Well, do you know why power buttons use a symbol that looks like a broken circle with a vertical line down the top? Here's what the symbol means and where it came from.
The iconic power symbol, explained
The power symbol, which can still be seen on nearly all modern PCs and laptops, originated in the 1950s. At the time, devices were still operated using physical switches that had "on" and "off" states.
But using the words "on" and "off" wasn't ideal due to language barriers, so a universal standard symbol was needed — and the solution was found in binary language. In binary, 1 means "on," "true," or "yes," while 0 means "off," "false," or "no."
Tim Adams, Nvidia's global head of the GeForce community, said in a forum post that Nvidia believes that "stock outs" — a situation where retailers sell out of a certain product — may happen.
"We expect significant demand for the GeForce RTX 5090 and 5080 and believe stock-outs may happen," he wrote in an Nvidia forum post. "Nvidia & our partners are shipping more stock to retail every day to help get GPUs into the hands of gamers."
On January 6, Nvidia unveiled the GeForce 5000 family of PC GPUs, including the 5090, 5080, 5070 Ti, and 5070. Surprisingly, Nvidia announced that the cards would sell for less than some expected, though the RTX 5090 is priced at a whopping $1,999 and the RTX 5080 will sell for $999. Our first review of the GeForce RTX 5090 is out — and while this "brutally fast" PC graphics card may be revolutionary, the price is still eye-popping.
So how does Nvidia expect that the most expensive GeForce RTX 5000 cards in its Blackwell lineup will sell out, but the cheaper ones won't? Well, for one thing, Adams doesn't address cards like the 5070 specifically. But our review also leads with a very specific test — AI — rather th
Right now, you can get this 15.6-inch portable monitor for just $70 on Amazon. That's a whopping 46 percent off its original $130 price and a fantastic deal on a slim-and-lightweight screen.
With its 15.6-inch IPS display and 1080p resolution, this screen is crisp and clear with vivid and accurate colors, plus the viewing angles are better. It's ultra-portable thanks to its 0.3-inch thickness and 1.7-pound weight, so you can effortlessly tuck it into your bag next to your laptop and take it with you hassle-free.
This portable monitor has a built-in kickstand, which comes in handy whether you want to prop it up to display a PDF document or stream a Netflix show while you're on break. Or you can connect it to your Nintendo Switch via HDMI and prop it up for some quick gaming. Connectivity-wise, it has a Mini HDMI port and two full USB-C ports on one side, plus a 3.5mm audio port on the other side.
Take the plunge and upgrade your on-the-go productivity with this awesome $70 portable monitor deal that won't last forever.
Save 46% on this slim-and-lightweight portable laptop monitor
Go ahead and check out the early RTX 50 listings on Newegg and Best Buy. The latter has prices, most notably the right-on-the-money RTX 5080 Founder's Edition. FE cards are sold direct from Nvidia with no partner branding or upgraded elements, and the RTX 5080 is hitting the promised $1,000 launch price (with a free month of Discord Nitro, woo).
Other RTX 5080 variants from Gigabyte are also on offer, topping out at the Xtreme Waterforce 16GB model, which costs $1,400 and comes with an included radiator and triple-fan cooling setup. Very fancy and very pricey, but still well below the $2,000 starting price for the RTX 5090. Only the Founder's Edition of that card is up on Best Buy's site so far, though a few pre-built desktops are shown.
Newegg is showing both RTX 5090 and 5080 variants, with over 40 different models from Asus, Gigabyte, MSI, Zotac, and PNY. Prices for these specific cards aren't available yet, and Nvidia's Founders Edition cards are notably absent from the lineup. According to a Newegg
Now, however, Windows Latest reports that Microsoft has decided to retire the Smart Lookup feature. If you check out the Smart Lookup support page, Microsoft has added a notice at the top:
As of this writing, if you right-click on a word or phrase and select Search "[word/phrase]" in the context menu, it'll open up the Search pane like usual, but you won't get any search results. It'll get stuck loading before eventually saying: "Sorry, something went wrong. Please try again."
Smart Lookup was long powered by Microsoft's search engine, Bing, and it actually worked quite well. So why remove it? The only reasonable answer is that Microsoft wants to push users toward Copilot. If you want to look up stuff — not just definitions and synonyms but anything else — then you'll have to start relying on Copilot.
Not only has Smart Lookup been removed from Microsoft Word, but it's also been removed
We praised the latest generation of the Flic Button ($35) in December 2024—and the $80 Flic Twist earlier this month—for their versatility and broad ecosystem support. The Flic Duo offers the same concept but with the added versatility of dual buttons—and a lot more—because the gadget can be programmed to behave one way when it's mounted to a wall, and in a completely different fashion when it's in your hand, thanks to gesture support, including hold, hold-and-swipe, and hold-and-twist.
Not only does this SSD look gorgeous, but it's also super fast and great for transferring large files. In our test, it moved 450 GB in under 8.5 minutes. That means any file you need to move on a day-to-day basis is going to flash over within seconds. And given how compact it is, you can take the Samsung T9 with you anywhere you go.
Go ahead and get yourself this 2TB Samsung portable SSD from B&H while it's still on sale. This is a fantastic price for it!
Save 29% on one of our favorite Samsung portable SSDs ever
On Reddit, one user on the r/youtube subreddit showed a screenshot of a 58-minute unskippable ad, which then prompted commenters to share their own experiences of unskippable YouTube ads ranging from several minutes to many hours. The biggest one, which we couldn't verify, is a claim to have seen a 90-hour unskippable ad.
Android Authority reports that Google has confirmed a crackdown on YouTube users who use ad blockers. According to the report, Google offered the following statement:
Normally, unskippable ads on YouTube are limited to 15 seconds in duration. However, Google admits that they're making an effort to identify ad-blocking users and discourage them from using ad blockers while watching YouTube videos.
For users who continue to block ads, Google reserves the right to deactivate video playback. The company emphasizes that this is only a last resort for the most
The idea of putting Netflix on pause is more fraught than it is for other streaming services. For many of us, Netflix has been in our lives for decades-heck, I was a Netflix subscriber for nearly 20 years straight-while the other big streamers are barely a few years old.
Because it's been around for so long, Netflix can start to feel like a utility-you know, something you pay for automatically, like gas and electricity. (Or taxes.)
On the other hand, my attitude toward the newer streamers (like, say, Max or Peacock) is easy come, easy go. When there's something specific we want to watch, we sign up. Once we're finished, we cancel. Caught up with the latest season of Hacks or Poker Face? Byeeeee!
What makes Netflix so special, then? Good question-and indeed, after months of flicking through row after row of Netflix videos that I didn't want to stream, I realized I had a serious case of Netflix fatigue.
Finally, I had enough-I canceled Netflix, and I'm glad I did. We'll get back to Netflix eventually, but it'll have to wait its turn while we rotate through the other big streamers, one at a time.
So, repeat after me: You can take a break from Netflix. It's okay. And just because you leave doesn't mean you can't
None more nervous than Nvidia, though, whose market cap plummeted in response to the hype over DeepSeek. According to Bloomberg, Nvidia lost a record $569 billion at the start of the week. Companies like Siemens Energy and Oracle also saw their stock prices fall.
Why the hype over DeepSeek?
DeepSeek is an AI tool that's currently available free of charge on the web. You can check it out yourself at chat.deepseek.com, although registration is temporarily on hold due to the recent surge in interest.
Not only was DeepSeek developed by a Chinese startup in just a few months, it apparently uses significantly fewer resources. Although it's reminiscent of OpenAI's ChatGPT, it's based on its own large language model called — you guessed it — "DeepSeek," now version 3.
According to some initial impressions, DeepSeek outperforms the competition for many features, including the generation of textual answers and the prompt-based creation of images. The latter is possible with an additional app called Janus P
President Donald Trump has pursued tariffs as an immediate and dramatic means of achieving his political goals, threatening both US allies and rivals with tariffs to force capitulation to his demands. Notably the Trump administration has immediately threatened America's biggest and most immediate trading partners, Canada, Mexico, and China, with tariffs on all imported goods if various conditions are not met.
