Darren Allan
Tech Reporter · United Kingdom
Darren has written for numerous magazines and websites in the technology world for almost 30 years, including TechRadar, PC Gamer, Eurogamer, Computeractive, and many more. He worked on his first magazine (PC Home) long before Google and most of the rest of the web existed. In his spare time, he can be found gaming, going to the gym, and writing books (his debut novel - 'I Know What You Did Last Supper' - was published by Hachette UK in 2013).
- 1,428 news posts
- since February 2023
Editorial responsibilities: technology news
PC specs
- Motherboard
- MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon
- Graphics
- ZOTAC GeForce RTX 2060 Super
- Storage
- WD Black SN750 1TB
- Cooler
- Alpenfohn Matterhorn
- Power supply
- Super Flower Leadex III 650W
- OS
- Windows 11 Pro
September 2026
- NewsForget GTA 6 (ahem) - Grok 4.7 made a 'GTA-style game' from one prompt as Musk boasts of AI developing photo-realistic games
- NewsOwn a GIGABYTE motherboard? Update the Control Center software now as multiple security vulnerabilities have been patched
- NewsDurabook's new rugged Intel Meteor Lake laptop is a 10kg monster with three screens that's built to withstand any punishment
- NewsFinal Fantasy VII Revelation on PS5 Pro will have 4K and 60 FPS mode, game director confirms
- NewsWorld of Warcraft: Forever beta is a 'laggy hell' outside the US, but you can use a VPN to cure it - or an easier workaround
- NewsRPCS3 gets a big performance fix: PlayStation 3 emulator benefits from an up to 25% FPS boost with NVIDIA GPUs
- NewsWindows 11 glitch lets you install the OS with a local account avoiding any arcane workarounds - here's how it works
- NewsWindows 11 leak shows it's getting what will be its most useful widget yet - a fully-fledged battery monitor
August 2026
- NewsCould GTA 6 be pushed back to 2027? Ex-Rockstar animator who worked on GTA 5 'would not be shocked at all' at a further delay
- NewsAMD confirms it'll deliver opening keynote for IFA 2026 on the 'Era of Personal AI'
- NewsSamsung reveals zHBM: future RAM is stacked above AI accelerator, boasts 8x performance of HBM5 and 3x energy efficiency
- NewsIf you launch Call of Duty: Black Ops 2 on PS4 or PS5 to be immediately told you're banned - don't panic, there's an easy fix
- NewsIt's time to dust off GTA 5 - if you want to check out the latest easter egg hint showing what GTA 6's map will look like
- NewsAMD could have a plan to make Zen 6 CPUs run games much more smoothly, taking the pain out of jerky frame rates and 1% lows
July 2026
- NewsNVIDIA GPU rumors swirl claiming major price hikes of 20 to 30% - or more - are coming, as VRAM costs climb
- NewsAMD's RX 9050 GPU comes up short in first review, but there's a good reason why it lags behind NVIDIA's RTX 5050 here
- NewsHuawei teases MateBook Pro S - a laptop that somehow weighs only 798 grams, making the LG Gram 14 look hefty
- News007 First Light ditches Denuvo DRM just as first patch arrives packing a ton of bug fixes and some new content
- NewsMicrosoft's still working on Windows 11 File Explorer improvements, and it's now making deleting large files speedier
- NewsEx-PlayStation boss can't understand why there isn't a Bloodborne remaster for PS5, but he hasn't given up hope yet
- NewsNVIDIA RTX 5000 GPUs get hotspot temperature readings in new version of HWMonitor to help diagnose cooling-related flaws
- NewsWill there ever be a Baldur's Gate 4? Hasbro looks to be finding it tricky to secure a dev up to the task of following BG3
June 2026
- NewsNintendo Switch 2 rumor suggests revised screen is in play - and gamers are desperately hoping it cures ghosting issues
- NewsWhatsApp is rolling out usernames for better privacy: here's what you need to know, and how to claim yours
- NewsGTA 6 leak suggests it'll have 'NPCs with their own routines' and social networks so you can follow in-game influencers
