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

An AMD Ryzen 7 7800X3D CPU on top of its retail packaging

AMD Ryzen 7600X3D could be imminent and temptingly cheap – but the catch might be you’ll struggle to buy the CPU

By Darren Allan published

AMD’s Ryzen 7600X3D might be on sale in a couple of weeks, and possibly priced to impress PC gamers.

Happy PC gamer shows heart sign with hands

Thought you’d have to wait for AMD’s big gaming speed boost for Ryzen 7000 and 9000 CPUs? Surprise – it’s here now with a Windows 11 update

By Darren Allan published

This is a Windows 11 preview update that you’ll be sorely tempted to grab – if you have a modern Ryzen chip, that is.

Windows 11 on a laptop PC showing Start menu icon on taskbar

Microsoft improves Windows 11 Start menu, with no new ads in sight – and there’s a bonus for the lock screen in latest preview

By Darren Allan published

A new option for a Category view in the Start menu’s list of apps is a welcome change, if it emerges from testing.

PC Gamer looking happy

Windows 11 24H2 could be a mind-blowing gift for AMD Ryzen 7000 CPU owners – we’re talking a generational uplift for gaming performance

By Darren Allan published

Got an AMD Ryzen 7000 or 9000 chip? Then you'll want to pounce on the Windows 11 24H2 update when it emerges.

Windows laptop showing the Control Panel on the desktop

Turns out the ‘death’ of the Control Panel in Windows 11 has been greatly exaggerated, as Microsoft issues a clarification

By Darren Allan published

Want to see the back of the Control Panel? You wouldn’t be alone, but this ancient bit of the Windows interface isn’t going anywhere for now.

Person using a Windows 11 laptop

Windows 11 could get updates that install without a reboot, as a Microsoft blunder hints these are coming with version 24H2

By Darren Allan published

The plan appears to be that the majority of monthly updates for Windows 11 won’t need to reboot the PC.

MacBook Pro 14 M3 Max (2023) in use

Apple’s M4 Macs spotted in testing – with a hint that entry-level MacBook Pro 14-inch could get the RAM upgrade everyone craves

By Darren Allan published

The upgrade to 16GB of RAM as a minimum for the MacBook Pro 14-inch is long overdue, let’s face it.

Windows 10 user looking frustrated with their head underneath an open laptop

Windows 10 looks to be getting one of the worst features recently added to Windows 11’s Start menu

By Darren Allan published

Microsoft’s continued development of Windows 10 has a downside, namely more cluttering of the interface with adverts.

Student using a laptop on a dormitory bed

Don’t be fooled during back-to-school: These are the Amazon scams currently targeting students that you need to watch out for

By Darren Allan published

Here’s how to keep yourself safe from the most common Amazon scams right now aimed at students.

Windows 11 desktop shown on an all-in-one PC on a desk

Microsoft just blocked a commonly-used trick to install Windows 11 on a PC that doesn’t meet the system requirements

By Darren Allan published

A sneaky installation method appears to have been banished – but this may not come into effect until next year.

Asus X870 motherboard quick release PCIe slot with a graphics card being removed

Hate those five-minute battles to remove your graphics card? Painful GPU extraction woes could be a thing of the past with new motherboards

By Darren Allan published

AMD and Intel 800 series motherboards are more widely adopting easier, quick-release solutions – but some PC gamers still aren’t happy.

Apple's Craig Federighi demonstrates the iPhone Mirroring feature of macOS Sequoia at the Worldwide Developers Conference (WWDC) 2024.

Keen to get macOS Sequoia? You may not have long to wait – the OS could arrive in just a few weeks

By Darren Allan published

Apple’s macOS 15 will, however, be missing a key feature for a while, namely Apple Intelligence.

Intel Arrow Lake architecture

Intel Arrow Lake CPUs could hit shelves on October 17 – striking back against AMD Ryzen 9000 sooner than expected

By Darren Allan published

The rumor mill is becoming more convinced that Intel’s Arrow Lake processors will go on sale in October.

