Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld editor and renowned hardware journalist, dies at 58

&list=PLJw2-YrAPHYGY-E-E7on50Nw4DCKRdupv">Hardcore Hardware series where he married his deep wealth of knowledge with trademark Gordon theatrics.

But it wasn’t until we &t=2s">launched The Full Nerd video podcast in 2016, and set Gordon loose on many more video formats, did he come full circle as a creator. As the host of The Full Nerd, Gordon was able to deliver all his knowledge and analysis at a much faster pace—and if you’ve seen The Full Nerd, you know just how much he loved everything the PC scene has to offer.

Through his expanded presence on The Full Nerd, Gordon developed deep relationships with not only other YouTube creators, but also with dedicated followers. You could almost hear his fan base cheering him on via the comments feed during live shows. I have often thought that the way Gordon shared his reporting in print and on podcasts served as model for what PC hardware YouTube would become—unapologetically nerdy, opinionated, and full of attitude. But Gordon always delivered a crucial additional element: a legit journalism background and all the rigor it entails.

Gordon continued to shoot video and appear on The Full Nerd until weeks before his death. Talk about a commitment to beat coverage. He was following the story to the very end.

I met Gordon in journalism school and spent a lot of time with him in the trenches—sharing cubicle spaces, and hearing him riff. I’ll remember his endless debates with co-workers (his bob-and-weave rhetorical style was as maddening as it was entertaining). I’ll remember his two-hour long phone interviews with sources (he interrogated them like a pro, but played the long game in cultivating trust). I’ll remember his reliability in always asking about the TPS reports when some bureaucratic email landed in our inboxes. I’ll remember him slyly trolling me by calling the series “Star Track” even though I’m 99 percent sure he knew that’s not how it’s pronounced.

He might have been the staff curmudgeon, but he was also our most fun co-worker, bar none.

I’ve long held this romantic notion, maybe foolishly, that journalists are immortalized by their canon. And of all the tech journalists I’ve personally known, no one has a deeper canon, and has touched more followers, and has earned more respect from industry heavyweights than Gordon. From his earliest days on Maximum PC to his last days on PCWorld and the Full Nerd, Gordon touched people in a way I just haven’t seen anywhere else. He’s leaving a gaping hole in the hearts of those who loved him, but what he’s given us lives forever. – Jon Phillips, editorial director, PCWorld

Gordon Mah Ung, remembered

Here are more reflections from those who knew Gordon well. If you’d like to share some thoughts on what Gordon meant to you, please email Brad Chacos, PCWorld executive editor, at bchacos@pcworld.com. Unfortunately, we will not be able to add all submissions to this article.

‘The journalist and person I wanted to be when I grow up.’

Here’s something Gordon never knew. He was the beacon for my career before I even had my career. I was born in the early 80s. I was a wide-eyed teen when Gordon was blazing trails in boot and Maximum PC in the late 90s. This was my introduction to enthusiast PC culture, long before the Internet exploded.

After spending years unloading trucks and working in factories, I eventually took the plunge into tech journalism. I had $2,000 in the bank and a 6-month-old daughter, but I wanted to do what Gordon did. I ground out endless $15 articles on a content farm called Demand Media. I was eventually added to the tech vertical, which Salon syndicated. And those Salon clips got me a freelance gig with Maximum PC’s nascent Web Blog. YES!

The first time I got an email from Gordon with insights on something I was working on, I swooned—and listened, and hustled. Eventually I was fortunate enough to work alongside Gordon at PCWorld, then become his co-host on The Full Nerd, and loooong after that, his boss. (WUT!) I learned so much from him. Gordon always remained my inspiration; the journalist and person I wanted to be when I grow up. He still is.

He never knew that. I wish he did, because Gordon literally changed my life. Follow in the footsteps of greatness, kids. And Gordon was the GOAT. — Brad Chacos, PCWorld executive editor and Gordon Mah Ung stan

‘He remembered who came before him, and created space for those who would follow’

I may write for a living, but I can’t do justice to Gordon in words. But I know he would nudge me, as he always has, to go for it. See where it takes me.

PC building is what led me to cross paths with Gordon—I first met him while sneaking peeks at the wild and wonderful PC builds on the other side of my cubical wall. At the time, I was a video games journalist, covering a platform I’d later get mercilessly razzed about on The Full Nerd.

But I liked tech, and I liked learning about PC hardware. It was a trait that Gordon encouraged, nurtured, and transformed into an entire new branch of my career. Gordon was the kind of guy who did that casually, too. His deep love for PC hardware made him open and generous, always actively keeping seats open at the table for others. He remembered who came before him, and created space for those who would follow him.

In every capacity I’ve known him—boss, mentor, colleague—he taught me to stay humble, lead with curiosity, and remain fair in coverage. Combined with his laser-sharp precision and analysis, his example forever motivates me to think deeply and thoughtfully. The industry will not be the same without him. —Alaina Yee, PCWorld senior editor and Maximum PC alumni

‘He welcomed me in and let me know I belonged’

Newsrooms attract characters. Misfits, hopeless optimists, unrepentent goofballs, anti-establishment types, lovable weirdos, and willful contrarians. Gordon was all of those things, but most of all, he was kind.

