If you're anything like us, it seems that barely a week goes by without a friend or family member asking for advice about what PC hardware to buy or how best to improve its performance.

As PC gaming continues to become more and more mainstream thanks to MMOs and accessible casual games, people are starting to realise that integrated graphics processor in the old Dell just won't cut it, and the inevitable questions of "what graphics card should I buy?" or "which processor is best for under £60?" start to drop into your inbox or pub conversations.

While it can sometimes be nice or even flattering to have your hardware knowledge tapped, keeping on top of latest hardware and product trends, let alone specific products, can be hard enough for even a hardened band of tech-journos like us here at bit-tech.

No one likes trawling through search engines for hours looking for product reviews or recommendations to justify your own, let alone someone else's all important graphics card or processor purchase, so we've decided to make the whole process a fair bit easier by producing a monthly hardware buyer's guide.