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

Lucia Caminos

GTA 6 leak supposedly from former Rockstar animator gives us fresh morsels of gameplay footage

By Darren Allan published

The leak is broadly believed to be genuine, and hints at two new potential gameplay elements.

Mature man using laptop in a cafe, looking annoyed

Complaints about Windows 11's fix for File Explorer sluggishness are overblown – but they underline a fundamental problem with the OS

By Darren Allan published

Latest flak fired at Windows 11 over performance is a fuss about nothing – but it still shines a light on one of Microsoft's weaknesses.

man sleeping underneath his laptop

Where has Windows 11 gone wrong? Windows 10 users are stalling or defecting – so Microsoft needs to fix this one glaring issue

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft must listen to feedback and give people what they want – it really is that simple in my opinion.

13 Comments
An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070

If this Nvidia VRAM rumor is true, it'd be disastrous news for some graphics card makers – and all PC gamers

By Darren Allan published

I'm starting to despair for the future of GPUs, as a rumor that Nvidia may stop supplying partners with VRAM could be really bad news.

OpenAI logo on a smartphone screen

OpenAI apologizes for big Mixpanel data breach that exposed emails and more – here's what we know

By Darren Allan published

Heard about an 'OpenAI data breach'? It's not actually the company that was compromised, but a partner, and here's what that means for ChatGPT users.

Sad business man and laptop

Is Windows 11 fighting a losing battle? Dell underlines how unpopular the OS is after support ended compared to Windows 10

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 is seriously lagging Windows 10 when it comes to the pace of adoption in a post-support world.

16 Comments
A Maingear Apex Rush Vaporware Drive gaming PC

Two PC makers warn of price hikes for new computers and suggest that Black Friday bargains might be your last chance saloon

By Darren Allan published

RAM pricing has truly rocketed, so I'm not surprised two PC makers are warning Black Friday is your last chance to get a good deal on a new PC.

SpaceX Starlink Satellites Waiting To Be Released Into Orbit With the Earth In The Background

Can Starlink be blocked? Scary Chinese simulation shows 1,000 drones can jam satellite internet over an island as large as Taiwan

By Darren Allan published

A Chinese study shows that Starlink could be totally blocked out over a large island by a swarm of drones.

Acer Chromebook Plus line

Android-powered desktop PCs are coming – and I think they'll be an exciting step up from ChromeOS

By Darren Allan published

We know a lot more about Google's grand plan for an Android-based 'Aluminium OS' to take over from ChromeOS.

Windows Notepad

Windows 11's Notepad gets support for tables and bolstered AI powers – and not everyone's happy

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft continues to turn Windows 11's Notepad into WordPad after scrapping the latter app last year.

A masculine hand holding an RTX 5090

Possible Windows 11 bug with Nvidia GPUs tanks Assassin's Creed Shadows performance, bringing even an RTX 5090 to its knees

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia recently issued a hotfix for a bug possibly caused by the Windows 11 October update, but it wasn't clear just how bad this glitch was.

RAM

RAM price rise hell is making me think the unthinkable – could the PS5 be a better buy than a Steam Machine?

By Darren Allan published

I just bought a PS5 Pro in the Black Friday sales, and hearing this news has made me feel even better about my purchase.

PC gamer looking confused at monitor

AMD rumored to hike price of GPUs by 10% – so it could be a case of grab a Black Friday deal now, or feel the pain later

By Darren Allan published

Black Friday might be the right time to buy a new GPU, as rumors over RAM price hikes impacting graphics cards get stronger.

Zorin OS 18 desktop shown on a monitor screen

This Linux OS has got a million downloads since Windows 10 support ended – should Microsoft start worrying now?

By Darren Allan published

Can't – or won't – upgrade to Windows 11? You're not alone, and one Linux distro is attracting a lot of attention since Windows 10 support ended.

3 Comments
DragonFire LDEW laser directed energy weapon

Game of drones – DragonFire laser is so accurate it can hit a coin from a kilometer away, and even 400mph drones didn't stand a chance

By Darren Allan published

This LDEW (laser directed energy weapon) system is now five years ahead of its original deployment timeframe.

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

Microsoft says it's fixing a baffling way in which Windows 11 is much slower than Windows 10 – and it's about time

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft's trying to resolve some of the biggest complaints about Windows 11, and I'm overjoyed to see one fix in particular.

Power button of Steam Machine

Valve engineer confirms the Steam Machine won't be subsidized – here's why I'm fearing the worst for the price

By Darren Allan published

The dream of a $500 compact gaming PC has been dashed – but how much might the Steam Machine cost in the end?

2 Comments
Amazon Prime package with two credit cards on top

Amazon starts Prime payouts from $2.5 billion settlement – here's how the refunds work and when you might get one

By Darren Allan published

Amazon's started paying out $1.5 billion of its record-breaking settlement with the FTC which is earmarked to refund Prime customers.

Lenovo Legion Go 2

Jealous of Asus ROG Xbox Ally owners due to them having the 'Full Screen Experience'? It's now coming to all Windows 11 handhelds

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft's 'Full Screen Experience' is now coming to all handhelds and that's good news for Windows 11 portables.

Woman disgusted by her laptop

Microsoft's AI CEO fights fire with fire, says AI cynics complaining about Windows 11's new direction are 'mind-blowing to me'

By Darren Allan published

AI boss says "it cracks me up when I hear people call AI underwhelming" – but I'm not surprised at Windows 11 AI cynics, and he shouldn't be either.

2 Comments
Mature man using laptop in a cafe, looking annoyed

Microsoft says Copilot will 'finish your code before you finish your coffee' provoking another barrage of anti-AI and Windows 11 sentiment

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft flexes about Copilot's coding skills and Windows 11 users respond with merciless trolling.

The GeForce RTX logo on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090

Nvidia rushes out a GPU fix, blaming Windows 11's October update for sluggish performance in games

By Darren Allan published

Are some games running mysteriously slowly on your PC? Nvidia GPUs get a fix for a bug in Windows 11's October update.

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

AMD's FSR Redstone for supercharged gaming debuts on December 10 – but it's RX 9000 only, leaving older Radeon GPUs in the cold

By Darren Allan published

FSR Redstone tech to boost frame rates and visual quality won't come to last-gen Radeon GPUs, leaving some gamers angry.

2 Comments
Roku Streaming Stick on table

Roku fans just got a great free app upgrade – plus 12 extra channels from the BBC and more

By Darren Allan published

There's a bunch of free new channels for Roku addicts, and the overhauled app looks smart and revamps the remote control.

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

Microsoft reveals new plan to make your Windows 11 PC more stable and reliable – and help you recover from disasters

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft is working on making Windows 11 more stable, though it's going to be a long road to that end goal.

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