Tom's Hardware

Key takeaways

Tom's Hardware belongs to computer science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect Tom's Hardware to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of Tom's Hardware from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

Tom's Hardware is an online publication owned by Future plc and focused on technology. It was founded in 1996 by Thomas Pabst. It provides articles, news, price comparisons, videos and reviews on computer hardware and high technology. The site features coverage on CPUs, motherboards, RAM, PC cases, graphics cards, display technology, power supplies and displays, storage, smartphones, tablets, gaming, consoles, and computer peripherals. Tom's Hardware has a forum and featured blogs.

History Tom's Hardware was founded in 1996 as Tom's Hardware Guide in Canada by Thomas Pabst. It started using the domain tomshardware.com in September 1997 and was followed by several foreign language versions, including Italian, French, Finnish and Russian based on franchise agreements. While the initial testing labs were in Germany and California, much of Tom's Hardware's testing now occurs in New York and a facility in Ogden, Utah, owned by its parent company. In April 2007, the site was acquired by the French company Bestofmedia Group. In July 2013, that company was acquired by TechMediaNetwork, Inc., which changed its name to Purch in April 2014. Purch's consumer brands, including Tom's Hardware, were acquired by Future in 2018. The site celebrated its 20th anniversary in May 2016. Beyond continuous publication of the website, it is known for its overclocking championships and other contests. The site launched Tom's Hardware Premium, a subscription-only offering, on Aug. 6, 2025.

Editors Paul Alcorn took over as editor-in-chief of Tom's Hardware in June 2025 from Avram Piltch, who had served in the role since 2018. Prior to starting the position, Alcorn served as lead editor for CPU content. Before Piltch, John A. Burek, formerly of Computer Shopper, briefly held the role of editor in chief. Burek succeeded Fritz Nelson, who served from August 2014 through 2017. Other former editors-in-chief include Chris Angelini (July 2008–July 2014), Patrick Schmid (2005–2006), David Strom (2005), Omid Rahmat (1999–2003) and founder Thomas Pabst (1996–2001).

Related publications Tom's Hardware is owned by Future plc, which also owns a number of other websites. In technology, those include Tom's Guide (formerly Gear Digest), Laptop Mag and AnandTech, as well as science sites like LiveScience and Space.com. In March 2018 the German spin-off was to be closed because of the new data/privacy laws, but continued as an independent site (tomshw.de), with an exclusive license for the local usage of the brand name. In July 2019 the license was returned. After that the German CEO and editor-in-chief of the gotIT! Tech Media GmbH started a new website Igor´sLAB and his own YouTube channel.

Tom's Guide Tom's Guide (formerly known as GearDigest) is an online publication owned by Future that focuses on technology, with editorial teams in the US, UK and Australia. Tom's Guide was launched in 2007 by Bestofmedia, which was subsequently acquired by TechMediaNetwork in 2013; in 2014, TechMediaNetwork changed its name to Purch, which was acquired by Future in 2018. Primarily focused on news, reviews, price comparisons, how-tos and guides, Tom's Guide also features opinion articles and deals content. The site features coverage on CPUs, motherboards, RAM, PC cases, graphic cards, display technology, displays, storage, smartphones, tablets, gaming, consoles, fitness and health, home, smart home, streaming, security and computer peripherals. It is the second-largest consumer technology, news and review site from the US with 68.4 million visits in September 2022.

History Tom's Guide was originally launched as GearDigest by Bestofmedia before being renamed to Tom's Guide. The publication was subsequently acquired by TechMediaNetwork in 2013; in 2014, TechMediaNetwork changed its name to Purch, which was then acquired by Future in 2018. While the initial testing labs were in Germany and California, much of Tom’s Guide's testing now occurs in New York and a facility in Ogden, Utah owned by its parent company, Purch. In April 2007, the site was acquired by the French company Bestofmedia Group. In July 2013, that company was acquired by TechMediaNetwork, Inc., which changed its name to Purch in April 2014. The site celebrated its 15th anniversary in 2022. Beyond continuous publication of the website, it is known for its annual CES awards and Tom's Guide Awards that are held in June and July each year.

Editors Mark Spoonauer is the current Global Editor-in-Chief and has been since 2013. Before that, he worked as the Editor-in-Chief of Laptop Mag since 2003. Mike Prospero is the current US Editor-in-Chief alongside Managing Editors Philip Michaels, Jason England, Nick Pino and Senior Deals Editor Louis Ramirez.

See also CNET TechCrunch List of Internet forums

References

External links Official website

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with Tom's Hardware

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what Tom's Hardware claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In computer science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to Tom's Hardware before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about Tom's Hardware ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of Tom's Hardware

In research: Tom's Hardware appears in computer science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses Tom's Hardware in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: Tom's Hardware is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics American technology news websites, Computer magazines published in the United States, Computing websites, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for Tom's Hardware outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

How to study Tom's Hardware in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what Tom's Hardware means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
Explain Tom's Hardware out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is Tom's Hardware in simple terms?

Tom's Hardware is an online publication owned by Future plc and focused on technology. It was founded in 1996 by Thomas Pabst.

Why does Tom's Hardware matter?

Because it connects several computer science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study Tom's Hardware?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on Tom's Hardware.