Extra charges for finished goods from China are already expected to increase prices on a macroeconomic level, from multi-billion-dollar companies buying fleets of vehicles to consumers buying flash drives. The US Consumer Technology Association estimates that Trump's proposed tariffs on China would make the price of individual laptops, tablets cell phones, and game consoles rise by multiple hundreds of dollars per unit. And to be clear, that's China alone, before considering additional tariffs on Taiwanese goods.
"In particular in the very near future we're going to be placing tariffs on production of computer chips, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals to return production of these essential goods to the United States of America," Trump announced late Monday night. "They left us and went to Taiwan, where, whi
The problem when looking for a good free VPN, though, is that there are a ton available on the Google Play Store and many aren't trustworthy. So how do you determine which ones are worth your time? I've personally tested heaps of VPNs, both for PCs and Android devices, and have curated a list of the best free options you can feel confident in using. Check out my top picks below.
Why you should trust me: Here at PCWorld we've been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As the VPN reviewer, I'm continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. Below you'll find my favorite free VPNs, and below that, helpful advice about what to look for when choosing a VPN for your Android device on your own.
You can also check out my guide to the best VPNs covering multiple devices.
What can the USB port on the router do?
The USB port on the router offers various functions depending on your model. Here are some of the most useful applications:
Printer sharing: Connect a USB printer to the router to make it available as a network printer for all devices on the network. This saves you having to change cables or drivers back and forth.
Network-attached storage (NAS): Connect an external hard drive or USB stick to store files centrally. You can make documents, photos or videos accessible to all devices in the home network and, with some models, even stream content such as films and music directly.
Backups: Many routers support automatic backups. Files from the network are automatically backed up to a connected USB storage device, either time controlled or in real time as soon as new files are created. You can find instructions for this further down in this article.
Power supply for IoT devices: Some USB ports are suitable for powering small devices such as IoT hubs, smart LE
To install the app, open the Microsoft Store via the Start menu, type Copilot into the search field, and click on "Microsoft Copilot." After clicking on "Install," the software will download and install.
Whether you're storing sensitive files for work, personal finance records, or a few old assignments from school, privacy matters. That's why it's important to make sure your cloud storage is actually secure. A lot of them aren't.
Internxt is a cloud storage platform that made security its top priority. If you want a single, secure place to keep all your files, check out Internxt's 10TB lifetime subscription while it's still marked down to $244.99. That won't last much longer.
Why Internxt
Unlike many popular services, Internxt uses zero-knowledge encryption, meaning not even their team can see what you've uploaded. The files are encrypted, broken into fragments, and distributed across their network. Nobody's seeing what you've got saved without your permission, but sharing your files is quick and painless. Whether you're sharing a high-res photo album or syncing a document across devices, the system is fast and reliable.
Instead, Microsoft is encouraging its users to download new themes and desktop wallpapers directly from the Microsoft Store.
However, Windows Central points out that a clear difference between the official website and the Microsoft Store is that the website organizes all themes by different categories, such as animals, nature, etc. The Microsoft Store does not do this, which can make it harder for users to find what is on offer.
Further reading: Want more Windows themes? Check out the Microsoft Store
This article was translated from German to English, and originally appeared on pcwelt.de.
And right now, LG's massive 4K smart TV is $400 off at Best Buy, meaning you can snag this beauty for just $500. That's a fantastic price for a 65-incher with 4K resolution and a NanoCell display for vivid colors, deep blacks, and superb contrast. Perfect for sports!
The 4K resolution means images are crisp and beautiful, and thanks to AI brightness control, the TV automatically adjusts screen brightness for the best experience in your ambient lighting conditions. The TV's built-in AI processor can also enhance picture and sound quality on the fly, which is great when the source is lacking.
This year's Super Bowl is a great excuse to upgrade your TV, and now's the time with LG's 65-inch 4K TV on sale for $500 at Best Buy!
Save $400 on this 65-inch 4K TV that'll blow you awayBuy now at Best Buy
The AW3225QF is the flagship of Alienware's current monitor line, with an impressive 3840×2160 resolution and 240Hz of refresh on its gently curved panel. Even the beefiest gaming PC will struggle to hit that at high settings on a modern AAA game, so if you need to smooth things out, it does have Nvidia G-Sync and AMD FreeSync compatibility. This monitor earned an Editors' Choice in PCWorld's review, with the only downsides being a lack of USB-C capabilities and a bulky stand. (Don't worry, you can use a regular VESA monitor arm with this.)
Dell has the monitor listed for $900 today, which is $300 off its launch price from over a year ago. But if you add the MONITORS15 coupon code at checkout, you can get an extra 15 percent off, bringing the final price down to just $764.99. That's a huge cut for a brand-new monitor, a rare deal outside of major sales events. Get your order in quickly if you're ready because I doubt this deal will stick around for long.
Get an Alienware 4K OLED monitor for over $400 off
If you own an older Nvidia graphics card, though, things are getting tight. According to the release notes for CUDA 12.8 — Nvidia's programming interface that allows its GPUs to be used for general purposes — several GPU models are now considered "feature-complete" and will be "frozen" in an upcoming release, reports Tom's Hardware.
Affected GPU models are ones that have Maxwell, Pascal and Volta architectures, which include all Nvidia graphics cards from GeForce 700 up to and including Nvidia's 10 series. They're all deprecated, obsolete, and waiting to be put on ice.
What does this mean for you?
If you own one of these affected Nvidia GPUs, your GPU will no longer receive any new features through future updates, so don't expect any more improvements or optimizations going forward. However, basic security fixes will likely continue via driver updates.
So, if you're okay with that, you can keep using your GPU and don't have to dispose of it straight away. No specific date has been a
But what if you're still running a relatively recent Radeon card? Well, according to some new but unverified info, any game that supports FSR 3.1 should also work with FSR 4.0.
The info comes from "Kepler_L2," a Twitter leaker with a strong history of accurate info on AMD. VideoCardz.com reports that despite AMD's paucity of information shared on the upgraded, machine learning-enabled system, the new settings will be enabled by DLL file that "should" be compatible with titles that support the existing FSR 3.1 standard.
It's possible — but absolutely not confirmed — that AMD could essentially make all 40 official FSR 3.1-compatible games work with FSR 4.0 on the day of release. These include popular titles like Ark, Ghost of Tsushima, and Marvel Rivals. VideoCardz pins this capability down to the newly separated super resolution and frame generation libraries.
AMD's upscaling tech is generally agreed upon to be far behind Nvidia's, and the latter remains dominant in the GPU space to the point of virtual monopoly. But consumers are definitely noticing that Nvidia's cards aren't getting any cheaper, even if the latest ones aren't as astronomically expensive
This wall plug uses GaN II technology, which means it's not only more efficient at charging your devices than typical power bricks, but also much smaller in size. It also has improved heat dissipation, so it won't get unbearably hot and accidentally burn your hand.
You'll find three ports on this device: two fast-charging USB-C for your phone and laptop, plus a USB-A for other devices. The USB-C ports are capable of 100W output when used alone, but you can also use all three at the same time and hit 45W, 30W, and 18W max, respectively. (Don't worry. That's still plenty fast.)
The cherry on top is that the prongs on this wall plug are foldable, so you can tuck them and pack it away in a bag without concern for damage or it getting snagged on other stuff you have in there.
If you're tired of slow-charging devices, this is a great opportunity to step things up. Snag this 100W Anker USB-C wall plug for $40!
Save 47% and charge three USB devices at once in a blinkBuy now at Amazon
This laptop is ready for any task, equipped with an Intel Core i9-13900H CPU, a whopping 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 1TB SSD. It's a high-performance machine that can multitask all your apps, load software in a snap, and keep going strong with a gazillion open Chrome tabs.
But this laptop also features a Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 graphics card that'll serve you well through all your favorite games. Complete with a 16-inch display at 1920×1200 resolution and a refresh rate of 120Hz, it's a solid and reliable machine for gaming and video editing.
It's a powerful configuration for the price, so don't miss out on this great deal. Get yourself the Asus Vivobook 16X for $1,000 at B&H!
