Download of the Week

GPU-Z delivers a clean, no-install snapshot at key GPU information, including clocks, memory, sensors, BIOS, and driver data. It supports Nvidia, AMD, and Intel GPUs, making it a handy tool for verifying specs, monitoring behavior, or troubleshooting a system without extra bloat.

CPU-Z 2.20.2 expands compatibility with upcoming Intel and AMD processors, including Panther Lake, Wildcat Lake, Bartlett Lake, Ryzen AI Max, and Ryzen Pro. The release also adds support for Intel Arc Pro B-series GPUs and new HUDIMM and HSODIMM memory.

elementary OS is a polished Linux distribution built on Ubuntu LTS that emphasizes thoughtful design, simplicity, and a distraction-free desktop experience. Version 8.1 makes the Wayland-based Secure Session the default, improving security, touchpad gestures, and display handling. The update also introduces multitasking enhancements, refinements to the software store, improved hardware compatibility, and more.

FanControl lets you create detailed fan curves, monitor temperatures, and fine-tune cooling behavior across a wide range of supported PC hardware. The latest release issues various fixes and limits the app to a single service client connection for improved stability.

Nvidia has retired its long-running Control Panel software for GeForce users, ending more than two decades of one of PC gaming's most recognizable utilities. Future Game Ready and Studio driver updates will now focus entirely on the newer Nvidia App, which combines driver and graphics settings, recording tools, and game optimizations into a single interface.

Trdo is an internet radio player focused on simplicity. Despite its early beta status, Trdo already feels polished, offering a native experience for streaming radio stations from around the world.

Vivaldi 8 introduces a refreshed desktop interface focused on faster navigation and deeper customization, while continuing the browser's power-user approach to tab management and productivity.

CrystalDiskInfo 9.9.0 adds a new feature to help users spot counterfeit Samsung SSDs, an increasingly common problem as fake high-end drives are becoming more convincing. The utility can flag suspicious drives by checking hardware identifiers and firmware data.

Discord just flipped on end-to-end encryption for every voice and video call across DMs, group chats, voice channels and streams. It's one of the platform's biggest privacy upgrades yet.

Discord is now more Linux friendly than ever before, having rolled out major improvements for the OS, including official packages for Fedora and Arch distros. A new self-updater brings Linux closer to the Windows experience, and better support for the Steam Deck. The update also adds hardware video acceleration for AMD, Intel, and Nvidia GPUs.

VMware Workstation Pro 26H1 adds broader Linux support, full 64-bit Windows components, and direct connections to remote ESXi Arm hosts. The update also introduces several quality-of-life fixes requested since Broadcom made Workstation free. For developers, tinkerers, and anyone juggling Linux distros or Windows test environments, Workstation Pro remains one of the easiest ways to run reliable virtual machines on a PC.

Android Studio is Google's official IDE for Android development, designed for creating apps across phones, tablets, TVs, and Wear OS devices. The new Panda 4 release introduces AI upgrades like Planning Mode, which lets Gemini generate and review implementation plans before writing code, alongside a new Gemini API starter template.

Inspired by the early days of CCleaner, FluentCleaner is a cleanup utility that focuses on removing temporary files, browser cache, logs, and leftover clutter without aggressive registry cleaning or scareware tactics. The app also supports community-maintained cleaning databases and optional extensions.

ForkLift is one our favorite SFTP/SSH file manager for macOS, alongside WinSCP on Windows. ForkLift 4.6.2 improves Finder integration, checksum tool with CSV export support, and fixes for icon preview glitches on macOS Sequoia.

Winhanced gives Windows gaming PCs a cleaner, more console-like experience by combining launchers, controller navigation, and system tools into one streamlined interface. Originally built for handhelds, it's also gaining traction on desktop and living room setups as an alternative to juggling Steam Big Picture, Xbox, and multiple launchers.

ValiDrive is a free utility that checks whether USB drives, memory cards, SSDs, and other storage actually provide their advertised capacity. Designed to spot counterfeit or faulty drives with inflated storage claims, it can also identify potential read/write problems and give a quick look at transfer performance.

Bazzite 44 is a big one. Built on Fedora 44, this gaming-focused Linux distro lands with KDE Plasma 6.6 and Gnome 50, the OGC kernel 6.19, and Mesa 26.0.5 for better GPU support across Vulkan and OpenGL titles. The release also strengthens security with signed ISOs and updates bundled tools.

3DMark is a widely used benchmarking tool that measures GPU and CPU performance using a range of graphics tests, including modern ray tracing workloads, making it useful for everything from quick system checks to in-depth performance comparisons across different hardware configurations.

The latest PowerToys update brings new tools like Power Display for multi-monitor brightness control and Grab and Move for simpler window handling, along with refinements to modules like Command Palette and Keyboard Manager.

Notepad++ is now available on macOS as a free open-source app. It uses the same core editing engine, bringing familiar features like syntax highlighting, plugins, and macros, while integrating with macOS for better performance.

BleachBit is an open-source utility built to clear junk files, reclaim storage, and scrub traces of browsing and system activity without the bloat often found in commercial cleaners. Its latest release expands browser cleaning, introduces a new cookie manager, and delivers over 100 fixes and improvements.

OpenAI Codex is a coding agent powered by ChatGPT that helps developers build, test, and ship software. It can run tasks in parallel, generate and review code changes, and automate repeatable workflows, while working with existing tools and secure sandboxed environments.

Firefox 150 introduces refinements to Split View, along with new tab-sharing options that let users copy multiple links with titles in one step. The update also enhances the built-in PDF editor, adds a private real-time translations page, and continues to expand security protections.

ZenTimings is a Windows utility designed for AMD Ryzen platforms that displays real-time memory configuration data and timings, frequency, and Infinity Fabric clocks. It's primarily used to verify BIOS or XMP/EXPO settings, offering a straightforward way to check how system memory is running.

The Gemini app for macOS gives Google's AI a native home on Apple desktops, with quick access via keyboard shortcuts, tight system integration, and the ability to work with on-screen content, local files, and Google services like Drive and Photos.