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 line of robots typing at computers
Microsoft's AI chief fires shots at Anthropic, warning that treating AI as if it's conscious could be a huge mistake

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft exec argues that we're 'seeding a new silicon species' that could 'compete with us for resources' — and something needs to be done.

An AMD Radeon RX 9070 XT made by Sapphire on a table with its retail packaging
AMD could be working on an Nvidia DLSS 5 rival, but it'll be for next-gen RDNA 5 GPUs — and I've a feeling that may be too late

By Darren Allan Published

The reaction to DLSS 5 is changing already, and no doubt AMD is watching keenly, whether or not this rumor is true.

Sad looking person holding head in hands sat at a gaming PC
DDR5 RAM pricing appears to be spiralling out of control even more — it's 5.5x pricier than before the memory crisis, and 2027 could get worse

By Darren Allan Published

Think RAM costs way too much already? You're right — but a fresh report shows that DDR5 is getting a lot pricier somehow.

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The GeForce RTX logo on the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5090
Nvidia RTX 5090 GPU prices skyrocket to $9,000 — as fresh RTX 6000 rumor suggests a 2027 launch that fills me with dread

By Darren Allan Published

The RTX 5090 keeps getting pricier somehow, so who knows how much the next-gen flagship will cost.

Photo of Steam Deck handheld console
Valve says RAM crisis hasn't really changed its Steam Deck 2 plans, but hints that it could affect launch timing — and I'm all for a long delay if it's necessary

By Darren Allan Published

Valve says that handheld will happen "when we can deliver" — hinting that pricing will be key.

angry businesswoman working with a laptop at office
The latest Windows 11 update breaks audio on some PCs and reportedly kills File History feature

By Darren Allan Published

Windows 11 has another nasty bug, and Windows 10 users are saying they're glad they haven't upgraded.

RAM sticks stacked on top of each other
'The memory chip market is heading toward a severe shortage': analyst firm believes RAM crisis could get far worse in 2027 — and you can blame AI ramping up

By Darren Allan Published

Could the RAM crisis get any gloomier? Yes, it just did, with the latest chatter from analysts turning even more pessimistic.

Windows 11 working on a laptop PC
Windows 11's September update has arrived — here are the 3 key features that make this a must-install upgrade

By Darren Allan Published

After half a decade, a new Windows 11 update finally lets you move the taskbar — but it's the Start menu change that's more important to me.

Woman disgusted by her laptop
Windows 11 desktop becomes a full-page Harry Potter ad — and Bing Wallpaper users rebel by uninstalling the app in droves

By Darren Allan Published

'I have uninstalled Bing Wallpaper with extreme prejudice': Windows 11 desktop becoming a giant Harry Potter ad has provoked a rebellion.

The TP-Link Archer 8 Ultra router shown on a table next to a laptop, next to the TP-Link Deco 8 Ultra mesh router unit placed on a wooden cabinet in a living room
Wi-Fi 8 explained — TP-Link launches first routers, but here's why most Wi-Fi 6 and 7 owners should probably wait

By Darren Allan Published

Wi-Fi 8 offers a whole lot of performance benefits over Wi-Fi 7, but there are nuances to consider with any upgrade decision.

businessman holding clock by laptop
Windows 11 could get a free speed boost soon as Microsoft promises 'significant gains' for boot times

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft exec also underlined promise that Windows 11 will run better on 8GB of RAM.

A PC gamer looking happy
Modders have solved Nvidia DLSS 5's two biggest issues — boosting performance massively, and bringing it to more games — but I wouldn't risk doing either

By Darren Allan Published

The Swapper and Autopilot mods for DLSS 5 allow for easily applying the tech to all kinds of games, with a nifty additional trick in the case of the latter.

A young teenager is playing a PC game and celebrating a victory.
I was an Nvidia DLSS 5 sceptic — but here are 5 reasons why I'm now hopeful that it'll revolutionize graphics in PC games

By Darren Allan Published

It's been a big week for Nvidia's next instalment of DLSS, with the tech seemingly reaching a major turning point.

Iiyama PC Level 15FX167 laptop shown from the rear with stand extended
How has this not been done before? This gaming laptop's innovative integrated stand helps keep the CPU cooler — and helps with ergonomics too

By Darren Allan Published

New Japanese laptop boasts a clever cooling innovation that might catch on elsewhere.

Man upset at gaming PC, resting head on arms
Microsoft wants to make Windows 11 'secure by default' — but some gamers are up in arms about this security feature that 'wrecks' their frame rates

By Darren Allan Published

Some gamers are up in arms, while others believe that this security feature is a must-have for keeping their PC safe.

Acer Swift Blade 14 being used by a person sat on a concrete step outside
The new Acer Swift Blade 14 is the world's lightest laptop to be launched globally

By Darren Allan Published

IFA 2026 Acer had plenty to show off at IFA 2026, including a highly repairable laptop alongside the featherweight Swift Blade 14.

Dell 14S 2026, four laptops next to each other showing four different colors for this notebook: beige, pink, green and blue
Dell's new 14-inch laptop clearly takes aim at the MacBook Neo — but I'm worried about the price

By Darren Allan Published

IFA 2026 This Dell laptop looks to be a smart rival for Apple's MacBook Neo, but some question marks remain over pricing.

Sad looking person holding head in hands sat at a gaming PC
'It's been particularly bad since Blackwell': Nvidia's new GPU driver has another nasty bug — and gamers are rapidly losing patience

By Darren Allan Published

Gamers aren't happy about the quality of Nvidia's drivers of late, and a new bug has prompted some fresh venting.

Annoyed Windows 10 user
Windows 11's antivirus is repeatedly telling users that it's turned off — but don't panic, this is a bug and it's working just fine

By Darren Allan Published

Think Windows 11's antivirus is broken? Thankfully it isn't, although the app is suffering from a pretty frustrating bug.

TP-Link Deco 8 Ultra mesh router unit placed on a wooden cabinet in a living room
TP-Link reveals 'world's first Wi-Fi 8 lineup' at IFA 2026 with Archer 8 Ultra router and Deco 8 Ultra mesh Wi-Fi system

By Darren Allan Published

Wi-Fi 8 delivers important advances in dealing with wireless signal interference and managing more devices effectively.

Happy PC gamer
Nvidia DLSS 5 leak sparks major turnaround among PC gamers — as some brand it an 'insanely huge graphical update' that means 'there's no going back'

By Darren Allan Published

'Remarkable difference in tone of the reactions': the negativity around DLSS 5 is melting away, it seems.

A woman getting frustrated by her laptop
Windows 11 update arrives with much-wanted features — and very-much unwanted bugs that mess up the mouse cursor and wallpaper

By Darren Allan Published

Miss Microsoft's old-style chunky white mouse pointer? A weird Windows 11 bug turns the cursor retro — and it's messing with wallpapers too.

Confused PC gamer looking at screen
Time for gamers to upgrade to Windows 11? Nvidia GPU driver support for Windows 10 ends in two months — here's what you need to know

By Darren Allan Published

Nvidia GPU driver support is coming to an end for Windows 10 — here's what that means for security and your favorite PC games.

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The Valve Steam Machine, pictured on a dark marble worktop.
Nvidia's GeForce Now is officially coming to the Steam Machine — here's why that's great news for gaming in your living room

By Darren Allan Published

Some gamers have been hoping for official GeForce Now support on Valve's PC — and that dream is now a reality.

Happy man with laptop on his lap
Microsoft just gave PowerToys a nifty new feature — and I think it's high time some of these goodies came to Windows 11

By Darren Allan Published

Microsoft is busy improving Windows 11, and there's an obvious easy win it's missing: porting over smart PowerToys features.

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