digital magazine, the PCGH Plus premium content layer, the PCGH Ratgeber advice portal, and mobile apps, supported by advertising, subscriptions, affiliate commissions, and merchandise sales.
Product overview
PC Games Hardware is a German technology news and review platform focused on PC gaming hardware. The core offering is the PC Games Hardware website providing news, tests, and buying guides for GPUs, CPUs, monitors, SSDs, cases, and cooling solutions. The platform consists of the main website with integrated price comparison and hardware databases, the PCGH Extreme community forum, the PCGH Plus premium subscription for expert articles, the PCGH Ratgeber advice portal, and a monthly printed magazine available in both print and digital formats. Additional offerings include ad-free PCGH PUR subscription and the related PC Games.de gaming website.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- PC Games Hardware Website German-language technology news and review website focused on PC gaming hardware, providing news, tests, videos, and buying guides for GPUs, CPUs, monitors, SSDs, cases, cooling solutions, and PC games.
- PCGH Extreme Community Forum One of Germany's largest hardware communities covering cooling, overclocking, modding, PC components, and games discussion.
- PCGH Plus Premium Content Paywalled premium content offering in-depth expert articles, custom benchmarks, and exclusive hardware analysis, with over 1,000 specialist articles available via subscription or single-article purchase.
- PC Games Hardware Magazine Monthly printed magazine released on the first Friday of each month, available at German newsstands and via subscription through shop.computec.de, with digital PDF and app early access one week prior.
- PCGH Ratgeber Advice Portal Advice portal providing technology buying guides for household appliances, multimedia, and other consumer tech topics beyond core PC hardware.
- PCGH Price Comparison Price comparison tool helping users find the best deals on hardware and gaming products by aggregating retailer offers.
- PCGH Hardware Databases Comprehensive hardware databases including a GPU database with raster and raytracing rankings, a CPU database with rankings, and other component comparison tools.
- PCGH PUR Ad- and Tracking-Free Subscription Subscription tier that removes advertising and tracking from the PCGH website experience for an annual fee.
- PCGH Gaming PC Configurations (via Dubaro) PCGH-branded and curated gaming PC configurations offered through partner Dubaro (Krotus Computer) via affiliate referral links.
Companies that use PC Games Hardware
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PC Games Hardware technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
PC Games Hardware partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Dubaro (Krotus Computer)minorPCGH partners with Dubaro (Krotus Computer) to offer PCGH-branded and curated gaming PC configurations. PCGH receives affiliate referral commissions on sales generated through its partner links.
- Golem Media GmbH (Golem.de / Golem Stellenanzeigen)minorPCGH operates its job board (jobs.pcgameshardware.de) in partnership with Golem Media GmbH, a subsidiary of Computec Media Group. Golem provides the technical platform and job listing infrastructure for PCGH's recruitment advertising.
- Planet3dnow.deminorPlanet3dnow.de is listed as a partner site within the PCGH/Computec network, cross-linking and sharing audience for hardware news coverage.
- Amazon EUminorPCGH includes affiliate links to Amazon for hardware products reviewed on the site, earning commission on qualifying purchases made through tracked referral links.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
PC Games Hardware competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gamers Nexus: Highly technical, independent PC hardware review outlet with strong video presence and rigorous testing methodology. Comparable to PCGH Plus's depth, demonstrating the editorial positioning PCGH could extend into English-language video.
- ComputerBase: Germany's leading PC hardware news, reviews, and forum site. Closest direct competitor to PCGH, covering the same German-speaking enthusiast audience with reviews, benchmarks, and a large community - competing head-to-head for both readers and advertising/affiliate budgets.
- TechPowerUp: Global English-language PC hardware review site with comprehensive GPU/CPU databases and reviews. Closest comparable model to PCGH's benchmark-database approach, though operating in English at global scale rather than DACH.
- Overclock3D: English-language PC hardware review and overclocking community site. Comparable in editorial focus (overclocking, cooling, modding) to PCGH Extreme forum content, with a similar community-plus-content monetization model.
- Hardwareluxx: German PC hardware media with deep technical reviews, large enthusiast community, and editorial focus on GPUs, CPUs, and overclocking. Direct competitor for the same DACH audience and similar advertiser/affiliate relationships.
- Golem.de: Sister company within Computec Media Group; German IT and tech news with hardware review coverage. Operates the job board used by PCGH (jobs.pcgameshardware.de) and shares parent infrastructure - a directly comparable business model inside the same group.
- KitGuru: UK-based English-language PC hardware review site with global audience. Similar editorial format (news, reviews, buying guides) and affiliate-driven monetization, serving as a peer for international revenue model benchmarking.
Broad incumbents
- Tom's Hardware: Largest global English-language PC hardware media property covering news, reviews, and buying guides. Operates at much greater scale and broader portfolio; competes with PCGH for global mindshare and brand manufacturer marketing budgets.
- Heise Online: Germany's largest tech media publisher (including c't, iX, Technology Review DE). Comparable in language and region but broader in scope (enterprise, B2B, science) than PCGH's consumer gaming-hardware focus.
Emerging players
- Igor's Lab: Independent German-language PC hardware reviewer focused on deep technical analysis and GPU/CPU deep-dives. Competes for the same enthusiast audience with a similar premium technical-content positioning.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
PC Games Hardware social profiles
Digital presencePC Games Hardware financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PC Games Hardware leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
PC Games Hardware subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
PC Games Hardware funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PC Games Hardware M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PC Games Hardware
What does PC Games Hardware do?
PC Games Hardware publishes German-language news, hardware reviews, performance benchmarks, and buying guides focused on PC gaming components (GPUs, CPUs, monitors, SSDs, cases, cooling). Distribution spans the pcgameshardware.de website, the PCGH Extreme community forum, a monthly print and digital magazine, the PCGH Plus premium content layer, the PCGH Ratgeber advice portal, and mobile apps, supported by advertising, subscriptions, affiliate commissions, and merchandise sales.
Is PC Games Hardware a public or private company?
PC Games Hardware is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was PC Games Hardware founded?
PC Games Hardware was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is PC Games Hardware based?
PC Games Hardware is headquartered in Nuremberg, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does PC Games Hardware make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Magazine Subscriptions and Print/Digital Sales are the primary driver. The others are PCGH Plus (Premium Digital Content), advertising, affiliate Commerce and merchandise.
Who are PC Games Hardware's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gamers Nexus, ComputerBase, TechPowerUp, Overclock3D, Hardwareluxx, Golem.de and KitGuru. Broad incumbents are Tom's Hardware and Heise Online. Igor's Lab is listed as an emerging player.
Does PC Games Hardware have an API?
No public API is recorded for PC Games Hardware.
What industry is PC Games Hardware in?
PC Games Hardware's product category is PC Gaming Hardware Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAFAGAD, PC Components for Gaming (GPUs, CPUs, Motherboards, RAM, PSUs), with a secondary code of MPAFAGAC, Gaming PCs & Laptops (Prebuilt OEM/SIs).