Computer Systems

Raspberry Pi has published a step-by-step guide for building your own cyberdeck, or a computer in a briefcase. Written by maker Brian Corteil, it walks through building a complete portable computer inside a rugged, weatherproof Pelican-style case.

"The case defines the cyberdeck," Corteil explains, noting that previous builds have used everything from old pocket computers and briefcases to mint tins, wooden boxes, and prop replicas.

Raspberry Pi's cyberdeck is built around a Raspberry Pi 5 single-board computer, paired with a 7-inch Raspberry Pi Touch Display 2, a low-profile Rii RK302 Bluetooth keyboard, a 128GB Raspberry Pi flash drive, speakers, a USB audio system, and a battery. An optional Raspberry Pi RTC battery keeps the system clock running even when the device is powered off.

With the iconic PC brand Commodore under new management, the team behind the reimagined, FPGA-powered Commodore 64 Ultimate computer has partnered with CD Projekt RED to create a custom special-edition Commodore 77. Inspired by the retro-futuristic look of Cyberpunk 2077, the design mimics something the game's Seocho Electronics brand would create, with a lived-in look that fits perfectly in Night City.

The Commodore 77 features a custom metal plate packed with details like graffiti tags, and it will also ship with an "original demo" built to "expand the lore of the Cyberpunk universe" on an exclusive Arasaka cartridge. Another nod to the game's world, the demo also includes an original soundtrack recorded on Commodore 64 hardware, with the Commodore 77's lighting synchronized to the music.

In the announcement, Peri Fractic, President, CEO, and Chief Product Officer at Commodore, notes that the collaboration between the two companies came about organically. Basically, the higher-ups at CD Projekt RED are big fans of the Commodore 64, so this collaboration is all about a shared love of both properties and creating something that feels right for both.

Apple has refreshed two of its desktop Macs with new silicon, introducing the M6 chip in the Mac mini and the M5 Ultra in the Mac Studio. Both machines are up for pre-order now; shipping starts September 22.

The Mac mini's base model moves to M6, Apple's first chip built on a 2nm process. It has a 12-core CPU (two more than M5), a 12-core GPU with Neural Accelerators in each core, and a Dual 16-core Neural Engine. Apple claims up to 4x faster AI performance and 2x faster graphics versus the outgoing M4 model. Pricing starts at $899, a $300 jump from the previous M4 base model. An M5 Pro option is also available, with up to an 18-core CPU, 20-core GPU, and 64GB of memory, starting at $1,699.

The bigger story is probably the Mac Studio, now running M5 Max or the new M5 Ultra. M5 Ultra is Apple's first quad-die chip, fusing two M5 Max dies together through a next-gen UltraFusion interconnect rated at 4.4TB/s. It tops out at a 36-core CPU, 80-core GPU, and 512GB of unified memory with 1.2TB/s of bandwidth, which Apple says is 50 percent more than the M3 Ultra.

CPS PCCOOLER, a brand best known for its gaming PC coolers and cases, has announced a new modular PC in the form of its new Fusion Core Series (FC300-CS) all-in-one solution. Like several solutions that integrate a mini PC into a display stand, the key difference here is that it brings a level of customization you normally find only in the desktop DIY space.

The Fusion Core Series (FC300-CS) takes a two-in-one approach to its physical design: a 27-inch display that connects to a PC Host via a standard VESA mount. This means you can swap out the display for something else, while the compact PC Host offers expandable memory and storage thanks to dual SO-DIMM DDR5 memory slots (supporting speeds up to 5600MHz), a single M.2 2280 NVMe SSD, and a single SATA Gen3 port.

It's an impressive design: the compact all-in-one Fusion Core Series (FC300-CS) PC from CPS PCCOOLER ships with a 12-core, 14-thread Intel Core Ultra 5 125U processor (Meteor Lake), 16GB of DDR5-4800 memory, and 512GB of storage. The IPS display offers 2560x1440 (2K) resolution, a 165Hz refresh rate, and 350 nits of peak brightness.

Modders have been going to town creating custom 3D-printed faceplates for the Steam Machine since the console's debut. But this latest faceplate mod, shared by NefariousnessWhole25 on the r/steammachine subreddit, is arguably one of the best mods for the Steam Machine that integrates the Steam Controller's magnetic puck onto the front of the console.

The faceplate for this mod features the back of the Steam Controller's clamshell molded into it, enabling the controller to fit perfectly into the faceplate, aligning it with its magnetic charger. The faceplate features a cutout for the magnetic charging puck to fit inside that the Redditor says is held in by nothing more than friction. Earlier revisions reportedly used a shelf underneath the controller to help prop it up, but the redditor states that the charging puck's magnets proved to be powerful enough to keep the controller elevated inside its shell.

The cord for the charger is routed neatly behind the faceplate using an L-shaped Type-C adapter to hide the cable from the front. If docking the Steam Controller to the front of the Steam Machine is not enough, the faceplate is also designed to work with a stand, turning the faceplate into a DIY prop for the Steam Controller.

The new ROG NUC 16 Edition 20, created in part to celebrate 20 years of ASUS's Republic of Gamers (ROG), represents the company's most powerful and premium gaming-focused NUC to date. It's part of a limited edition Edition 20 lineup of gear, all sporting a custom ROG 20th anniversary design with black, gold, and red accents, which you can see here on the semi-transparent chassis.

It's stylish, bold, and premium, with the ROG 20th anniversary edition gear also representing the company's most premium offerings. The ROG NUC 16 Edition 20 is definitely that, with a compact 3-liter size, a removable stand for both vertical and horizontal orientation, and the flagship Intel Core Ultra 9 Processor 290HX and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB of GDDR7 memory. With a combined 300W of power, it's definitely a high-end enthusiast-class hardware configuration.

It also ships with dual 32GB DDR5-6400 CSO-DIMM memory modules, with the option for 128GB of memory capacity when pairing two 64GB DDR5-6400 CSO-DIMM modules. Storage-wise, it also ships with a 2TB M.2 2280 NVMe PCIe 5.0 SSD, with additional PCIe 5 and PCIe 4 slots for expansion.

Thanks to advances in silicon, namely chips like the powerful AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 300 Series, compact desktops and mini PCs that can support local AI have become something of a mainstay in recent times. And this is exactly where MSI's compact and minimal PRO MAX EDGE AI+ desktops fit in, as they can support and ship with up to 128GB of LPDDR5X-8000 unified memory, with up to 96GB able to be dynamically allocated as VRAM for the GPU.

The MSI PRO MAX EDGE AI+ ships with a compact 4-liter aluminum chassis, and underneath the hood it ships with up to an AMD Ryzen AI Max+ 395 processor. Yes, this makes the PRO MAX EDGE AI+ desktop another 'Strix Halo' device, which pairs a 16-core, 32-thread processor with integrated Radeon 8060S graphics with 40 RDNA 3.5 Compute Units.

This combination makes it an on-device AI system that MSI says can support up to 126 TOPS of total AI performance across the NPU and GPU. In real-world usage, this is enough to run LLMs with up to 120 billion parameters. And for the tokenmaxxing, it can support up to 15 tokens/sec when running 109 billion parameter models.

We've seen our fair share of Steam Machine-inspired hardware since its launch, from the Stim Machine (which later had to change its name, and no, not because someone finally admitted it sounded ridiculous) to several mini PC clones. But none of them commit to the bit quite like this one, whose case may well cost more than the gaming PC sitting underneath it.

Reddit user DaKrazyKid calls the build the RAM Machine, and while the hardware inside is respectable, the real spectacle is the 36 RAM sticks bolted to the outside of the case. The creator didn't reveal how much the case or all those memory modules cost, but says Valve's original Steam Machine and its 16GB memory configuration inspired the project, and SignalRGB is now giving the one-of-a-kind build away.

The concept is exactly as literal as it sounds. The mini-ITX case is wrapped in 36 DIMMs, with four modules stacked per side in illuminated columns. Sixteen are RGB sticks synchronized through SignalRGB, while the remaining 20 are purely decorative. None of the exterior modules are functional. The only working memory is a non-RGB 32GB Patriot DDR5-8200 kit hidden inside the case.

Yet another person has successfully paired an RTX 4060 to an ARM-powered laptop with the help of NVIDIA's RTX Spark development driver. Spotted by VideoCardz, YouTuber "Chaowanke" showcased an RTX 4060 running off a Snapdragon X Elite laptop with fully functioning driver support. The RTX 4060 was running off a Razer Thunderbolt 5 dock hooked up to one of the laptop's USB4 ports.

This officially unsupported configuration was made possible by using NVIDIA's recently released RTX Spark development driver, which includes a graphics driver that supports the ARM version of Windows 11. The driver reportedly won't install the traditional way due to a hardware incompatibility error; however, the YouTuber discovered a workaround by extracting the ARM64 driver manually through Device Manager. This workaround bypasses NVIDIA's installation wizard and prevents the installer from stopping the driver installation.

The YouTuber ran the ARM-powered RTX 4060 setup through Cyberpunk 2077 and Forza Horizon 6's benchmark, proving the setup's functionality with the RTX Spark driver. In Cyberpunk 2077, the setup achieved 44.6 FPS, and in Forza Horizon 6 around 53 FPS.

According to the latest report from Counterpoint Research, the estimated 65 million units of global PC shipments in Q2 2026 represent a 4% decrease year-over-year. And this is the first downward trend since Q1 2025, with the firm stating that one of the key reasons for the decline is rising component costs, specifically for memory.

The dramatic increase in DRAM costs over the past year is something that we've covered extensively, with the quick summary being that supply is struggling to meet demand due to the unprecedented appetite for high-speed or HBM memory from the AI and data center market. And with memory makers focusing on this lucrative boom, the consumer tech market is now being forced to pay significantly more for memory for anything PC-related.

The report notes that the three biggest companies in the PC space, Lenovo, Dell, and HP, have seen their overall shipments for the quarter decline by a single-digit percentage compared to the same period last year. Interestingly, two companies have actually seen growth: Apple and ASUS.

It's tough out there. Getting components for a first gaming build feels like a war right now. The memory crisis and AI-driven hardware rush have pushed prices to the point where even talking about a good deal feels like rubbing salt in the wound. So here is one more story about someone who walked into Costco for groceries and walked out with a gaming rig that should cost over $2,000.

The story comes from Reddit user u/klcp20, who was doing their weekly Costco grocery run when they spotted the last remaining iBUYPOWER gaming PC on display. The system originally retailed for $1,899, but Costco had marked it down to $1,140. After tax, the total came to just $1,220. The receipt also included a $4.99 rotisserie chicken, which might just be the only item that offered better value than the PC itself.

The specs are what make this genuinely jaw-dropping. Inside the box is an AMD Ryzen 7 9800X3D, an NVIDIA GeForce RTX 5070, 32GB of DDR5 RAM, and a 2TB SSD. The Ryzen 7 9800X3D alone still carries a hefty premium, and the RTX 5070 isn't exactly a budget GPU either.

Microsoft has fixed a major issue surrounding select Dell PCs where a buggy Windows Update was causing unintentional shutdowns to occur. BleepingComputer reports that Microsoft has released out-of-band emergency updates KB5121767 and KB5121768 fixing the shutdown problem for affected systems that installed the KB5101650 update. KB5121767 is aimed at Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, and KB5121768 is geared towards Windows 11 Enterprise LTSC 2024.

For the uninitiated, Microsoft's latest Patch Tuesday cumulative Windows Update caused a driver conflict with Windows 11's USB-C Connection Manager Interface and Intel's Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant Driver. The conflict not only could cause shutdowns, but Microsoft also reported additional issues such as poor performance, increased heat, and increased battery drain. The Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant Driver is responsible for connecting Intel's DTT and CST drivers to Windows. DTT, or Dynamic Tuning Technology, is responsible for optimizing performance, power, acoustics, and thermals on a supported Intel machine. CST, or Context Sensing Technology, detects user presence in front of a system to run features such as Wake on Approach or Walk away Lock.

The issues were great enough for Microsoft to withhold the driver from affected systems until a fix could be made. If you want to know if your system is affected, a yellow exclamation point will appear next to the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver in Device Manager. Microsoft says if your device is unaffected, you don't need either of the aforementioned Windows Updates, as they only fix this specific issue and are out of Microsoft's normal update cycle.

Apple discontinued the Mac Pro in March, ending a 20-year run for the machine that once defined the company's professional desktop lineup. Yet a new Bloomberg report from Mark Gurman reveals that the Mac Pro's fate could have looked very different.

According to the report, Apple developed multiple unreleased M2 Extreme and M3 Extreme chips, along with Mac Pro hardware built around them, before ultimately cancelling both projects. These processors were designed to sit above the Ultra tier, offering roughly twice the CPU and GPU core counts of their Ultra counterparts.

An M3 Extreme, for instance, would have doubled the M3 Ultra's 32-core CPU and 80-core GPU. The chips were ultimately abandoned due to high production costs and concerns that demand for a machine likely to cost well over $10,000 before upgrades would be too limited.

Microsoft has reportedly paused the rollout of its latest Windows Update on certain Dell PCs as a result of a driver conflict causing the affected Dell PCs to shut down unexpectedly. BleepingComputer reports that KB5101650, released this Tuesday for Windows 11 25H2 and 24H2, is causing a driver conflict that is responsible for the shutdown issue.

Microsoft states that affected Dell PCs will show a yellow exclamation point in Device Manager next to the Intel Innovation Platform Framework Processor Participant driver, making it easy for users to identify if their system is affected (and has the latest Windows Update installed). The issue is specifically caused by an alleged incompatibility between the aforementioned Intel driver and Windows 11's new Windows USB-C connection Manager interface that was introduced with KB5095093 last month. The new Type-C connection manager is part of Microsoft's Type-C connector system software interface (UCSI) driver that is responsible for handling Type-C and Thunderbolt ports on a machine.

Microsoft is planning to release a resolution that will reportedly arrive in the next several days. Again, affected users need not worry about the update as Microsoft has already halted KB5101650's rollout to affected users.

We have another Steam Machine rival in our midst, and this one is interesting. AOOSTAR quietly expanded global sales of the GODY mini PC this week, and based on the spec sheet alone, it makes Valve's console look a little slow.

The GODY Mini-PC packs a Ryzen 9 7940HX, a 16-core, 32-thread Zen 4 chip, alongside a dedicated Radeon RX 7600 XT with 16GB of GDDR6 memory. That's double the amount of VRAM found in Valve's box, plus Wi-Fi 7 and dual 2.5 GbE LAN ports for good measure. All of that lands at $849, a full $200 under the Steam Machine's $1,049 starting price. Looking at the listing, it looks too good to be true, and then you scroll down a bit.

Here's the catch. The $849 price is for a barebone unit only. AOOSTAR hands you the CPU, GPU, chassis, and cooling, then leaves you to buy and install your own DDR5 memory and M.2 SSD. Normally, that would just be a minor inconvenience for anyone who has spare parts lying around. However, right now it is a much bigger problem, because DRAM prices have gone completely sideways.

Shuttle has announced its new XPC Barebone SB860R8, which is a 14-liter aluminum cube built for Intel Core Ultra 200 desktop processors ("Arrow Lake-S"), modern graphics cards, up to 192 GB of DDR5 memory, three M.2 SSD slots with one supporting PCIe 5.0 storage, and an integrated 80 PLUS Gold-rated 500W power supply. And yes, the aluminum cube shape and all-black finish are reminiscent of Valve's Steam Machine.

That said, the Shuttle XPC Barebone SB860R8 is much larger than the compact Steam Machine, with dimensions of 33.2 x 21.5 x 19.0cm. That's basically double the length of the 15.6 x 15.2 x 16.2cm dimensions of Valve's gaming box. Although the product page appears to focus on its capabilities as a compact PC for productivity and AI, with support for dual-slot GPUs and a 500W PSU power budget, there won't be any issue installing a card like MSI's GeForce RTX 5060 Ti 16G VENTUS 2X, which would deliver much higher gaming performance than the Steam Machine's entry-level RDNA 3 GPU.

As a productivity machine with ample storage, the Shuttle XPC Barebone SB860R8 supports up to four internal 3.5-inch SATA hard drives with RAID, so it can also double as a NAS or local server. As a bare-bones PC, you'll need to source an Intel Core Ultra 200 Series CPU, DDR5 memory, a GPU, and storage. And when you add all of that up, setting this up as a larger, more powerful Steam Machine will result in the overall cost exceeding Valve's controversial pricing.

Thanks to the AI boom, Valve has opted to ship the Steam Machine with a single 16GB DDR5 SO-DIMM to offset supply issues in the current memory market. Sadly, this configuration also causes performance regressions due to the Steam Machine's memory sub-system not running in a dual-channel configuration. Gamers Nexus on YouTube benchmarked the performance difference between the Steam Machine's out-of-the-box single-channel setup and its dual-channel configuration by filling both slots. They found performance improvements of up to 20% from the extra bandwidth afforded by the extra RAM stick.

Gamers Nexus tested the Steam Machine with the two aforementioned memory configurations in a variety of benchmarks, including some non-gaming-related tests. 7-Zip file compression showed the strengths of the dual-channel DDR5 configuration the most, with a 19% performance improvement with two sticks compared to a single stick. This behavior was reversed, however, with file decompression, where the two configurations were essentially tied.

In Baldur's Gate 3, the dual-stick configuration was 15% faster, achieving 69.4 FPS vs 60.2 FPS. In Resident Evil 4, the dual-stick configuration was 10% faster, achieving 129.9 FPS vs 118.1 FPS. In Black Myth: Wukong, Stellaris, and Final Fantasy XIV, performance was essentially tied between the two memory configurations. In The Outer Worlds 2, the dual-stick configuration was 14% faster, and in Starfield, the two-stick configuration was 3% faster.

MetaPCs is launching a new prebuilt gaming PC with SteamOS installed, making it one of, if not the first, pre-built manufacturers to ship a product with the same operating system powering the Steam Deck and Steam Machine. Dubbed the "Steamroller", the SteamOS-powered pre-built starts at $1,299 and comes in a Micro-ATX form factor.

The Steamroller is geared towards Steam Machine buyers as an alternative solution featuring fully upgradable parts. The system features standard PC components including a Ryzen 5 9600X, RX 7600, 16GB of DDR5-5600 memory, B650M/B850M motherboard with onboard WiFi, 240mm AIO liquid cooler, 1TB NVMe SSD and 650W PSU. MetaPCs is also providing the system with an optional warranty costing $180 for two years or $240 for three years.

Pricing of MetaPC's Steam Machine competitor is in the same price range as the Steam Machine (the 2TB variant costs $1,349 at the time of writing), but comes with noticeably faster hardware. The Ryzen 9600X in the Steamroller features six standard Zen 4 cores with a clock speed of up to 5.4 GHz and a 65W TDP. By contrast, the Steam Machine's Zen 4 CPU comes with a mixture of Zen 4 and Zen 4C cores, a turbo boost frequency of up to 4.8GHz and a 30W TDP. GPU performance is more similar between the two systems; regardless, the RX 7600 in the Steamroller is beefier than the Steam Deck's GPU with more compute units, higher clock speed, and much higher TDP. The RX 7600 features 32 CUs, a 2.65 GHz boost clock, and a 165W TDP. The custom GPU in the Steam Machine features 28 CUs, 2.45GHz sustained clock speed, and 110W TDP.

GEEKOM Mini PCs pair high-performance hardware with compact, robust, and versatile builds for everyday productivity, creativity, and more. With Prime Day Sales kicking off, if you've been eyeing a Mini PC, now's the perfect time because you can save up to 30% off the entire GEEKOM lineup, from everyday solutions through to high-performance rigs that can handle complex AI and gaming workloads. And all of these deals are available via Amazon US, Amazon UK, and Best Buy.

For those looking for an everyday workhorse, there's the GEEKOM A5 Mini PC, powered by the AMD Ryzen 5 7430U processor with 16GB of expandable memory and 512GB of fast M.2 NVMe SSD storage. With multiple USB Type-C and Type-A ports, support for up to four displays, and wired and wireless networking, the GEEKOM A5 Mini PC is on sale for $371 USD after 15% off. And for those wanting a bit more power, the GEEKOM A5 Pro is also discounted and down to $584, featuring a more capable AMD Ryzen 5 7530U processor, 16GB of expandable memory, and 1TB of fast SSD storage.

Despite their compact size, GEEKOM Mini PCs are built to last and ship with robust cooling, including large fans, all-copper heat sinks, and copper tubes. They're also built for expansion, with memory and storage that can evolve alongside your needs. And with that, there's the added peace of mind that comes with each device's 3-year limited warranty. As these Prime Day deals cover the entire GEEKOM Mini PC lineup, you can also save big on high-performance, compact, and powerful devices like the GEEKOM A8 and GEEKOM A9 MAX Mini PCs.

The Arc B390 is Intel's latest and fastest iGPU to date; however, one quirk of the GPU is that it requires high-speed LPDDR5X to reach its advertised performance. YouTuber ETA Prime tested the Arc B390 with slower DDR5-5600 SO-DIMM memory to see what the performance repercussions were and saw noteworthy performance losses compared to running the same iGPU with much speedier LPDDR5X memory.

The system ETA Prime used to test was an ASRock NUC BOX-358H featuring a Core Ultra X7 358H with 16 cores and an Arc B390 iGPU. The small form factor PC features two SO-DIMM DDR5 slots rather than embedded LPDDR5X, with support for up to 128GB of memory at up to 7200MT/s. But for testing, the YouTuber opted to put in two 16GB DDR5 sticks running at 5600MT/s. The YouTuber put the system through several benchmarks but only compared the Panther Lake system to an identical system running LPDDR5X memory in one benchmark, 3DMark Time Spy.

In 3DMark Time Spy, the Core Ultra X7 358H with DDR5-5600 memory achieved 6,221 points; by contrast, the same CPU with speedier 8335MT/s memory achieved 7,345 points, representing an 18% advantage in performance. In Forza Horizon 6, the NUC achieved roughly 73 FPS average at 1080p high settings, around 65 FPS average in Spider-Man 2, at 1080p medium settings using XeSS in balanced mode. In Cyberpunk 2077 at 1440p high settings, the game hit around 85 FPS average using XeSS frame gen set to a 3x multiplier.