Save $300 on this laptop with Core i9 CPU and RTX 4060 GPUBuy now at B&H
Specifically, affected users are encountering this error message: "This device cannot start. (Code 10). Insufficient system resources exist to complete the API." As reported by Windows Latest, the issue appears to be rooted in a bug where the USB DAC doesn't load.
After installing update KB5049981, DACs stop working on Windows 10 PCs and show an error in the Device Manager. If you're affected by the issue, you should uninstall the update and wait for a fix. If you haven't yet installed the update, you may want to hold off for a while.
This isn't the only issue, by the way. Other users — though to a lesser degree — have been reporting issues with Wi-Fi connectivity, with the System Guard Runtime Monitoring Broker Service, with the Snipping Tool, and other stray blue screen crashes.
A modder known as crastinator-pro did just that, outlining their process on the Steam Brick GitHub page (spotted by Hackaday). They removed pretty much everything from the Steam Deck except the primary motherboard, cooling system, and battery, then shoved it into a custom-made 3D-printed case. The result is a tiny headless PC that measures 7.6 inches by 4.9 inches and weighs just over a pound.
It can be played on the go with a wireless controller and portable screen (or with a set of AR glasses, like the Xreal Air 2 Pro shown in the photos). Alternatively, you can plug it into a dock or an external monitor via USB-C and operate it like a regular Steam Deck in docked mode.
— Leopeva64 (@Leopeva64) January 17, 2025
Once available, it looks like it'll be possible to split a tab into two different display halves by right clicking on it and selecting the "Split Tab with Active Tab" option.
The same feature has previously been seen in Microsoft's Edge browser where it's called "Split Screen" and can be activated via the settings in the three-dot menu. In Edge, it's also possible to right click on a tab and select "Open in Sidebar" to achieve similar functionality.
As reported by Windows Latest, users are encountering various errors with sound output, Bluetooth connections, and more.
Main issues of update KB5050009
After installing patch KB5050009, some users have no more sound. The issue can be traced to USB DAC ports no longer working, so headphones are no longer recognized. But it isn't clear why this is happening.
Unfortunately, even if you switch to Bluetooth headphones, you may still be left without sound. Headsets and earphones can still be connected via Bluetooth, but won't emit any sound after the update. No specific manufacturer is currently tied to these issues.
There were already problems with the audio output of Windows 11 back in December with a different patch. At that time, Microsoft blocked the availability of 24H2 for affected devices, meaning affected PCs temporaril
Sadly, external GPUs never really took off. While some products were released, the idea never went mainstream. But that doesn't mean the dream is dead! In fact, one of our favorite showings at CES 2025 was a new Asus external GPU with Thunderbolt 5 connectivity.
Are we finally on the cusp of external GPUs taking off? Let's look at what happened to external GPUs, why they didn't take off, and why 2025 could be the year that sparks an eGPU revolution.
The first external GPUs weren't so good
External GPUs now go back at least a decade. In 2015, we reviewed the Alienware Amplifier, an external GPU for Alienware laptops. A few years later, they were becoming more standardized and could connect to laptops over Thunderbolt 3. For example, in 2017, we reviewed the Akitio Node Cabinet, a Thunderbolt 3 eGPU.
The problem was, eGPUs like these only worked on some Thunderbolt 3-enabled laptops. It didn't stop people from using them, but it wasn't exactly ideal. So while some hobb
Haptic trackpads are still tough to find on modern PC laptops, but they're getting there — as we see in Microsoft's latest Surface Laptops. All else being equal, haptic trackpads offer a much nicer controlling-a-mouse-with-your-finger experience than typical trackpads, elevating any laptop to the next tier of premium feel.
If you've ever used a haptic trackpad, you know exactly what I'm talking about. But if you haven't had the pleasure of using one yet, here's why they're awesome and why you'll want your next laptop to have one.
What is a haptic trackpad?
Let's start by considering the traditional mechanical trackpad. When you press your finger down and click, the trackpad physically presses down and activates a physical switch. It's simple and intuitive. Most laptops still include this type of conventional trackpad.
On the other hand, a haptic trackpad doesn't physically move when you click down on it. Instead, it has several components — a touch sensor, a force sensor, and a haptic actuator — that detect a click intent and then respond with feedback to let you know a click was registered.
The VPN market is in constant flux, with the relative quality of services and features vacillating between providers at any given time. What was the fastest VPN or had the most servers last year may look different now. Given this, there are a myriad of potential reasons to switch VPNs. But should you? I'll break down the best reasons to help you decide if it's time to consider a change.
Your VPN is too expensive
On the surface, this reason is pretty simple: Your current VPN costs too much money and a competitor is cheaper. And this is good logic if you're totally strapped for cash or you just use a VPN to connect to the same server every time. But it's not the case for most users, and if you dig down a little deeper you'll find that there is more to consider regarding pricing.
Things such as a VPN's speeds, server network, and feature set should all be taken into account when looking at a service's value. Sure, a VPN might charge less than one dollar a month, but you'll likely find it has poor speeds, a small network, or the most basic of features.
Some of the more expensive services such as NordVPN might charge upwards of $12 per month, but they come with a load of useful tools and features that potentially make them worth that extra dough.
That cloud storage subscription is costing you a little more every month. You know what doesn't need a subscription? This Dual USB-C USB-A 1TB Flash Drive is on sale for $69.97 (reg. $109), but there aren't many left.
This two-sided flash drive is a pretty straightforward piece of hardware. One side has a USB-C connector, and the other is USB-A. It has 1TB of storage space, read and write speeds of 20-30MB/S, and you can plug it into phones, laptops, and tablets, among other smart devices.
You only have until February 2 at 11:59 p.m. PT to get a Dual USB-C and USB-A 1TB Flash Drive for $69.97.
We've also included some helpful answers to common questions about buying a computer at the bottom of this article. If you're considering a laptop instead, be sure to check out our best laptop deals, updated daily.
Note: Tech deals come and go quickly, so it's possible some of these computer discounts will have expired before this article's next update.
Best gaming desktop computer deals
iBuyPower TraceMesh Gaming PC, Ryzen 7 7700/RX 7800XT/32GB RAM/2TB SSD, $1,399.00 (13% off on Walmart)
For many, AI tools kind of came out of nowhere. It can be overwhelming, especially if your industry is rapidly changing, but you don't have to get swept away in the AI sprint. Instead, check out the ChatGPT and Automation E-Degree for beginner-friendly guidance to help you use AI tools to streamline your workload. It's only $29.99 (reg. $790) to enroll.
This course has 12 lectures and about 25 hours of content that you can access anywhere at any time. Each lecture walks you through real-world uses of AI, from automating repetitive tasks to generating visually striking presentations. One course focuses on turning raw data into engaging visualizations, and another covers the basics of using AI for writing. There are so many applications for these tools, and this course makes it easy to learn.
AI can save so much time, and now it's time to learn how.
Rumor has it that ChatGPT-5 will be released this year and be more powerful than ever before, but why wait? An even better tool combines all of the top AI models into one dashboard, so you get a taste of everything—GPT, Claude, Gemini, Llama, and more—without any recurring fees. Plus, it's available right now.
Instead of hopping between multiple platforms, 1minAI has templates for whatever you need in one place. Need to generate an AI image? Browse the image tools, select an AI model, enter your prompt, and hit generate.
While you don't pay fees, each prompt takes some of your subscription credits. This subscription tier includes 4,000,000 replenished monthly, and you can earn additional free credits by visiting the 1minAI web app daily. With this many credits, you can generate hundreds of images and millions of words.
A little ambience goes a long way. These LED Monitor Lamps are a quick and dramatic way to turn a regular desk into your favorite place to be. Whether you're adding a vibrant backsplash for a gaming rig or need light to read by, these adjustable LED lamps deliver, and they're only $34.99 (reg. $59).
These USB lamps click right onto flat monitors (as long as they're at least 0.55? thick) and give your space a clean, modern vibe while adding super customizable lighting.
So when word came down that Sony will exit the recordable Blu-ray market next month, it naturally triggered a firestorm in the physical media community, not to mention dozens of scary headlines about—once again—the imminent death of Blu-ray discs.
