TechSpot Features

DirectX 12 has been expanding to cover ray tracing, machine learning and faster storage. Learn how next-gen titles like Cyberpunk 2077 are using some of these extras, and how they'll make games better for us all.

When it comes to computing devices, the headlines tend to go to biggest and fastest, but not always. Say hello to Arduino, a project that has inspired millions around the world to get into the vast ocean of electronics and programming.

Left unchecked, it won't take long for the Windows context menu to become cluttered, and we bet there's at least one program on your context menus that you never use.

At some point, Windows 10 introduced a "3D Objects" File Explorer shortcut that takes up unnecessary space by default. This article will show you how to remove that annoyance and various other such shortcuts (Music, Videos, etc), so you can personalize as you want.

Call of Duty has made everlasting memories for millions of players around the world, including an entire generation of gamers that spent their adolescent years with the franchise and continue to stick with it to this day.

Home video rentals were a $16 billion industry when Reed Hastings and Marc Randolph decided to get involved in 1997. Netflix's million-dollar idea was to build an online video rental service in the image of Amazon, an up-and-coming e-commerce player that was in the business of selling books.

Like all electronic devices, PCs don't last forever, and the parts inside them will eventually fail. While it's easy to replace a broken device, the same can't be said for the data stored in your machine.

Launched in 1970, Xerox's PARC has played an instrumental role in the engineering of laser printing and many of the technologies that compose the PC you're reading this on: the graphical user interface, ethernet, the mouse, among others. We'd like to take a few and give credit where credit's due.

Precursor chip maker Cyrix brought the world of personal computing into the lives of many, only to be killed by its best product and its inability to run a popular game, followed by a bad merger with a larger partner.

IPC performance is a good indicator of a CPU's architecture efficiency, so we're checking out how Zen 3 compares against Intel's 10th-gen Core and AMD's progress with Ryzen over the past three years.

When we look at the video games that have truly stood the test of time, MMORPGs are always near the top of that list. The genre has been around for decades, but what's the secret sauce that makes MMOs so popular and long-lasting? And which titles are worth playing today?

In this article we'll be searching for Zen 3's memory sweet spot and looking at DDR4 memory performance with the new Ryzen 5000 CPU series, and a brief explanation of why 4 RAM sticks are faster than 2.

By far the most common types of display panels used on PC monitors are TN, IPS and VA. We're sure you've heard these terms before if you've researched monitors to purchase, and to be clear, the type of panel is a key piece of information that reveals a lot about how the monitor will behave and perform.

For the first time, the Unreal Engine will be used in a consumer automobile, as all displays in the new GMC Hummer EV are powered by the very same software that enables some of the most popular and visually stunning video games on the market.

Enthusiasts have been pushing the limits of silicon for as long as microprocessors have existed. These are but a few of the landmark processors revered for their overclocking prowess.

Small form factor PCs are a niche corner of the PC market that's becoming more accessible than ever. Many SFF PCs are similar in size to the latest gaming consoles, but there's more to do than just game on a PC.

The average desktop PC has over 10 different types of connections and often sports over 30 individual sockets. Whether you're wanting to sort out SATA from M.2, or DVI-D from DisplayPort, welcome to our quick guide to sockets and ports.

We often talk about the latest and greatest graphics cards and playing games at the highest settings, but there are times when that's simply not an option. In times like these, it's nice to have a library of fun games that won't melt our processors. That's why we've compiled this list of 25 great (but less demanding) games we can wholeheartedly recommend.

For 25 years, the USB port has been a faithful old friend, connecting and powering our everyday gadgets and peripherals. But how exactly does that happen? Welcome to our explainer on the inner workings of USB, and a look at how it's managed to survive for so long when others have come and gone.

Will history repeat itself? Intel's setting out to make a name for itself in the discrete GPU space with its upcoming Xe-HP GPU lineup. We look at Project Larrabee - the last time Intel tried making a graphics card - to understand how things might turn out.

Microsoft has been changing and improving the way it handles Windows licenses. We'll cover all you need to know in this article, from old school ways to retrieve keys, to the more modern approaches to make good use of your licenses and what restrictions may apply depending on your type of license.

Learn all that you can do in the Windows Command Prompt, from useful commands everyone should know to more advanced tweaks and troubleshooting features.

Nvidia is making concerted efforts to expand their GeForce feature set beyond raw performance. Features like DLSS and ray tracing are heavily pushed, and today we'll be checking out whether Reflex is something you should care about.

Star Wars vs. Star Trek, Coke vs. Pepsi, Edison vs. Tesla. History is filled with famous rivalries, but few have matched the intensity and, quite often, the viciousness that comes when two tech industry giants clash heads.

Computers had finally made the jump from taking up an entire room to fitting on a desk, but they were still far from portable. In 1982, three entrepreneurs decided to change that. Their first entry into the market was the Compaq Portable in 1983.

After years of wallowing in the mud left by Intel's wake, AMD has risen back up to reconquer the processor market. Ryzen 5000 is meant to put the final nail in Intel's coffin. But such a challenge cannot go unanswered.

There are many reasons why you might need to find your motherboard's brand and model number. Looking to update drivers or the BIOS is most common, but you may also want to check compatibility, discover specs, or look for a replacement. And with OEM PCs and laptops, it's not always as straightforward as checking the box of your motherboard's box.

With the announcement of AMD's Ryzen 5000 desktop CPU series, many prospective buyers aren't clear on the differences between AMD B450 and B550 motherboards, if they should upgrade or which one to buy.

Microsoft's Xbox controller has been the default gamepad for PC gamers for some time now, but you may prefer Sony's competing --- and also quite good --- DualShock 4 controller. The good news is, you can easily configure it to work on Windows or macOS.

The tech industry is known for its predictive pronouncements and many have tried to follow Intel co-founder Gordon Moore (of Moore's Law fame) in bringing their observations into the public eye... with varying degrees of success.