Articles by John Loeffler, Components Editor

John (He/Him) is the Components Editor here at TechRadar and he is also a programmer, gamer, activist, and Brooklyn College alum currently living in Brooklyn, NY.

Named by the CTA as a CES 2020 Media Trailblazer for his science and technology reporting, John specializes in all areas of computer science, including industry news, hardware reviews, PC gaming, as well as general science writing and the social impact of the tech industry.

John has a Bachelor’s degree in English and is currently in the wrapping up a Master’s program in Computer Science, where he spends his evenings building digital circuits, multiboxing Linux kernels, and coding shell scripts.

You can usually find him on Bluesky (@@johnloeffler.bsky.social) where you’ll get hot takes on stuff as well as reposting content that is almost as good as the worst content you used to be able to find on Vine.

Articles by: John Loeffler

An upcoming Alienware laptop against a mountain background

Alienware teases 'covert' ultraslim gaming laptop line and a new budget-friendly option at CES 2026

By John Loeffler Published 6 January 26

Alienware announced that it will be expanding its gaming laptop portfolio in 2026 with two new classes of product: an ultraslim 'covert' gaming laptop line, and a budget-oriented gaming laptop.

A mockup of the AMD Ryzen AI 400 series laptop processor

The AMD Ryzen 7 9850X3D is only one of the chips Team Red announced at CES 2026—and the others might have Intel sweating

By John Loeffler Published 6 January 26

AMD's next-gen gaming CPU looks powerful, but it might play second fiddle to the new round of Ryzen AI 400 chips in the long run.

Nvidia's CES 2026 keynote live - all the latest news from the GPU and AI superpower

By John Loeffler Last updated 6 January 26

What will the GPU giant unveil at CES 2026? We have all the breaking news

The Intel Core Ultra Series 3 launch announcement at CES 2026

Intel launches new Core Ultra series 3 processors at CES 2026. Will Panther Lake deliver the win that Intel needs?

By John Loeffler Published 5 January 26

Intel Panther Lake leaves its cage starting this week.

A Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 sitting on display

Hands on: Dell XPS 14 2026 and XPS 16 2026

By John Loeffler Published 5 January 26

Not yet rated

The Dell XPS 14 and Dell XPS 16 return in 2026 with a new look and some major improvements over their predecessors

Dell un-retires its iconic XPS brand at CES 2026: "We're getting back to our roots"

By John Loeffler Published 5 January 26

Dell announced at CES 2026 that it will be bringing back the iconic XPS brand after briefly retiring it as part of its rebranding effort last year.

Man tired from AI and chatbots. AI fatigue concept.

AI hasn’t lived up to the hype – but can CES 2026 fix that?

By John Loeffler Published 5 January 26

CES 2026 All I want for CES 2026 is AI that lives up to the hype – but I’m not holding my breathAI hasn’t lived up to the hype – but can CES 2026 fix that?

Best cloud storage for photos of 2026

By Benedict Collins Last updated 2 January 26

Updated We tested the best cloud storage for photos for securely storing and backing up images online.

Female Programmer Coding on Desktop Computer With Six Displays in Dark Office

9 reasons why you should consider onsite LLM training and inferencing

By John Loeffler Published 14 November 25

Onsite LLM deployment isn't cheap, but there are many reasons to it beats a third-party service.

2 Comments

10 ways enterprise SSDs differ from traditional SSDs—and why that matters

By John Loeffler Published 29 October 25

There's a world of difference between client and enterprise SSDs

The Apple M5 is barely a hop, much less the technological leap that Apple wants it to be

By John Loeffler Published 15 October 25

Opinion The Apple M5 is official, and from everything I've seen about it, you can probably skip this one.

3 Comments

Windows 10 End of Life live: everything you need to know

By Matt Hanson Last updated 14 October 25

Today's the day when Windows 10 enters its End of Life phase, where Microsoft will no longer issue updates or security patches. Here's everything you need to know.

I got to see Intel Panther Lake up close this month, and it is the most important product Intel has ever produced

By John Loeffler Published 11 October 25

Intel announced its next series of processors, the Core Ultra series 3, this week, but I got a close up look at these new chips in Arizona ahead of the announcement. Here's what I saw.

Baldur's Gate 3 keyart with Astarion, Shadowheart, and Lae'zel

Best Mac games 2025: the best Apple-friendly gaming experiences you can get

By Jake Green Last updated 3 October 25

Updated The 20 best Mac games prove that gaming on Apple computers is here to stay.

A Dell S3221QS, our pick for the best 4K monitor, against a techradar background

The best 4K monitor in 2025: expert-tested picks for PC gamers and creatives

By Rob Webb Last updated 1 October 25

Updated Upgrading to a 4K monitor is one of the most impactful changes you can make to game or media immersion, and we've narrowed it down to only the best UHD displays in this guide.

The best PC case in 2025: top computer housing for your build

By John Loeffler Last updated 30 September 25

Updated I'm presenting my picks for the best PC cases on the market right now, from mid-towers, to DIY options, and more.

Several of the best cheap processors on a table

The best cheap processor in 2025: my top picks based on dozens of hours of testing

By John Loeffler Last updated 29 September 25

Updated After dozens of hours of rigorous testing, I've narrowed down the best cheap processors for every budget and platform.

Best free games 2025: gaming fun at no extra cost

By Jake Green Last updated 24 September 25

Find the best free games you can play right now, whether its the latest RPG or a competitive multiplayer title.

The Nvidia and Intel Logos side by side against a black background

Nvidia x Intel press conference: as it happened

By John Loeffler Last updated 18 September 25

Nvidia and Intel are teaming up with a major investment and production deal. We're covering the news live.

Student sat at a desk with a laptop in a dormitory looking at a mobile phone

AI in the classroom: the laptop specs to look out for to level up your learning

By John Loeffler Published 17 September 25

If you're looking for a new AI-ready laptop this year, these are the specs to look for.

A Razer Blade 14 (2025) on a desk with its lid facing the viewer

Razer Blade 14 (2025) review: the only gaming laptop I’d happily carry everywhere

By John Loeffler Published 10 September 25

Recommended

The Razer Blade 14 (2025) is one of the best thin and light gaming laptops you're going to find today, assuming you can afford its premium price.

A group of young professionals sitting together with their laptops on the table

The 7 most important laptop features to consider when heading back to school

By John Loeffler Published 4 September 25

Before you buy a laptop for school, consider these 7 key features to help you make the right choice.

An AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9980X on a table with its retail packaging

I spent about two weeks trying to destroy the AMD Threadripper 9980X, and I can say for sure that only a few people will love this chip—but I'm one of them

By John Loeffler Published 15 August 25

Recommended

The Threadripper 9980X sets a new standard in multi-core performance for top-tier creative and technical workloads, but it's not right for everyone.

An AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X on a table with its retail packaging

I've tested dozens of processors over the years, and the AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X manages to thread a perfect balance of workstation performance, I/O, and price

By John Loeffler Published 15 August 25

Editor's Choice

The AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9970X is a refined, higher-clocked 32-core HEDT chip delivering exceptional raw and responsive performance for professional workloads—without busting your budget.

A Dell 14 Premium vs Apple MacBook Pro 14-inch against a two-tone TechRadar background

I spent days testing the Dell 14 Premium vs Apple MacBook Pro 14 to find out which is the best 14-inch laptop – and the results are in

By John Loeffler Published 14 August 25

I spent days putting the Dell 14 Premium against the MacBook Pro 14-inch M4 to see which is the better laptop, and the result is rather surprising.

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