The last time funeral bells tolled this loudly for Blu-ray, it was because Best Buy had announced it was pulling the discs from its stores, leaving physical media fans to scrounge the shelves at Barnes & Noble…or, you know, simply order our discs online at Amazon or plenty of other outlets.
Well, Blu-ray (both standard and the UHD variety) survived the Best Buy debacle-albeit in a niche capacity, somewhat akin to vinyl-and from what some industry experts are saying, it will live through this latest Sony brouhaha, too.
The editors at Highdefdiscnews.com reached out to David Mackenzie, CEO of Fidelity in Motion, a Blu-ray authoring facility that does work for such boutique Blu-ray labels as Arrow Video, Carlotta Films, Flicker Alley, Warner Archive, Second Si
It's an extremely welcome addition, which had been left up to laptop makers to step in and provide (or not) in recent years. Unfortunately, for now it's part of Windows 11 Insider Preview Build 26120.3000 (KB5050103), via the Dev Channel — which means that Microsoft may rescind it, and it probably won't arrive on "stable" mainstream PCs for several months.
The new iconography is pretty self-explanatory: Green signals a laptop with plenty of battery life left. A red icon means that you better plug in soon. Yellow means that you're running low on power, and that (in this build) your laptop is running in its low-power, battery-saver mode.
(Microsoft seems to have been a bit confused in its example, however, since the "yellow" icon here is associated with a laptop battery at 80 percent. Microsoft said that the yellow icon will generally trigger only at 20 percent or below.)
That's according to Andreas Schilling of German tech site HardwareLuxx, who shared an image of a damaged graphics card on BlueSky this morning. Schilling says the ROG Strix X870E-E, which uses the Q-Release Slim attachment system, damaged an RTX 5090 card after multiple insertions and a few instances of sticking while testing. The photo shows a visible chip taken out of the card's connector.
Microsoft is making available "classic" versions of its Microsoft 365 Personal and Microsoft 365 Family plans, that remove the Copilot surcharge. But, as Microsoft said when it announced the changes, these new Classic plans are available for a limited time. This article will show you how to switch back.
Right now, here's what you'll see when you sign up for Microsoft 365, with the option to pay $12.99/mo and $9.99/mo, too. Those reflect the higher rates with the Copilot surcharge included.
Okay, "guidelines" might be a strong term for these concepts, which Intel laid out in its latest community blog post. But these ideas for modular designs are undeniably appealing.
Intel proposes a setup that breaks a laptop motherboard into three pieces (instead of the usual all-in-one approach), with sub-boards on the left and right (where your USB and HDMI ports go) that can be customized by the manufacturer to support their particular I/O needs. That means that the central motherboard (including the processor and cooling setup) could be upgraded separately from the left and right components.
Right now, you can grab the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite for $63 on Amazon, normally available for $90 but currently on sale for 30 percent off. (This price is for the 11.8-feet option for 55-to-65-inch TVs. The 7.8-feet for 40-to-50-inch TV and 16.4-feet for 75-to-85-inch TV options are also on sale at significantly cut-down prices.)
These RGB backlights sync to your display and change color to match whatever's on your screen. You'll feel more immersed in whatever you're seeing, whether it's the Super Bowl, a movie, or a video game.
All you have to do is mount the camera on top of your TV, then run the LED strip around the rear edges of the TV, making sure to connect the strip to the camera. When you watch, the camera picks up the screen and informs how the lights should change colors. And when your TV turns off, it detects the blank screen and also turns off accordingly.
This is an affordable way to wow everyone who's coming over to watch the Super Bowl with you, and a great way to level up your home media viewing experience. Get the Govee TV Backlight 3 Lite on Amazon at a discount while this deal is still available!
Just note that laptop prices can fluctuate, so our picks below may occasionally go over $1,000. For more recommendations on gaming laptops, see our roundup of the best gaming laptops across all prices, or take a look at our roundup of the best laptop deals.
Why you should trust us: Hey, it's in our name! PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We've been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who've applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We're also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
Right now, you can get the Anker Zolo for just $27 on Amazon, slashed down 32 percent off its normal $40 price. The only catch is that this deal is for Prime members — but even if you don't have Prime, you can snag this special price by signing up for a free 30-day Prime trial.
You don't want to be away from home when your phone dies, right? This portable power bank with 10,000mAh capacity packs enough juice to recharge an iPhone 15 twice over. It's the kind of thing you'll always want to keep in your bag. You know, just in case.
This thing is great because it can charge wirelessly, snapping to your iPhone or any other MagSafe-compatible phone and delivering up to 7.5 watts of charging. Need to charge faster? It can go wired, too. Connect it to your device with a USB-C cable to hit 30 watts of charging.
Don't be caught without a power bank these days. Grab the Anker Zolo for $27 on Amazon with a Prime membership — and if you aren't a member, sign up for a free trial to snag this deal anyway.
Save 32% on this portable, magnetic, wireless power bank
You can check out the "new Plex experience" now on Apple TV and, unlike another home entertainment brand that rushed out a new app without letting users kick the tires first, Plex is putting its new look through a public preview process, meaning you can use the old and new apps side-by-side.
I've been test-driving Plex's redesigned Apple TV app for a few days now, and there are some changes I love as well as a few I'm not happy about. There are also a few rough edges, which I'm assuming will be ironed out during the public preview.
Before diving in, I should note that I'm looking at the new Plex app from the perspective of a Plex Media Server user—that is, someone who's using Plex to stream my local collection of movies, TV shows, music, and other media to my devices. I also use Plex as a DVR for my over-the-air antenna.
In recent years, Plex has been venturing in new directions that have made longtime Plex Media Server users nervous. For starters, Pl
Ventiva, Intel, and Dell have collaborated on a proof-of-concept laptop that the company is showing off here at the CES show in Las Vegas. Inside is Ventiva's ICE, which uses electrohydrodynamic airflow to strip about 25 watts' worth of heat from a Core Ultra 200 (Lunar Lake) laptop — and essentially silently, to boot.
To be fair, Dell hasn't formally committed to shipping the unnamed laptop, though it casually placed Ventiva's name on its concept laptop, something that you don't often see. Intel even endorsed the technology in its CES materials.
Carl Schlachte, Ventiva's chief executive, describes the Ventiva technology this way:
In a typical laptop, a heat pipe passively moves heat via conduction from the PC's core logic out to near the external vents, where it radiates into the air. A fan or blower kicks in under load, sucking cool air from vents underneath the laptop. The fans then blow the warmed air outside the laptop. It's an effective solution, but one that can be noisy and somewhat distracting if not w
For example, right now you can get the Beelink SER5 Pro mini PC for just $329, which is 25 percent off its original $439 MSRP and way more affordable than any comparable laptop you could get.
The Beelink SER5 Pro will easily support you through the day, whether you're multitasking between apps, browsing hundreds of Chrome tabs, procrastinating with Netflix, or powering through an Excel sheet. With its fast AMD Ryzen 7 5850U CPU and ample 32GB of DDR4 RAM, this mini PC can handle most things you throw at it. It also has a sizable 1TB SSD, plenty large for all your apps, photos, videos, and more.
What about gaming? Well, it's not exactly a gaming machine, but the Beelink SER5 Pro does come with integrated AMD Radeon Graphics. That's enough for casual gaming at modest settings. More importantly, it's enough to power triple 4K60 displays!
You can hook up three external monitors to this thing, thanks to an HDMI 2.0 port, a DisplayPort 1.4 port, and a USB-C video port. You also get three USB-A 3.2 Gen 2 ports and a USB-A 2.0 port, plus Gigabit Ethernet and 3.5mm audio ports. You'll be productive like never before, all while saving a ton of space in your workstation.
Don't miss this deal! Get the Beelink SER5 Pro mini PC for just $329 on Amazon while you can. This price is unbeatable!
Save 25% on this powerful yet budget-friendly mini PC
Bowden cites unnamed sources who say that the smaller Surface Pro is meant to compete with Apple's iPad Pro (which is 11 inches), not just on screen size and portability but also on refresh rate and pen support. Meanwhile, the Surface Laptop will reportedly have a higher resolution touchscreen, a backlit keyboard, and an all-metal body.
