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

Microsoft has all but given up on Windows 11 SE – and it looks like the war against Chromebooks has been lost

By Darren Allan published 1 August 25

Microsoft has long been gunning for Chromebooks, but its latest effort to secure a piece of the low-cost laptop market has failed dismally.

Woman using a Windows computer with Microsoft Edge

Chrome stretches its lead over the floundering Edge - and I'm not convinced Microsoft's big Copilot AI promises will save the browser

By Darren Allan published 1 August 25

Edge has dropped in popularity - is Copilot AI going to save the browser, or does Microsoft just need to chill with its overzealous promos?

Nvidia throws Windows 10 gamers a lifeline with driver support - but time's up for the popular GTX 1060 GPU, as support runs out in October 2025

By Darren Allan published 31 July 25

Driver support for Pascal GPUs like the GTX 1060 ends in October 2025, and Windows 10 users have until October 2026.

A masculine hand holding an AMD Radeon RX 9070

AMD mulls dedicated NPUs for desktop PCs - like graphics cards, but for AI tasks - and this could be excellent news for PC gamers

By Darren Allan published 31 July 25

AMD could soon make dedicated NPUs in the same vein as discrete graphics cards - and if you think that sounds boring, think again, PC gamers.

Microsoft's trying to force OneDrive on us yet again - this time for moving from a Windows 10 PC to a Windows 11 one

By Darren Allan published 31 July 25

It's easy to transfer from Windows 10 to a Windows 11 PC, Microsoft boasts - if you fork out for OneDrive (but there are free alternatives).

COnfused businessman working with his laptop, at the office

Some Windows 10 PCs are reportedly being offered a Windows 11 upgrade even though they don't support the OS – here's what to do if this happens to you

By Darren Allan published 30 July 25

There are scattered reports of a Windows 11 upgrade popping up on Windows 10 PCs that aren't eligible for the OS, and it looks like a bug.

AMD CEO says its chips made in the US will be up to 20% more expensive, but claims that it’ll be worth the price hike

By Darren Allan published 29 July 25

Lisa Su argues that while AMD CPUs could be up to 20% pricier if made in the US, that trade-off is worth it in terms of diversifying the supply chain.

Microsoft makes a nifty tweak to the Windows 11 taskbar – but it's probably not the change you were hoping for

By Darren Allan published 29 July 25

If you're a member of the multiple monitor club, you're going to love this small but highly convenient tweak.

Angry man ripping out his hair in front of his laptop

Fed up with your mouse cursor supersizing itself randomly in Windows 11? Thankfully this frustrating bug should now be fixed

By Darren Allan published 29 July 25

Does your mouse cursor randomly get larger at times in Windows 11? This annoying bug has reportedly been fixed.

Nvidia's N1X consumer chip pops up in benchmark equalling core count of RTX 5070 GPU - cue excited gasps, but let's not get carried away

By Darren Allan published 28 July 25

If you weren't excited about Nvidia's rumored consumer CPU, this benchmark leak showing its core count equals an RTX 5070 GPU should do the trick.

The Tea app hack explained – how a data breach spilled thousands of photos from the top free US app, and what to do

By Darren Allan published 28 July 25

Here's what you need to know about the Tea data breach - and what to do if you think you might be affected.

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

Can't (or won't) upgrade to Windows 11, but afraid to switch from Windows 10 to Linux? This app might make the transition easy

By Darren Allan published 25 July 25

It's still under development, but a new tool called Operese aims to deliver an in-place upgrade to Kubuntu from Windows 10.

A masculine hand holding an Intel Core i7-14700K

Is Intel set for a great CPU comeback? Nova Lake in 2026 could copy AMD's playbook for a key gaming boost

By Darren Allan published 25 July 25

I don't know if there's a way back for Intel with PC gamers – but if there is, it's this rumored plan for Nova Lake to get more cache.

Microsoft gives you another reason to hook up your Windows 11 PC and Android smartphone - it's a security feature that could come in seriously handy

By Darren Allan published 24 July 25

Windows 11 has a new Phone Link feature that impressed me - the ability to lock the PC remotely with an Android device.

Microsoft claims Windows 11 24H2 is the 'most reliable version of Windows yet' - but there are PC gamers out there who disagree

By Darren Allan published 24 July 25

Is the latest version of Windows 11 the 'most reliable yet'? This is going to bring out the 24H2 haters in force.

Palmer Luckey asks, 'Would you buy a Made In America computer' if it was 20% pricier than a MacBook? A poll suggests most people would

By Darren Allan published 24 July 25

There's a swarm of questions buzzing around the idea Luckey floated, including what OS the theoretical laptop would run.

Hate Windows 11 and don't want to upgrade? You can now extend the life of Windows 10 until October 2026 – here's how

By Darren Allan published 23 July 25

Windows 10 PCs can now be signed up for free extended security updates until October 2026 – here's what you need to do.

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

Windows 11 gets a big new update – here are the top 4 features, including a powerful AI agent for Copilot+ PCs

By Darren Allan published 23 July 25

There are a lot of benefits for Copilot+ PCs in the optional update for July, which will see its full release in August.

Want to turn your MacBook into a weighing scale? Me neither, but an app that gives the trackpad this ability looks impressively accurate

By Darren Allan published 22 July 25

A new app unlocks an ability that you likely never thought was possible with your MacBook, turning the trackpad into a scale.

Back view of a man using a laptop with Windows 11's Microsoft Store app open

Microsoft's new option to switch from Windows 10 to a new Windows 11 device could be ideal for people who hate OneDrive

By Darren Allan published 22 July 25

Microsoft explains PC-to-PC migration feature for switching to a new Windows 11 device - and it sounds like a smart idea to me.

A woman in bed wearing headphones and working on a laptop while taking notes

Windows 11 could finally get a handy audio sharing feature it should've had a decade ago

By Darren Allan published 21 July 25

It's a headscratcher as to why it's taken Microsoft so long to incorporate the ability to pipe sound output to multiple speakers.

Microsoft promises to crack one of the biggest problems with Windows 11: slow performance

By Darren Allan published 21 July 25

Microsoft makes a "commitment to improving Windows 11 performance" – and I hope this means a fix for long-running File Explorer sluggishness.

An Intel Core i7-14700K slotted into a motherboard

Firefox engineer warns Intel Raptor Lake CPUs are 'crashing more often because of the summer heat,' and it's making me worry about the future of these chips

By Darren Allan published 18 July 25

Should you be worried if you own one of these CPUs? The 14700K in particular is singled out as a concern.

Windows 10 update messes up emoji picker, proving that even though the OS is about to shuffle into its grave, Microsoft can still break stuff

By Darren Allan published 17 July 25

Windows 10's almost dead - so bugs are a thing of the past, right? Wrong - a new update has broken the emoji picker, leaving me unable to find the frowny face I need.

Young woman using laptop, looking annoyed

Microsoft abandons change to Windows 11 taskbar as testers hated it - but I didn't, and it's baffling why there wasn't a compromise

By Darren Allan published 17 July 25

Microsoft 'disappeared' a change for the Windows 11 taskbar - and I don't understand the thinking behind this decision.

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