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 Razer Blade 14 (2025) on a desk showing the Windows 11 desktop

Windows 11 is getting a new security feature that might cause confusion — here's what it does and why

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft tightens an aspect of Windows 11's security in Settings — but there's a trade-off in terms of convenience.

A masculine hand holding up an Nvidia GeForce RTX 5080 against a green background

Nvidia might not have any new gaming GPUs in 2026 — and could be 'slashing production' of existing GeForce models

By Darren Allan published

Rumor mill seems insistent that Nvidia won't have any new GeForce GPUs in 2026 – and that wouldn't surprise me.

2 Comments
Power button of Steam Machine

Valve says Steam Machine is delayed due to RAM crisis — and I'm seriously worried about the price tag now

By Darren Allan published

'We must revisit our exact shipping schedule and pricing': Valve says Steam Machine is delayed — and gamers fear the worst on price.

PNY RTX 5080 box showing Walmart discount sticker

Walmart shopper reportedly buys Nvidia RTX 5080 at almost half-price — clearance aisle could be a way to beat GPU price hikes

By Darren Allan published

With graphics cards getting more expensive – particularly high-end Nvidia models – these bargains are even more eye-opening.

A frustrated looking girl playing a video game

AMD graphics card makers rumored to be looking at more price hikes — and they might abandon 16GB GPUs like Nvidia

By Darren Allan published

A shift towards more production of 8GB graphics cards won't go down well with PC gamers, that's for sure.

Person using Steam Machine PC

'Valve is on track to begin shipping its AMD-powered Steam Machine early this year': AMD's CEO says gaming PC remains on course — and I'm hopeful it could arrive in March

By Darren Allan published

Valve has previously said the Steam Machine will debut early in 2026, and Lisa Su has underlined that this is still the case.

A header image depicting the best Mac antivirus brands of 2025

Best Mac Antivirus of 2026: Expert Reviews and Top Recommendations

By Benedict Collins last updated

macOS We've tested and reviewed all the best Mac antivirus, so you can protect your Apple device from harmful malware and viruses.

Raspberry Pi 5 board

Raspberry Pi price hike means it's now 70% costlier than pre-RAM crisis — but there's promising DDR5 news at least

By Darren Allan published

After several months of dizzying price rises for DDR5 RAM, we've got what looks like a respite – but not one that applies to the Pi 5.

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

Windows 11's February update is imminent — here's what to expect, including the 4 features I'm most excited about

By Darren Allan published

The next update for Windows 11 arrives on February 10 with a number of new features.

Header image depicting the best android antivirus providers

Best Android Antivirus apps for 2026: Secure Your Data with Expert Recommendations

By Benedict Collins last updated

Updated Android malware and scams aren't going anywhere - make sure your devices are safe with these great antivirus apps.

RTX 5070 Ti board showing the hole

Record-breaking graphics card was broken, until this YouTuber repaired the Nvidia RTX 5070 Ti — then used it to dominate this 8K GPU benchmark

By Darren Allan published

An RTX 5070 Ti graphics card with a hole in it wasn't just brought back to life – a YouTuber broke a GPU world record with it, too.

Angry woman using a laptop

Windows 11 bug breaks the entire desktop for some users — but luckily there's a fix

By Darren Allan published

Wondering why your Windows 11 desktop keeps vanishing? It's because of this nasty bug.

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

'I'll believe it when I see it': Windows 11 users are cynical about Microsoft's promises to fix the OS and stop pushing AI

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft appears to finally be listening to users calling for fundamental changes with Windows 11.

Maingear Retro98 PC shown on a desk next to old CRT monitors

'1998 on the outside — 2026 inside': Maingear's Retro98 'nostalgic sleeper' PCs are power-packed and fabulously retro

By Darren Allan published

Maingear's Retro98 PC looks like a boxy beige tower, but packs cutting-edge hardware.

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

Miss Windows 10's movable taskbar? You still can't relocate it in Windows 11, but a new PowerToys feature could be the next best thing

By Darren Allan published

PowerToys is a nifty suite of add-ons for Windows 11, and a potential new feature could be a welcome addition.

happy woman using a Windows 10 laptop

'We need to improve Windows in ways that are meaningful for people': Microsoft promises to fix Windows 11 this year — and it's about time

By Darren Allan published

There's a steep hill to climb here, but at least Microsoft is making it clear that it's serious about bringing an end to the painful bugs.

4 Comments
Nvidia GeForce Now shown running on Linux laptop with penguin in foreground

Nvidia just gave gamers another reason to switch to Linux — a shiny new GeForce Now app

By Darren Allan published

Linux desktop PCs and laptops now have a full official app, rather than the previous handheld-focused offering.

Costco shelves showing an array of prebuilt PCs

RAM is the new gold – why Costco is pulling memory from display PCs to halt a shoplifting surge

By Darren Allan published

It used to be GPUs that might be shoplifted from display PCs on retailer shelves – now it's high-end RAM.

Samsung Galaxy Book 4 Edge

Microsoft tells us Windows 11 has hit a billion users — and if you're confused because you thought it was a failing OS, here's what's going on

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 has hit a billion users – and faster than Windows 10 – so how does that work given all the hate aimed at Microsoft's newest OS?

3 Comments
MSI MAG 272QP X50 monitor with a happy gamer playing a shooter

'Windows 11 25H2 edges ahead of Windows 10 in gaming performance': testing proves newer OS is faster — but there's an elephant-sized BSOD in the room

By Darren Allan published

Think Windows 10 is faster than Windows 11 for gaming? You're dead wrong, based on a new test — but I'm betting this won't sway Windows 10 holdouts.

Skeleton of an office worker waiting for their laptop to boot

Microsoft is finally fixing Windows 11 under the hood — but new stats suggest it could be too little, too late

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft is working to smooth out the inner workings of Windows 11, but I'm struggling to have any confidence in this effort.

2 Comments
AMD Ryzen 9850X3D bundle with RAM and cooler in a blue box

AMD could be working on a way to minimize RAM price hike pain — by bundling Ryzen CPUs and DDR5 memory

By Darren Allan published

An official collaboration between AMD, V-Color and Cooler Master hints at more possible bundle deals in the future.

Mac mini M4 on a green background

Need a new PC? Beat the RAM crisis price hikes — these Mac mini M4 deals could be the desktop bargain of the year

By Darren Allan published

Sick of Windows 11? This Mac mini M4 deal could be the smartest purchase you make in 2026.

NextGear Clear Shift shown when transparent, so you can see through side and front glass panels

A coin-op gaming PC — and one that can cloak its hardware innards — here are 3 of the weirdest, coolest new PC cases

By Darren Allan published

A DIY project for a PC that's turned on by inserting a coin, and a case that can go from opaque to transparent at the touch of a button.

Corsair Vengeance DDR5 RAM sticks shown on a black background

The RAM crisis in a nutshell: Amazon reveals 'flash deal' for DDR5 RAM that's over twice the price it was four months ago

By Darren Allan published

The worrying thing is that while this 'deal' is a painful reminder of just how bad things have gotten, the worst may be yet to come.

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