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

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.

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.

Man upset using a laptop

Microsoft admits Windows 11 update is nuking system drives, albeit there's a 'limited number of reports' of these disasters

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 runs into another disastrous bug with its latest update — Microsoft admits an 'issue in which devices are failing to boot', worryingly.

NexPhone shown on a desk connected to a monitor

The NexPhone could already be the most important hardware launch of 2026 — here's why

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 in your pocket — why I think the NexPhone is the wake-up call that Microsoft desperately needs.

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

AMD's Ryzen 9850X3D is out next week – at a price that makes it a seriously tempting CPU for gamers

By Darren Allan published

AMD reveals Ryzen 9850X3D costs $499, dispelling rumors that gaming champ CPU would be really expensive.

Asus ROG X870E motherboard showing the CPU socket

'We have initiated an immediate internal review': Asus responds to worries about AMD Ryzen 9800X3D CPUs dying in its motherboards

By Darren Allan published

Following past issues with ASRock motherboards, we're now seeing an uptick in reports of problems with Asus boards.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed

Microsoft shovels more features into Windows 11's Notepad — but isn't it time the company focused on fixing things instead?

By Darren Allan published

Is this going to irritate a fair few Windows 11 users? You can pretty much bank on that.

A man getting angry with his laptop.

Windows 11's 2026 goes from bad to worse as two new bugs cause havoc crashing apps — but there are possible fixes

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 is becoming a crash-happy nightmare as two new bugs are now frustrating users.

New concept devices from Qualcomm featuring the Snapdragon X2 Elite and X2 Elite Extreme chips.

Windows 11's Xbox app arrives on Arm PCs — just in time for Nvidia's rumored debut with its N1X CPU

By Darren Allan published

Xbox app debuts on Arm PCs as Microsoft boasts that over 85% of Game Pass titles now work with Arm CPUs.

Best SSD for PS5 - WD Black SN850

The 'days of cheap 1TB SSDs' are over — I've picked the top 3 SSDs you should buy now to avoid price rises

By Darren Allan published

High-end SSDs have already shot up in price, and more affordable models are likely to follow, so the time to buy is now.

A woman getting frustrated by her laptop

Windows 11 update is breaking sleep mode on some PCs — but there's one trick that might help

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft might have fixed that bug with shutdowns, but its latest Windows 11 update means sleep mode now locks up some PCs.

Intense close-up of RAM against a black background

The memory price hike crisis could get even worse, as US threatens 100% tariffs – this is how it could affect you

By Darren Allan published

Consumers in the US now face an additional danger in terms of factors that could seriously hike the price of laptops and PCs.

Press shot of an Nvidia chip

Processor ARM race heats up as Nvidia could soon challenge Intel, AMD and Apple with its N1X laptop CPU

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia's N1X chip could debut in laptops within the next couple of months, with next-gen N2 CPUs rumored to follow later in 2027.

RAM

'It really is the craziest time ever': data centers to grab 70% of all high-end memory chips in 2026 as AI boom leaves consumers in the cold

By Darren Allan published

RAM has already skyrocketed in price, but with no respite in sight, the worry is that it'll be moon-rocketing by the time this year is out.

A masculine hand holding an RTX 5090

The Nvidia RTX 5090 has vanished from retailer shelves in US – and GPUs from third-party sellers cost nearly as much as a whole PC

By Darren Allan published

GPUs from third-party sellers in the US cost almost as much as a full PC that packs Nvidia's flagship graphics card.

Computer memory RAM on motherboard background

RAM price crisis gets worse (again) as DDR5 hits a new painful high – and a worrying trend is creeping in

By Darren Allan published

RAM crisis just intensified as a report shows DDR5 is now 4.4x pricier than half a year ago.

Samsung SSD 9100 PRO review

Top-end SSDs have gotten so pricey they're worth more than their weight in gold

By Darren Allan published

Is a high-end SSD worth more than its weight in gold? Yes, in some cases, as storage prices follow in the footsteps of RAM.

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070

Forget the RAM crisis – are we headed for a full-blown GPU crisis? Rumored production cut for Nvidia GPUs makes it seem more likely

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia won't have any new GPUs for 2026, rumor claims – and with an up to 20% drop in production, this year could be a troubled one.

The backplate of the Nvidia GeForce RTX 5070 Ti

Rumor claims Nvidia has 'essentially killed off' the RTX 5070 Ti and 5060 Ti 16GB – possibly leaving AMD free to dominate mid-range GPUs

By Darren Allan published

Updated You might want to move fast to grab a mid-range GPU, if you're after an Nvidia card, that is.

PC gamer looking confused at monitor

Owner of big gaming platform can't believe how bad Windows 11 is – and hints are dropped about big things for Linux gamers this year

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 is taking a lot of heat these days, and GOG ('Good Old Games') is the latest to fire flak at Microsoft's OS.

A Crucial Pro Overclocking RAM kit

Micron says it's 'trying to help consumers' in RAM crisis despite killing its Crucial brand – and PC owners have got even angrier as a result

By Darren Allan published

Micron is even more unpopular after trying to defend its decision to shut down the Crucial brand of consumer RAM.

An Nvidia RTX 5060 held in a masculine hand

RAM crisis lands another blow as Nvidia could stick to 8GB with mainstream GPUs for the foreseeable future — but is that enough in 2026?

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia rumor suggests a focus on 8GB GPUs in the near future, with the RTX 5060 Ti 16GB sidelined in favor of its lesser sibling.

The Framework Desktop's swappable front panel.

'We held off for as long as we could': Framework gives stark warning about 'years' of RAM misery as it hikes prices on desktop PC

By Darren Allan published

If you wanted some better news about the ongoing RAM pricing crisis, you won't find it here.

Woman disgusted by her laptop

5 biggest fails that got a company or product a disparaging nickname from consumers – starting with the newcomer 'Microslop'

By Darren Allan published

Microslop is a fresh nickname for Microsoft coined by those who feel the company is pushing AI too hard – but will it stick?

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