Darren Allan

Darren is a freelancer writing news and features for TechRadar (and occasionally T3) across a broad range of computing topics including CPUs, GPUs, various other hardware, VPNs, antivirus and more. He has written about tech for the best part of three decades, and writes books in his spare time (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).

Articles by: Darren Allan

A laptop with the Windows 11 desktop on screen, glowing, while on a work desk

Microsoft has a bright idea to make USB-C ports better on Windows 11 PCs – I just can't help wondering why this hasn't been done before

By Darren Allan published

Ever bought a new PC and found it had a flawed USB-C port? Microsoft has a plan to make connectors more reliable on Windows 11 devices.

How to upgrade your PC - Upgrade RAM

Want to upgrade the DDR4 RAM in your PC? New report is a clear signal you should buy sooner rather than later

By Darren Allan published

Older DDR4 RAM is becoming more expensive, and that trend is set to continue - so you might want to buy now if you're planning an upgrade.

Close-up shot of a woman using mobile device with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) security while logging in securely to her laptop.

Windows 11 has a hidden feature in testing that could be a real timesaver for Android phone owners

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft is busy developing quite a few nifty phone-related features for Windows 11 these days.

A woman getting frustrated by her laptop

Microsoft claims Windows 11 is innocent of killing SSDs – but the mystery continues

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft solves the case of the vanishing SSDs – and clears the latest Windows 11 update of any wrongdoing.

Acer Aspire 14 AI laptop display showing the Windows 11 login screen

Windows 11 25H2 update is close to release – but I fear Microsoft is missing a big opportunity as Windows 10's death looms

By Darren Allan published

The 25H2 update is going to be a low-key affair, so if you want big new features you're out of luck.

Young woman with cat using laptop

Want to stick with Windows 10 after October 2025? Here are your options – including how to get a free year of extra support

By Darren Allan published

Don't want – or can't get – Windows 11? Here's what you need to do before support expires for Windows 10 in October.

Lenovo leaked laptop with rotating screen

Leaker shares Lenovo's radical new concepts: a laptop with a screen that rotates into portrait, and an AI-powered notebook stand

By Darren Allan published

I'm not entirely sure about Lenovo's leaked concepts for IFA - they sound good in theory, but what about practice?

Steam Deck

Waiting for the Steam Deck 2 rather than buying an Asus ROG Xbox Ally? Rumor suggests you'll need to be very, very patient

By Darren Allan published

Leak claiming Steam Deck 2 won't arrive until 2028 is causing huge disappointment - but I'd be careful around this rumor.

Gigabyte Aorus FO27Q5P monitor shown from front and rear on a futuristic landscape

Do we need more 500Hz gaming monitors? Well, two more have arrived – and the price of one might surprise you

By Darren Allan published

If you're a competitive gamer there are two new super-smooth 500Hz OLED monitors out there.

Sad business man and laptop

Windows 11's SSD breaking bug just got more mysterious - and I really hope Microsoft can clear this up swiftly

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft's still investigating Windows 11's SSD bug - but one of its partners can't reproduce the glitch at all.

An AMD Radeon RX 7900 XTX on a table against a white backdrop

AMD's next-gen flagship GPU could rival Nvidia's mighty RTX 5090 - and I couldn't be more excited

By Darren Allan published

Disappointed AMD doesn't have a high-end GPU anymore? Rumors seem to be aligning around a powerful next-gen Radeon flagship.

A PC Gamer looking happy sat in front of their desktop monitor

Windows 11 is finally fixing poor sound quality with Bluetooth headphones - and PC gamers will be particularly happy

By Darren Allan published

Fed up with awful sound quality from wireless headphones in Windows 11? Bluetooth LE Audio in Windows 11 fixes this.

An AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D in a masculine hand

AMD says Ryzen CPU burnouts are a 'complex issue' and blames motherboard makers

By Darren Allan published

AMD has blamed the BIOS settings of motherboard makers for causing Ryzen X3D CPU burnouts – but it's complicated.

Intel Core Ultra processor

Intel is giving PC gamers Battlefield 6 for free with some desktop CPUs to try and stoke sales

By Darren Allan published

I'm not surprised to see Intel's dangling a big carrot to sell its CPUs, as it's struggling in the desktop department.

Skeleton of an office worker waiting for their laptop to boot

Can't sign up for extended Windows 10 support? Don't panic, the rollout is underway - but it's reportedly going 'slowly'

By Darren Allan published

I haven't had the offer of extended Windows 10 support yet - and neither have quite a few others reportedly.

Happy woman

Windows 11 feature to resume Android apps on your PC is finally incoming - and I think this will be a great addition

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 is getting a nifty ability to let you pick up where you left off with apps on your Android phone.

An AMD Radeon RX 7800 XT on a table

I'm excited for RX 7000 GPU owners, as AMD leak suggests they could get FSR 4 speeding up games

By Darren Allan published

Leaks hints that AMD could bring FSR 4 to older Radeon GPUs - and I really hope this is the plan.

Young woman sitting on the floor with a laptop biting nails, nervous and very anxious

Microsoft turns to AI to improve Edge browser – but after the Recall debacle I'm worried it could be another privacy nightmare

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft Edge could get a new 'Journeys' AI feature that sounds useful, but may worry the privacy-conscious.

happy woman using a Windows 10 laptop

If Windows 12 is anything like this concept, I'd switch from Windows 11 (or 10) in a heartbeat

By Darren Allan published

Hate Windows 11? I'm betting you'll have a change of heart about Windows 12 if the OS turns out like this concept.

A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop

Not a fan of the Copilot app in Windows 11? You might change your mind, as Microsoft just beefed up its powers

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11's Copilot app is getting a powered-up search function to find the files you need quickly.

Sad business man and laptop

I'm fed up with ads in Windows 11, but Microsoft may introduce yet another one to the Start menu

By Darren Allan published

Will Microsoft ever stop pushing its products via Windows 11's Start menu? It doesn't seem likely.

A man getting angry with his laptop.

Can't reset your Windows 11 or 10 PC? Microsoft rushes out fix after breaking vital recovery features

By Darren Allan published

A bug in the latest updates for Windows 11 and 10 spells trouble for those trying to reset their PC or recover from other glitches.

Frustrated unhappy laptop user girl touching head at work table with computer

Bug in Windows 11 update reportedly breaks some SSDs - and Microsoft says it's now 'investigating'

By Darren Allan last updated

Updated The latest Windows 11 update could spell trouble for SSDs, but let's not get carried away yet.

Happy woman sitting on a bed with a coffee and a laptop

I was about to upgrade to Windows 11, but I've decided to stick with Windows 10 – here's why

By Darren Allan published

Are you preparing to upgrade to Windows 11? There are reasons you might want to stay on Windows 10 for the time being.

Skeleton of an office worker waiting for their laptop to boot

Windows 11 could finally get a finished dark mode – but I can't believe how long it's taken

By Darren Allan published

Fed up with Windows 11's dark mode remaining unfinished? Here's some good news.

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