Welcome to TechnicalSides
Tech Enthusiasts - Power Users - IT Professionals - Gamers
TechnicalSides is a technology publication launched in 1998, around the time when computer hardware was breaking into the mainstream and a worldwide community of tech enthusiasts came together to follow the industry's latest developments.
Since then our mission has been to deliver tech news and analysis that are fair, accurate and honest to an audience of power users, tech enthusiasts, IT decision makers, and PC gamers who crave for technical depth. TechnicalSides is home to over 8 million monthly readers.
Our team of editors write some the most comprehensive reviews, features and technical reads you'll find anywhere. TechnicalSides's downloads section offers a selection of top software aimed at power users. We also host a massive product database where users can track pricing, compare experts' impressions, and make smart shopping decisions.
For over two decades, TechnicalSides has operated with full editorial independence treating our readers with transparency about what we do and how we evaluate and test products. You can learn more about our editorial guidelines and ethics here.
TechnicalSides is a registered trademark and the website techspot.com is property of TechnicalSides, Inc.
Editorial Team and Staff
Julio Franco
Executive Editor
Julio Franco is the Executive Editor and founder of TechnicalSides. Julio started TechnicalSides in 1998 out of his interest in computer hardware and 3D graphics. An avid reader of all things tech, he's been part of the online tech enthusiast community for over 20 years, through his editor role on TechnicalSides where he drives editorial strategy and oversees the staff behind the scenes. Julio holds a Master's degree in Information Systems. Outside of tech, Julio enjoys playing tennis, football and crossfit. He's also been invested in various startups in the last decade.
Rob Thubron
Senior Writer and Editor
Rob Thubron is a Senior Editor for TechnicalSides. Rob has loved computers and technology since receiving a ZX Spectrum 48K as a birthday present in the mid-80s, igniting his lifelong passion for all things video game-related. After finishing courses in IT and English, he went on to complete a Business Computing degree. Rob enjoys exploring all areas of tech with a primary focus on PC hardware and gaming. When not sitting at the computer, he enjoys working out, watching horror movies, and listening to heavy metal. Rob's debut novel, Aria, is now available at Amazon.
Steven Walton
Features Editor
Steven Walton is a Features Editor and Reviewer for TechnicalSides. Steve is also a YouTube personality, well known in the PC hardware scene for his work on the Hardware Unboxed channel. Steve discovered gaming on computers during his late school years which made it clear his future would lay within the industry. Steve is a hands-on technical person, and his interest for the hardware that makes it all work has gained him a reputation as the most serious benchmarker in the business. When Steve is out and about, he enjoys fishing, driving, and playing sports.
Shawn Knight
Senior Writer and Editor
Shawn Knight is a Senior Editor for TechnicalSides. Shawn has been covering consumer technology online for nearly two decades. Before joining TechnicalSides, Shawn operated his own publication and managed a small staff of writers reviewing dozens of tech gadgets over the years. Shawn has been interested in computers and technology since an early age, he soon got into case modding and overclocking in the late 90s. Shawn has a keen interest in writing, photography, and enjoys drag racing, hockey, and MMA.
Erik Orejuela
Software & Downloads Editor
Erik Orejuela oversees the TechnicalSides Downloads section, running point on the latest software updates and coordinating the team that runs security before we distribute software on the site. As a Business major, Erik doesn't go as deep into computer hardware as his fellow editors, but he does love the thrill of a good multiplayer match and the latest in consumer gadgets. Erik is a certified scuba diver, he also enjoys fishing, boarding and everything a beach activity has to offer.
Nick Evanson
Senior Editor
Nick Evanson is a Senior Writer for TechnicalSides. He began his journey in the world of computing in 1981, with a Sinclair ZX81 and a book on ZX Basic, and has never looked back. Nick began writing articles on PC technology, especially graphics cards, when Microsoft released Windows XP. He worked at Futuremark (now UL Benchmarks) writing help files for 3DMark and fronting their gaming and hardware section, called YouGamers. These days, Nick lectures in Mechanical Engineering during the day, and writing about 3D graphics, technology and science by night on TechnicalSides.