- NewsSteam Machine shipments spotted, as Valve is rumored to launch the gaming PC next week
- News'Welcome to the Internot' - Commodore launches anti-doom-scrolling Callback flip phone that ditches social media and browsers
- NewsNVIDIA RTX 5000 Super GPU refreshes could arrive Q4 2026, complete with 5060 Super - but don't expect RTX 6000 until 2028
- NewsYou may hate the idea of AI coding, but it could keep your old AMD GPU alive if you run Linux
- NewsCrimson Desert's plot will be improved using 'story-related feedback' from gamers, and a DLC is in the works
May 2026
- News007 First Light has Denuvo DRM added just before launch - and a pre-order cancelling rebellion is underway
- NewsHas your Chromecast just stopped working? You're not alone as reports flood in of problems with first-gen model
- NewsNot a Steam Machine, but a 'Meme Machine' - this PC build is simultaneously the most brilliant and awful thing I've ever seen
- News'What is the purpose of this brightness race?' TCL X11 Mini LED TV hits a staggering 11000 nits, but not everyone's impressed
- NewsEveryone's now dropping their Steam Controller to hear it scream - just be careful you don't break the thing
- NewsNVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU struck by lightning looks dead and buried - but the graphics card is somehow repaired to game another day
- NewsBing has a billion active users, yet Microsoft has fired up another $2 million giveaway to boost traffic - why is that?
April 2026
- NewsYouTuber makes his own RAM in garden shed - which is certainly a novel way to beat the memory crisis
- NewsMechanical keyboard fans should check out the 'Listening Museum' which offers samples of classic models
- NewsDon't panic if Windows 11's April update reboots loads of times - it should install fine in the end by all accounts
- NewsRumor: RTX 5070 laptop GPU spotted with 50% more VRAM - has NVIDIA forgotten about the RAM crisis?
- NewsIntel Arc GPUs now work with Crimson Desert, thanks to latest graphics driver - it's 'playable', but some glitches remain
- NewsWant GeForce Now with more privacy and 'power-user features' like 'Anti-AFK'? OpenNow is an open-source alternative client
- NewsCheap DDR3 RAM rumored to spark demand to bring back old motherboards, as Colorful mulls Intel H81 resurrection
- NewsNVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU reportedly suffers cable meltdown - and a cat saves the day
March 2026
- NewsWant to change your Gmail address? Thankfully now you can - here's how
- NewsWindows PCs crash 3.1x more often than Macs, report finds - and apps hang 7.5x more on Microsoft's OS
- NewsSamsung 870 Evo SATA SSD arrives out of nowhere in new 8TB capacity - but the price tag is predictably wallet-worrying
- NewsIntel confirms Core Ultra 9 290K Plus flagship CPU refresh isn't happening - and I'm hardly surprised
- NewsBorderlands 4 patch offers 20% frame rate boost on PC and reduces crashes - but PS5 players remain unhappy
- NewsEpic Games axes over 1,000 jobs due to the 'downturn in Fortnite engagement'
- NewsWant Windows 11 installed with a local account - and no fuss? That wish could come true this year
- NewsAn autonomous car could use 300GB of RAM, Micron CEO predicts, with 'robust long-term growth in automotive memory demand'
- NewsExascend's 16TB SSD is now on sale - but it'll set you back a mind-boggling $16,000
- NewsHate the dedicated Copilot key on your Windows 11 laptop? Tiny new tool can change it back to right Ctrl
- NewsNVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU rumored to return soon - although I wouldn't bank on it
- NewsApple launches MacBook Neo: $599 with A18 Pro CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, on sale March 11
- NewsMacBook Neo name leaked by Apple - is this the rumored cheap MacBook (in red or blue colors?)
