Darren Allan
Tech Reporter
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).
Darren, based in United Kingdom, has contributed 1,403 news posts to TweakTown since February 2023.
Editorial Responsibilities: technology news
Darren's PC features AMD's Ryzen 7 3700X paired with the MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon, TEAM's Vulcan Z T-Force 16GB DDR4 3000MHz, and ZOTAC's GeForce RTX 2060 Super. It runs WD's Black SN750 1TB with Windows 11 Pro, cooled by Alpenfohn's Matterhorn, housed in Phanteks's Eclipse P400 Air, and powered by Super's Flower Leadex III 650W.
- June 2026
- Steam Machine shipments spotted, as Valve is rumored to launch the gaming PC next week
- 'Welcome to the Internot' - Commodore launches anti-doom-scrolling Callback flip phone that ditches social media and browsers
- NVIDIA RTX 5000 Super GPU refreshes could arrive Q4 2026, complete with 5060 Super - but don't expect RTX 6000 until 2028
- You may hate the idea of AI coding, but it could keep your old AMD GPU alive if you run Linux
- Crimson Desert's plot will be improved using 'story-related feedback' from gamers, and a DLC is in the works
- May 2026
- 007 First Light has Denuvo DRM added just before launch - and a pre-order cancelling rebellion is underway
- Has your Chromecast just stopped working? You're not alone as reports flood in of problems with first-gen model
- Not a Steam Machine, but a 'Meme Machine' - this PC build is simultaneously the most brilliant and awful thing I've ever seen
- 'What is the purpose of this brightness race?' TCL X11 Mini LED TV hits a staggering 11000 nits, but not everyone's impressed
- Everyone's now dropping their Steam Controller to hear it scream - just be careful you don't break the thing
- NVIDIA RTX 3070 GPU struck by lightning looks dead and buried - but the graphics card is somehow repaired to game another day
- Bing has a billion active users, yet Microsoft has fired up another $2 million giveaway to boost traffic - why is that?
- April 2026
- YouTuber makes his own RAM in garden shed - which is certainly a novel way to beat the memory crisis
- Mechanical keyboard fans should check out the 'Listening Museum' which offers samples of classic models
- Don't panic if Windows 11's April update reboots loads of times - it should install fine in the end by all accounts
- Rumor: RTX 5070 laptop GPU spotted with 50% more VRAM - has NVIDIA forgotten about the RAM crisis?
- Intel Arc GPUs now work with Crimson Desert, thanks to latest graphics driver - it's 'playable', but some glitches remain
- Want GeForce Now with more privacy and 'power-user features' like 'Anti-AFK'? OpenNow is an open-source alternative client
- Cheap DDR3 RAM rumored to spark demand to bring back old motherboards, as Colorful mulls Intel H81 resurrection
- NVIDIA RTX 4090 GPU reportedly suffers cable meltdown - and a cat saves the day
- March 2026
- Want to change your Gmail address? Thankfully now you can - here's how
- Windows PCs crash 3.1x more often than Macs, report finds - and apps hang 7.5x more on Microsoft's OS
- Samsung 870 Evo SATA SSD arrives out of nowhere in new 8TB capacity - but the price tag is predictably wallet-worrying
- Intel confirms Core Ultra 9 290K Plus flagship CPU refresh isn't happening - and I'm hardly surprised
- Borderlands 4 patch offers 20% frame rate boost on PC and reduces crashes - but PS5 players remain unhappy
- Epic Games axes over 1,000 jobs due to the 'downturn in Fortnite engagement'
- Want Windows 11 installed with a local account - and no fuss? That wish could come true this year
- An autonomous car could use 300GB of RAM, Micron CEO predicts, with 'robust long-term growth in automotive memory demand'
- Exascend's 16TB SSD is now on sale - but it'll set you back a mind-boggling $16,000
- Hate the dedicated Copilot key on your Windows 11 laptop? Tiny new tool can change it back to right Ctrl
- NVIDIA RTX 3060 GPU rumored to return soon - although I wouldn't bank on it
- Apple launches MacBook Neo: $599 with A18 Pro CPU, 8GB RAM, 256GB SSD, on sale March 11
- MacBook Neo name leaked by Apple - is this the rumored cheap MacBook (in red or blue colors?)
- MacBook Air M5 arrives, costs $100 more - is this a bad sign for the rumored budget MacBook?
- February 2026
- Intel CPU job ad mentions 'unified core' team - is Royal Core being resurrected for 2028?
- AMD Zen 6 rumor: 24-core flagship, 20-core and 16-core CPUs - and a 12-core X3D gaming chip?
