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

Upset PC gamer with head in hands by his PC

Microsoft admits Windows 11 24H2 could play havoc with some online games – and it’s blocked the update for affected PCs

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 24H2 packs some unexpected bugs for PC gamers to watch out for – although Microsoft’s already taken action.

Intel Lunar Lake powered devices at IFA 2025

Intel Lunar Lake could revolutionize gaming handhelds, going by early tests of Core Ultra 7 CPU

By Darren Allan published

Will the ultimate gaming handhelds be powered by Intel’s Lunar Lake CPUs? It seems entirely possible.

RAM sticks

The price of RAM is falling fast, so you might not have to wait for Black Friday to get that memory upgrade for your PC

By Darren Allan published

Bargains could be around in very short order for DDR4 RAM sticks (faster DDR5 modules, though, are another matter).

An Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 on a table with its retail packaging

Nvidia RTX 4060 graphics cards are finally impressing PC gamers – and we’re betting they’ll soon be the most popular GPUs around

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia’s RTX 4060 models had a lukewarm reception, but these GPUs are rapidly becoming popular – and likely set to dominate in the near future.

Arrow Lake chip architecture diagram

Will Arrow Lake live up to Intel’s promises? We could find out on October 10, with CPUs going on sale soon

By Darren Allan published

Keen to buy an Intel Arrow Lake CPU? You’ll be able to in just three weeks, if the rumors are right.

Windows 11 laptop showing Copilot

Windows 11 is spiking in popularity – even if Windows 10 remains way more popular, and Windows 7 just refuses to die

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 could be turning a corner, finally, if some fresh stats are to be believed.

An Intel Core i9-14900K with its promotional packaging

Intel’s Panther Cove – possibly for Core Ultra 400 CPUs – could deliver a big performance boost and give AMD engineers some sleepless nights

By Darren Allan published

Watch out, AMD – Intel’s future CPUs built on Panther Cove might be a huge leap forward in performance.

Apple's Craig Federighi demonstrating the iPhone Mirroring feature in macOS Sequoia and iOS 18 at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) in June 2024.

macOS 15 Sequoia problems: how to fix the most common issues on your Mac

By Darren Allan last updated

Come up against gremlins in the works with macOS Sequoia? Check out our list of troubleshooting tips.

MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max (2023) in use

MacBook Pro M4 box leak – fake, or not? If it’s real this is another hint that 16GB of RAM for entry-level laptop is happening

By Darren Allan published

This is a somewhat controversial leaked photo – but it could have huge implications for the imminent MacBook Pro M4.

A Microsoft Surface Laptop being shown at Microsoft's Copilot Plus PC Showcase

Microsoft explains how Windows 11’s controversial Recall feature is now ready for release – it’s coming to Copilot+ PCs in November

By Darren Allan published

You’ll be getting Recall in November, if you want it – and Microsoft has made a lot of changes on the security front.

A mystery GPU with a colorful burst behind it

Nvidia RTX 5080 and 5090 again rumored for CES 2025 launch – possibly alongside next-gen laptop GPUs

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia RTX 5090, and RTX 5080 with 16GB VRAM, could arrive at CES 2025, and we've had some extra spec details spilled.

Intel Core i9-13900K in hand

Is Intel's nightmare finally over? One last patch could fix 13th-gen and 14th-gen CPU instability issues

By Darren Allan published

Intel concludes its investigation into unstable CPUs, and a third, but final, patch is coming to resolve the mess.

Intel 4004 running Debian Linux PC

Someone built a system with Intel’s first CPU that’s half a century old, and it can boot Linux – if you have a spare week to wait

By Darren Allan published

Intel’s original CPU, the 4004, was built as a calculator chip, but an incredible system has been built around it that can run Debian.

AMD CPU with Ryzen 9000 Series label

AMD’s Ryzen 9000 CPUs could be a flop according to a new survey that’ll make difficult reading for Team Red

By Darren Allan published

Ryzen 9000 survey underlines disappointment with CPUs, as way fewer folks are planning a purchase than when Ryzen 7000 launched.

An RTX 4060, the best 1080p graphics card, against a pink techradar background

The best 1080p graphics card in 2024: our picks for 1080p gaming

By Darren Allan last updated

Updated Looking for the best 1080p graphics card for your PC to offer full HD visuals? We’ve got you covered.

A hand holding an Intel Core i5-14600K

Intel’s Beast Lake monster gaming CPUs were canceled, could rumored Razer Lake chips fill that void?

By Darren Allan published

Razer Lake CPUs rumored to follow Nova Lake, but we’re not sure what a certain gaming peripheral firm will make of this.

Photos from the Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite Q&A and hands on event at Computex 2024..

Valve could come to the rescue of Copilot+ PCs for running games, as test version of Proton for Arm CPUs is spotted

By Darren Allan published

Some folks have raised the possibility of a more affordable Arm-powered Steam Deck, but we don’t think that’s likely.

MacBook Pro 2018 being used by a musician

Apple just declared a bunch of Macs obsolete – these are the affected MacBook and iMac models

By Darren Allan published

Did your Mac just go obsolete? Apple just declared that 9 MacBooks and iMacs can no longer be repaired at all.

An Acer Swift Go 14 laptop keyboard showing the Copilot button

Think Windows 11’s Copilot key is useless? We’ve got some good news – you’ll soon be able to reconfigure it

By Darren Allan published

You can now reprogram the Copilot key to open an app in Windows 11, but there’s a hefty catch in testing right now.

Intel Arrow Lake architecture

AMD will be pleased to hear the latest rumor on Intel CPUs – after Arrow Lake, no desktop chips are coming until Nova Lake in 2026

By Darren Allan published

Intel was supposed to have Arrow Lake Refresh processors coming in 2025, but apparently that isn’t the case.

AMD Ryzen processor on a scuffed background

AMD’s incoming flagship laptop CPUs could be called Ryzen AI Max, and might be astonishingly fast – we’re just worried about the price

By Darren Allan published

AMD Strix Halo leak suggests this’ll be an immense CPU for gaming laptops and handhelds, but how expensive might those devices be?

New MacBook Air 13-inch with M3 being used in a cafe

Keen for the MacBook Air M4? Good news – it might turn up earlier than we thought in 2025

By Darren Allan published

Apple MacBook Air M4 won’t be too far behind the upgraded MacBook Pro, according to new rumors.

Lenovo Yoga Slim 7i Aura Edition shown front on

How good will battery life be with Intel Lunar Lake CPUs? Lenovo’s testing shows a Yoga laptop blowing away Apple’s MacBook M3

By Darren Allan published

Lenovo shows off Yoga Slim 7i laptop that offers eye-opening battery life.

Nvidia GeForce RTX 4090

Nvidia RTX 4090 graphics card could soon be disappearing off the shelves, paving the way for RTX 5090 launch

By Darren Allan published

Rumor has it that Nvidia is planning to shut down the production lines for the RTX 4090 in October.

PC gaming handheld on white table

It’s happening: AMD is going to use AI in FSR 4 to drive much better battery life for PC gaming handhelds

By Darren Allan published

The rumors were right – AMD will employ AI in FSR 4, and it’ll be a big step forward for handhelds like the Asus ROG Ally.

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