- NewsMacBook Air M5 arrives, costs $100 more - is this a bad sign for the rumored budget MacBook?
February 2026
- NewsIntel CPU job ad mentions 'unified core' team - is Royal Core being resurrected for 2028?
- NewsAMD Zen 6 rumor: 24-core flagship, 20-core and 16-core CPUs - and a 12-core X3D gaming chip?
- NewsNVIDIA GeForce Now has 4,500+ games - and Star Trek: Voyager is one of the latest
- NewsAmazon Fire TV stick gets NVIDIA GeForce Now app - but there's a sizeable catch
- NewsExtra features for Windows 11 Notepad go beyond worries about bloat, as new security flaw shows
- News'MacBook became hot as hell in a couple of minutes': Nasty Edge bug hit macOS, but it's fixed
- NewsNew Witcher 3 mod set in Kovir is a prelude to Witcher 4 - and took some 800 hours to make
- NewsIt looks like Google plans to nag Windows 11 users to open its Chrome browser at bootup
- NewsHow good can Walmart's tech bargains get? Clearance aisle visit scores four SSDs at 85% off
- NewsGeForce Now turns 6: a billion hours streamed and two new F2P shooters - one is a PUBG spin-off
- NewsTake-Two CEO makes it clear that 'generative AI has zero part' in GTA 6
- NewsNVIDIA's investigating FPS drops and visual glitches with its GPUs related to Windows 11 update
- NewsNotepad++ hack detailed - and what to do if you think you might be affected
January 2026
- NewsHigher-end GPU pain is very real: NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti is now at RTX 5080's MSRP, or even pricier
- NewsWindows 11 haters get excited as GOG says 'Linux is the next major frontier' for Galaxy client
- NewsRedditor makes a handheld PS4 and it's a thing of beauty - with one notable compromise
- NewsAMD Ryzen 9850X3D leak indicates CPU is just 3% faster than 9800X3D - but what did you expect?
- News'AI should be a choice. Here's where you stand': 90% of DuckDuckGo users vote no to AI in poll
- NewsIntel's XeSS 3 arrives with Multi-Frame Generation - so now AMD lags behind NVIDIA and Arc GPUs
- NewsNew 3v3 'raid shooter' Highguard is out - it's free, but very much a love or hate game so far
- News80% price hike for Samsung RAM rumor is debunked - memory situation is bad, but not that dire
- NewsForza Horizon 6 is out on Xbox and PC on May 19, following on PS5 later in 2026
- NewsIntel BMG-G31 GPU is coming - but not the high-end gaming card we want to attack NVIDIA and AMD
- NewsWatch out for fake GPUs more than ever, as scammers try to take advantage of higher prices
- NewsSamsung Galaxy Book6 Pro gets 25% price hike in Korea - and that's no surprise given RAM crisis
- NewsTech site teases laptop with 30 hour battery life in punishing test - could it be Panther Lake?
- NewsPSSR2 could turn PS5 Pro into a lean, mean, 120 FPS machine in Q1 2026, another rumor claims
- NewsAs RAM crisis intensifies, DDR3 motherboards are making an improbable comeback
- NewsNintendo president talks of need to 'monitor' RAM costs but Switch 2 price isn't due for a hike
- NewsCall of Duty could be 'imminent' for Nintendo Switch 2 - but questions remain over what version
- NewsCould it be any more difficult to build a PC? PSUs and coolers reportedly next for price hikes
- NewsBaldur's Gate 3 isn't coming to Nintendo Switch 2 - but would've been if it was up to Larian
- NewsFed up waiting for RTX 5000 Super refreshes? NVIDIA RTX 6000 GPUs could arrive next year
- NewsRidiculous RAM price hikes scuppered your planned PC build? An AMD exec has some advice
- NewsSouth Park arrives in Fortnite tomorrow with 5-player mode, Towelie and Cartman's Awesom-O suit
