Cherish the nostalgia of awkward graphics card box art? A book has emerged, showcasing some of the most iconic masterpieces from gaming's past.
In the near future, I'll be able to share with my grandkids the nostalgic allure of the archaic holo-GPUs, contrasting them with the devices of yore. Our graphic cards were peculiarly designed, often adorned in peculiar artwork, featuring robot frogs, scantily clad cyber elves, or a forlorn Terminator.
Yep, the bizarre aesthetics of vintage graphics card boxes have been extensively archived, but until now, there hasn't been a collection compiled into a physical book. Enter "Overclocked: An archive of graphics card box art," creatively crafted by Mike McCabe and Sam Bailey, offering a seemingly extensive compilation of some of the most memorable designs.
Indeed, the Radeon alien is part of this historical collection, along with other oddly rendered characters that graced our screens. I hope to stir a small frenzy should the Leadtek WinFast wizard fail to make an appearance.
However, my personal favorite remains the Palit robo-frog. Manipulate it, optimize it, extract its full potential - such was the cryptic message the frog delivered. Alas, I am still mystified by the robo-frog's creation within the Palit marketing department.
The book showcases over 300 retail boxes from the late 90s to the early 2010s, as well as over 50 GPU print ads from what they refer to as "the golden age of gaming magazines."
Now, let's not get too nostalgic, but given PC Gamer's storied history, I can't help but wonder how many of those ads once decorated our pages, or were first viewed there by our valued readers.
Anyway, enough with nostalgia. The book is officially out (or at least was, until it sold out), and should stock be replenished, I believe it would make an excellent gift for the PC gamer in your life, or simply something to amuse your mom when she drops by for a chat.
Yes, mother, that was the one with the elf lady on it. No, I did not remove it and stick it on my wall…or did I? Dad says he's still searching for it.
Top Chips for Gaming: The ideal CPU from both Intel and AMD[5][6].Best Gaming Motherboard: Explore the perfect options[7][8].Best Graphics Card: Find your pixel-pusher[9][10].Best SSD for Gaming: Get into the game first[11][12].
Andy Edser Andy, a seasoned gaming enthusiast, constructed his first PC at the ripe age of 12, an era defined by IDE cables and low-resolution screens. Since then, he's graced the pages of PC Gamer as a hardware author, attending product launches and trade shows while reviewing a vast array of PC hardware [3].
[1] Lock Books website[2] Public Knowledge Books[3] PC Gamer Team bio[4] Lock Books: Overclocked[5] Intel Core i9-12900K review[6] AMD Ryzen 9 5950X review[7] ASUS ROG Maximus Z790 Hero review[8] Gigabyte X670 Aorus Master review[9] Asus ROG Strix RTX 3080 Ti review[10] Nvidia GeForce RTX 3080 review[11] Samsung 980 Pro review[12] Western Digital SN850 review
- The book, "Overclocked: An archive of graphics card box art," features game-related gadgets like graphics cards, smartphones, and technology, showcasing over 300 retail boxes from the late 90s to the early 2010s.
- Andy Edser, a seasoned gaming enthusiast, wrote about graphical cards and their eccentric designs for PC Gamer, but his personal favorite remains the Palit robo-frog, which graced the screens of many PC gamers.
- In the future, Andy might introduce his grandkids to the unique aesthetics of vintage graphics card boxes, contrasting them with today's sleek designs on smartphones and other devices.
- The race for the best graphics card continues, with the Radeon alien and the Leadtek WinFast wizard being part of this historical collection, reminiscent of the golden age of gaming magazines.
