Articles by 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

girl using laptop hoping for good luck with her fingers crossed

Windows 11 is getting some much-wanted features for the Start menu and taskbar, and that's great to see — but it's not the change I really want

By Darren Allan Published 18 May 26

What dare we hope for next from Microsoft? The company is clearly serious about making Windows 11 better.

Googlebook has only just been revealed, but here are 5 things that people hate about the laptop already

By Darren Allan Published 16 May 26

Should Google be booking a plot in the 'Google Graveyard' in advance? Some folks think the Googlebook will be DOA.

2 Comments

Young woman sitting on the floor with a laptop biting nails, nervous and very anxious

Microsoft's Copilot can now peek into your open tabs in Edge — if you let it — as part of new AI features for the browser

By Darren Allan Published 14 May 26

Microsoft has ditched Copilot Mode from Edge — but if you're cheering that move, you won't like what's replaced it.

Microsoft is asking for your help to fix Windows 11 — and I'm hopeful this isn't just a desperate move

By Darren Allan Published 14 May 26

This is the clearest sign yet the company is serious about making the 'fix Windows 11 campaign' work.

Microsoft reveals another way it's making Windows 11 faster, with more performance boosts promised for the likes of File Explorer

By Darren Allan Published 13 May 26

'It's a long-term commitment for fundamentals and quality': Microsoft is working to make Windows 11 faster in multiple ways, including in-depth honing of the interface.

The latest Windows 11 update is here boasting 4 features I'm very pleased to see

By Darren Allan Published 13 May 26

This is a useful update from Microsoft with a notable addition which will excite many PC gamers.

Dell laptops reportedly hit by nasty bug causing repeated crashes, and this time it's not Windows 11's fault — here's what's causing it, and how to fix it

By Darren Allan Published 12 May 26

Don't blame Windows 11 for your Dell laptop crashing — ironically it's a nasty bug with Dell's SupportAssist app.

Mature man using laptop in a cafe, looking annoyed

'All modern operating systems do this, including macOS and Linux': Microsoft exec fires back at critics accusing it of 'cheating' with Windows 11 speed boost feature

By Darren Allan Published 11 May 26

Microsoft defends CPU trick to boost Windows 11 performance after critics label it a fudged fix.

4 Comments

Samsung Odyssey OLED G6 G60SF monitor on a desk in a home office

I'm impressed that Microsoft keeps on improving PowerToys with smart additions — but I wonder why the newest monitor trick isn't in Windows 11 by default

By Darren Allan Published 10 May 26

Power Display is a smart add-on that's arrived in the PowerToys suite of utilities, accompanied by another equally useful tool.

The Wayback Machine faces another threat from AI — ridiculously expensive hard drive prices

By Darren Allan Published 8 May 26

This is yet another example of the far-reaching nature of the AI-driven component crisis.

Microsoft is fixing one of the worst problems with Windows 11 updates — those dreaded installation failures

By Darren Allan Published 8 May 26

Some Windows 11 updates might be slower in the future — but it's for a good reason.

A woman sitting in a chair looking at a Windows 11 laptop

Microsoft's rumored 'Low Latency Profile' CPU trick could make Windows 11's menus and apps load up to 70% faster

By Darren Allan Published 8 May 26

Want Windows 11's menus and apps to just work faster? Microsoft could be moving a key piece of the puzzle into place.

MacBook Neo laptop on a desk with plant in background

Budget Windows 11 laptops vs MacBook Neo — Microsoft-commissioned report points out Neo weaknesses, as Apple's rumored to double production to 10 million

By Darren Allan Published 7 May 26

Are budget Windows 11 laptops a better bet than the MacBook Neo? A new report suggests that, but skeptics aren't happy with it at all.

AMD's CEO predicts 'higher memory and component costs' later this year — so brace yourself for Radeon GPU price hikes

By Darren Allan Published 6 May 26

Following Lisa Su's revelation, a disgruntled Redditor predicted: 'The RAM economy will permanently change and data centers will be a nuisance for the rest of recorded time'.

Using Zipped files and folders in Windows 11

Microsoft vows to make Windows 11's File Explorer much faster — and it's about time

By Darren Allan Published 6 May 26

Fed up with File Explorer running sluggishly in Windows 11? Microsoft's doing 'foundational' work to fully fix it.

Microsoft confirms why Windows 11 updates might be weird right now, and look like they're failing — but it's nothing to worry about

By Darren Allan Published 5 May 26

Microsoft warns that some consumers 'might experience one additional restart during installation' of Windows 11 updates.

Computer memory RAM on motherboard background

Micron CEO warns 'AI is in very early innings' and it will 'need more memory' — another ominous sign the RAM crisis isn't going anywhere

By Darren Allan Published 4 May 26

Micron has warned on the gravity of the RAM crisis, meaning that every major memory chip maker has now done so.

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

Microsoft continues the good work on Windows 11, with tweaks to 'quiet' ads — and that big taskbar change is 'coming soon'

By Darren Allan Published 4 May 26

I've had my doubts about Microsoft's campaign to fix Windows 11 this year, but they're slowly melting away.

Microsoft's CEO promised the world to consumers in a speech about fixing Windows 11 — but one thing Satya Nadella said worries me

By Darren Allan Published 3 May 26

Satya Nadella talking about consumers in relation to Windows 11 is mostly reassuring, with a notable exception.

PC build in an old CRT monitor, front view showing screen and Windows XP-like desktop

Redditor builds a PC inside an old CRT monitor — it looks like an ancient iMac, but runs Cyberpunk 2077 at 100fps in 1440p

By Darren Allan Published 1 May 26

This retro PC build that uses a burnt-out old monitor as a case is like an iMac on steroids.

Tim Cook warns about 'significantly higher memory costs' from June — and not surprisingly, Mac fans think price hikes are coming down the line

By Darren Allan Published 1 May 26

Apple has weathered the RAM storm pretty well so far, but that could change before long.

Someone holding a PS5 DualSense Controller

Clever Raspberry Pi hack gets Sony's PS5 controller working properly on a gaming PC over Bluetooth

By Darren Allan Published 30 April 26

This Raspberry Pi mod is a cheap and effective way to get Sony's DualSense controller working properly on a PC with a wireless connection.

A person using the MacBook Pro with M5 Pro or M5 Max chip.

Thought the MacBook Pro was expensive? Apple's rumored MacBook Ultra could 'cost significantly more'

By Darren Allan Published 30 April 26

MacBook Ultra is again rumored — just cover your wallet's ears, as it sounds frighteningly pricey.

A woman getting frustrated by her laptop

'Is this becoming a new trend?': hardware seller's RAM tax 'feels like a sneaky way to hike prices right at checkout' — although not everyone agrees

By Darren Allan Published 29 April 26

Some buyers are predictably unhappy about the 'memory surcharge', while others welcome the transparency.

5 Comments

A fake RTX 4090 made by a scammer, showing the PCB, graphics chip and memory

Fake GPUs have gotten so good, even a repair expert was initially fooled by this scam Nvidia RTX 4090 — so be careful out there

By Darren Allan Published 28 April 26

'This is the best scam I've ever seen': repair expert can't believe how good this fake Nvidia RTX 4090 GPU is.

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