- NVIDIA GeForce Now has 4,500+ games - and Star Trek: Voyager is one of the latest
- Amazon Fire TV stick gets NVIDIA GeForce Now app - but there's a sizeable catch
- Extra features for Windows 11 Notepad go beyond worries about bloat, as new security flaw shows
- 'MacBook became hot as hell in a couple of minutes': Nasty Edge bug hit macOS, but it's fixed
- New Witcher 3 mod set in Kovir is a prelude to Witcher 4 - and took some 800 hours to make
- It looks like Google plans to nag Windows 11 users to open its Chrome browser at bootup
- How good can Walmart's tech bargains get? Clearance aisle visit scores four SSDs at 85% off
- GeForce Now turns 6: a billion hours streamed and two new F2P shooters - one is a PUBG spin-off
- Take-Two CEO makes it clear that 'generative AI has zero part' in GTA 6
- NVIDIA's investigating FPS drops and visual glitches with its GPUs related to Windows 11 update
- Notepad++ hack detailed - and what to do if you think you might be affected
- January 2026
- Higher-end GPU pain is very real: NVIDIA RTX 5070 Ti is now at RTX 5080's MSRP, or even pricier
- Windows 11 haters get excited as GOG says 'Linux is the next major frontier' for Galaxy client
- Redditor makes a handheld PS4 and it's a thing of beauty - with one notable compromise
- AMD Ryzen 9850X3D leak indicates CPU is just 3% faster than 9800X3D - but what did you expect?
- 'AI should be a choice. Here's where you stand': 90% of DuckDuckGo users vote no to AI in poll
- Intel's XeSS 3 arrives with Multi-Frame Generation - so now AMD lags behind NVIDIA and Arc GPUs
- New 3v3 'raid shooter' Highguard is out - it's free, but very much a love or hate game so far
- 80% price hike for Samsung RAM rumor is debunked - memory situation is bad, but not that dire
- Forza Horizon 6 is out on Xbox and PC on May 19, following on PS5 later in 2026
- Intel BMG-G31 GPU is coming - but not the high-end gaming card we want to attack NVIDIA and AMD
- Watch out for fake GPUs more than ever, as scammers try to take advantage of higher prices
- Samsung Galaxy Book6 Pro gets 25% price hike in Korea - and that's no surprise given RAM crisis
- Tech site teases laptop with 30 hour battery life in punishing test - could it be Panther Lake?
- PSSR2 could turn PS5 Pro into a lean, mean, 120 FPS machine in Q1 2026, another rumor claims
- As RAM crisis intensifies, DDR3 motherboards are making an improbable comeback
- Nintendo president talks of need to 'monitor' RAM costs but Switch 2 price isn't due for a hike
- Call of Duty could be 'imminent' for Nintendo Switch 2 - but questions remain over what version
- Could it be any more difficult to build a PC? PSUs and coolers reportedly next for price hikes
- Baldur's Gate 3 isn't coming to Nintendo Switch 2 - but would've been if it was up to Larian
- Fed up waiting for RTX 5000 Super refreshes? NVIDIA RTX 6000 GPUs could arrive next year
- Ridiculous RAM price hikes scuppered your planned PC build? An AMD exec has some advice
- South Park arrives in Fortnite tomorrow with 5-player mode, Towelie and Cartman's Awesom-O suit
The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time fan remake for PC no longer in development
Epic Games Store is being rebuilt to deliver up to 6.5X faster performance
Anthropic says blocking China from Claude cost it hundreds of millions
Microsoft adds 'Xbox Handheld' as new platform for Xbox, joining consoles and PC
Diablo IV and Lord of Hatred DLC soft confirmed for the Nintendo Switch 2
GTA 6's leaked $80 standard edition price may not be real after all
NVIDIA's AI agents taught robots to install GPUs into motherboards without any human help
Another AMD AM5 CPU has reportedly swelled and died, this time a Ryzen 9 9900X less than a year old
Valve just told Half-Life 3 dataminers it knows exactly what they are doing with new Dota 2 variable name
Destiny 2 situation not result of Sony revenge plot, decisions are entirely financial
PCCooler CPS RZ820 Display Review: a flagship-level CPU air cooler with an LCD screen
UGREEN FineTrack Mini 2 Air Tracker Tag Review - Long battery life, lesser performance
Speed Racer (2008) 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray Review: a stunning remaster of the cult classic
MOAIPLAY ORA PRO G1 850W ATX 3.1 PSU Review: high efficiency and 10-year warranty for $119.99
Navman MiVue Smart True 4K Surround Dashcam Review - Seeing In All Directions At Once
IQUNIX Magi96 Pro Aluminum Low Profile Mechanical Keyboard Review - Premium Build, Satisfying Sound
Asetek Forte S-Series Racing Simulator Bundle Review
Razer Pro Type Ergo Wireless Split Ergonomic Keyboard Review - Built for Comfort and Support
ASUS ROG Strix Morph 96 Wireless Gaming Keyboard Review - Great Performance, More Affordable
SAPPHIRE Radeon RX 9070 GRE PULSE OC Review - A New 1440p Challenger Has Arrived
I stopped Windows 11 notifications from interrupting me with Do Not Disturb, Focus, and a priority list
7 ways to transfer data from Android to Windows PC quickly and easily
I read the Windows Backup app screen carefully, and it does not back up what most people think
Low Sound Volume on Windows 11? How to fix audio issues and restore normal volume
8 Critical Warning Signs You Should Never Ignore in Windows 11
This Windows security feature protects Documents from ransomware, but it is off by default
Windows 11 already has a voice typing tool, and it is the one most people are not using
Quick Assist is the only remote-support tool I open when a relative calls about their PC
The PowerToys utilities I keep enabled on every Windows 11 PC, and the ones I turned off within a week
TweakTown's Best of Computex 2026 Awards - The Best Hardware, Gaming Gear, and AI