He was always first in line to help a friend in need. When there was an emergency, he ran toward it. I don’t think he was a Boy Scout, but he was always prepared.

When I was the new guy at Maximum PC, I knew all about computers and nothing about magazines. Gordon didn’t care. He welcomed me in and let me know I belonged there. He answered all of my stupidest questions, helped me when I needed help, and let me make mistakes when I needed to mess up. And he made sure that we all got into good trouble on the reg.

He taught me that our job, as editors, is always to serve the reader. It didn’t matter that advertisers paid the bills; the people who trusted us to give them advice and guidance were always our number one priority. It was his guiding principle and he lived it every day. He was never afraid of speaking truth to power in service of the reader. And he taught so many young journalists to do the same.

I already miss my friend terribly, but I’m profoundly grateful that I got to share a small part of his journey with him. The world is a worse place without him. —Will Smith, Full Nerd regular and former Maximum PC editor-in-chief

‘Gordon was always at the center of it’

I hardly need to list Gordon’s many great attributes—he was a beloved legend in the PC community for a reason. But I’m among a smaller number of people who had the privilege of working with him day to day on a team, first at Maximum PC and then PCWorld. Despite being a larger-than-life figure for both of those brands, Gordon was the consummate team member—always willing to patiently explain something, always down to riff and collaborate, always kind and respectful of others. He seemed to genuinely thrive on the group effort.

My favorite work memories are of the Maximum PC bullpen where the staff would banter and laugh seemingly all day—it’s amazing we ever got anything done. Gordon was always at the center of it. He was a truly outstanding individual who I’m proud to have worked with and know as a friend. —Katherine Stevenson, PCWorld managing editor and Maximum PC alumni

‘Gordon was the newsiest nerd I’ve ever known’

It’s fair to say Gordon helped define what PCWorld is today, from our mission to especially our voice. I grew up in a newsroom, and Gordon was the newsiest nerd I’ve ever known: utterly dedicated to depth, accuracy, and context, but with a cynical, collegial sense of humor. He also cared deeply about understanding how tech worked and unearthing its deep, dark secrets that manufacturers glossed over. The man simply loved his job. We all loved him. – Mark Hachman, senior editor, PCWorld

‘We are fortunate to have had someone so genuine fighting for us’

Gordon Mah Ung is an irreplaceable force of good for this industry and for consumers. His background in police reporting and journalism afforded a strong foundation to his work and a unique perspective not found anywhere else in the computer reporting business. Like many others, Gordon’s work in Maximum PC inspired me long before I was ever in the industry.

Back when I was in high school, I would buy magazines Gordon wrote for every month. In particular, his “Watchdog” consumer advocacy columns inspired our own similar content. He knew when and how to push back to protect consumers, and Gordon served as a mentor for me.

Gordon was kind enough to regularly listen to my rambling as I sought his advice and experience, navigating complicated issues of ethics and conflict. He always brought grounded, sobering advice. I still can’t believe that I have been fortunate enough to have worked alongside a hero of mine, and still cannot believe his passing.

Gordon and I got along from day one, and I will forever keep his perspective in mind. His presence at events will be greatly missed. Gordon Mah Ung has long been my favorite co-host in videos for his “real” demeanor and his candor; he is exactly who he presents himself as on camera, and we are fortunate to have had someone so genuine fighting for us in this industry. Gordon, thank you for everything you have taught me, and thank you for unwaveringly looking out for consumers. —Steve Burke, editor-in-chief, GamersNexus

‘If Gordon praised my system, it felt like I’d won an Oscar’

Gordon reviewed our PCs for 25 years, and he has written more kind words about my company than anyone. It’s a bittersweet honor to offer a few words about Gordon in return.

For the first decade I knew Gordon, I learned little about him personally. He was like a test we had to pass. At Maximum PC, he was the ultimate authority on whether the systems we were building were worth anyone buying. If Gordon praised my system, it felt like I’d won an Oscar. But he never let a missed detail get by him, and trying to impress Gordon has become a constant of my career. I would not be where I am today without Gordon’s approval.

But over the years I was fortunate enough to get to know Gordon a bit personally. I always felt privileged when he’d call me for long off-the-record talks about the latest PC industry intrigue, and we’d inevitably tangent off to talking about Aliens or Star Trek, or “the kids building PCs these days who don’t know how easy they have it.” Gordon was a kindred spirit: an O.G. sci-fi and computer nerd who loved tech, and always remembered the point of the hobby was having fun with cool toys.

But the biggest impression he made on me was when he and his family stopped by my shop a few years ago. Such wonderful people, and I was so impressed by his children: kind, smart and funny—exactly whom you’d expect Gordon to have made the world better with. Meeting them, I learned his legacy was not just in what he wrote, but in who he taught, and who he loved. Thank you, Gordon.—Kelt Reeves, Falcon Northwest

‘A truly inquisitive journalist, he sought the stories behind the stories’

Most of us