Both Surface Pro and Surface Laptop will continue to be powered by Qualcomm's Snapdragon processors, but not the same Snapdragon X Elite chips in the 2024 models. These smaller iterations will run on Snapdragon X Plus chips, which paved the way for affordable laptops with tremendous battery life.
These smaller variants will be sold alongside the current Surface Pro and Surface Laptop models, in the $800 to $900 price range. Meanwhile, Microsoft is also working on Lunar Lake variants of the Surface Pro and Surface Laptop, but those are more business-oriented.
Starting this week, we are expanding this latest Windows version's phased rollout. We are gradually offering this update also to eligible devices running Windows 10, version 22H2."
Clearly, Microsoft wants Windows 10 users to transition to Windows 11, and they're doing everything they can to make the process as easy and enticing as possible. The company also wants users to hop aboard Windows 11 24H2 — so much so that they recently made the update mandatory — so they're killing two birds with one stone here.
How to claim the Windows 11 24H2 update
The rollout of this offer is only going out to Windows 10 PCs that are eligible for Windows 11. That means you'll need to meet some minimum hardware requirements, like a TPM 2.0 chip in your system.
To check whether your device is eligible, go to the Settings app and navigate to Windows Update. Version 24H2 of Windows 11 will be shown there if your PC meets the technical requirements. (Note that the update may not show up for a few days as it's still rolling out.)
A recent example surfaced in the news just last week, with Malwarebytes publishing a blog post about a targeted QR code attack on WhatsApp accounts. Broken QR codes served as bait for victims, who were lured into clicking a link and following instructions that granted access to a new device. That hacker-owned device then gained the ability to read and potentially download full message histories.
While sophisticated, this particular campaign highlights how a QR code will serve as a gateway to a malicious website. More commonly, the attack is direct—as when I wrote about a phishing scheme back in December, which tried to steal login info for Microsoft accounts. Scanning the QR code led to a phishing webpage.
Whether you're looking for a lightweight productivity machine or a powerful gaming laptop, you shouldn't have to settle for bad battery life. That's never been more true than in 2025, as battery life and power consumption have dramatically improved over the last few years — to a degree, anyway. Not all laptops have good battery life.
Older laptop models and low-tier options still suffer from poor battery life, and some budget gaming laptops even skip the integrated graphics, opting for constant use of a Nvidia or AMD GPU, which drains the battery much more quickly. Watch out for that.
Again, I repeat: You don't have to settle for bad laptop battery life anymore. Whether your laptop has an Intel, AMD, or Qualcomm chip, you can get great battery life! Here's what you need to know.
Big power efficiency improvements
The PC industry has been focused on boosting battery life by improving energy efficiency. On a technical level, there's a lot going on.
In other words, the streaming giant has you right where it wants you. It's the world's most popular paid streaming service, with cancellation rates well below industry averages. Its crackdown on password sharing has been a resounding success, and its foray into ad-supported streaming is boosting revenues. As it dumps money into more expensive sports programming—like those Christmas NFL games—it's confident you'll help pay the bill.
Hence the price hikes: The Standard with Ads plan is now $8 per month, up from $7. The Standard no-ads plan is now $17 per month, up from $15.49. And the Premium plan with 4K video is now $25 per month, up from $23. The only plan that isn't increasing is the optional $7 surcharge for adding an authorized password sharer to your account.
What can you do about it? While Netflix believes most everyone will stay put, price hikes are always a fine time to reevaluate the value of a subscription. Here are some pointers:
I recently completed a six-day tour of duty in Las Vegas, where I and many of my colleagues journeyed as part of our annual CES pilgrimage. I used the Surface Laptop 7, powered by a Qualcomm Snapdragon X Elite chip, for the entire time. For me, that's a big deal.
I distinctly remember traveling to an Intel Developer Forum conference, most likely in San Francisco, and witnessing an SSD fail completely on a fellow reporter's laptop. Since then, I've generally taken not one but two laptops to industry events, in case one failed or ran out of juice. I know, it's ridiculous. But I could rest assured that I'd be able to file my story, and that's what mattered to me.
And it was ridiculous, for even as corporate briefings became ever more populated with power outlets, planes did too. That extra laptop became a rather heavy safety blanket that I'd have to wrestle with not only in airport security lines, but also toting it around on the daily. And with power outlets everywhere, did I really need a thin-and-light? Why not something with a little more oomph for a quick game on the go?
PCWorld's Michael Crider officially kickstarted that thread in his article Microsoft should be terrified of SteamOS, and if you haven't had a chance to read it yet, you should! It's a well-researched and interesting yarn.
But as interesting a speculation as it is, I hold a different view. There's a potent reason why Microsoft needn't be worried about losing dominance in handhelds — or in desktops or laptops for that matter — and why Windows will remain the top dog OS. It's got to do with the problem Linux has with kernel-level anti-cheat software and game compatibility.
I've got a lot to unpack here about that, so hear me out!
Why Windows on handhelds is here to stay
If you're unfamiliar with the kernel-level anti-cheat concept, it's basically a way to stop cheaters in games by running anti-cheat software at a level of Windows that has unrestricted access to a PC's system memory and hardware.
The software is highly effective at that task, but since it's designed to work exclusively with Windows, it also has the unfortunate consequence of making a lot of multiplayer games unplayable on Linux-based systems.
If you have Windows 10 and Microsoft 365, then you have an operating system that's about to lose support and a subscription you really don't have to pay for. The alternative is to upgrade to Windows 11 Pro and switch over to a Microsoft Office Lifetime License. It sounds expensive, but it's only $54.97 (reg. $438).
The Microsoft Office license comes with lifetime access to Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook, Teams, OneNote, Publisher, and Access. These are the 2021 versions, so they might look a little different if you're used to Microsoft 365, but you also don't have to pay for them every month. Why rent when you can own, right?
Windows 11 Pro is a pretty big jump up from Windows 11 Home. It has extra security features like support for biometric login and smart app control, and you also get an interface that's much easier to
The vulnerability will require mitigations, however, AMD said. A security bulletin is due soon.
The Register reported that Tavis Ormandy, who works at Google's Project Zero, had noted that Asus released a beta version of a BIOS update for its gaming motherboards with a mention of an AMD vulnerability. Ormandy edited his post to remove the reference, but not before the Register report was published.
AMD has confirmed that the bug exists, but that it needs both local administrative access to the PC in question and specific microcode designed to attack the vulnerability.
"AMD is aware of a newly reported processor vulnerability," a company spokesperson confirmed in an email. "Execution of the attack requires both local administrator level access to the system, and development and execution of malicious microcode. AMD has provided mitigations and is actively working with its partners and customers to deploy those mitigations."
AMD wouldn't say which processors were affected, or the nature of the vulnerability. For now, consumers will have to wait. But not long.
"AMD recommends customers continue to follow industry-standard security practices and only work with trusted suppliers when installing new code on their systems," the AMD representative wrote. "AMD plans to issue a security bulletin soon with additional guidance and mitigation options."
Besides the fact that this modern flash drive is a total steal at this price, this particular flash drive is awesome because, as the name suggests, it has a USB-C connection. That means it's so easy to back up data from smartphones, tablets, laptops, gaming consoles, and more.
The Samsung Type-C Flash Drive is tiny, too, making it easy to throw into a pocket or purse and take with you anywhere. It's also built with protection against most dangers, including water, dust, shocks, magnets, extreme temperatures, and X-rays.
With its 400MB/s read speeds, you can transfer massive files to your thumb drive in no time, including those extra-large 4K videos.
Get your very own compact USB-C flash drive for just $18 on Amazon while this deal lasts. If 128GB is too little for you, the 256GB model is also on sale (for just $27, was $35).
Samsung's USB-C flash drive is the best $18 you'll spend this week
Today, the company has expanded the Logitech Repair Hub with many more products, now totaling 21 products. On top of the previous MX devices, there are now repair guides and spare parts for some G series mice, G series headsets, and the Zone Learn headset.
The idea behind the Logitech Repair Hub is to make it easier for users to repair their own products and make them last longer.
"Our products are designed for exceptional quality and durability. Repairability further extends their lifespan and improves value and customer satisfaction," said Logitech's chief operating officer, Parkash Arunkundrum, in a press release.
