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

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.

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?

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.

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.

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.

A selection of Nvidia RTX 5060 Ti graphics cards.

RAM pricing crisis threatens graphics cards – rumor has it some AMD and Nvidia budget GPUs could be scrapped

By Darren Allan published

Has there ever been a more pressing time to buy a new graphics card? Black Friday could be the last stop before GPU chaos reigns.

Shocked woman worker looking at laptop screen

Microsoft explains how Windows 11's AI agents will work as testing is about to start – and I'll admit, I'm nervous

By Darren Allan published

Wondering how Windows 11's AI agents will work? Microsoft explains how 'agent workspaces' are lightweight and secure.

Screenshot of Steam Machine

Baldur's Gate 3 exec argues there's 'no point making a high-spec Steam Machine' – and that makes a lot of sense

By Darren Allan published

Think the Steam Machine is underpowered? Baldur's Gate 3 exec says there's "no point making a high-spec Steam Machine" and he's not wrong.

Sad business man and laptop

Microsoft exec responds to Windows 11 AI controversy, but glosses over a key reason for all the hate

By Darren Allan published

Top Windows 11 exec tries to put out flames around agentic AI controversy – but rage is still burning out there.

Fingers on keyboard of Acer Nitro V 15

Intel Panther Lake CPU leak suggests integrated GPUs are getting a potentially game-changing leap in performance

By Darren Allan published

Intel Core Ultra X7 358H leak shows just how good this CPU might be for handhelds and budget gaming laptops.

Photo of Steam Deck handheld console

The Steam Deck 2 sounds like it'll be a huge leap in performance, but there's one big reason why it doesn't exist yet

By Darren Allan published

A CPU doesn't yet exist for a "truly next-gen performance Steam Deck", but Valve has a "pretty good idea" of what the sequel will be like.

Asus ROG Ally X in hand

Windows 11's new update fixes some weird bugs that might slow down your PC or eat your handheld's battery

By Darren Allan published

November update fixes nasty Task Manager bug and a glitch that caused battery drain with handhelds in sleep mode.

A laptop with the Windows 11 desktop on screen, glowing, while on a work desk

Still on Windows 11 23H2? Microsoft will soon force you to upgrade to 25H2 – for your own good

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 23H2 has gone the way of Windows 10, and now it's no longer supported, Microsoft is forcing upgrades to 25H2.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed

Windows 11 users rebel as top Microsoft exec says operating system is 'evolving into an agentic OS'

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 is going 'agentic' and 'AI-native' and a whole heap of other buzzwords that most consumers really don't care for.

SanDisk Extreme Fit 1TB

This tiny, affordable 1TB flash drive could save you up to $300 on your next MacBook Air – here's how

By Darren Allan published

The SanDisk Extreme Fit is a new 1TB thumb drive, and it could be a great way to get more storage on a MacBook Air or other laptop.

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