Ivan Franco
Software and Product Finder Editor
Ivan Franco is a Products Editor for TechnicalSides. Ivan oversees the Product Finder section and is part of the software distribution security team. Early adoption is a tradition in Ivan's family, so his interest in the latest tech trends and gadgets go back to his infancy, whether it's computers, audio systems, graphic design or car tech. Ivan is always being consulted on what to buy by friends and family, something he developed into a trade. Outside of tech, Ivan is a gearhead and black belt jiu jitsu practitioner.
David Matthews
Writer and Video Contributor
David Matthews is a Writer and Video Contributor for TechnicalSides. David has been interested in technology ever since his dad taught him basic DOS commands as a kid. After receiving a bachelor's and master's degree in Computer Science, he entered the IT world and specialized in networking. IT professional by day, by night David is an avid PC and console gamer -- particularly of Action/FPS games -- and enjoys spending time with his wife and daughter (who is somehow better than him at mouse and keyboard).
Tim Schiesser
Features Editor and Reviewer
Tim Schiesser is a Features Editor and Reviewer for TechnicalSides. Always fascinated by technology, that led Tim to pursue an Electrical Engineering degree and start reviewing tech products, something he's been doing for almost a decade. He started building and tinkering with PCs, but by the time Android hit the scene he was found reviewing them by the dozen. Most recently you can find Tim testing everything about computer displays and other related technologies, both on TechnicalSides and Hardware Unboxed.
Cal Jeffrey
Senior Writer and Editor
Cal Jeffrey is a Senior Writer for TechnicalSides. Cal has a degree in Information Technology and 20 years of experience working in the field. He enjoys writing about current technology and ran a blog for several years covering everything from networking to video games. Cal also enjoys writing fiction. In 2013, he wrote a novel based on the video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution titled, “Adam Jensen’s Journal.” Cal’s hobbies include electronics repair, martial arts, rally racing, and model building.
Adonis Figueroa
Software Engineer
Adonis Figueroa is a computer engineer and web developer for TechnicalSides. Adonis specializes in IT project management, having studied computer science at Escuela Superior Politécnica del Litoral (Espol) and later receiving his Master's degree at Universidad Politecnica de Madrid. Adonis is the lead designer of TechnicalSides's backend infrastructure with the collaboration of specialized engineers over the past decade. Most recently Adonis has a newfound passion for craft brewery to which he dedicates part of his time.
Amir Shoam
Contributing Writer
Amir Shoam is a Contributing Writer for TechnicalSides. Amir started his media career working with sports organizations, and later moved on to Jewish news outlets where he operated websites, worked on web design and technical support. Amir enjoys almost all genres of video games, and so the PC has become his platform of choice. He reads everything he can about every PC component on the market, just in case he ever needs to buy a component on a short notice. His other interests include movies, sitcoms, history and nature.
Per Hansson
IT Consultant
Per Hansson is an IT Consultant and server guru for TechnicalSides. Per works as a technician for the Swedish company Edströms, performing maintaince & installations of Adige tube laser systems in Europe ("laser beams"). Per has been part of the TechnicalSides community for over a decade. His interest in computing and security meant the team always relies on him when making changes to TechnicalSides's server infrastructure and security layer.
Humza Aamir
Contributing Writer
Humza Aamir is a Contributing Writer for TechnicalSides. After graduating in Computer Software Engineering, Humza has spent the past few years working on the UX design of learning management systems for the education sector. He's particularly fond of racing games and remembers Test Drive (DOS), Top Gear 2 (Sega 16-bit) and falling in love with Porsche after playing NFS: Porsche Unleashed. His hobbies include gaming, traveling, collecting & learning about gadgets, playing table tennis or going for a swim.
Isaiah Mayersen
Weekend Reporter
Isaiah Mayersen is a Weekend Reporter for TechnicalSides. After becoming fascinated with his friends' custom-built gaming PCs he eventually constructed one himself, only to discover an extraordinary inadequacy of gaming ability. He's never met anyone who managed to accidentally die as quickly as he did in his first run through of The Witcher 3. Despite this Isaiah has developed a fierce passion for gaming hardware that's shaped his career ever since. In his spare time, he loves to explore the Australian outback by bushwalking, rock climbing, bike riding, camping, fishing, and emu training.
