From ultra-portable laptops and beefy gaming PCs to the essential accessories that make your daily setup faster and easier, we’re spoiled for choice when it comes to computing today.
That’s why Tom’s Guide is officially opening nominations for our Computing & Gaming Awards 2026. This year, we’re putting the spotlight on the most innovative devices and technologies on the market — from premium flagships to unmatched value picks. If you think your product has what it takes to outshine the competition, now is the time to submit it to our team for consideration.
We’ll be crowning winners across nine distinct categories, ranging from everyday laptops and gaming rigs to mice, displays and peripherals. Winners will be selected based on our extensive testing and hands-on experience. Plus, with multiple award opportunities within each category, there’s more than one chance to win.
Read on for a breakdown of each category to learn what our editors are looking for and to find out how to submit your entry.
Award categories
We’re currently seeking entries across nine major categories including laptops, gaming laptops, gaming PCs, mini PCs, monitors, keyboard, mice, webcams and value picks. We reserve the right to modify these categories based on the submissions — especially if we see a number of similar entries in one category or not enough in another.
Laptops
From ultra-portable Copilot+ PCs and sleek 2-in-1s to high-refresh gaming rigs packed with heavy-duty GPUs, today’s notebooks are pushing boundaries on every front. Whether designed for all-day battery life, sleek portability or high-frame-rate gaming on the go, this category honors the laptops that get the balance right without compromise.
Gaming PCs
From high-end prebuilt rigs to smartly designed desktop systems, this category is for PCs that deliver the speed, graphics and uncompromised performance gamers expect. Whether pushing 4K frame rates or handling heavy live streaming, these are the desktops that set the standard for power.
Monitors
Whether built for high-refresh competitive gaming, ultra-color-accurate creative work or massive multitasking across an ultrawide canvas, we’re looking for screens that make everything look and feel better. This category highlights the displays setting new benchmarks in panel tech, ergonomics and visual clarity.
Peripherals
From mechanical favorites and ergonomic mice to high-def webcams, this category celebrates the gear that makes typing, gaming, navigating and video calling feel smoother, sharper and more precise. We want to highlight the everyday desk heroes, comfort-first devices and streaming cameras people don’t want to replace.
Value picks
Great tech doesn’t always need a flagship price tag. This category is dedicated to the budget-friendly standout products that manage to deliver premium features, reliable performance and exceptional quality without breaking the bank.
How to enter
Brands can submit products via our online entry form by selecting the appropriate category and following the “Enter Now” buttons on the awards site.
Entry fee: $250 per product, per category
No limit on submissions and products can be entered into multiple categories (additional $250 per category).
Deadline: July 29, 2026
Category winners will be announced at the end of July.