"We are very excited to exist in a world where companies like Logitech distinguish themselves through the repairability of their products," said iFixit's Matt Zieminski in the same press release.
Repairability has long been an important point for the improved eco-friendliness of laptops and other devices that are prone to becoming e-waste, but it's just as important for peri
Imagine being able to use head movements to move your mouse cursor around, then using facial expressions to click — or perform other frequent tasks, like toggling dictation so you can speak to write.
The feature, which was originally announced in December as Face Control, is aimed specifically at people with motor impairments who'd otherwise have trouble controlling a mouse cursor on screen. But it's also meant for students and educators, who have so far benefited from the many other Chromebook accessibility features already available.
Face Control is currently rolling out to compatible Chromebooks. Google itself recommends a computer that has at least 8GB of RAM for it.
The update also adds new default search engines — Startpage, Ecosia, DuckDuckGo, and Qwant — as well as the options to adjust the background themes as well as the web widgets.
Many of us at PCWorld like Vivaldi, and switched to it a while back. But Vivaldi's sync services have been an issue — with a cloud outage cutting access to Vivaldi sync services for days last December, and a more substantial problem: that one configuration of Vivaldi on one browser can't easily be reproduced on another.
Vivaldi appears to be avoiding the issue by asking you to do the legwork. On one hand, Vivaldi 7.1 does include a new sync feature: Send Tab to Device allows you to instantly share tabs to other devices that are logged in to Vivaldi. That feature doesn't appear to happen automatically, however, and it's limited to Vivaldi browsers on PCs. Syncing to the mobile version of Vivaldi will arrive on January 30, Vivaldi said.
Otherwise, Vivaldi's method of avoiding true syncing is to ask you to "export" features from Vivaldi's browser. Import Open Tabs is a new feature that allows the Vivaldi browser to slurp up your open tabs that are running on a different browser, like Chrome or Edge. Vivaldi than opens them in its own browser framework, with
This solar-powered security camera is great for outdoor home surveillance, and right now it's on sale for $66.49 on Amazon. That's a whopping 49 percent off its usual $130 price tag.
All you have to do is find a spot for it, install the mount with a couple of screws, and click the camera into the mount. That's it! Then you just have to connect it to your home Wi-Fi network for instant access to live video footage and all the other great features it offers.
The most notable thing here is that the Eufy SoloCam S220 has a built-in solar panel that only needs 3 hours of sunlight for all-day operation. That means no need to hook it up to wiring and no need to take it down every so often to manually recharge it yourself.
The camera captures 2K resolution videos with a wide field of view, and it has night vision capabilities for clear footage even in low-light conditions. The IP67 rating means it'll hold up just fine in the rain, too. Other smart features include two-way audio, Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa, plus AI face recognition with a Eufy HomeBase (sold separately).
Don't leave your home unwatched. Snag this Eufy SoloCam S220 for just $66.49 on Amazon because this is a fantastic discount!
Save 49% on this wire-free solar-powered security camera
But you can leave those woes behind you with this crazy deal. Right now, you can get an easy SSD upgrade for your Steam Deck, bumping it up to 2TB for just $125 on Newegg with a coupon code.
The SSD in question is the Corsair MP600 Core Mini, a teeny-tiny M.2 2230 SSD that's made specifically for the smallest PCs around. We reviewed it in 2023, back when it went for $200 at the 2TB level. Today, Newegg is selling it for $140 plus an extra $15 off when you apply the SAEN2A288 coupon code at checkout.
The MP600 Core Mini isn't the fastest SSD around, or even the fastest to feature Gen 4 speeds, but it's more than fast enough for PC gaming. The standard 2230 size is also compatible with other handheld gaming PCs like the Asus ROG Ally or the upcoming Lenovo Legion Go S, as well as all but the tiniest of laptops. (It'll work fine on a full desktop motherboard with an M.2 slot, sure, but there are more economical full-length 2280 drives for that purpose.)
The process for upgrading your Steam Deck is pretty straightforward — all you need is a screwdriver. Most similar devices are just as easy to work with. Newegg's sale doesn't have an expiration date listed on the product page, but they often
If you're here for just laptop buying recommendations, then you've come to the right spot. Below you'll find a carefully curated list of laptops the team at PCWorld have personally tested.
Why you should trust us: It's in our name: PCWorld. We've been reviewing laptops for over 40 years, with exacting standards applied to all facets of the user experience, from performance benchmarks, to features, to the rigors of daily use. Our experts know their stuff and have curated a comprehensive list of the best laptops for college students, with their particular needs in mind.
After you finish looking over our recommendations, be sure to hit our daily updated roundup of the best laptop deals to try and score a great laptop on sale. Or check out our roundup of the best laptops for even more recommendations.
This portable SSD doesn't just offer a ton of storage space, but it's also super fast. The Crucial X9 Pro hits up to 1,050MB/s read and write speeds, which means you'll be able to transfer large files in a snap. If you hook it up to your iPhone, you can even capture 4K and 8K videos directly to the Crucial X9 Pro. It's that fast.
This Crucial SSD doesn't just work with iPhones but also Android devices, laptops, gaming consoles, and more. It connects via USB-C, which essentially makes it universally compatible.
The drive is also tiny and lightweight, weighing just 2.5 ounces for maximum portability. Plus, your data will be safe on this drive no matter what happens to it, thanks to its IP55 water and dust resistance and it being rated against drops from up to 7.5 feet.
We reviewed the Crucial X9 Pro and gave it a 4.5-star rating and our Editors' Choice award, happy with its super small form factor and great performance. Don't miss out on this chance to get the Crucial X9 Pro for $210 on Amazon with a whopping 4TB of space!
This 4TB portable SSD that'll fit everything you need is 28% off
This configuration comes with a 10-core Intel Core i7-13620H CPU and 16GB of DDR5 RAM, a solid combination that'll get you through pretty much any app or game you want to run. The laptop also makes it easy to upgrade the RAM, up to 32GB if you swap the 8GB sticks for 16GB each.
But the highlight here is the Nvidia GeForce RTX 4060 GPU. It may not be the newest or greatest of the RTX 40-series, but it's an incredible pickup at this price. Seriously, you'd have to spend more than $1k for something like this otherwise, and it's powerful enough to raise those graphics settings (although probably not to the very max).
The Acer Nitro V 15 features a 15.6-inch display with 1080p resolution and 144Hz refresh rate, so your games will look great and your frame rates will be super smooth. It's all rounded off with a 512GB SSD that's fast and offers enough space for your apps, games, and files.
Don't miss out on this amazing deal. It's not every day you can grab an Acer Nitro V for $750 at Best Buy!
Nvidia and developer Larian Studios have been working on it, though, and at least some Baldur's Gate III mods now work on the service. That's according to a post on Nvidia's official blog, which announced that "a range of curated mods" are available for the smash-hit role playing game, implemented through the official in-game system. I would expect "curated" to mean "heavily edited" in this context. Some popular D&D subclass and species additions might make the list, but your Daisy Duke cutoff jeans for Shadowheart probably won't.
Sadly, the upgraded BGIII experience is reserved for those subscribed to GeForce Now's Performance and Ultimate tiers — and those are getting harder to find at the moment.
As usual, GeForce Now continues to add new games to its ever-expanding lineup, including the popular new Jotunnslayer: Hordes of Hel and the Xbox Game Pass version of Among Us.
According to a recent professional survey, a shocking 80 percent of game developers are actively working on games for PC, more than double the percentage for the next platform. That's according to the 2025 State of the Game Industry report at the Game Developers Conference (GDC).
When asked, "Which platforms are being used for your current project?" About 80 percent responded with PC, followed by 38 percent for PlayStation 5, 34 percent for Xbox Series X/S, 29 percent for Android, and 28 percent for iOS. Just 23 percent were working on Mac (though it's worth pointing out that Mac computers have access to the iPhone/iPad App Store) and 20 percent were working on the Switch.
But there are a few qualifiers to put this data in perspective. Due to the Game Developers Conference being located in San Francisco, it skews attendance towards American developers and those interested in the latest PC hardware tech. (Nvidia and AMD are both just down the road in Santa Clara.) A small indie developer based in Japan and focusing on Switch games is unlikely to spend all that money to attend, especially when most of the information is made available online later.
But even within that context, a definite trend is emerging. The percentage of developers answering "PC" to this same survey question has jumped up rapidly — from 56 percent in 2020 to 58, 63, 65, and 66 percent in the following years,
According to the advisory, the vulnerability — identified as CVE-2025-0411 — makes it possible for hackers to bypass the Mark of the Web (MotW) security feature in Windows and remotely execute code on your PC when extracting from a malware-loaded archive file.
Igor Pavlov, developer of 7-Zip, actually patched the flaw back in November 2024 with version 24.09. However, 7-Zip doesn't have an automatic update feature, so many users are still using outdated versions of the app that are still vulnerable to this MotW exploit.
If you haven't updated 7-Zip in a long time, do it now. Head over to the 7-Zip download page and get the latest version, which is 24.09 as of this writing. As long as you're on that version or later, you'll be okay.
The fully configured GPU allegedly utilizes the maximum possible number of computing units for which the chip was designed. We're talking about an RTX 50-series chip that supports 192 streaming processors and an incredible 24,576 shader units. The current top model RTX 5090 has "only" 21,760 shader units. Mathematically, the GB202-200-A1 has almost 13 percent more raw computing power.
The second striking feature are the two 12V 2×6 power connections. These also appear to be necessary, as the Thermal Design Power (TDP) is said to be an extremely high 800 watts. By comparison, the RTX 5090 has a TDP of 575 watts. The power consumption of the GB202-200-A1 is therefore greater by 39 percent.
That's because DLSS 4 now supports Multi Frame Generation (MFG), an AI-based multiple intermediate frame calculation that can artificially generate up to three images and insert them between two "real" frames, thus quadrupling the frame rate. Of course, this feature only works on new Blackwell-based RTX 50-series GPUs.
But are the AI frames generated in this way a step forward or is it all hogwash? Let's take a close look at DLSS 4 and its multi-frame generation works along with some early impressions.
Whether you're looking for a lightweight productivity machine or a powerful gaming laptop, you shouldn't have to settle for bad battery life. That's never been more true than in 2025, as battery life and power consumption have dramatically improved over the last few years — to a degree, anyway. Not all laptops have good battery life.
Older laptop models and low-tier options still suffer from poor battery life, and some budget gaming laptops even skip the integrated graphics, opting for constant use of a Nvidia or AMD GPU, which drains the battery much more quickly. Watch out for that.
Again, I repeat: You don't have to settle for bad laptop battery life anymore. Whether your laptop has an Intel, AMD, or Qualcomm chip, you can get great battery life! Here's what you need to know.
Big power efficiency improvements
The PC industry has been focused on boosting battery life by improving energy efficiency. On a technical level, there's a lot going on.
With cybersecurity being an ever-growing field, anyone looking to get into it can easily do so from home. Whether you're an aspiring developer or an IT pro looking to upgrade your skills, the Complete 2025 Cybersecurity Developer & IT Super Skills Bundle is a convenient and comprehensive way to jumpstart your career in cybersecurity.
For just $59.99 (reg. $936), this lifetime-access bundle features 24 courses with over 320 hours of expert-led training. You'll learn everything from ethical hacking and penetration testing to network security, vulnerability assessments, and incident response techniques.
A slow PC can be a major headache, but CCleaner Professional 2024 is here to help you reclaim speed and storage while protecting your privacy. This essential tool is designed to clean up unnecessary files, manage apps, and improve your computer's performance — all with minimal effort.
With CCleaner Professional, you can free up disk space by removing temporary files, invalid shortcuts, and other system clutter. Its browser cleaning feature helps safeguard your privacy by erasing cookies and history. Plus, tools like registry repair and startup program management ensure your computer runs smoothly and starts up faster.
Compatible with Windows 7, 8.1, 10, and 11, this software is ideal for both older and modern PCs. Whether you're upgrading your system or keeping an older
After Nvidia's big reveal of the RTX 5090 and other cards, PCWorld's Adam Patrick Murray pulled his old buddy Paul of Paul's Hardware aside to chat and get his expert impressions.
There are two shocking things about the RTX 5090. First, it's a true two-slot card — no 2.5-slot fuzziness — thanks to some remarkable new engineering that shrinks the primary circuit board. That means it'll fit far more easily into every PC build, though its pass-through cooling fan setup might create some problems with the smallest SFF designs.
Second, the RTX 5090 costs $2,000. A lot of money for a graphics card (and $400 more than the RTX 4090 from two years ag
Right now, you can score this GMKtec M2 Pro mini PC for $410 on Amazon. Normally priced at $640, it's currently available on sale with a significant $230 discount (36 percent off).
So what makes it worth getting? It comes with an Intel Core i7-1195G7 CPU, a solid 32GB of DDR4 RAM, and a sizable 1TB SSD — a combination that's powerful enough to breeze through almost any task you have to handle. Plus, later you can upgrade up to 64GB of RAM and 2TB SSD, making it even more powerful when you need it to be.
And that power equips it to be a multitasking beast, able to support three 4K60 displays through two HDMI 2.0 ports and a USB-C video port. With the Intel Iris Xe Graphics G7 96EU integrated GPU, it can handle those three displays without a problem. Just don't expect to play many games beyond 2D and older titles — this mini-pc is more focused on productivity.
If you need a compact PC for your home office, you can't go wrong with this GMKtec M2 Pro mini PC for $410! Get it on sale while you can.
Save 36% on this powerhouse triple-4K mini PC for productivityBuy now at Amazon
Having a microSD on hand is always great because there are so many devices that can use one. With up to 150MB/s transfer speeds, this particular card can move large files in a blink, and it's fast enough to record HD videos without dropping frames.
The SanDisk Ultra microSDXC card also has a great build with multiple protections in place for your data. It's waterproof and shockproof, as well as protected against extreme temperatures, magnets, and X-rays.
Don't miss out on this chance to get a fast 1TB microSD card for just $70 on Amazon since this deal could vanish soon.
Save 49% on this fast microSD card with 1TB capacityBuy now at Amazon
That's why it's imperative that you use a VPN while doing any torrenting or P2P file sharing. A VPN can keep your connection private and encrypt your data so that unwanted prying eyes — cybercriminals, overbearing ISPs, or nosy government watchdogs — can't monitor your online activity. (See "Can a VPN really hide all of your torrent activity?" to learn more.)
Why you should trust me: Here at PCWorld we've been testing computer hardware, software, and services since the 1980s. As PCWorld's primary VPN reviewer, I'm continually testing all of the major VPNs on the market and many lesser-known services in order to curate a list of the very best VPNs across a variety of categories. Below you'll find my favorite VPNs and additional information about what to look for when choosing a VPN on your own.
If you're interested in using a VPN for something other than just torrenting you can check out my list of best VPN services for even more great options.
Company representatives said as much to an audience at the RTX AI PC Day (woof, alphabet soup) conference in South Korea. According to QuasarZone.com (machine translated, spotted by VideoCardz.com), representatives say the switch to a slightly newer, tweaked power connector for ATX version 3.01 solved the issue.
So there you have it, the slight adjustments in the 12V-2×6 power connector setup have the problem licked. Of course, there's no guarantee that entirely new and equally disastrous issues won't befall these new Nvidia cards. But you could say the same about any new design. It's good to see that Nvidia has made note of the 40-series issues and tested things, though, at least according to them.
So, for example, if you have an iPad Pro and you want to watch videos on the big screen, this adapter lets you connect to your TV via HDMI cable. Or if you have a MacBook Air and want to play Jackbox games with your family, you can play on the TV with this adapter.
It's especially useful for ultra-thin laptops, which tend to lack ports, especially the bigger ones like full-sized HDMI. With an adapter like this, you can hook up an external monitor or even a projector for presentations. When you need HDMI, it's there for you.
And because it's so small, it won't even take up a ton of space. You can take it with you on vacation, for instance, or just stash it in your backpack in case you ever need it.
With USB-C so ubiquitous these days, it's always good to have an adapter like this on hand. You never know when you might need an HDMI connection, and it's a steal for just $12 right now.