A PC Gamer looking happy sat in front of their desktop monitor

Wish your Ryzen CPU was faster? Good news – a Windows 11 patch coming soon will give all newer AMD chips a free speed boost

By Darren Allan published

AMD has clarified the controversy around Ryzen 9000 benchmarks with PC games, with some pleasing results.

Person using a Windows 11 laptop with a webcam

Windows 11 24H2 update is set to make a webcam change to allow multiple apps to use the camera simultaneously

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 users: Did you know that only one app can use your webcam at any given time? But not for much longer…

AMD Ryzen 9 7900X3D up close

Asus provides another clue that AMD’s Ryzen 9000X3D CPUs could be here soon – which would be seriously bad news for Intel

By Darren Allan published

Asus might have revealed AMD’s secret weapon against Intel’s Arrow Lake – that 3D V-Cache Zen 5 CPUs could be here soon.

Person using a Windows 11 laptop

Windows 11 is getting useful changes to give your laptop more battery life for free

By Darren Allan published

Want better battery life for your laptop? Who doesn’t, and luckily, Microsoft is changing Windows 11 to help with that.

The power connector for an Nvidia GeForce RTX 4070 graphics card

Nvidia has a surprise GPU launch today – but is the new RTX 4070 worth buying?

By Darren Allan published

Nvidia RTX 4070 graphics card with GDDR6 video RAM is real, and official support comes in with the latest graphics driver.

The Google Gemini logo on a laptop screen that's on an orange background

What is Google Gemini? Everything you need to know about Google’s next-gen AI

By Alex Blake last updated

Updated Google Gemini is set to take on OpenAI's GPT-4 and ChatGPT for the AI crown. Here’s everything you need to know.

A Microsoft Surface Pro 11 on a desk

Microsoft Copilot+ PCs set to ‘cause a crisis in Apple’s MacBook Pro sales’ as AI laptops are predicted to fly off the shelves in 2025

By Darren Allan published

Copilot+ PCs could be shifting close to 50 million units annually by the time 2028 rolls around, an analyst firm reckons.

Woman using a laptop in a restaurant terrace with a suspicious look on her face and one eyebrows raised

Don’t like the ‘News and interests’ panel in Windows 10? You’ll hate Microsoft’s new supersized version even more – but luckily, it’s easy to turn off

By Darren Allan published

Windows 10’s News panel now gobbles up a vast amount of screen real-estate – but there’s no need to panic.

An AMD Ryzen 7 7700X in a hand seen at an angle

AMD’s Ryzen CPUs might be slower in PC games due to a weird Windows 11 bug – and while there’s a ‘fix’ you absolutely shouldn’t use it

By Darren Allan published

The apparent cure for the Ryzen gaming blues – a hidden admin account – shouldn’t be enabled in any circumstances.

14-inch MacBook Pro M3 on a desk

Desperate for a MacBook Pro M4? Here’s some good news – another rumor points firmly to a launch later in 2024

By Darren Allan published

A regular Apple leaker has another nugget underlining that the MacBook Pro M4 is ready to hit the shelves in Q4.

A PC gamer looking happy

Linux embarrasses Windows 11 when it comes to games performance with AMD Ryzen 9000 CPUs – but I won’t be switching operating systems just yet

By Darren Allan published

Windows 11 gamers, take note – new tests show AMD Ryzen 9700X running faster in Linux, but don’t get too upset yet.

AMD CPU with Ryzen 9000 Series label

Report suggests AMD’s new Ryzen 9000 CPUs aren’t selling well at all – but Intel shouldn’t get too excited yet

By Darren Allan published

Intel has its own major issues with 13th and 14th-gen CPUs, and definitely shouldn’t get too gleeful about these sales figures.

Other versions of this page are available with specific content for the following regions: