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).
Editorial Responsibilities: technology news
What's in Darren's PC?
- CPU: AMD Ryzen 7 3700X
- MOTHERBOARD: MSI B450 Gaming Pro Carbon
- RAM: TEAM Vulcan Z T-Force 16GB DDR4 3000MHz
- GPU: ZOTAC GeForce RTX 2060 Super
- SSD: WD Black SN750 M.2 1TB
- OS: Windows 11 Pro
- COOLER: Alpenfohn Matterhorn CPU Cooler 120mm
- CASE: Phanteks Eclipse P400 Air
- PSU: Super Flower Leadex III 650W
Darren Allan has written 758 pieces of content
- May 2024
- Intel Arrow Lake rumored to be the best part of 1GHz slower than 14th-gen CPUs
- Microsoft Edge users who haven't activated Windows 11, watch out: this change could be bad news
- Microsoft fixes odd situation where those upgrading to Windows 11 would get an old version
- Annoying Windows 11 pop-up pushing Bing on Chrome users is apparently doing the rounds again
- ASUS ROG Ally 2 inbound for 2024? Nope, but rumor has it an updated handheld is due this year
- Intel Arrow Lake CPUs might be revealed in Q3 - running interference with Ryzen 9000 launch?
- Fancy a good 2-player coop for the weekend? Orcs Must Die 3 is free for PC on Epic Games Store
- Windows 11 is getting more popular - with PC gamers at least
- An AMD RX 7900 XTX cooled with just two fans? ASUS has surprised us with its new graphics card
- Want GeForce Now streaming on your Steam Deck? NVIDIA's done the hard work for you
- Still can't install Windows 10's January update? Microsoft fix isn't coming, you're on your own
- Microsoft seems to be losing the battle to persuade Windows 10 users to upgrade to Windows 11
- Copilot for OneDrive gets delayed - AI won't arrive for another four months potentially
- Hate Chrome or Edge? Streamlined Chromium-based Mac browser, Arc, is now out for Windows 11
- ChatGPT AI now has a memory - for subscribers at least - but the more paranoid can turn it off April 2024
- ASUS to launch 'groundbreaking' AI PC with Snapdragon X Elite SoC on May 20
- Microsoft OneDrive cloud storage finally gets an offline mode - with a catch
- Windows 11 has a couple of useful tweaks in testing for File Explorer and widgets
- Manor Lords sold a million copies on launch day, set new Steam player record for strategy games
- MSI unleashes new updates for Claw handheld giving up to 150% fps boost for games
- NVIDIA's new variant of RTX 4070 graphics card is now out with AD103, but don't get excited
- AMD RX 7700 XT's latest price cut means the mid-range GPU now makes sense - at long last
- Windows 11 might hit you with an extra-lengthy nagging session after your next update
- LG's 32-inch gaming OLED monitor with 480Hz refresh rate is imminent, with pre-orders live now
- HP laptop owners: that giant Caps Lock On pop-up isn't Windows 11's fault, here's how to fix it
- Fears emerge that Windows 11 could hit you with a desktop watermark if your PC isn't AI-okay
- MSI's advice for Core i9 CPUs hit by game crashes includes 'workarounds recommended by Intel'
- AMD's new GPU driver supports most-wished-for game Manor Lords, boosts Helldivers 2 performance
- Spreadsheets are boring? Not anymore they're not, someone made a Fallout RPG in Excel
- Downloads to be cut in half for Windows 10 updates, as new slimmer upgrades start next month
- Missing the Fallout TV show? Play Fallout 4 instead, it's about to get a big current-gen update
- Are full-blown adverts coming to Windows 11's Start menu? We hope not, but it looks that way
- Intel XeSS arrives for Avatar: Frontiers of Pandora and gets improved in Horizon Forbidden West
- Forget the PS5 Pro, Sony's neck-based air conditioner is the invention turning heads right now
- Windows 11 Settings gets another Control Panel feature as painfully slow migration continues
- Want to use Gemini AI on an older Android phone? It now works on OS versions before Android 12
- Clues hint at what AI Explorer could do in Windows 11, but they might worry privacy activists
- Want adverts on your Start menu in Windows 11? Well, you're getting them next month
- Qualcomm's other Snapdragon X SoC is leaked, indicating how Plus CPU should compare to Elite
- ASUS fix for Intel Core i9 CPU crashing problem is tested - now we know how much it affects FPS
- AMD's RX 7800 XT hits a new low price - you can now grab this GPU for $469
- Dragon's Dogma 2 patch delivers some important fixes - but not the one everyone wants
- AMD's top Strix Point Halo APU could have 16 Zen 5 cores in 2 x CCDs, mirroring Ryzen 9000 CPUs
- High-end PC maker gives advice that could fix Intel Core i9 CPUs crashing in games
- Windows 10 users: Get ready to be bugged about creating a Microsoft Account
- Meet Microsoft's VASA-1: AI can now take a photo and turn it into a 'talking head' video clip
- Bethesda promises some 'really good updates' for Starfield are going to be revealed soon
- Microsoft wants you to use AI to jazz up images in Windows 11 Photos app - but there's a twist
- Ready for Zen 5? MSI has dropped a heavy hint that AMD's next-gen Ryzen CPUs could arrive soon
- Microsoft mulls a way of punishing inactivated Windows 11 installations using its Edge browser
- Lenovo's tiny Chromebox PC that's the size of an iPhone 16 is now on sale
- AMD RX 6000 GPUs appear to be selling out - is this the last chance for a cheap RDNA 2 deal?
- Microsoft accidentally installed Copilot AI app on a version of Windows it wasn't meant for
- NVIDIA wants to take the pain out of compact PC builds with 'SFF Enthusiast GeForce' GPU scheme
- New NVIDIA GPU driver supports Steam's most-wanted game Manor Lords, and No Rest for the Wicked
- Own a GIGABYTE AORUS Z790 motherboard? Steer clear of the new beta BIOS whatever you do
- GPU price war intensifies: AMD RX 7900 XT and NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super have never been cheaper
- Most-wanted game on Steam arrives April 26: Manor Lords is hyped as possible best game of 2024
- Sony PlayStation 5 Pro rumors confirmed: 45% faster GPU, same Zen 2 CPU but with turbo mode
- AMD Strix Point APU with RDNA 3+ graphics could come close to NVIDIA RTX 3050 GPU's performance
- With new GPU driver release, NVIDIA offers advice to Intel CPU owners plagued by games crashing
- Panther Lake apparently on track for 2025 launch as tools for Intel's mobile CPUs are spotted
- SanDisk reveals world's first 4TB SD card that should take 8K video recording in its stride
- Hints about Build 2024 suggest Microsoft's set to reveal killer AI feature for Windows 11 PCs
- NVIDIA GeForce Now goes all post-apocalyptic, adding support for two Fallout games
- V-Color unleashes Manta XFinity DDR5 RAM that overclocks to a blistering 8.6GHz
- Windows 11 Snipping Tool gets new QR code powers - and is invaded by emojis
- Leak suggests AMD Zen 5 CPUs will be called Ryzen 9000
- AMD Strix Point APUs rumored to have been debuffed by AI - kind of
- AMD's APUs rumored to be sticking with RDNA 3+ integrated GPUs until 2027 - at least
- It looks like Microsoft could cram more adverts veiled as 'recommendations' into Windows 11
- Intel's new Wi-Fi driver for Windows 11 and 10 cures nasty BSoD crashes
- PC sales have turned around with shipments up in Q1 2024, now almost at pre-pandemic levels
- AMD's RX 7900 XTX is again below $900 - so is it the right time to buy this flagship GPU?
- Intel Battlemage rumor is good news for a change - GPUs could arrive in time for Black Friday
- Microsoft's moving like a speeding slug in fixing Windows 10 patch that still fails to install
- Lenovo confirms that it's already planning the sequel to the Legion Go handheld
- Whatever game follows Baldur's Gate 3 from Larian, you'll be able to get in and play it early
- Think RGB lighting is over-the-top and pointless? Well, how about flower-scented thermal paste?
- AMD RX 7800 XT drops to $480 again, if you missed the last time the GPU was priced that low
- The Outer Worlds special edition with enhanced graphics and DLC is now free at Epic Games Store
- Windows 11's Microsoft Store just got a lot better with performance boosts across the board
- AI safety expert predicts a 99.999999% chance of p(doom). What's that mean? Well, it isn't good
- Microsoft's Copilot key for Windows 11 AI PCs has a secret - it dates back to the mid-1980s
- Are you naturally good at shooters? Research suggests some gamers see more fps than others
- AMD Zen 5 CPU leak shows 40% 'core for core' performance uplift - but let's not get excited yet
- Microsoft brings back a useful File Explorer feature ditched in Moment 4 update for Windows 11
- RTX 3060 cements its place as the most popular GPU on Steam as NVIDIA remains dominant over AMD March 2024
- FuryGPU: PC enthusiast builds own DIY GPU, with custom Windows drivers, to run Quake at 60 fps
- MSI's M580 FROZR SSD: 14.6GB/s reads, 12.7GB/s writes, and a cooler your CPU may be jealous of
- NVIDIA RTX 4060 drops to $279, lowest price ever - so, are you ready to buy the GPU yet?
- Physical Copilot key will be mandatory on the keyboard of Microsoft's AI PCs
- DLSS 3 mod is an unofficial fix for sluggish FPS with NVIDIA RTX 4000 GPUs in Dragon's Dogma 2
- Windows 11 users reportedly find a mysterious Copilot app stealthily installed on their PC
- Stock of NVIDIA's Lovelace GPUs could soon get thinner on the ground ahead of RTX 5090 launch
- NVIDIA's nerfed RTX 3050 6GB GPU is selling like hotcakes apparently - at least in China
- Still hoping for a Baldur's Gate 3 expansion? It's not coming, and neither is Baldur's Gate 4
- Notepad in Windows 11 just became a bit more like Microsoft Word with a nifty new feature
- Wait a minute - new Surface devices for consumers might not have Intel CPUs, just ARM chips?
- NVIDIA rumored to prep RTX 4070, 4060 Ti and 4060 GPU refreshes, but don't get excited for them
- 'Can it run Dragon's Dogma 2?' It's an amazing RPG by all accounts, but it totally crushes CPUs
- AMD RX 7900 XTX drops to $899 - is this a better shout than NVIDIA's RTX 4080 Super GPU now?
- Suddenly folks are worried that NVIDIA's RTX 5090 GPU will disappoint - but don't panic yet
- Poker-based roguelike deckbuilder Balatro is another big hit from out of nowhere for 2024
- Next-gen PlayStation could hit 60 fps at 8K with PSSR upscaling as PS5 Pro manages 60 fps at 4K
- NVIDIA's top 3 Blackwell GPUs rumored to use GDDR7 - with RTX 5080 set to equal RTX 4090?
- Intel has a plan to make its Core i9-14900KS CPU more popular - at least with PC makers
- RTX 5090 may be NVIDIA's biggest ever gen-on-gen performance uplift, with GPU on track for 2024
- Intel APO tech speeds up 12 more games including World of Warcraft, and benefits 12th-gen CPUs
- Intel's Core i9-14900KS is here - and this 6.2GHz CPU isn't as expensive as some feared
- MSI's easy overclock for Core i9-14900KS spotted - one click to get the CPU running at 6.4GHz
- Google is getting into PC games - kind of - by expanding the scope of the Google Play Games app
- One of Copilot Pro's best features has arrived in the free version of the AI, to our surprise
- Is this the future of portable gaming? Compal's concept gaming tablet has an ace up its sleeve
- Micro Center leaks Intel Core i9-14900KS CPU price, and it's the most expensive KS ever at $749
- Intel Lunar Lake leak suggests a powerful laptop CPU that runs rings around Meteor Lake
- Windows 10 is giving some users a headache as something weird is going on with a new update
- NVIDIA GeForce Now gets G-Sync and Reflex, so it's 'nearly indistinguishable' from a local PC
- Microsoft's Surface launch is on March 21 - and could be where AI really steps up to the plate
- Intel set to show off Arrow Lake at Computex 2024 - might the CPUs arrive sooner than thought?
- Microsoft is testing having Copilot AI spring more readily into action on Windows 11 PCs
- Windows 11 again fails to make headway attracting new users - and gets outdone by Windows 10
- NVIDIA cuts price of RTX 4060 Ti (16GB) GPU after AMD pressure, but it's unlikely to be enough
- Windows 11's Copilot AI just got a feature that'll be a huge timesaver
- Intel Core i9-14900KS apparently set for mid-March release, but good luck trying to buy the CPU
- NVIDIA RTX 5090 could launch in Q3 2024 to crush AMD in the gaming GPU arena
- More games are slowly getting AMD FSR 3, including The Last of Us Part 1, RoboCop: Rogue City
- Not got a webcam for your PC? Windows 11 users can just use their Android smartphone instead
- Copilot AI in Windows 11 is getting more powerful - slowly - and more AI features are coming February 2024
- AMD RDNA 4 flagship GPU rumor sounds disappointing - and it has us scratching our heads
- Intel Core i9-14900KS photo leaked, suggesting 6.2GHz-toting flagship CPU is near to launch
- Use a PS5 DualSense controller in Windows 11? Intel's new Bluetooth driver is a must grab
- Getting annoyed by a glitchy taskbar in Windows 11? Microsoft has a fix in testing right now
- Microsoft's next AI feature for Windows 11's Paint app could be a real stroke of genius
- Some Windows 11 users can't install February update because 'something didn't go as planned'
- NVIDIA RTX 5090 GPU could have fuller core count than RTX 4090, but stock is a worry already
- Windows 11 Paint app could get another AI feature, but what it'll do is a mystery so far
- Weird and wonderful things you can play Doom on number 28: A robot lawnmower (yes, really)
- Give an image to Genie and Google's AI can make a 2D platformer out of it, right there and then
- AMD could soon spring a new GPU on the US - the RX 7900 from China no one's that bothered about
- No firmware updates for a $900 monitor? MSI confirms that's the case for some QD-OLED models
- AMD CEO Lisa Su confirmed for opening Computex keynote - so prepare for a big Zen 5 CPU reveal?
- Elden Ring Shadow of the Erdtree trailer causes jaws to drop, DLC arrives on June 21
- Starfield finally gets FSR 3 - for those PC gamers out there still playing
- ChatGPT loses its marbles, talks gibberish, and worries one user by saying it's 'in the room'
- This is the dream game controller you'll never be able to buy: Ship's wheel for Skull and Bones
- AMD Zen 5 CPUs may not debut until late in 2024 - could Intel's Arrow Lake even arrive first?
- NVIDIA Blackwell GPUs to arrive in 2024 leaker insists - don't believe the delay to 2025 rumors
- AMD RX 7900 GRE GPU goes on sale in the UK, fueling rumors that it's due for a US launch soon
- NVIDIA RTX 5000 GPUs could be 60% faster - and 2.5x for RT - but may not arrive until Q2 2025
- Ever wanted to play a PvP version of Home Alone? RBO is coming from the maker of Hello Neighbor
- No Man's Sky - regarded as the greatest gaming comeback ever by some - is free this weekend
- NVIDIA GeForce Now gets Skull and Bones, Halo: Infinite - and the possible sleeper hit of 2024
- MSI Afterburner drops support for Windows XP - but let's be honest, 23 years was a good run
- Windows 11 brings in the widget board change everyone wants - and other nifty interface tweaks
- Microsoft's new plan to push folks to upgrade to Windows 11 may be its most confusing move yet
- AMD's Anti-Lag+ tech is returning 'soon' - but what form will the reintroduced feature take?
- Literal bugs in NVIDIA GTX 1060 graphics card: Red ants invade a PC and 'eat the GPU alive'
- Fed up with sky-high pricing for NVIDIA's RTX 4090? The GPU now seems to be falling in price
- Ever wanted to chat to your GPU? NVIDIA's new RTX-powered AI chatbot is fast, local and private
- Helldivers 2 blows away God of War with new record player count for PlayStation launch on Steam
- DIYer makes a real-world Pokedex powered by ChatGPT AI, and it's every bit as cool as it sounds
- Unofficially running Windows 11 on an aged PC? The OS soon won't boot - at all - with old CPUs
- AMD Zen 5 CPUs rumored to offer 'totally ludicrous' performance boost to the tune of 30%
- Will 2024 be a year of breakout hits for PC gaming? Helldivers 2 is suddenly Steam's top-seller
- Intel Arc driver makes Palworld, Starfield run faster, and there's a 70% FPS boost elsewhere
- Dreams of Windows 12 this year are shot down, as Windows 11 24H2 is confirmed by Microsoft
- Think you've got a long wait for Windows 11's next feature update? Think again as it's imminent
- Microsoft's Copilot gets a makeover, as AI's image creation powers are taken to the next level
- Microsoft's new PC Manager app aims to speed up Windows 11 and get rid of ads (oh the irony)
- Leaked Intel CPU with 12 performance cores might sound like a gamer's dream - but it isn't
- Forget faster frame rates, the PlayStation 6's trump card could be AI? That's one theory anyway
- Video of reckless Tesla driver using Apple Vision Pro headset behind the wheel goes viral
- PowerColor RX 7900 XT Spectral White may tempt buyers away from NVIDIA's RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU
- How much burn-in coverage is right for OLED? ASUS and MSI reveal policies for their PC monitors
- Want all your PC games to be HDR? NVIDIA GPUs could get a better option than Windows Auto HDR
- Why are NVIDIA RTX 4090 prices so high? China reportedly still can't get enough of the GPU
- Your webcam might be shuttered, but an ambient light sensor is also a risk for being spied on
- Another clue points to Windows 11 24H2 coming later this year - and not Windows 12
- Nasty bug means Windows 10's default apps are reportedly crashing constantly for some users
- NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super GPU rumored to be selling decently - better than the 4070 Ti Super anyway
- Zen 5 CPUs are on track for release in the second half of 2024, AMD rep confirms January 2024
- Windows 11's new setup interface is found out - it was actually in Windows 10 a decade ago
- Can a mouse become a webcam? This clever mod shows what can be done with an optical sensor
- Microsoft Graveyard lets you wander among the headstones of the products Microsoft has axed
- NVIDIA beta GPU driver spotted boosting Cyberpunk 2077 frame rates by 23%, but there's a catch
- AMD's new graphics driver is only for one game, fixing graphics corruption with Suicide Squad
- Max Payne RTX Remix mod jazzes it up nicely - but destroys frame rate of NVIDIA's RTX 4080 GPU
- Amazon Prime Video subscribers: You're getting ads from today (unless you pay to avoid them)
- Windows 11 users, wave goodbye to WordPad - it'll likely be removed with the 24H2 update
- Windows 11 beta testers get the chance to turn their preview build into a release installation
- Intel's Arrow Lake CPUs on target for 2024 launch, CEO asserts - with massive AI gains in tow
- Is Palworld unstoppable? It's the top game on Xbox Game Pass and has 2 million players on Steam
- NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU reportedly sold well on launch - showing the value of 16GB VRAM?
- Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition arrives on PC on March 21 with DirectStorage and DLSS 3
- We loved Until Dawn on PS4 - and the horror classic is rumored to be coming to PC and PS5
- A dusty long-forgotten Windows 11 app is set for a major overhaul - stand by for Stickier Notes
- Palworld patch arrives to deal with cheaters - but it may not have the fix you really crave
- Palworld attracts 8 million buyers - but also the attention of The Pokemon Company, apparently
- Intel Arc driver offers 30% boosts for DX11 games, sparking excitement for Battlemage GPUs
- NVIDIA's new graphics driver supports RTX 4070 Ti Super GPU and transforms SDR videos into HDR
- NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super leak suggests a GPU that might be a touch faster than we expected
- AMD's fastest RDNA 4 GPU could offer RX 7900 XTX performance at $400 (if we're lucky)
- NVIDIA's Blackwell GPUs could be 30%-40% faster than Lovelace - but RTX 5090 may hit 60% uplift
- Palworld hits 1.5m concurrent players on Steam but serious bugs might dampen the party mood
- Solidigm 61TB monster SSD, the biggest in the world, is now on sale for those with deep pockets
- MaxSun's RTX 4070 Super graphics card is different in that it avoids the 16-pin power connector
- Intel Arrow Lake might have a surprise up its sleeve: some peppy low-end laptop CPUs
- Like a Dragon: Infinite Wealth introduces a new gaming paywall - New Game+ is a $15 upgrade
- Microsoft's take on Civilization is a grand strategy epic that promises not to waste your time
- Windows 11 is getting a feature to make editing your Android phone photos so much easier
- Another game gets AMD's FSR 3 frame generation - but (probably) not the one you were hoping for
- Manor Lords, a city builder from a lone developer, is now the number 2 wished-for game on Steam
- Intel Arrow Lake support is in CPU-Z - a sign 15th-gen CPUs will arrive earlier than expected?
- 2024 could be the year all laptops get 16GB of RAM - and you can thank Microsoft's AI for that
- NVIDIA's RTX 4070 Super is below MSRP already in Europe - another hint this GPU is struggling?
- Got your heart set on an NVIDIA RTX 4070 Ti Super? Sadly this GPU could be tricky to buy
- Top-end GIGABYTE RTX 4070 Super GPU looks tempting - it's very nearly as fast as an RTX 4070 Ti
- NVIDIA's new driver brings RTX 4070 Super support, and 100+ games now have Reflex tech
- Linux is suddenly 6% faster in one respect after a developer spent 5 minutes tinkering with it
- S.T.A.L.K.E.R. 2: Heart of Chornobyl now has a final release date - September 5, 2024
- Windows 12 concept video shows how Microsoft's next OS might look - and it's surprisingly slick
- Cities: Skylines 2 devs warn they may 'pull back our engagement' with community due to toxicity
- Chrome users may be jealous of Microsoft Edge's new feature to double the power of web searches
- Microsoft is now charging for Copilot: New Pro AI is $20 monthly to make it faster and better
- Suicide Squad: Kill the Justice League is yet another PC game that demands an SSD to run
- Rumor suggests RTX 3050 6GB is nerfed so much we wonder why NVIDIA is bothering with this GPU
- Leak suggests Microsoft plans to charge for a Copilot Pro subscription with the best features
- MSI Claw isn't even out yet, but the next version of this gaming handheld is already planned
- Microsoft admits latest Windows 10 update has a strange error, says it's working on a fix
- Forget smartphone battery life woes - the future is nuclear batteries that never need charging
- Windows 11's Copilot AI may get convenient drag and drop functionality that'd be a handy extra
- Copilot in your face? Microsoft is testing a Windows 11 change that's bound to be controversial
- NVIDIA RTX 4080 Super leak suggests GPU that's better than expected but 4070 Super looks shaky
- NVIDIA reveals 10 new games for GeForce Now and reminds us of new day passes for the service
- AMD's frame generation (AFMF) debuts on January 24, but will NVIDIA respond with its own take?
- Windows 10's latest update is failing to install and confusing some users with a weird error
- How will Cowriter AI work in Windows 11's Notepad? New leak gives us a good idea
- Having Wi-Fi woes on Windows 11? Intel's new driver fixes a bunch of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth bugs
- Forza Motorsport devs are listening to players and acting on some of the biggest complaints
- Windows 11 users, take note - literally - Notepad is rumored to get an AI 'Cowriter' soon
- Paranoid about melting NVIDIA power cables? ASUS RTX 4090 BTF GPU ditches the cable completely
- Wave goodbye to the RTX 4070 Ti and 4080, as NVIDIA is officially scrapping these GPUs
- HP leak is another hint Windows 12 isn't coming this year - we'll get Windows 11 24H2 instead
- Galaxy Book 4 gets a Copilot feature that allows the AI to deal with texts from a Samsung phone
- Not sure what something does in Windows 11? Take a screenshot and Copilot AI will tell you
- NVIDIA's RTX 5000 GPUs on track for Q4 2024 launch but don't expect a Lovelace performance leap
- Windows 11 gaming bugs get worse for testers as Microsoft struggles to fix the OS
- Breakfast achievement unlocked: Microsoft's new Xbox toaster puts its iconic logo on your toast
- Microsoft says dedicated Copilot key is most 'significant change' to keyboard since Windows key
- New stats make it clear: Windows 11 has a real problem getting Windows 10 users to upgrade