Turn any USB-C port into HDMI for just $12Buy now at Amazon
Asus and other laptop makers have been leaning on Qualcomm's Arm-based Snapdragon X architecture to get laptops lighter as of late. But Fujitsu is sticking to Intel with a Core Ultra 7 258V in the base model. That stunning sub-two-pound weight class is well below the Zenbook A14, though I have to point out that its battery life estimate is a bit of a cheat.
Starting next month, Microsoft is doing away with that. Going forward, users who sign into a Microsoft account will automatically remain signed in until they manually sign out.
The Verge reports that this change is especially relevant for anyone who uses public computers, such as in a library or a computer lab. Once this change takes effect, you'll need to remember to log out every time you use a shared device. Alternatively, if you're logging into your Microsoft account in a browser, you can use private browsing mode.
In the event that you forget to log out of your Microsoft account, you still have some recourse: log into your Microsoft account elsewhere, visit your security dashboard page, then scroll down and click Sign out everywhere. You'll be signed out of your account on all devices (but it won't sign you out of Xbox).
Why you should trust us: It's in our name. PCWorld prides itself on laptop experience and expertise. We've been covering PCs since 1983, and we now review more than 70 laptops every year. All of the picks below have been personally tested and vetted by our experts, who've applied not only performance benchmarks but rigorous usability standards. We're also committed to reviewing PC laptops at every price point to help you find a machine that matches your budget.
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Unfortunately, scammers and hackers know that people are flocking to VPNs, and they want to exploit that trend as much as possible. For example, it was recently discovered that some VPNs aren't as secure as expected due to certain security vulnerabilities.
And not long ago, Google itself warned in a blog post that fake VPNs are being used to spread a malware called "PLAYFULGHOST." Once this malware lands on your device, it can take control of the system, steal personal data, and cause major damage.
How does PLAYFULGHOST spread?
According to Google's Managed Defense team, attackers have been distributing fake VPN apps infected with malware, hoping to be downloaded by unsuspecting users. Distribution of these fake VPN apps occurs through two ma
We've separated the recommendations below by best laptop deals under $500, best home use laptop deals, best gaming laptop deals, and best premium laptop deals, to make it easier to find a notebook that fits your budget and needs. For more options, check out PCWorld's roundup of the best laptops available right now.
You've probably never thought about it, but there's a reason that both Google Chrome and Microsoft Edge are the world's most popular Windows PC browsers. Chrome owns about 58 percent of the North American browser market, and there's a reason for it.
After you sign up on one PC, reproducing your passwords, favorites, and more on subsequent PCs is as easy as logging in. But on competing browsers? Not so much.
That hit home recently when I was trying to sync an instance of Vivaldi, one of my favorite "alt browsers," with another machine.
One of my laptops, a Microsoft Surface Laptop Studio, suffered some sort of issue with its Thunderbolt controller. I couldn't connect to a Thunderbolt docking station, and the laptop wouldn't really charge reliably, either. This all took place during mid-December, where I was trying to relax for the holidays while packing for CES and wrestling with the loss of a colleague, Gordon Ung. I just didn't really want to deal with troubleshooting, you know?
So, I decided to simply pack another laptop.
I have nothing against Chrome (unlike my colleague, Michael Crider); I've simply stopped using it. But Chrome, like Edge, is just so damn convenient to use. Enter a username and password, double-check it against a two-factor authentication method, and you're up and running in seconds. Vivaldi offers something similar, with a key ex
This can have adverse effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Fortunately, there are some simple, healthy habits you can adopt to stay relatively healthy — and you really should adopt them sooner than later, before you're in agony and trying to rewind time.
Invest in the right setup from the start
The first thing to get right is your setup, otherwise you'll be fighting a losing battle from the start. Your setup includes everything you use while working on a PC: desk, chair, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
If you're working in a corporate office, your options are likely limited as you'll be stuck with the equipment provided by your company. But even then, you can always make some adjustments that improve your setup and make it better-suited to your individual needs.
This can have adverse effects on your physical and mental wellbeing. Fortunately, there are some simple, healthy habits you can adopt to stay relatively healthy — and you really should adopt them sooner than later, before you're in agony and trying to rewind time.
Invest in the right setup from the start
The first thing to get right is your setup, otherwise you'll be fighting a losing battle from the start. Your setup includes everything you use while working on a PC: desk, chair, monitor, keyboard, and mouse.
If you're working in a corporate office, your options are likely limited as you'll be stuck with the equipment provided by your company. But even then, you can always make some adjustments that improve your setup and make it better-suited to your individual needs.
Does your PC feel like it's stuck in slow motion? Meet Ashampoo WinOptimizer 27, the tool that transforms sluggish computers into well-oiled machines. Whether you're battling cluttered hard drives or want to secure your system, this software is built to streamline and enhance your PC experience.
Ashampoo WinOptimizer 27 is designed to speed up boot times and gives you an arsenal of features to tackle performance issues. The Crash Analyzer provides detailed information about system crashes and their root causes, while specialized cleaning tools remove unnecessary files, temporary data, and browser junk that bog down your PC and focus on safeguarding privacy and maintaining your PC's performance.
What's new in version 27? It's packed with updated tools that give you even deeper insights into your system's performance. With an intuitive interface, keeping your computer in shape is now simp
Starting now, Netflix Standard with ads will cost new subscribers $7.99 a month in the U.S., a buck-a-month increase over its previous $6.99/month level, according to Deadline. This is the first time Netflix's Standard with ads plan has gotten a price hike.
That's not all. The ad-free Standard plan is also getting a price hike to $17.99 a month, up from $15.49 a month, while the 4K-enabled Premium plan will now be a whopping $24.99/month, a $2-a-month increase over the tier's former $22.99/month price.
The only Netflix plan that isn't going up is Netflix's "extra member" offering, which lets you share your account with someone outside your household for $6.99 a month, Deadline notes.
The last time Netflix raised U.S. subscription prices was in October 2023, when it hiked Premium prices to $22.99 a month (a $3-a-month increase) but left its Standard and Standard with ads plans alone.
Besides the U.S., Netflix is also raising prices in Canada, Portugal, and Argentina, according to Deadline.
Semantic search was first revealed in October, when Microsoft outlined its AI roadmap that included Generative Fill and image upscaling. Now, it's part of the latest Dev Channel build for Windows Insiders, which was released at the end of last week. Only PCs with a Qualcomm Snapdragon chip inside can run it, however.
Microsoft debuted this new system as a beta during the holidays last year. Now, it's part of Microsoft Edge itself, provided that you have the current version, Edge 132 or higher. (Technically, Game Assist is still a "preview.")
For those of you who want a "pure" gaming experience, don't worry. Edge Game Assist doesn't just launch itself, and it actually seems rather helpful when you invoke it. Edge Game Assist is part of Windows' Game Bar, whose advanced features have been available for, wow, five years already?
Here's the way it works. Game Bar (which my former colleague, Hayden Dingman, correctly called a "game overlay") is triggered when you type in Win G. When you're in a game, Game Bar invokes several little widgets, showing you the current performance of the PC, allowing you to manage game captures and screenshots, and more.
Microsoft Edge Game Assist simply adds a small browser window on top of that, pre-configured for some of the more popular games. That last part is the important bit: Since Edge knows that you're playing Baldur's Gate 3, for example, the default window opens to third-party guides and hints to the game, confined to a narrow little window. You can also browse to other sites, too, of course.
But one recent investigation by Top10VPN has raised questions about whether VPNs are truly as secure as they're touted to be. In collaboration with security researcher Mathy Vanhoef, Top10VPN shared this discovery ahead of its presentation at the USENIX 2025 conference in Seattle.
In short, they discovered serious vulnerabilities that affect over 4 million systems. These systems include VPN servers, home network routers, mobile servers, and CDN nodes, including those belonging to large global companies like Meta and Tencent.
Specifically, it concerns the IP6IP6, GRE6, 4in6, and 6in4 tunneling protocols, which are supposed to secure data transmission. However, this is where attackers can apparently exploit vulnerabilities (relatively easily) to gain access to networks.
