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

People using Windows 11 laptops

Microsoft promises to crack one of the biggest problems with Windows 11: slow performance

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft makes a "commitment to improving Windows 11 performance" – and I hope this means a fix for long-running File Explorer sluggishness.

An Intel Core i7-14700K slotted into a motherboard

Firefox engineer warns Intel Raptor Lake CPUs are 'crashing more often because of the summer heat,' and it's making me worry about the future of these chips

By Darren Allan published

Should you be worried if you own one of these CPUs? The 14700K in particular is singled out as a concern.

Angry business man screaming on laptop

Windows 10 update messes up emoji picker, proving that even though the OS is about to shuffle into its grave, Microsoft can still break stuff

By Darren Allan published

Windows 10's almost dead - so bugs are a thing of the past, right? Wrong - a new update has broken the emoji picker, leaving me unable to find the frowny face I need.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed

Microsoft abandons change to Windows 11 taskbar as testers hated it - but I didn't, and it's baffling why there wasn't a compromise

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft 'disappeared' a change for the Windows 11 taskbar - and I don't understand the thinking behind this decision.

A young teenager is playing a PC game and celebrating a victory.

Got buyer's remorse with your 8GB graphics card? Nvidia's AI texture compression promises huge benefits for GPUs with stingy amounts of memory

By Darren Allan published

Think your GPU doesn't have enough memory? Nvidia's AI texture compression trick looks like a killer solution in this demo (with caveats).

ROG Xbox Ally

Windows 11's handheld mode spotted in testing, and I'm seriously excited for Microsoft's big bet on small-screen gaming

By Darren Allan published

Isn't Windows 11 on a gaming portable the worst? Not for much longer, hopefully, as new handheld mode is spotted in testing.

Is the inside of your PC a dust-filled nightmare? Maybe not in the future, thanks to case filters inspired by the human nose

By Darren Allan published

Can't be bothered to clean the inside of your PC? Filters modelled on nasal hairs might keep your machine dust-free.

The Windows 11 battery life indicator on a Dell 16 Plus

Microsoft has a plan to give Windows 11 laptops better battery life – and I think it sounds like a winner

By Darren Allan published

Energy saver could become one of Windows 11's best features for laptop owners, promising even better battery life.

A PC gamer celebrating, sat in a gaming chair in front of a monitor

Nvidia's free speed boost for all PC games is no longer exclusive to its newest GPUs – here's which older cards are about to get it

By Darren Allan published

Smooth Motion tech is like frame generation but at a driver level, meaning that all games can benefit from the boost.

Angry man ripping out his hair in front of his laptop

Latest Windows 11 update fail brings yet more installation woes – but some other reported bugs have me seriously worried

By Darren Allan published

I don't like the sound of bugs with overheating, and mouse-related glitches, or problems with other peripherals.

Intel Core Ultra processor

Intel CEO reportedly admits 'it is too late for us' to catch AI leaders like Nvidia, but here's how it could still recover

By Darren Allan published

Lip-Bu Tan seemingly also said that "we are not in the top 10 semiconductor companies" any longer - a frank admission indeed.

Man with laptop showing Blue screen of death or BSOD on the monitor screen

Microsoft says Black Screen of Death better 'aligns with Windows 11's visual style' - but I think the new crash screen is missing a key detail

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11's Blue Screen of Death is now black and more streamlined - but I'm worried the simplification goes too far.

A person putting a MacBook Air M4 in a bag

Apple could use a nifty iPhone trick for Macs - updating them to the latest version of macOS while still boxed

By Darren Allan published

Presto for PCs? iPhone trick could be used to ensure sealed Macs are updated to latest version of macOS while still on shelves.

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

If you haven't upgraded to Windows 11 24H2 yet, Microsoft's giving you a good reason to do so - better security

By Darren Allan published

Worried about upgrading to Windows 11 24H2? Microsoft is making it more compelling with a move to tighten security.

Using Zipped files and folders in Windows 11

New Windows 11 update delivers a host of new features and fixes - here are 4 things I'm looking forward to

By Darren Allan published

The July update has arrived, and it boasts quite a number of new features, as well as important fixes for gamers.

Intel Core Ultra processor

Windows 11 desktop PCs could soon get Copilot+ AI powers, as Intel might radically switch tactics with next-gen CPUs

By Darren Allan published

Ready for your Windows 11 PC to get proper AI powers? Rumor has it Intel's next-gen desktop CPUs could deliver Copilot+ features.

Back view of a man using a laptop with Windows 11's Microsoft Store app open

Windows 11 could get AI-powered dynamic wallpapers - I just hope Microsoft doesn't kill off this idea

By Darren Allan published

Dynamic wallpapers could make a comeback - if Microsoft has a bit more conviction about the idea this time around.

A selection of Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards.

Worrying Nvidia stock rumor hints at GPU price rises – here's why Prime Day could be the best time to buy a new graphics card

By Darren Allan published

Need a new GPU? Prime Day deals could be the most affordable pricing you'll see this year.

Windows 10's grave

It only took four years, but Windows 11 is now the most popular desktop OS - and time is running out for Windows 10

By Darren Allan published

Windows 10 support ends in just three months, so you need to be thinking about your options at this point.

AMD RX 9070 GPU models

AMD's new GPUs could be a flop – and while that's good news for Nvidia, I'm worried for gamers

By Darren Allan published

AMD's RX 9070 XT looks a tempting buy right now – so why is it losing out to Nvidia, with even the RTX 5090 ahead of Team Red's GPU on Steam?

People using Windows 11 laptops

Windows 11 search just got more powerful courtesy of Copilot - and I think this is a great use of AI, even if there'll still be haters

By Darren Allan published

New AI search tricks help all Windows 11 users catch up with Copilot+ PCs when it comes to swiftly finding the files they need.

The radeon logo on the AMD Radeon RX 9070

Now might be the perfect time to buy an AMD RX 9070 XT, as retailer rumors suggest it's hit a low for the year

By Darren Allan published

Thinking of buying a new GPU? Now might be the time to strike, before rumored price hikes kick in for graphics cards later this year.

An AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT made by Sapphire on a table with its retail packaging

AMD's impressive free RX 9070 XT speed boosts confirmed in new benchmarks – and they make the GPU a better buy than Nvidia's RX 5070 Ti

By Darren Allan published

Driver-driven performance improvements over time means AMD's graphics card is now better value than ever.

Windows 10's grave

Confused by a mysterious update that's suddenly appeared on your Windows 10 PC? Don't panic – here's what you need to know

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft is stealthily installing a mysterious update on Windows 10 PCs: here's what it does, and why you need to start thinking about your next move.

Mature man using laptop in a cafe, looking annoyed

Microsoft just gave the Windows 11 Notepad app a controversial feature that people are either loving or hating

By Darren Allan published

Is Notepad becoming WordPad now? Microsoft's new formatting features for Windows 11's text editor are proving to be highly divisive.

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