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

RAM

After soaring 2,200%, DDR4 RAM prices finally fall — but don't get too excited

By Darren Allan Published

We're seeing more positive signs that the RAM crisis is easing somewhat, but be careful not to raise your expectations too high.

Mature man using laptop in a cafe, looking annoyed

Microsoft has begun stripping out AI from Windows 11 — but it's already being criticized for not going far enough

By Darren Allan Published

Notepad change shows a rebrand of AI tools, not a removal, and it has skeptics worried.

NorthridgeFix working on fixing a damaged RTX 5090 board

Nvidia RTX 5090 owner practices soldering skills on a $5,000 GPU — and the result is predictably disastrous

By Darren Allan Published

Want to practice your soldering skills? Don't do it on a $5,000 graphics card (in case you were tempted).

Apple's 24-inch iMac M4 in Purple.

Bizarre bug in macOS is a 'ticking time bomb' that takes out networking capabilities if a Mac is left on for too long

By Darren Allan Published

Thinking of leaving your Mac turned on for a couple of months? Beware of a weird macOS bug that'll take out your networking.

Apple MacBook Neo in Blush, looking at color-matched keyboard

Want a MacBook Neo? You'll now be waiting weeks for delivery — and rumors suggest this delay could get much worse

By Darren Allan Published

The MacBook Neo's success has a downside — Apple is struggling to fulfill orders.

Sad gamer

More RAM price-hike misery? Framework warns of 'volatility and cost increases through the rest of 2026' just as some GPUs suddenly get more expensive

By Darren Allan Published

Laptop maker Framework cautions against getting carried away with a 'temporary reprieve' in RAM and SSD price hikes.

A laptop on a desk with the Windows 11 background on its screen.

Microsoft is 'working hard on migrating all of Windows to modern UX', and jazzing up Windows 11's design — but can it make good on all its recent promises?

By Darren Allan Published

A Microsoft exec is promising work on the design front to 'help Windows 11 feel more polished and coherent'.

Annoyed Windows 10 user

Did Microsoft not hear about the RAM crisis? Windows 11's new Copilot app is quite the memory hog

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft promised to hone Windows 11's RAM usage — but confusingly the new Copilot app is a memory hog.

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

'Side effects may include curiosity': Google's $3 ChromeOS Flex kit aims to save your old Windows 10 laptop from the scrapheap

By Darren Allan Published

Google's kit aims to breathe new life into old hardware, and that could be Macs as well as Windows 10 PCs.

A Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 sitting on display

'God-tier battery life': Dell XPS 14 lasts 43 hours in longevity test that shows the laptop leaves Apple's MacBook Air M5 in the dust

By Darren Allan Published

Dell XPS 14 lasts 43 hours in battery life test that shows how LG's screen helps to extend longevity massively in some scenarios.

Asus ROG Zephyrus G16 2026 being used for content creation on a desk

Asus just revealed big ROG gaming laptop price hikes — and they're so painful some thought they were an April Fool

By Darren Allan Published

Asus has announced pricing for ROG Zephyrus G16 gaming laptops — and they've been painfully hiked.

Windows 11 on a laptop

Microsoft deploys yet another emergency patch for Windows 11 — but at least the fix for the broken March update arrived quickly

By Darren Allan Published

Couldn't install the latest Windows 11 update? You should be good to go now as Microsoft has rushed out a fix.

RAM

'DDR5 retail prices pullback amid market correction': TrendForce report sparks hope that we might be turning a corner in the RAM crisis

By Darren Allan Published

Report even hints at 'DDR5 16GB module prices potentially normalizing by end-2026' — but I really wouldn't get carried away with that idea.

2 Comments
Ruipro Fiber HDMI Cable held in a hand

Think fancy HDMI cables are a waste of money? They're not — and a new fiber cable that just went viral proves it

By Darren Allan Published

In some scenarios, it really is worth paying for an expensive HDMI lead.

Happy PC gamer

'Unlimited GPU upgrade glitch unlocked': Redditor gifted a dead Nvidia RTX 5070 reportedly has it replaced by an RTX 5070 Ti

By Darren Allan Published

It's not all doom and gloom in the GPU world: Nvidia RTX 5070 dies and PNY replaces it with an RTX 5070 Ti.

The Sony SF-G Series TOUGH UHS-II SD card on a wooden table

Bad news, photographers: Sony has halted production of SD and CFexpress memory cards

By Darren Allan Published

In a fresh blow dealt by the memory crisis, Sony has pulled the plug on its SD and CFexpress card production for the foreseeable future.

A Samsung 990 Pro in an M.2 slot in a motherboard

SSD fakes are getting more sophisticated — here's how to avoid falling victim to the scammers

By Darren Allan Published

You may not realize the expensive SSD you've bought is a fake — so make sure you check your purchases carefully.

A hand holding an iPhone 5C next to a man wearing the Apple Vision Pro next to a Magic Mouse on a table being charged from the underside

'A complete disaster': The 11 worst Apple gadgets of the past 50 years, according to you

By Darren Allan Published

We asked you to vote on the worst gadget Apple has ever made in its 50-year history — here are the results.

A Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 sitting on display

Testing shows Dell XPS 16 just hit 27 hours of battery life — meaning it's the longest-lasting laptop ever

By Darren Allan Published

If independent testing is on the money, this is effectively the most battery stamina ever seen with a laptop, pound-for-pound.

A young woman is working on a laptop in a relaxed office space.

Is this a whole new Microsoft? The fix Windows 11 campaign is already in high gear, and I'm loving that execs are seriously engaging with users

By Darren Allan Published

The big drive to fix Windows 11 is underway with regular, frank communication from execs — and it's clear that the taskbar is a top priority.

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

Dare we dream of Windows 11 with fewer ads and promos? Microsoft exec promises a 'calmer and more chill OS with fewer upsells is a goal'

By Darren Allan Published

A Windows 11 without endless promotion for Microsoft's services and games? It could happen, apparently.

2 Comments
Confused PC gamer looking at monitor

Forget the RAM crisis — storage prices are spiralling, and processors could be next, as gaming PC maker warns 'CPU shortage is getting more serious'

By Darren Allan Published

The cost of all key PC components is being hit, as apparently, CPUs are now in the firing line.

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

Need a new laptop? You might want to buy now, as Asus just warned that prices could soon jump by up to 30%

By Darren Allan Published

Don't hang around if you need a new PC, as the latest doom nugget regarding laptop price hikes is gloomier than ever.

LG Display 1Hz laptop panel shown on a notebook on a desk

LG's world-first LCD laptop display has a battery-saving superpower — and an OLED version is coming next

By Darren Allan Published

Fancy new screen tech — an innovative take on VRR — is going to mean better battery life, starting with the new Dell XPS.

Upset PC gamer with head in hands by his PC

Nvidia RTX 5090 buyer is literally cleaned out as box contains no GPU, just laundry detergent — a reminder to be careful out there

By Darren Allan Published

GPU scams have involved replacing the graphics card with rocks or lumps of metal in the past, but this is a new one.

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