We launched our Best Of 2011 poll early in January with a simple goal: find out what our readers believe to be the best products they've seen this year. There was only one restriction: we had to have reviewed the product in the last 12 months. Five were shortlisted for each category by our team of Reviewers, and then put out to a public poll.
The polls have finally closed and we can reveal your picks of the Best of 2011. The response was great, and there have been both run-away winners and extremely tight races. Lets get right down to it with the:
Best Of 2011 - CPU: Intel Core i5-2500K
No surprises, the sheer bang for your buck of the Core i5-2500K was not to be denied. A game changer at stock and glorious when overclocked, the i5-2500K proved to be the choice of cost-conscious gamers throughout the year, also serving to drive innovation in Intel P67 and Z68 motherboards. With the release of the unlocked 'K' Sandy Bridge CPUs and P67 platform, overclocking was finally available for the masses. A worthy winner.
Best Of 2011 - CPU Cooler: Corsair H100
The H100 by Corsair had category-leading performance when put under our battery of tests, and its sheer performance won out with our readers. The recently announced Corsair Link Cooling Kit will also add yet more functionality to this and other products, exemplifying Corsairs commitment to added value and reward brand loyalty. Underscoring this point is the first sentence of our infamously hard to please reviewer Sahil's conclusion:
"The Corsair H100 is the first ALC unit that has really impressed me, which is an achievement in itself".
Next Up: Fast Memory, an Ass-kicking Peripheral and an Overclockers' Dream Motherboard...
