Platform longevity helped define Ryzen's rise, but was it really the secret sauce? As Nova Lake and Zen 6 approach, we revisit AM4 to see how much socket support truly shaped the CPU market.

Linux 7.0 is officially taking shape with the release of the first release candidate. The new kernel lays the groundwork for upcoming distros like Ubuntu 26.04 LTS and Fedora 44, while delivering broad hardware enablement for Intel's next-gen CPUs, AMD Zen 6 and new GPUs, and expanding support for Qualcomm Snapdragon platforms. Beyond hardware, Linux 7.0 brings meaningful file system and performance improvements, continued Rust integration, and a long list of under-the-hood optimizations.

It may not be the best year to upgrade your PC, but 2026 is packed with games worth the wait. From long-awaited reboots to bold new IP, here are the PC titles we can't stop watching this year.

Microsoft PowerToys packs more than 30 utilities into a single toolbox, but not all of them are worth using. These 11 stand out as genuinely useful, and a few others you can safely ignore.

MSI's RTX 5090 Lightning Z is a limited-run halo product built without practical constraints. We test its thermals, power draw, and performance to see what's possible at the extreme end of GPU design.

SignalRGB is a free app that makes RGB chaos manageable, letting you sync lighting effects across keyboards, mice, RAM, fans, and other PC gear – even when it's all from different brands. This update polishes the UI, fixes bugs, and expands compatibility with dozens of new devices.