Pabst, who was one of the first people to bring technology journalism to the internet, as early as 1996. Back in these early days, the site was still called “Tom’s Hardware and Performance Guide” and its domain was sysdoc.pair.com, pair.com being a Pittsburgh-based hosting company.

The current domain, tomshardware.com, was added on September 11, 1997, followed by additional language versions, including the French, German and Italian sites, all of which are run by independent teams. Pabst moved on to other pursuits in 2008, Tom's Hardware and sister site, Tom's Guide, became part of the Purch company in 2013 and Purch was purchased by Future Plc in 2018.

Today's Tom's Hardware is more than just a site for PC builders. While we've maintained our rich tradition of thorough component testing and reviews, we've expanded our coverage to meet a broader swath of enthusiasts with different needs and levels of experience. If you'd rather buy a laptop or desktop, you're on your first PC build or you want to share your love of tech with your family, we're there to empower you with accessible editorial and a helpful, supportive community.