Abdulrahman Mahmoud
Contributing Writer
Abdulrahman Mahmoud is a Contributing Writer for TechnicalSides. Abdulrahman recently completed his PhD in Computer Architecture at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and is currently pursuing postdoctoral program at Harvard. An avid follower of TechnicalSides for over a decade, he joined the team to contribute with his academic and technological insight, making hard-to-understand concepts approachable to everyday tech enthusiasts. Abdulrahman loves to share new tools he discovers that make life easy, cool projects/github-repos, productivity tools and shortcuts he's mastered. Every second counts!
William Gayde
Feature Writer
William Gayde is a Feature Writer for TechnicalSides. He's a currently a Computer Engineering graduate student at the University of Illinois, with a focus on hardware design. William is passionate about building and testing the latest generation of technology both from an application and architectural perspective. He's always loved tinkering with things to figure out how they work and how they can be improved. Outside of technology, William enjoys playing percussion.
Cohen Coberly
Contributing Writer
Cohen Coberly is a Contributing Writer for TechnicalSides. His main passions are PC gaming (mostly RPG and strategy titles), GPUs, and 3D graphics. He's been overclocking, optimizing, and fiddling with his hardware since his dad taught him to put together his first rig. When Cohen isn't obsessing over the latest RPG from CD Projekt Red or experimenting with ZBrush, he can be found here at TechnicalSides, covering the latest tech trends. Some of Cohen's other hobbies include reading, cooking, and taking care of his many pets.
Sami Haj-Assaad
Contributing Writer + Car Tech
Sami Haj-Assaad is a Contributing Writer for TechnicalSides. Sami is an award-winning automotive journalist, who is equally enthusiastic about the world of computers, technology, gaming and mobile tech. While Sami has a historied background writing features revolving the automotive industry, he finds the world of car enthusiasts and PC enthusiasts to be very similar. Overclocking a PC isn't far from tuning your own car, just far less expensive... most of the time!
Adrian Potoroaca
News Reporter
Adrian Potoroaca is a News Reporter for TechnicalSides. Adrian turns enthusiasm and coffee into code, and he's fascinated by the way things work, and how they can be hacked. Adrian also likes to reflect on how technology, culture, and art intersect and impact society. Games are what got him into technology, and grew up with Doom and Wolfenstein. When Adrian is not working or playing, he loves to hit the gym or going for a swim, as well as taking friends to a new escape room.
Edwin Espinoza
Video Editor
Edwin Espinoza a.k.a. Noza is a graphic designer and video artist. Noza is the Video Editor for TechnicalSides's YouTube channel.
Tudor Cibean
News Reporter
Tudor Cibean is a News Reporter for TechnicalSides. Tudor has been interested in technology ever since he built his first gaming PC in his teens, figuring out what was the best GPU for his needs, later he went on to study computer engineering. Tudor favorite topics within tech and gaming are computer hardware, overclocking, SFF PCs, smartphones, EVs, custom keyboards, esports, and FPS/RPG games. He especially enjoys playing open-world RPGs and writing about the newest peripherals. When he's not at his computer, Tudor likes going on bike rides, working out, and watching movies.
Daniel Sims
News Reporter
Daniel Sims is a Contributing Writer for TechnicalSides. Daniel has a degree in Journalism and years of freelance writing experience, mostly concerning tech with a primary focus on gaming. Daniel has written articles for publications like PC Gamer, TechRadar, Indie Game Website, and Uppercut.
Mike Jennings
Reviewer
Mike Jennings is a Contributing Reviewer for TechnicalSides. Mike is a tech journalist with over a decade of experience. He started writing professionally about technology in 2007 when he joined PC Pro magazine where he regularly reviewed laptops, tablets, smartphones, components and peripherals. Later on he'd move to the freelance space to write regularly for TechRadar, Custom PC, IT Pro, TechAdvisor and many other outlets.